A special thank you to Kevin Dawson for the photos & results
CLICK TO SEE RESULTS
Anderson’s Brent Willey Earns First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Keowee
| Boater winner Brent Willey of Anderson, South Carolina, and Strike-King co-angler winner Chris Wilson of Easley, South Carolina. |
SENECA, S.C. (Jan. 27, 2025) – Boater Brent Willey of Anderson, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee. The tournament was the first event of the season for the BFL Savannah River Division. Willey earned $10,679, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency bonus, for his victory.
Willey said he was on some good fishing coming into the tournament, but it took adapting to changing conditions to dial in the winning bite.
“I actually caught ’em two days ago in probably 60 feet of water, 20 feet below the surface, and then today (Saturday) I got out there and they weren’t there,” he said. “I had to get in that 60 to 80 foot of water.
“You could see them about 5 feet off the bottom. I’d drop a Damiki rig down and get them to come up and sort of play with them. If I could get a school together, obviously, they’d compete for it, and it was a little bit easier to catch them.”
Willey caught his fish using Garmin LiveScope. The change in depth – from 20 feet deep to closer to 80 – was so drastic he had to adjust his sonar settings to be able to spot the fish.
What’s most interesting about the depth shift, according to Willey, is that the baitfish were still up high. He thinks maybe the warming trend in the region and a coinciding high-pressure system might have forced the fish to move.
Willey caught the bulk of his limit from one stretch – a deep channel – that was about a mile long. It’s a spot he wasn’t planning to make his primary area, but it’s a spot he’s fished a lot in the past. When his starting spot didn’t produce, he moved to the winning area and quickly put a 3.80-pound bass in the livewell, which told him he was on the right quality fish. He spent the rest of the day milking that spot, then running to check other areas, before returning to do it all again.
“I think the key was I was seeing big schools of herring swimming around,” Willey said of the primary area. “They were up high in the water column, but I think in the morning time when I got most of my bites – especially the fish that I weighed in – they generate power on this lake, and there was water flowing out. I think that gets a lot of the bait schooled up, and the fish seem to be more active during that time. When they stopped generation around 10 o’clock it definitely got tougher, but I was able to get a few bites. Then they started pumping water, where they actually send water up to Lake Jocassee, and that’s when it got really tough.”
Of note, Willey wasn’t alone in his tournament celebration. His tournament partner, Chris Wilson of Easley, South Carolina, also claimed victory in the co-angler division.
“He’s actually my best bud, my fishing partner, and we always fish together in the buddy tournaments,” Willey added. “So it’s pretty cool that we both got to win in the same day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Brent Willey, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 15-11, $10,679 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Andy Wicker, Pomaria, S.C., five bass, 14-7, $1,532
2nd: Davis Madden, Thomson, Ga., five bass, 14-7, $1,532
4th: Jesse Dodson, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 14-5, $859
5th: Keaton Owens, Inman, S.C., five bass, 14-3, $705
5th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 14-3, $705
7th: Brody Manley, Pickens, S.C., five bass, 13-14, $613
8th: Lane Parker, Waleska, Ga., five bass, 13-11, $552
9th: Tim Watson, Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-6, $491
10th: Taylor Green, Royston, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $429
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jason Burroughs of Hodges, South Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $480.
Chris Wilson of Easley, South Carolina, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,840 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., three bass, 8-8, $1,840
2nd: Colin Matthews, Hartsville, S.C., three bass, 8-7, $920
3rd: Rusty Odom, Simpsonville, S.C., three bass, 8-6, $612
4th: Jeff Horton, Inman, S.C., three bass, 8-5, $429
5th: Daniel Owens, Townville, S.C., three bass, 8-3, $368
6th: Joseph Tucci, Salem, S.C., three bass, 7-4, $337
7th: Chuck Bagwell, Laurens, S.C., three bass, 7-0, $307
8th: David Allen, Mableton, Ga., three bass, 6-15, $276
9th: Chase Gurkin, Simpsonville, S.C., three bass, 6-11, $245
10th: Darren Jeter, Asheville, N.C., three bass, 6-9, $215
Dwayne Parton of Anderson, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $240, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
In addition to earning the win, Willey also has the early lead in the Fishing Clash Savannah River Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while co-angler champ Wilson leads the Fishing Clash Savannah River Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 250 points.
On March 8, the BFL Savannah River Division anglers will once again square off at Lake Keowee out of Seneca, South Carolina, for the second event of their season. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament at Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, 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 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Vosker, 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.
Zac Ridenhour Wins CATT Yadkin Badin Lake, NC Jan 25, 2025
The 2025 Yadkin Spring Trail kicked off this weekend at Badin Lake and the weather was the same as the past few weeks—- COLD! 3 of the 21 teams brought in over 20 lbs so if you made the right move you were on em! As the temps warm up, we will see some bags brought in on this trail! Come join us! Great fun and family atmosphere!
A team only has to enter 1 Yadkin 2025 Spring Qualifier to be eligible to enter the 2025 Yadkin Spring Final!
Yadkin Spring Point Winners Receive $500
2nd Place in the Points receive free entry at the Final.
2024 Yadkin Spring Final winners took home $4,500.00!
By entering 2 Yadkin Spring events you will qualify for the 2025 CATT Championship held on Kerr Lake, NC May 17 18, 2025 brought to you by Academy Sports! $10,000 1st place is guaranteed to the winner! Tap on this link for more info!
2025 CATT Academy Championship – Carolina Anglers Team Trail
Zac Ridenhour was HOT on a very cold day bringing in 5 bass weighing 22.78 lbs taking 1st Place worth $838.00! Great job!
Mike Kiser & Matt Stanley brought in another great bag of Badin bass weighing 21.24 lbs securing 2nd Place!
Michael Swaringen & Alan Shinn claimed 3rd Place with 5 bass weighing 20.15 lbs!
Lane Campbell & Skip Jobe 4th Place with 19.00 lbs!
| Team | BF | Weight | Winnings | Points |
| Zac Ridenhour | 5.41 | 22.78 | $838.00 | 110 |
| Mike Kiser – Matt Stanley | 5.40 | 21.24 | $412.00 | 109 |
| Michael Swaringen – Alan Shinn | 0.00 | 20.15 | $150.00 | 108 |
| Lane Campbell – Skip Jobe | 5.89 | 19.00 | $100.00 | 107 |
| Donald Livengood – Susie Manholland | 5.60 | 18.53 | 106 | |
| Jeff Faircloth – Todd Gibson | 0.00 | 18.36 | 105 | |
| Rodney Thomas – Jason Thomas | 0.00 | 15.87 | 104 | |
| Michael Kinard – Aaron Harwood | 0.00 | 14.57 | 103 | |
| Justin Hill | 0.00 | 14.03 | 102 | |
| Spencer Moffitt – Robbie Moffitt | 0.00 | 10.87 | 101 | |
| Tyler Currick – Daryl Curl | 6.05 | 7.67 | 100 | |
| Herby Young – Harold Pridgen | 0.00 | 7.30 | 99 | |
| Dillon Simpson – Nathan Sparks | 0.00 | 7.07 | 98 | |
| Casey Hissin – Dakota Garner | 6.68 | 6.68 | $210.00 | 97 |
| Cody Thompson – Alan Robbins | 0.00 | 3.32 | 96 | |
| Chris Brown – Sam Cole | 3.00 | 3.00 | 95 | |
| Zach Scelsi – Kris Scelsi | 0.00 | 1.52 | 91 | |
| Stephen Gardner Sr – Charles Kingen | 0.00 | 0.00 | 81 | |
| Cody Sims – Tristen Pugh | 0.00 | 0.00 | 81 | |
| Mark Mohler – Graeme Bosch | 0.00 | 0.00 | 81 | |
| Kevin Stowell Sr | 0.00 | 0.00 | 81 | |
| Total Entry’s | $1,680.00 | |||
| BONUS $ | $450.00 | |||
| Total Paid at Ramp | $1,710.00 | |||
| CATT | $50.00 | |||
| 2025 Yadkin Spring Final Fund | $320.00 | |||
| 2025 CATT Championship Fund | $50.00 | |||
| 2025 Yadkin Spring Final Fund Total | $320.00 |
Quilatan and Rust leverage local knowledge for Bassmaster High School Series win at Harris Chain
Dylan Quilatan (left) and Tommy Rust (center) of Club Florida High School Bassmasters have won the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Harris Chain.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
Jan. 26, 2024
Quilatan and Rust leverage local knowledge for Bassmaster High School Series win at Harris Chain
LEESBURG, Fla. — Strategic application of local knowledge led Dylan Quilatan and Tommy Rust to a winning weight of 21 pounds, 10 ounces at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Harris Chain.
Representing Club Florida High School Bassmasters, Quilatan and Rust were the only anglers to break 20 pounds. Winning by a 3 1/2-pound margin, they topped a field of 167 boats and took home the top prize of $3,000. They also earned a spot in the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series National Championship.
After spending two weeks prior to the event sampling the entire Harris Chain, Quilatan and Rust narrowed their focus to lakes Dora and Beauclair.
“We’re locals, so we know those are the most consistent lakes right now,” said Quilatan. “We practiced every single lake and that’s where we found the best (opportunity). Those lakes have the most eelgrass flats.”
Targeting groups of prespawn fish, the winners matched their baits to whatever forage the fish were eating. For smaller threadfin shad, they threw Keitech FAT Swing Impact 2.8 swimbaits on 1/8-ounce jigheads, but when bass were clearly chasing larger gizzard shad, 7-inch No Live Bait Needed K-Tail swimbaits on 1/2-ounce heads got the call.
“Everything was a slow retrieve, and it just depended on what they were eating,” Rust said. “We had a limit of about 6 pounds by 11 a.m. and we kept culling our way up.
“We made about 15 culls. At first, it was only by ounces, then we started making bigger culls in afternoon. Our biggest fish was a 5-6.”
Electronics played a key role in locating their targets, but Quilatan clarified that he and Rust were not employing the common strategy of spotting and engaging specific fish.
“We had two Garmin LiveScopes — one in perspective mode and one in forward — but we weren’t watching the fish eat our baits,” Quilatan said. “It was really difficult to get them to bite today, so we were just casting into as many fish as we could and reeling the baits through them.
“A lot of people were casting at single fish, but it’s almost impossible to do that on a day like today when they weren’t biting that well.”
Reflecting on his team’s achievement, Quilatan said the reward more than justifies the hard work he and Rust have invested into their competitive careers.
“I can’t believe it; this feels unreal,” Quilatan said. “We had a lot of close (finishes) last year, trying to make it to Nationals, so it feels good to do it.”
Rust adds that winning on their home waters in their senior year made the experience particularly memorable.
“We’re super thankful to God; we’ve been grinding, and we’re super blessed,” he said. “And we couldn’t do it without our parents; we love them so much.”
Brandon Goodman and Eli McCraney of Tallassee High School Anglers placed second with 18-2.
Ben Purvis and Mason Fender of Okeechobee Brahmans finished third with 14-13.
Joey Cotromano III of Nassau Christian Bass Club earned big bass honors with a 10-11.
The Greater Orlando Sports Commission is hosting the tournament.
| 2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Harris Chain 1/26-1/26 Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg FL. Standings Day 1 Anglers Club/School Pts 1. Dylan Quilatan – Tommy Rust Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 5 21-10 Total: 5 21-10 2. Brandon Goodman – Eli McCraney Tallassee High School Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 18-02 Total: 5 18-02 3. Ben Purvis – Mason Fender Okeechobee Brahmans 0 Day 1: 4 14-13 Total: 4 14-13 4. Landon Watts – Josiah Shockley Livingston Parish Bassmasters – 0 Day 1: 5 14-08 Total: 5 14-08 4. Wyatt Richards – Colby Goforth Pickens County Bass Club 0 Day 1: 5 14-08 Total: 5 14-08 6. Corbin Bornstein – Thomas James Lipscomb Academy 0 Day 1: 4 14-05 Total: 4 14-05 7. Presley Lannom – Trevor Sanford Mt. Juliet High School – TN 0 Day 1: 5 13-07 Total: 5 13-07 8. Barrett Newton – Landon Krauss Upperman High School 0 Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02 9. Hayden Berryman – Mason Bush Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00 10. Cordell Sanders – Hunter Mcalpin Liberty County Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 12-15 Total: 5 12-15 11. Joey Cotromano III – Nassau Christian Bass Club – FL 0 Day 1: 3 12-15 Total: 3 12-15 12. Evan Beard – Tyler Wilson Greenbrier High School 0 Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06 13. Jack Hall – Harlyn Nelson Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0 Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11 14. Jayden Black – Zachary Hipp 863 Anglers 0 Day 1: 4 11-11 Total: 4 11-11 15. RJ Sanger IV – Easton Morrow Lcs Viking Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04 16. William Collins – Kyler Jenkins Soddy Daisy Jr High 0 Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03 17. Nolan Holloway – Jackson Fanning Morgan County Bass Club 0 Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01 18. Kieran Stephenson – Grady Stanley Triangle Bass Club 0 Day 1: 4 10-15 Total: 4 10-15 19. Brayden Tisdale – Reece Kilian Emerald Coast Youth Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14 20. Blalock Eskew – Ellis Turner Heard County High School – GA 0 Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13 20. Mason Turner – Tyler Anderson Okeechobee Brahmans 0 Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13 22. Talon Hudson – Dalton Staats Columbia High School Bassmastesr 0 Day 1: 2 10-13 Total: 2 10-13 23. Trent Allen – Tri Johnson III George Jenkins High School – FL 0 Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10 24. Evin Moore – Bridger Jones Haywood Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07 25. Luke Oberman – Tucker Ricks Putnam County Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 25. Hudson Windham – John Corry Capital City High School Bass Hu 0 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 27. Jackson Crawford – Wyatt Reynolds Liberty County Junior Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13 28. Carson Falk – Trey Blackmon III Capital City High School Bass Hu 0 Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11 29. Parker Bilbrey – Tyler Thompson Monterey Anglers 0 Day 1: 4 09-08 Total: 4 09-08 30. Colton Trotter – Rehobeth High School – AL 0 Day 1: 4 09-05 Total: 4 09-05 31. Jacob Burkhead – Carter Berry Benton Panther Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 4 08-13 Total: 4 08-13 32. Clayburn Reed – Parker Creech Central Florida Youth Anglers – 0 Day 1: 4 08-09 Total: 4 08-09 33. Camp Gunter – Joseph Sperling Chiles High School Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08 33. Jay Law – Damian Eade Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08 35. Connor Kennedy – Brennan Enfinger Bainbridge High School Bass Cats 0 Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07 36. Lane Davis – Ragyn Mohney Okeechobee Brahmans – FL 0 Day 1: 4 08-07 Total: 4 08-07 37. Eli Scroggins – Andrew Berling Park Hills Athletic Club 0 Day 1: 5 08-04 Total: 5 08-04 38. Connor Crawford – Brody Beam Liberty County Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 08-02 Total: 5 08-02 39. Tucker Larrance – Jaxson Pierce Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0 Day 1: 5 08-01 Total: 5 08-01 40. Colby Kessinger – Kyler Utzman Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 5 07-15 Total: 5 07-15 41. Evan Bush – Cason Thomas Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0 Day 1: 2 07-14 Total: 2 07-14 42. Hank Mcillwain – Hunter Davis Music City Bass 0 Day 1: 3 07-09 Total: 3 07-09 43. Coy Cassady – Ryan Crane Wateree Anglers Club 0 Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05 44. Ansley Grace Howlett – Whitney Wrehsnig George Jenkins Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 5 07-04 Total: 5 07-04 45. Bryson Osment – Lohgan Gosnell Byrnes High School Fishing Club 0 Day 1: 2 07-01 Total: 2 07-01 46. Carter Pjesky – JD McBroom Off The Hook High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 5 06-15 Total: 5 06-15 47. Matthew Johnson – Tripp Tamasi III Greenbrier High School 0 Day 1: 5 06-13 Total: 5 06-13 47. Fisher Ruff – Winston Sharpe Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0 Day 1: 5 06-13 Total: 5 06-13 49. Parker Batts – Brody Jones Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0 Day 1: 4 06-11 Total: 4 06-11 50. Mason Taylor – Wesley Kent Dekalb Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 5 06-08 Total: 5 06-08 51. Hunter Prough – Kaden Brooks Chipley Bassmasters – FL 0 Day 1: 5 06-07 Total: 5 06-07 52. Brandon Smith – Phoenix Parks Park Hills Athletic Club 0 Day 1: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06 53. Michael Harris – Noah Unland Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 4 06-05 Total: 4 06-05 54. Luke Herald – Kullen Fryman Gchs Braves 0 Day 1: 4 06-00 Total: 4 06-00 54. Hunter Lilly – Brian Hamm Gchs Braves 0 Day 1: 4 06-00 Total: 4 06-00 56. Hunter Machovina – Aiden Greivell Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13 57. Wallace Rampey – Graham Cooper Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0 Day 1: 2 05-11 Total: 2 05-11 58. Jonah Yates – Wyatt Harmon Central Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 4 05-09 Total: 4 05-09 59. Hollis Rose – Grant Arnold Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0 Day 1: 3 05-07 Total: 3 05-07 60. Levi Stanley – Colt Hackney Triangle Bass Club 0 Day 1: 5 05-06 Total: 5 05-06 61. Samuel Kiger – Sam Hayes Music City Bass 0 Day 1: 3 05-06 Total: 3 05-06 62. Dylan Holcomb – Hattie Cole Liberty County Anglers 0 Day 1: 4 05-05 Total: 4 05-05 63. Ella Ready – George Jenkins Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05 64. Landon Vaughn – Will Taylor Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0 Day 1: 4 05-03 Total: 4 05-03 65. Tate Turner – Hoover High School 0 Day 1: 3 04-11 Total: 3 04-11 65. Bradford Van Demark II – Elias Hitson Eagleville Fishing Club 0 Day 1: 3 04-11 Total: 3 04-11 67. Danil Williams – Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 3 04-10 Total: 3 04-10 68. Landon Haynes – Colby Frazier Marion County High School – FL 0 Day 1: 3 04-08 Total: 3 04-08 69. Evan Ray – Bryson Harrison Straughn High School Fishing Tea 0 Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07 70. Owen Wiggins – Bill Gaines Cartersville Fishing 0 Day 1: 3 04-06 Total: 3 04-06 71. Cameron Waters – Caydan Waters Mid Florida Youth Anglers Hs 0 Day 1: 3 04-05 Total: 3 04-05 72. Ethan McBrayer – Preston Howard Briarwood High School 0 Day 1: 2 04-05 Total: 2 04-05 73. Reiston Ratchford – Lawson Gamble Headland Bass Team 0 Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04 74. Jesse Lancaster – Fisher Lancaster Triangle Bass Club 0 Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03 74. Brendyn Moss – Connor Lietz Club Florida High School Bassmas 0 Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03 76. Robert Amburgey – Michael Hartgrove Montgomery County High School Ba 0 Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02 77. Tanner Russell – Daniel Lowhorn Mt. Juliet High School – TN 0 Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13 78. Nathan Bennett – Brady Biles Seminole Junior Anglers 0 Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09 79. Jack Dowdy – Wyatt Galbraith Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0 Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07 80. Wyatt Crow – Seth Golin Lipscomb Academy 0 Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07 81. Kaden Tomblin – Ethan House Southern Garrett Bass Slayer 0 Day 1: 3 03-04 Total: 3 03-04 82. Bo Pearson – Blaine Davis Liberty County Anglers 0 Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04 83. Logan Cargle – Cole Mcdaniel Tift County High School – GA 0 Day 1: 2 03-03 Total: 2 03-03 84. Clayton Barry – Tanner Sikes Columbia High School Bassmastesr 0 Day 1: 5 03-02 Total: 5 03-02 85. Nick Keith Jr. – Jagger Wells Munford High School Fishing Club 0 Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01 86. Gavin Gazdak – Luke Palmer Seminole Junior Anglers 0 Day 1: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01 87. Jaxson Beard – Anderson Mesplay Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0 Day 1: 2 02-14 Total: 2 02-14 88. Jace Reyes – Jesse Crain Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14 89. Joseph Abercrombie – Elliott Dalee Saraland High School – AL 0 Day 1: 2 02-13 Total: 2 02-13 90. David Stockard – Nathan Alexander Music City Bass 0 Day 1: 2 02-12 Total: 2 02-12 91. Barrett Choquette – Mo Katz IV Headland Bass Team 0 Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08 92. Brody Alderman – Sam Volbert Music City Bass 0 Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07 93. Jack Kennedy – Brentley West Mulberry Bassmasters Jr Anglers 0 Day 1: 2 02-06 Total: 2 02-06 93. Alex Tyler – Briley West Mckeel High School Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 2 02-06 Total: 2 02-06 95. Connor Beach – Nathan Phillips Liberty County Anglers 0 Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05 95. Kohen Dulaney – Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0 Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05 95. Zack Sliwinski – Michael Petrides Mid Florida Youth Anglers Hs 0 Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05 98. Faith Burks – Allie Reagan Clay County Anglers 0 Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03 99. Eli Stiles – Logan Williams Gallatin High School 0 Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02 100. Dominick Andux – Bridget Mathis Dixie Co Bass Masters High Schoo 0 Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01 101. Tristan Stewart – DJ Johnson Mt. Pleasant Junior Bass Team – 0 Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00 102. Aidan Ellege – Colten Brown Haywood Anglers 0 Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15 102. Annie Lassiter – Upperman High School 0 Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15 104. Peyton Faber – Aiden Charboneau Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club High 0 Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14 104. Devin Martin – Rehobeth High School 0 Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14 106. Felix Bradshaw – Jackson Barfield Headland Bass Team 0 Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13 107. John Parker Deal – Vin Radetic Headland Bass Team 0 Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12 107. Brody Ensminger – Drew Mayers Central High School 0 Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12 107. Drake Walls – Cole Henderson Bainbridge High School 0 Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12 110. Noah Mentz – Logan Mentz Knight Fishing Anglers 0 Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11 111. Parker Terrell – Dylan Terrell Port City Jr. Bassmasters – NY 0 Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09 112. Braxton Strickland – William Olaire Gardendale High School 0 Day 1: 1 01-04 Total: 1 01-04 113. Grant Pergler – Jordan Rapp Central Florida Youth Anglers 0 Day 1: 1 01-03 Total: 1 01-03 113. Zach Schrock – Jarren Crowder Hs Potomac River Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 1 01-03 Total: 1 01-03 115. Brayden Rivest – Grace Olsen Off the Hook Jr Bassmasters – IL 0 Day 1: 3 00-00 Total: 3 00-00 116. Ashton Alday – Jacob Beach Keystone Heights Jr Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Trevor Allen – Brody Allen Lake And Trail Usa Youth Fishing 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Jacob Alsept – Lucas Saraiva Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club High 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Dean Austin – Caleb Moore Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Stephen Aycock III – Reese Belk George Jenkins High School – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Kyle Beasley – Kady Mathis George Jenkins High School – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Brody Brinson – Greer Gammon Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Landon Burke – Kolbey Burke Dixie Junior Bassmasters – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. John Carboni Jr. – Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Mason Carden – Shelby County High School – AL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Maxwell Clabough – Colton Clabough Loudon Bass Club 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Johann Cloete – Luke Ayotte Tampa Bay Jr. Bass Club – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Lawton Cohen – Caleb Jackson Mid Florida Youth Anglers Hs 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Eli Cooke – Andrew Yarboro Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Jackson Dowdle – Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Bryce Drake – Mason Raider Estill County Hs Bass Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Wyatt Drawdy – Hagen Keen Plant City Bassmasters 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Jackson Edenfield – Hunter Harris Chiles High School Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Case Emry – Grady Yates Mid Florida Youth Anglers Hs 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Reid Farrell – Gallatin High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Dylan Fulk – Levi Ochs Richland County High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Tanner Hamilton – Bray Gilman Mid Florida Youth Anglers – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Conner Harris – Hunter Harris Riley’s Catch 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Gavin Harwood – Will Boldt Chiles High School Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Clifford Heidel – Preston Memoly Seminole Junior Anglers 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Parker Hill – Wesson Vint Track And Channel Youth 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Harrison Hobbs – Cade Speligene Music City Bass 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Brody Kauffman – Jaxon Johnson Lake Wales High School – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Maddox Kelly – Logan Muccio Headland Bass Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Mason Lefebvre – Brett Mcclung Smhs Fishing 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Ethan Long – Dillyn Dill Shelby County High School – AL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Brock Lovering – Dallas Hurd 863 Anglers 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Tanner Mason – Kaden Randles DAR High School – AL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Charlie Mathis – Trace Byrd Dixie County High School – FL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Nathan Mccoy – Traydun Freeze Roco Anglers 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Porter Morrison – Harrison Kirkpatrick Catholic High School Fishing 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Landyn Myers – Cameron Ball Seminole Junior Anglers 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Colby Onderdonk – Collin Robinson Saraland High School – AL 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Dylan Owens – Brody Shepherd Rehobeth High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Kaleb Page – Kasen Page Coffee County High School – TN 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Brooks Putnam – Daylin Doak Mt. Juliet High School – TN 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Quade Rain Jr. – Bryleigh Rain Dixie Co Bass Masters High Schoo 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Cayden Redd – Reese Stewart Rehobeth High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Eli Richards – Walker Kaiser Tift Co Blue Devil Bass Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Gavin Seewald – Judson Touchstone Hoover High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Jack Sharpe – Gavin Crick Sumner County Bass Team – TN 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Connor Strachan – Lucas Wood Bryant High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Carly Thomas – Kaylee Kent Dekalb Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Trent VanDam – Wyatt Carr Reeths-Puffer High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Dusty Wix – Gavin Jones Capital City Junior Bass Hunters 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Kyle Wood – Bradley Merritt Central Fishing Team 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 116. Chase Woodham – Jack Bishop Rehobeth High School 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– BIG BASS OF TOURN Joey Cotromano III Yulee, FL 10-11 $0.00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 37 366 744-11 ———————————- 37 366 744-11 |
Ohio’s Brody Campbell Dominates at Season-Opening Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 26, 2025) – You know you’re having a good tournament week when the only thing you’re chasing on the final day is a record.
Such was the case for Oxford, Ohio pro Brody Campbell on a blustery, cloudy Championship Saturday at the Toyota Series Southwestern Division season opener on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas. Campbell, an Ohio-based pro with 47 Top 10s to his credit, left the dock with a 9-pound, 13-ounce cushion over second place and a shot at the record for total weight in a three-day Toyota Series event on Big Sam. Campbell didn’t eclipse the record, but he nonetheless earned his second career Toyota Series win, bagging 16 pounds even on the day to bring his three-day total to 70-5.
That’s shy of pro Colby Miller’s all-time three-day mark of 77-7 on Sam Rayburn that he set in 2024, but still a comfortable margin over Kaden Mueck (64-14), Dakota Ebare (63-15) and Marshall Hughes (60-12). The win is Campbell’s second Toyota Series victory in three years – he won at Chickamauga in 2023 – and his first Top 10 in Texas, a state he’s quickly learning to love.
“I’d never even been to Texas until last year,” Cambell said. “(Sam Rayburn) sets up nothing like the Ohio River, where I was born and raised, and the caliber of fishermen down here is just insane. But I’ve caught five fish over 10 pounds down here already, and I’d never even seen a 10-pounder until I came to Texas. I like it down here.”
Campbell had modest expectations heading into the tournament, thinking that 14 to 15 pounds a day was a realistic goal. After a mechanical issue delayed his start for two hours on Day 1, he began fishing an offshore timber field that sat in 30 to 50 feet of water and dropped a Deps Sakamata Shad on a 3/8-ounce jighead to an 8-8 largemouth that his Garmin LiveScope revealed was holding tight to the timber 25 feet down. That first fish was a momentum-starter that propelled him to 27-1 and the Day 1 lead.
Campbell backed that up with 27-3 on Day 2, fishing the same pattern in the same area in the middle of the lake, to stake a 9-13 lead over Cole Moore.
While a near 10-pound advantage heading into the final day is almost a shoo-in on most fisheries, Campbell admits that his back-to-back 27-pound limits on Days 1 and 2 – and the cushion they afforded him when he headed out on Saturday – didn’t exactly give him a can’t-miss feeling with the likes of Moore, Ebare and Miller lurking in second, third and fourth. All three anglers can boast 32- to 35-pound five-fish limits on Big Sam among them.
With a modest goal of at least 15 to 16 pounds in mind when he left the ramp Saturday, Miller’s wish was to return to the same general offshore area in the middle of Rayburn where he had built his lead. But that area lay right in the barrel of sustained 10 mph winds and 20 mph gusts, which turned the middle of the lake into a no-man’s-land of waves that made it impossible to fish effectively.
“The wind kind of ruined my spot,” Campbell admitted. “I couldn’t really tell how rough it was out there until I got there, but I had a suspicion that it was going to be a different kind of day. Once I got out there, it was rough rough. I gave it about 90 minutes first thing, but I had to scrap everything and just go fishing. I feel like I got lucky having two 27-pound days out there to start.”
Campbell’s Plan B came out of pure instinct (and a desire to get out of the washing machine at the middle of the lake).
“I just ran to the first pocket that was out of the wind,” he said. “I headed to the beach and got in a protected pocket that I’d never even been to before. I just needed something that was out of the wind, and I found a little corner in that pocket that had a lot of threadfin shad. They weren’t very big, but I was able to scrape up a bunch of fish. It was a totally random place, but I caught the most fish there I had all week.”
Campbell stated earlier in the week that he was fishing to cover his entry fees for the year. He’s well on the way, with a $67,522 payout that includes $35,000 in Phoenix Boats contingency money.
“I just came here from Florida, where I won a big team tournament on the Kissimmee Chain last week; I have good momentum going,” he said. “I’ve worked hard at this sport. I spent 300-plus days a year on the water last year, so it feels good to be fishing good and to start the season rolling with good momentum.”
The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
1st: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 70-5, $67,522
2nd: Kaden Mueck, Livingston, Texas, 15 bass, 64-14, $12,602
3rd: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 63-15, $9,757
4th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 60-12, $8,130
5th: Hayden Marbut, Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 57-6, $7,317
6th: Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., 15 bass, 55-7, $6,754
7th: Mike Hawkes, Sabinal, Texas, 14 bass, 55-2, $6,191
8th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 54-10, $4,878
9th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 53-2, $4,065
10th: Wesley Baxley, Cypress, Texas, 15 bass, 51-8, $3,252
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Mike Hawkes of Sabinal, Texas, earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 9 pounds, 5 ounces. Two pros split the Berkley Big Bass Award on Friday – both Cole Moore of Anacoco, Louisiana, and pro Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, Louisiana, brought a bass weighing 8 pounds, 14 ounces to the scale, to split the $500 award.
Alan Bernicky of Dardanelle, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 27 pounds, 5 ounces. Honeycutt earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,900, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers at the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
1st: Alan Bernicky, Dardanelle, Ark., 13 bass, 27-5, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Darrell Denton, Georgetown, Texas, nine bass, 27-2, $4,150
3rd: Justin Swayze, Gurdon, Ark., 10 bass, 23-13, $3,320
4th: Robert Williams, Houston, Texas, 11 bass, 21-4, $2,905
5th: Mitchell Adams Sr., Smyrna, Tenn., four bass, 20-12, $2,640
6th: Robert Jacuzzi, Mount Ida, Ark., seven bass, 19-8, $2,075
7th: Robert Massey, Calhoun, La., seven bass, 19-3, $1,660
8th: Mike Holland, Brookeland, Texas, nine bass, 18-12, $1,453
9th: William Easley, Pollok, Texas, six bass, 18-5, $1,245
10th: Buck Hux, Barksdale, Texas, six bass, 16-13, $1,038
Strike King Co-angler Mitchell Adams of Smyrna, Tennessee, earned Thursday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a 12-pound, 15-ounce giant bass, while Friday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to Mark Shores of Irving, Texas, who weighed in a 9-pound, 15-ounce largemouth bass.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the first of three regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. The next event for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division will be March 6-8 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Vosker, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Largemouth carry Clarke to victory on Clarks Hill
Virginia’s Chase Clarke wins the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN with a two-day total weight of 47 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
Jan. 25, 2025
Largemouth carry Clarke to victory on Clarks Hill
EVANS, Ga. — It didn’t result in many bites, but Chase Clarke perfectly executed a big-bass pattern to win the weather-shortened St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN with a two-day total of 47 pounds, 7 ounces.
The 2022 Auburn University graduate caught three 6-pound or better largemouth during the tournament, two on the first day that lifted him to a daily total of 25-14 and one on the second day that anchored his 21-9 Day 2 total. Those two bags propelled him over second-place Blaine Bunney by 6 pounds.
“I caught the right ones, but they were frustrating. They were so hard to catch,” the Virginia Beach pro said. “I figured I would only catch 10 or 11 bass a day, and I figured if I did that, I would have a good bag. Both days I happened to catch 6-pounders. I couldn’t have drawn it up any better.”
With the win, Clarke is the first angler to clinch their spot in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic, given he competes in the final three tournaments in Division I. Clarke was in contention to win an Open at Leech Lake last year, but fell short with a third-place finish.
As he drove to the boat ramp this morning, those same feelings he felt the final morning at Leech came flooding back to him.
“That was only four tournaments ago, and to have another opportunity this soon … this is a win of a lifetime and one I will never forget. I will always cherish this.”
Several curveballs were thrown at the Opens competitors this week, starting with frigid temperatures and a winter storm that pushed through the area Tuesday. The snowfall from that storm forced the postponement of Day 1 scheduled for Thursday and shortened the event to two days.
Each morning, Clarke started by fishing ditches on the Georgia side of the lake before moving to the South Carolina side in the afternoons. While other anglers fished in the “abyss”, Clarke caught all of his bass in 35 feet of water or less.
In the mornings, he saw the bass suspended 10 feet under the surface over 35 feet of water, while one of his 6-pounders came in the back of a ditch where the bottom was in 10 feet of water. As the day wore on, brushpiles became his main target.
“They would push up way shallow in the backs of the ditches in the mornings and then in the afternoons I was catching them in brushpiles. It didn’t matter how deep the brushpile was, it just mattered where it was. And the brush had to have blueback herring around it.”
Clarke figured out early on that largemouth would be the key to cashing a check on Clarks Hill, so when he did catch a largemouth, he would pick apart that area searching for more. A Greenfish Tackle Bad Little Shad jighead paired with a Fluke-style bait was his best presentation.
He used several different sizes of that jighead throughout the tournament, but he always used one with a 3/0 hook to make sure he kept the bass pegged.
After practice, Clarke did not think he would have a chance to win, but he did locate a small group of big largemouth that ended up being a crucial part of his tournament.
“I had what I would call a magic brushpile,” he explained. “I caught a 6-pounder out of it the first day of practice and I could see there were four more in there. I went back (Day 1), and it took me about 30 minutes, but I caught another one. So, there were three left. I started there this morning, and they were gone.”
That brushpile happened to be in the mouth of a ditch, so Clarke went all the way to the back of the ditch but couldn’t find those bass until he heard a splash behind him.
“About the time I u-turned to go back out, I heard something bust the water,” Clarke said. “And it was right in the reflection of the sun, so I couldn’t see anything. I panned over with my trolling motor and saw two of those bass. I made a really long cast and got the bait to them at 110 feet out.”
Those bass followed his bait back to within 20 feet of the boat before another largemouth Clarke did not see swam up from the bottom to eat his lure. That 6-2 largemouth anchored his bag for the day.
With just two bass in the livewell around 10:30, Clarke hooked up with another big largemouth. After working it to the boat, he was able to lip it and bring it in the boat, where the hook immediately fell out of the bass’s mouth. That 5-10 bass turned out to be the winning catch, as he filled out his limit soon after that.
“If it is your time to win, things happen that don’t happen every day,” he said. “I pulled up there and my second cast, she ate it. Stuff like that doesn’t happen.”
Bunney claimed second in his first Open with a two-day total of 41-4. The 18-year-old Okie landed 22-7 on Day 1 before adding 18-13 to his total on the final day.
Using a Spro RkCrawler crankbait and a ⅜-ounce Queen Tackle Tungsten jighead paired with a Yum Houdini Shad, he picked apart a long, rocky point where the bass were chasing herring in 17 feet of water. A creek channel ran up against that point before running into shallow water. To get some of his better bites, Bunney said he had to crawl his crankbait across some of the bigger chunk rock.
“It was the deepest ledge point before going all the way out,” Bunney explained. “The bass were using it like a ladder to go up or down.”
On Day 1, Bunney caught the majority of his limit early in the morning before letting his primary area rest. On Day 2, things did not heat up until the afternoon hours. With 12 pounds in the livewell around noon, he moved back to his primary area and landed two 5-pounders to bolster his bag.
“We had no wind this morning. I mean, it was absolute glass, and that had everything screwed up,” he said.
Lucas Lindsay, another Auburn graduate, finished third with a two-day total of 39-14. Lindsay landed in the middle of the pack on Day 1 with a daily total of 16-0, but rebounded on Day 2 with a 23-14 limit that was anchored by a 7-5 largemouth, the Big Bass of the Tournament.
On the final day, Lindsay spent most of his time in the Little River, fishing brushpiles, rockpiles or trashpiles holding bass. A Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ or a CrushCity Mooch Minnow rigged on an Echo Bait Company jighead caught the majority of his bass.
All anglers earned points towards the Division I standings. At the conclusion of the four-event schedule, the Top 50 anglers in the division will advance to the Elite Qualifier round starting at Lake Champlain in September.
Visit Columbia County hosted the event.
2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN 1/24-1/25
Clarks Hill Lake, Evans GA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 10 47-07 200 $35,614.00
Day 1: 5 25-14 Day 2: 5 21-09
2. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 10 41-04 199 $14,246.00
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 18-13
3. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 10 39-14 198 $11,434.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 23-14
4. Carter Cunningham Dawsonville, GA 10 39-03 197 $9,972.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 22-00
5. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 10 38-15 196 $9,260.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 20-12
6. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 10 38-02 195 $8,547.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 20-02
7. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 10 38-02 194 $7,835.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 19-12
8. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 10 37-11 193 $7,123.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 20-06
9. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 10 37-07 192 $7,123.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 19-07
10. River Lee Diboll, TX 10 37-00 191 $7,123.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 18-05
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 07-05 $750.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 116 663 1849-02
2 118 644 1772-07
———————————-
234 1307 3621-09
2025 AFTCO x B.A.S.S. Conservation Grants
SANTA ANA, Ca., January 25, 2025 – The AFTCO x B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Grant Program continues in 2025 to support conservation initiatives throughout the country. The Conservation Grant Program was created in 2018 to help provide funds to approved freshwater bass conservation projects proposed by B.A.S.S. Nation clubs. To date, AFTCO’s total contribution to this program has exceeded $152,000 in grants. This partnership with B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation has actively contributed to the shared goals of AFTCO and B.A.S.S., fostering community and youth-oriented conservation projects that positively impact local fisheries.
The Grant Program provides financial support for stocking bass, habitat enhancements, and ensuring that bass are properly cared for and returned to lakes and rivers in the best possible condition for future generations to enjoy. These efforts are coordinated locally with the aid of B.A.S.S Nation chapters, governmental fishery management agencies, local businesses, and the valuable support of volunteers and youth organizations contributing their time and labor to the cause. “These grants are a great example of the efforts our B.A.S.S. Nation clubs are putting forth to enhance the fishing in their local lakes and reservoirs. Our state chapters are blessed to be associated with a company like AFTCO that takes conservation to heart. That continued commitment to the B.A.S.S. Nation and to the fishery resources that our sport depends on is unmatched.” — Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director
You can submit your conservation proposal HERE. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2025. Proposals will be judged by a panel that includes representatives from B.A.S.S. and AFTCO. Please direct any questions to Gene Gilliland at [email protected].
Megabass Enters Strategic Partnership with L Catterton
- January 24, 2025
Leveraging L Catterton’s operating capabilities and industry network to scale up amid growing demand for its high-quality fishing gear across markets.
HAMAMATSU, Japan – Megabass, a Japan-headquartered premium fishing gear manufacturer, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with L Catterton, a leading global consumer-focused investment firm. The partnership positions Megabass for further expansion by leveraging L Catterton’s operating capabilities and industry network on the back of rising demand for its products.
Consumer expenditure on fishing gear in Japan and the US, Megabass’ two largest markets, has been on an uptick and is expected to continue growing as casual anglers increasingly seek to become more proficient and purchase high-quality products to aid in their quest. This trend is providing secular tailwinds for Megabass, given the brand’s suite of stellar fishing lures, baits, and rods which can be used across locales such as rivers, lakes, and seas.
Founded in 1986 by acclaimed bass angler Yuki Ito, Megabass harnesses traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to manufacture its products. Anchored in Mr Ito’s high-performance mindset, these products have gained a glowing reputation for their effectiveness and trustworthiness. They have also won major international and domestic design awards such as the Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, and Good Japan Design Award across multiple years.
CLICK TO READ MORE
Two 6-pounders carry Clarke to the lead at Clarks Hill
Virginia’s Chase Clarke takes the lead on Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN with a weight of 25 pounds, 14 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
Jan. 24, 2025
Two 6-pounders carry Clarke to the lead at Clarks Hill
EVANS, Ga. — Using lessons learned from last season, Virginia Beach’s Chase Clarke landed a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 14 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN.
The former Auburn University angler anchored his bag with two largemouth over 6 pounds, including a 6-8 bucketmouth that claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors.
“I know I’m not going to catch very many. But when they are that size, I’m doing something right,” Clarke said. “It was just one of those days where every decision I made was the right one. Hopefully that happens again tomorrow.”
Oklahoma’s Blaine Bunney holds second place with 22-7 followed by Tennessee’s Christian Nash in third with 22-5.
Winter has been in full swing this week in northeast Georgia, as a winter storm brought as much as 2 inches of snow to the area Tuesday night. That caused unsafe road conditions, leading to the cancellation of the regularly scheduled Day 1 on Thursday and shortening the event to two days. Anglers were greeted to 25-degree temperatures as they launched Friday morning.
With two full days off, though, the Opens pros showed the true potential of Clarks Hill. Nineteen bags over 18 pounds, including four over 20 pounds, hit the scales Friday and 116 limits were caught by the field of 161 anglers.
The 2024 season was Clarke’s first as an Elite Qualifier angler, and one tournament in particular from last year has helped him tremendously this week at Clarks Hill.
“I’m taking what I used at Lake Ouachita (last February) and implementing it here,” he explained. “Even though there aren’t blueback herring in Ouachita, the same thing is working for me.”
Clarke had a solid practice period on Clarks Hill, but as it progressed his daily weights went down. He never imagined a 25-pound bag was possible the way things were going.
“I didn’t think there was any chance. My best day in practice was 18 pounds, but that was the first day. The second day I had 14 and then 12 the last day. I was going downhill throughout practice. But I would pull up and look at some stuff in practice and just leave. I didn’t really know what was there exactly.”
When the tournament finally started on Thursday, Clarke worked his way to a limit by 11 a.m. Shortly after, Clarke made his lone mistake of the day. He landed a 3 ½-pounder that would have helped him, but in the process of culling, he accidentally threw that bass back, costing him a half pound.
“I caught a 2-pounder right after that, which didn’t help,” Clarke said. “I looked up to the clouds wondering, ‘How did I mess this up.’ I looked back down and on my next cast I caught one of the 6-pounders.”
Clarke mixed things up throughout the day, moving back and forth between shallow and deep water. Three baits caught the bulk of his bass — two bottom-contact baits and one bait he suspended in the water column.
Water clarity is a key component to what he is doing.
“I don’t want the clearest water in the lake, but I don’t want it to be super stained either,” Chase explained. “I’m looking for that in-between with 6 or 7 feet of visibility.”
While warmer, the forecast calls for less wind on Saturday, which Clarke thinks might change what his bass are doing.
Bunney, meanwhile, is fishing his first Open. The recent high school graduate is targeting largemouth in deep water using a jighead minnow and forward-facing sonar. He also landed a 4-3 spotted bass.
“Largemouth are what I’m looking for. That is what is going to win,” he said. “I stumbled into something the first day of practice that led me to this.”
While plenty of other competitors are chasing bass feeding on blueback herring, there isn’t much in the way of bait where Bunney is fishing. As the week has progressed, he has noticed the bass sinking lower and lower in the water column.
“You would think the bass would be really (targeting) the bait balls, but they really aren’t. They are kind of just floating in the nothing, the abyss. And they are wanting to push deeper down. When you think they would be 5 feet under the surface, they are 35 feet under the surface in 50 feet of water.”
Hailing from Dale Hollow, Nash got off to a hot start, catching a 4-pounder before filling out his limit in that same pocket. He then caught a 6-pounder out of a brushpile, anchoring his bag for the day.
“I pulled in a pocket this morning and there was someone already there, so I made a slight adjustment and went to another pocket,” he said. “The wind was blowing into a pocket, and I said, ‘Man, that looks good.’”
Nash has utilized forward-facing sonar to catch his bass, which are located between 35 feet of water to 50 feet of water.
“I’m using ¾-ounce and 1-ounce heads. When one sees it, they’ve got it,” he said. “In the mornings, I think the herring get tucked down to the bottom in the creeks. To me, it seemed like the bass just kept going deeper.”
The full field of anglers will launch from Wildwood Park beginning at 7:15 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in beginning at 3:15 p.m. The winner, given they fish all of the events in Division 1, will earn a spot in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. The Top 50 in points at the end of Division 1 will advance to the Elite Qualifier round, details of which were just announced.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN begins at 8 a.m. Saturday on Bassmaster.com.
Visit Columbia County is hosting the tournament.
| 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN 1/24-1/25 Clarks Hill Lake, Evans GA. (BOATER) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 25-14 200 Day 1: 5 25-14 2. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 5 22-07 199 Day 1: 5 22-07 3. Christian Nash Allons, TN 5 22-05 198 Day 1: 5 22-05 4. Matt Adams Guntersville, AL 5 20-00 197 Day 1: 5 20-00 5. Tyler Campbell Martin, GA 5 19-15 196 Day 1: 5 19-15 6. Robbie Mills Jr Appling, GA 5 19-07 195 Day 1: 5 19-07 7. Dylan Fogarty Mechanicsburg, PA 5 19-06 194 Day 1: 5 19-06 8. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 5 19-02 193 Day 1: 5 19-02 9. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 19-00 192 Day 1: 5 19-00 10. Hayden Seabolt Dawsonville, GA 5 18-13 191 Day 1: 5 18-13 11. River Lee Diboll, TX 5 18-11 190 Day 1: 5 18-11 12. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 5 18-06 189 Day 1: 5 18-06 13. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 5 18-03 188 Day 1: 5 18-03 13. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 5 18-03 188 Day 1: 5 18-03 15. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 18-02 186 Day 1: 5 18-02 16. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 18-01 185 Day 1: 5 18-01 17. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 5 18-00 184 Day 1: 5 18-00 17. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 5 18-00 184 Day 1: 5 18-00 17. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 18-00 184 Day 1: 5 18-00 20. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 17-12 181 Day 1: 5 17-12 21. Tyler Malone Chunchula, AL 5 17-10 180 Day 1: 5 17-10 22. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 5 17-09 179 Day 1: 5 17-09 23. James Chandler Liberty, TX 5 17-07 178 Day 1: 5 17-07 23. Hamp Rowland Appling, GA 5 17-07 178 Day 1: 5 17-07 25. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 17-06 176 Day 1: 5 17-06 26. Brooks Anderson Marietta, GA 5 17-05 175 Day 1: 5 17-05 27. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 17-04 174 Day 1: 5 17-04 27. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 17-04 174 Day 1: 5 17-04 29. Carter Cunningham Dawsonville, GA 5 17-03 172 Day 1: 5 17-03 30. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 17-02 171 Day 1: 5 17-02 31. Wesley Sandifer Chapin, SC 5 17-01 170 Day 1: 5 17-01 32. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 16-15 169 Day 1: 5 16-15 33. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 5 16-13 168 Day 1: 5 16-13 33. Jody White Shaftsbury, VT 5 16-13 168 Day 1: 5 16-13 35. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 16-09 166 Day 1: 5 16-09 36. Darold Gleason Leesville, LA 5 16-07 165 Day 1: 5 16-07 37. Elijah Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 16-03 164 Day 1: 5 16-03 38. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 5 16-00 163 Day 1: 5 16-00 38. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 5 16-00 163 Day 1: 5 16-00 38. Jaden Parrish Liberty, TX 5 16-00 163 Day 1: 5 16-00 41. Reed Rooke Dawsonville, GA 5 15-15 160 Day 1: 5 15-15 42. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 5 15-14 159 Day 1: 5 15-14 43. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 15-13 158 Day 1: 5 15-13 44. Donavan Carson Bluff City, TN 5 15-12 157 Day 1: 5 15-12 44. Tanner Visco Antioch, IL 5 15-12 157 Day 1: 5 15-12 44. Dustin Williamson Modoc, SC 5 15-12 157 Day 1: 5 15-12 47. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 15-09 154 Day 1: 5 15-09 48. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 15-08 153 Day 1: 5 15-08 49. Brycen Williamson Aiken, SC 5 15-08 152 Day 1: 5 15-08 50. Jason Burroughs Hodges, SC 5 15-07 151 Day 1: 5 15-07 51. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 5 15-04 150 Day 1: 5 15-04 52. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 15-01 149 Day 1: 5 15-01 53. William Ross Livingston, TX 5 15-00 148 Day 1: 5 15-00 53. Evan White Roanoke Rapids, NC 5 15-00 148 Day 1: 5 15-00 55. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 14-15 146 Day 1: 5 14-15 56. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 5 14-14 145 Day 1: 5 14-14 57. Parker Guy Appling, GA 5 14-13 144 Day 1: 5 14-13 58. Emery Burnett Appling, GA 5 14-12 143 Day 1: 5 14-12 59. Dylan Welton Middleville, MI 5 14-08 142 Day 1: 5 14-08 60. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 14-07 141 Day 1: 5 14-07 61. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 5 14-06 140 Day 1: 5 14-06 61. Brandon Hightower Edgerton, KS 5 14-06 140 Day 1: 5 14-06 63. Michael Spaulding Jr. Dundee, MI 5 14-04 138 Day 1: 5 14-04 64. Colt Blanton Piketon, OH 5 13-15 137 Day 1: 5 13-15 65. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 13-15 136 Day 1: 5 13-15 66. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 5 13-14 135 Day 1: 5 13-14 67. Alex Prince Blue Ridge, GA 5 13-13 134 Day 1: 5 13-13 67. Collin Smith Honea Path, SC 5 13-13 134 Day 1: 5 13-13 69. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 13-12 132 Day 1: 5 13-12 70. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 5 13-11 131 Day 1: 5 13-11 70. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 13-11 131 Day 1: 5 13-11 70. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 5 13-11 131 Day 1: 5 13-11 73. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 5 13-05 128 Day 1: 5 13-05 74. Brandon Kelley Evans, GA 5 13-03 127 Day 1: 5 13-03 75. Tommy Wood Peregian Springs AUSTRA 5 13-01 126 Day 1: 5 13-01 76. Jerry Fowler Ellijay, GA 5 12-15 125 Day 1: 5 12-15 77. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 5 12-14 124 Day 1: 5 12-14 78. Sean Anderson Leesville, SC 5 12-13 123 Day 1: 5 12-13 79. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 12-12 122 Day 1: 5 12-12 80. Matthew Oconnell Brooks, GA 5 12-09 121 Day 1: 5 12-09 81. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 5 12-08 120 Day 1: 5 12-08 82. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 5 12-07 119 Day 1: 5 12-07 82. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 12-07 119 Day 1: 5 12-07 84. Ryan Matylewicz Tunkhannock, PA 5 12-04 117 Day 1: 5 12-04 85. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 5 12-01 116 Day 1: 5 12-01 85. Alec Morrison Peru, NY 5 12-01 116 Day 1: 5 12-01 85. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 5 12-01 116 Day 1: 5 12-01 85. Micheal Stout Gallatin, TN 5 12-01 116 Day 1: 5 12-01 89. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 5 11-14 112 Day 1: 5 11-14 89. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 11-14 112 Day 1: 5 11-14 91. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 11-11 110 Day 1: 5 11-11 92. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 11-08 109 Day 1: 5 11-08 93. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 11-07 108 Day 1: 5 11-07 94. TJ McKenzie Myrtle Beach, SC 5 11-04 107 Day 1: 5 11-04 95. Anthony Garcia Los Angeles, CA 5 11-02 106 Day 1: 5 11-02 96. Hunter Davidson Reform, AL 5 11-01 105 Day 1: 5 11-01 97. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 11-00 104 Day 1: 5 11-00 98. John Duvall Madison, GA 5 10-15 103 Day 1: 5 10-15 98. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 5 10-15 103 Day 1: 5 10-15 100. David Miller Stratford, CT 5 10-14 101 Day 1: 5 10-14 101. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 10-11 100 Day 1: 5 10-11 102. Easton Lindus Woodville, WI 5 10-08 99 Day 1: 5 10-08 102. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 5 10-08 99 Day 1: 5 10-08 104. Cade Law Elmore, AL 5 10-04 97 Day 1: 5 10-04 105. Drew Boggs Lebanon, TN 4 10-01 96 Day 1: 4 10-01 106. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 5 10-00 95 Day 1: 5 10-00 107. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 4 09-12 94 Day 1: 4 09-12 108. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 5 09-11 93 Day 1: 5 09-11 108. Byron Kenney Jr Monticello, GA 5 09-11 93 Day 1: 5 09-11 110. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 5 09-09 91 Day 1: 5 09-09 111. Jake Maddux Roswell, GA 5 08-14 90 Day 1: 5 08-14 112. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 4 08-12 89 Day 1: 4 08-12 113. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 08-08 88 Day 1: 5 08-08 114. Nick Toomey Evans, GA 3 08-07 87 Day 1: 3 08-07 115. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 4 08-06 86 Day 1: 4 08-06 116. Eugene Buff Hodges, SC 4 08-05 85 Day 1: 4 08-05 117. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 5 08-04 84 Day 1: 5 08-04 118. Shannon Abbott Louisville, TN 3 07-15 83 Day 1: 3 07-15 119. Hunter Eubanks Landrum , SC 3 07-13 82 Day 1: 3 07-13 120. Tyler Shawger Zanesville, OH 3 07-12 81 Day 1: 3 07-12 121. Joshua Weaver Macon, GA 5 07-09 80 Day 1: 5 07-09 122. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 5 07-05 79 Day 1: 5 07-05 123. Josh Gauthier Petawawa CANADA 4 07-03 78 Day 1: 4 07-03 124. Troy Coney Owego, NY 5 07-02 77 Day 1: 5 07-02 125. Tommy Dickerson Orange, TX 4 06-13 76 Day 1: 4 06-13 126. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 5 06-10 75 Day 1: 5 06-10 127. Derrick Sadlowski Monaca, PA 2 06-05 74 Day 1: 2 06-05 128. Parker Mott Winter Garden, FL 3 06-02 73 Day 1: 3 06-02 129. Tim Cales Beckley, WV 3 05-10 72 Day 1: 3 05-10 130. John Pollard Eclectic, AL 2 05-05 71 Day 1: 2 05-05 131. Lucas Toliver Paw Paw, MI 3 05-04 70 Day 1: 3 05-04 132. Skeeter Crosby Green Pond, SC 3 05-01 69 Day 1: 3 05-01 133. Kristine Fischer Weeping Water, NE 5 05-00 68 Day 1: 5 05-00 134. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 2 04-14 67 Day 1: 2 04-14 135. Chris Lighthizer Zanesville, OH 2 04-11 66 Day 1: 2 04-11 136. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 3 04-10 65 Day 1: 3 04-10 137. Ryan Michl Newton, IL 2 04-07 64 Day 1: 2 04-07 138. Mitch Mitchell Appling, GA 3 04-05 63 Day 1: 3 04-05 139. Kyle Weisenburger Columbus Grv, OH 2 04-02 62 Day 1: 2 04-02 140. Lance Owen Greer, SC 2 04-01 61 Day 1: 2 04-01 141. Rick Greene Ocala, FL 2 03-09 60 Day 1: 2 03-09 141. Mike Penney Cameron, NC 2 03-09 60 Day 1: 2 03-09 143. Duke Nave Oxford, PA 1 02-04 58 Day 1: 1 02-04 144. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 1 02-01 57 Day 1: 1 02-01 145. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 1 01-09 56 Day 1: 1 01-09 146. Anastasia Patterson Sumter, SC 1 01-03 55 Day 1: 1 01-03 147. Wyatt Wisian Ardmore, OK 1 01-02 54 Day 1: 1 01-02 148. Clint Leonard Jr Saint Cloud, FL 1 01-01 53 Day 1: 1 01-01 149. Nicholas Mandes North Stonington, CT 1 00-15 52 Day 1: 1 00-15 150. William Baker Ridgeway, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Ryan Bass Royse city, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Woo Daves Spring Grove, VA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Kyle Healey Almonte CANADA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Kristian Johnson Belvidere, NJ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. William Kronander Brownsville, PA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Mikey Weems Hull, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 150. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 116 663 1849-02 ———————————- 116 663 1849-02 |
Major League Fishing Launches 2025 Phoenix Fantasy Fishing
| Major League Fishing Launches 2025 Phoenix Fantasy Fishing BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) is excited to announce the launch of the 2025 Phoenix Fantasy Fishing game, offering fans the ultimate way to engage with the world’s premier bass fishing league. Open now, fishing fans can test their skills by selecting the top anglers at each Bass Pro Tour and Tackle Warehouse Invitational tournament and competing for a chance to win some exciting prizes. How to Play The 2025 Phoenix Fantasy Fishing game is free to play and open to legal residents of the contiguous United States who are at least 18 years old. Participants can register at FantasyFishing.com and select ten anglers – five from Flight 1 and five from Flight 2 – to build their team. The goal is to predict the anglers who will achieve the highest cumulative weight of scorable fish during each tournament. Players can submit their picks during the official entry period before each event. The entry period for the first event of the year, the Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 at Lake Conroe closes at 7:45 a.m. CT on Jan. 30, 2025. Entries can be updated anytime during the official entry period, but all changes must be saved by clicking the ‘update team’ button. Players are encouraged to double-check their selections prior to the start of the event to account for any last-minute angler replacements. Scoring and Prizes Participants’ scores will be determined by the combined weight of fish caught by their selected anglers. The player with the highest total weight at each event will win a Major League Fishing Bait Prize Pack. The two season-long winners of the Bass Pro Tour game and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals game will each win a coveted Tackle Warehouse Prize Pack, with more than $1,500 worth of various baits, lures, plastics and accessories. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the closest prediction of the total weight of scorable fish caught by the tournament champion. Engage and Win Fantasy Fishing offers fans an interactive way to follow the action and root for their favorite anglers. With every cast and catch, players can track their team’s performance and compete against other fans across the country. Leaderboards and updates will be available throughout each tournament, enhancing the excitement of the 2025 Major League Fishing season. Join the Action Registration is now open! Don’t miss the opportunity to make your selections and earn your share of the exciting fishing prizes. Points accumulate throughout the season – the more you participate, the more you earn. Sign up today at FantasyFishing.com and make your picks! The 2025 Bass Pro Tour season kicks off Jan. 30-Feb. 2, with the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Power-Pole at Lake Conroe in Conroe, Texas. The 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals season launches Feb. 21-23 at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. |