Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton of Lander University win the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell.
Photo by Tyler Bridges/B.A.S.S.
August 24, 2024
Huge bag lifts Smith and Blanton to Bassmaster College National Championship win at Lake Hartwell
After placing 22nd with an opening weight of 12-6, Smith and Blanton added 16-1 on Day 2 and moved into third. Championship Saturday saw them weigh 20-9 — the event’s heaviest bag — and edge Day 2 leaders Parker Guy and Tyler Campbell of Emmanuel University by 1-3.
“Fishing on this level has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy, and Garrett and I have dedicated our lives to it,” Blanton said. “Being the first to win a National Championship for Lander is amazing. I’m so happy that we get to cherish it with all (our teammates) that were at the weigh in.
“The Lord has blessed me and (Smith) beyond measure. I can’t believe this. It’s great.”
Smith added: “This all came down to making good decisions and executing. We just want to thank our parents and our school for putting us in position to do this.”
While many of their competitors, including Guy and Campbell, targeted the bass that were following blueback herring on the main lake, Smith and Blanton took a dramatically different approach.
“We focused on the Tugaloo River and the Seneca River, because we wanted to fish shallow and chase fish that would be feeding on bream,” Smith said. “We spent all of our practice in those areas.
“We chose to go to the bank and fish the way we were most comfortable, because we felt it was almost impossible for us to go out there and beat the (more experienced) herring guys. So, we chose to go give ourselves a chance to win it our way.”
Blanton said he and his partner fished in 5 feet or less and saw most of their fish before they bit.
“We had to be around steeper pockets more so than just flat pockets,” he said. “That was weird for us because we fish here a good bit in the summer and we usually fish flatter pockets and flatter banks for shallow cruisers and bream eaters.
“This week, the water continued to drop, so we had to fish in steeper pockets and a lot of them had bream beds. The key for us is the areas we were fishing — whether we were throwing at the bream beds or not — had to have a big population of bream.”
Smith, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in business administration, and Blanton, a junior majoring in business, fished reaction and finesse baits.
“We caught 90% of our fish on a buzzbait, but we also threw a wacky rig and we caught a key Day 1 fish on a prop bait,” Blanton said. “We beat the bank all week. We had a great time today.”
The winners caught about 15 keepers on Day 3, including a 6-1. Biting a wacky rig around 1:30, that fish gave them the cull that pushed them over the edge — but not without a double dose of drama.
“Today was one of those days when everything just went right,” Blanton said. “Once we got that big one in the boat, I felt like it was our time, because you don’t have things happen like what happened today unless it’s your time.
“As soon as Garrett hooked that big one, it wrapped him up in a brushpile under a dock twice. It came out and jumped a bunch. Any other day, I feel like we wouldn’t have gotten that fish in the boat, but we were able to get it to come out of that brushpile and catch it.”
Smith and Blanton earned the $5,000 first-place cash prize, along with $10,000 in Minn Kota/Humminbird merchandise. Also, the winners advance to the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s. This head-to-head style competition will send the winner to the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors March 21-23 on Texas’ Lake Ray Roberts.
Guy and Campbell finished second with 47-13. Their daily weights were 16-6, 15-2 and 16-5.
Sticking with the game plan that produced all week, Campbell and Guy committed themselves to a run-and-gun strategy that took them all over the lake. With the lake in drought condition and current generation minimal until later in the afternoon, the morning bite proved most productive.
Targeting brushpiles and cane piles in 15 to 30 feet, Campbell and Guy hit approximately 300 spots. Guy and Campbell caught their fish on a variety of topwater presentations, including a Berkley Krej waking bait and unweighted Texas-rigged Zoom Super Flukes.
Campbell, who guides on Hartwell, said he wouldn’t change anything about his team’s decision. He also said the final field of 12 teams proved advantageous.
“No regrets about the week; everything went perfectly, execution was good and they bit better today than they have all week due to less pressure on the lake,” Campbell said. “The only thing I didn’t account for was somebody catching 20 1/2 pounds.”
Lane Clark and Tallis Morrison of Erskine College placed third with 45-3. They caught limits of 13-11, 15-1 and 16-7.
Clark said he and Morrison fished the lake’s lower end, where they expected to find Hartwell’s bigger fish, along with the largest population of blueback herring. They fished cane piles, brushpiles and timber in depths of 20 to 70 feet.
“We caught our fish on chartreuse and white Zoom Super Flukes and buzzbaits,” Clark said. “We were running and gunning and putting our bait in front of as many fish as possible.”
Dylan Akins and Chase Carey of Emmanuel University won the Strike King Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year honors. Finishing fifth in the tournament, Akins and Carey received $2,500 cash, $5,000 of Minn Kota/Humminbird merchandise and a spot in the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s.
Smith and Blanton won big bass honors for Day 3 with their 6-1.
2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/22-8/24 Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC. (BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 250 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 20-09 Total: 15 49-00 2. Parker Guy – Tyler Campbell Emmanuel University 249 Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 16-05 Total: 15 47-13 3. Lane Clark – Tallis Morrison Erskine College 248 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 16-07 Total: 15 45-03 4. Bryson O’ Steen – Seth Jones Florida Gateway College 247 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 15-14 Total: 15 42-09 5. Dylan Akins – Chase Carey Emmanuel University 246 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 15-01 Total: 15 41-12 6. Drake Hemby – Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 245 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 5 11-15 Total: 15 38-09 7. Nathan Reynolds – Banks Shaw University of North Alabama 244 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 10-11 Total: 15 37-04 8. Lane Stephens – Ethan Fields Mckendree University 243 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 11-01 Total: 15 37-04 9. Brantley Anders – Reece Keeney Kentucky Christian University 242 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 06-11 Total: 15 34-10 10. Andrew Oswalt – Evan Mabrey University of Montevallo 241 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 07-14 Total: 15 33-07 11. Merrick Diaz – Cade Hayford Campbellsville University 240 Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 4 05-04 Total: 14 32-02 12. Hampton Shull – Lander University 239 Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 06-05 Total: 15 31-15 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 139 789 1479-10 2 138 757 1424-08 3 11 59 144-01 ———————————- 288 1605 3048-03
Parker Guy and Tyler Campbell of Emmanuel University take the Day 2 lead at the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell.
Photo by Tyler Bridges/B.A.S.S.
August 23, 2024
Mobility puts Guy and Campbell atop Bassmaster College National Championship at Lake Hartwell
Placing second on Day 1 with a limit of 16-6, Guy and Campbell entered the second round 10 ounces off the lead. Adding a Day 2 limit of 15-2, the recent Emmanuel University graduates surged into the top spot and head into Championship Saturday with a lead of 2-12 over Lane Clark and Tallis Morrison of Erskine College.
“The key is hitting as many spots as possible — typical herring fishing,” Campbell said, in reference to the fast-paced nature of bass fixated on the lake’s nomadic blueback herring. “Once you get that school to fire, whether you catch one or not, that spot is done.
“So, once we caught one, we were cranking up and going to the next spot.”
Guy and Campbell fished from Green Pond Landing to the lake’s lower end and then back again. They targeted brushpiles and cane piles with a variety of topwater presentations, including a Berkley Krej waking bait and unweighted Texas-rigged Zoom Super Flukes.
Noting that he and his partner hit approximately 200 spots, Campbell, who guides on Hartwell, said the first couple of hours delivered their greatest opportunity.
“The morning bite is absolutely critical to our success,” Campbell said. “I don’t think we boated a keeper after 11. We caught seven and culled twice.”
Campbell said he and Guy had their limit by 9 a.m. and made their last cull around 11. Day 1 offered a faster start, which delivered their total bag by 8 a.m.
As Campbell explained, the first morning’s cloud cover kept the fish active longer. Day 2 brought sunnier skies, so they had to work a little harder to round up their fish.
“Because the lake is in a drought condition, the (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) is not generating much power until later in the day,” Campbell said of this Savannah River reservoir. “There’s a big lull from about 9 to 1, and then there’s an afternoon bite when that current increases, but we’re missing that afternoon bite because we’re checking in before it starts.”
The leaders weighed three spotted bass and two largemouth. Their biggest, a 4 1/2-pound largemouth, bit around daylight at their first stop.
“We actually hung around that area for a while because we knew what quality was there,” Campbell said. “We caught another good one there before leaving.”
Hartwell’s water level sits about 4.69 feet below the full pool mark of 660. Guy said this had them fishing shallower than they normally would prefer.
“Some of our spots are in 15 feet, but the majority of the ones with the bigger fish are 20 and deeper,” Guy said. “We’re running around a lot, but we do have some better spots, so when we get to one of those, we’re sitting there longer.”
Considering the success they’ve experienced thus far, Guy said he and Campbell do not foresee any changes to their game plan.
“On Day 3, we’re going to do the same thing we’ve been doing,” Guy said. “We’re going to put our bait in front of as many fish as we can.”
Clark and Morrison are second place with 28-12. They have turned in daily limits of 13-11 and 15-1.
Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton of Lander University are in third place with 28-07. Their daily weights were 12-06 and 16-01.
Bryson O’Steen and Seth Jones of Florida Gateway College are in the lead for big bass honors with their 6-5. O’Steen and Jones placed seventh.
After two days of full-field competition, the Top 12 teams compete on Championship Saturday.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Green Pond Landing and Event Center. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/22-8/24 Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC. (BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Parker Guy – Tyler Campbell Emmanuel University 250 Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 Total: 10 31-08 2. Lane Clark – Tallis Morrison Erskine College 249 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 15-01 Total: 10 28-12 3. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 248 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 16-01 Total: 10 28-07 4. Brantley Anders – Reece Keeney Kentucky Christian University 247 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 13-10 Total: 10 27-15 5. Merrick Diaz – Cade Hayford Campbellsville University 246 Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 26-14 6. Dylan Akins – Chase Carey Emmanuel College 245 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 26-11 7. Bryson O’ Steen – Seth Jones Florida Gateway College 244 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 10 26-11 8. Drake Hemby – Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 243 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 26-10 9. Nathan Reynolds – Banks Shaw University of North Alabama 242 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-11 Total: 10 26-09 10. Lane Stephens – Ethan Fields Mckendree University 241 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03 Total: 10 26-03 11. Hampton Shull – Lander University 240 Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 08-10 Total: 10 25-10 12. Andrew Oswalt – Evan Mabrey University of Montevallo 239 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 25-09 13. Andrew Rickman – Ty Manterola Dallas Baptist University 238 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 13-11 Total: 10 25-03 14. Brooks Anderson – Max Heaton Emmanuel College 237 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 13-14 Total: 10 25-00 15. Dalton Phelps – Gannon Stork Wabash Valley College 236 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 10 25-00 16. Dillon Robertshaw – Robert Hunt Missouri State University 235 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 24-14 17. Robert Miller – John Michael Ortman Emmanuel College 234 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 24-11 18. Peyton Harris – Dalton Head University of Montevallo 233 Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 24-04 19. Carter Nutt – Dylan Nutt University of North Alabama 232 Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 12-10 Total: 10 24-03 20. Luke Davis – Chance Schwartz University of Montevallo 231 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 24-00 21. Preston Kolisek – Smith McGregor University of North Alabama 230 Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 9 23-15 22. Braylon Eggerding – Lucas Washburn Adrian College 229 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 23-15 23. Eli Jaime – Jack Hay Southwestern Michigan College 228 Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 13-03 Total: 10 23-09 24. Cameron Yates – Harrison McCall Lander University 227 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 23-06 25. Peyton Sorrow – Garrett Ring University of Montevallo 226 Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 07-10 Total: 10 23-04 26. Miles Smith – Levi Thibodaux LSU Shreveport 225 Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 08-13 Total: 10 23-04 27. Hunter Odom – Brenton Godwin University of Montevallo 224 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 23-02 28. Blake Milligan – Carson Maddux Auburn University 223 Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 06-15 Total: 10 22-10 29. Alex Standerfer – Tyler Gunter Catawba Valley Community College 222 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 12-12 Total: 10 22-10 30. Slade Davis – Trace Antunes III University Of Montevallo 221 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 22-08 31. Hunter Barrow – Caleb Dugger King University 220 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 12-07 Total: 10 22-08 32. Harmon Marien – Maxwell Trotter Mckendree University 219 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 22-06 33. Tyler Combes – James Gillis Clarkson University 218 Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 22-06 34. Tanner Hadden – Caleb Hudson University of South Carolina – U 217 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 22-05 35. Landon Robbins – Will Eriksson University of Tennessee 216 Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 10 21-13 36. Wyatt Pearman – Ridge Rutledge Campbellsville University 215 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 21-12 37. Trevor Easter – Clayton Easter Tarleton State University 214 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 21-12 38. Caden Pearson – Nathan Kallstrand Wabash Valley College 213 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 10-05 Total: 10 21-10 39. Chase Milholen – Koltyn Harbin Bethel University 212 Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 13-07 Total: 10 21-09 40. Dylan May – Evan Newell Carson-Newman University 211 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 Total: 10 21-05 41. Anderson Jones – Lander University 210 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 08-08 Total: 10 21-04 42. Evan Fields – Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 209 Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 21-02 43. Hayden Gaddis – Ben Cully Carson-Newman University 208 Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 21-01 44. Nick Seitz – Paxton Giem Adrian College 207 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 20-14 45. Hunter Sandschafer – Blake Beckmann Wabash Valley College 206 Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 20-14 46. Brendan Vinton – Jacob Vanscoik Catawba Valley Community College 205 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 10-12 Total: 10 20-12 47. Aaron Jagdfeld – Elliot Wielgopolski Adrian College 204 Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 20-11 48. Brayden Nichols – William Tew LSU Shreveport 203 Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 09-06 Total: 10 20-10 49. Dalton Mollenkopf – Derek Rodriguez Jr. Adrian College 202 Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 20-10 50. Harrison Heins – Hunter Slone Tennessee Tech University 201 Day 1: 5 07-15 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 10 20-07 51. Luke Wenger – Braxon Hightower Dallas Baptist University 200 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 20-04 52. Mitch Straffon – Owen Januszewski Adrian College 199 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 20-03 53. Hayden Short – Kentucky Christian University 198 Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 19-15 53. Aric Szambelan – Alex Wood Missouri State University 198 Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 19-15 55. Aiden Clark – Jackson Kulijof Murray State University 196 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 10 19-15 56. Lawson Blake – Bailey Mckinney Marshall University 195 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 09-14 Total: 10 19-15 57. Jared West – Gus McLarry Texas A&M Commerce Fishing Club 194 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 3 07-07 Total: 8 19-14 58. Brady Metzger – Mason Bohland Purdue University 193 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 09-14 Total: 10 19-14 59. Andrew Ready – Trey Garrett Southeastern University 192 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 10 19-12 60. Jason Qualich – Jack Stephens Mckendree University 191 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 19-12 61. Will Harris – Cole Rankin Carson-Newman University 190 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 10 19-10 62. Andrew Turner – Stevie Mills Carson-Newman University 189 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 19-09 63. Grant Dohle – Jake Mantovani Missouri State University 188 Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 19-06 64. Cade Lipham – Caleb Coleman Drury University 187 Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 08-12 Total: 10 19-04 65. Tyler Cory – Nick Dumke University of Montevallo 186 Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 19-03 66. Cody Monlezun – Caden Denny Texas A&M University 185 Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 10 19-03 67. Tripp Berlinsky – Bryce Dimauro Bryan College 184 Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 10-02 Total: 10 19-00 68. Hunter Fillmore – Dylan Fogarty Bethel University 183 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 09-08 Total: 10 18-14 69. Peyton Rose – Brogan Gregg Wabash Valley College 182 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-10 Total: 10 18-13 70. Connor Dunn – Cade Johnson Texas A&M University 181 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 08-10 Total: 10 18-11 71. Noah Lieberman – Colin Wolinski Missouri State University 180 Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 18-07 72. Brayden Stoker – Tucker Kendall Tarleton State University 179 Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 5 09-03 Total: 9 18-04 73. Hudson Choquette – Brooks Parker University of Montevallo 178 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 09-04 Total: 10 18-03 74. Hunter Keller – Garrett Christy Catawba Valley Community College 177 Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 07-01 Total: 10 17-13 75. Kai Barnett – Parker Welch Mckendree University 176 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-04 Total: 10 17-13 76. Nick Owens – Quade Lobo Adrian College 175 Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-02 Total: 10 17-11 77. Hunter Russell – Benny Blank Wabash Valley College 174 Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 09-05 Total: 10 17-11 78. Trevor Young – Maxwell Schweikert Grand Valley State University 173 Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 17-10 79. Blair Erickson – Jackson Pontius University of Montevallo 172 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 07-09 Total: 10 17-10 80. Trace Loe – Levi Loe Southern Arkansas University 171 Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 17-08 81. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. – Brady Pinwar Adrian College 170 Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 09-00 Total: 10 17-08 82. Emery Burnett – Drake Axon Georgia Southern University 169 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 09-00 Total: 10 17-07 83. Hagan Marlin – Chris Fallon University of Montevallo 168 Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 08-11 Total: 10 17-06 84. Riley Faulkner – Szymon Piton Carson-Newman University 167 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 08-00 Total: 10 17-04 85. Kaden Buchmann – Chase Wodzinski Lander University 166 Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 09-13 Total: 10 17-02 86. Callaway Robinson – Tucker Pearson Georgia College 165 Day 1: 5 06-05 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 17-00 87. Avery Padgett – Kasen Pemberton Troy University 164 Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 08-00 Total: 9 17-00 88. Xander Patton – Stephen Brooks Emmanuel College 163 Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-04 Total: 10 16-13 89. Billy Erdakos – Davis Klimczak Southwestern Michigan College 162 Day 1: 5 05-03 Day 2: 5 11-09 Total: 10 16-12 90. Kolten Goolsby – Landon Oconnor Stephen F Austin State Universit 161 Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 09-11 Total: 10 16-12 91. Michael Avery – Peyton Dunn Emmanuel College 160 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 06-04 Total: 10 16-11 92. Cameron Smith – Thomas Phillips Ohio State University 159 Day 1: 5 05-11 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 16-10 93. Blake Bullock – John Mark Berry Blue Mountain Christian Universi 158 Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 09-15 Total: 10 16-10 94. Bryant Martin – Luke Batts LSU Shreveport 157 Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 07-07 Total: 10 16-08 95. Elijah Kelley – Chris Baker Kentucky Christian University 156 Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 08-03 Total: 10 16-07 96. James Willoughby – Phillip Herring University of Montevallo 155 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 3 04-09 Total: 8 16-06 97. Hunter Hamilton – Tyler Morris LSU Shreveport 154 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 06-05 Total: 10 16-06 98. Blake Wheat – Zachary Helton Carson-Newman University 153 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-07 Total: 10 16-06 99. Ben Burns – Riley Aebi Stephen F Austin State Universit 152 Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 08-13 Total: 10 16-06 100. Adrian Urso – Corbin Templon Murray State University 151 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 06-11 Total: 10 16-03 101. Storm Cline – Gabe Fishlock Carson-Newman University 150 Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 08-11 Total: 10 16-03 102. Nicholas Dellaporta – Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 149 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 05-00 Total: 10 16-01 103. Cy Lambert – Austin King University of North Alabama 148 Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 07-00 Total: 9 16-00 104. Tyler Chmelar – Kase Kramer Tarleton State University 147 Day 1: 5 05-12 Day 2: 5 10-02 Total: 10 15-14 105. Tyler Leachman – Mark Bixler Murray State University 146 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 07-07 Total: 10 15-14 106. Kade Hillestad – John Kyle Pearce University of Louisiana Monroe 145 Day 1: 5 07-15 Day 2: 5 07-15 Total: 10 15-14 107. Luke McGuffin – Rylan Green Erskine College 144 Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 08-07 Total: 10 15-10 108. Jackson Paden – Joey Bissing University of Tennessee 143 Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 4 06-00 Total: 9 15-07 109. Kane Weekley – Connor Koch Southeastern University 142 Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 06-04 Total: 10 15-06 110. Justin Latham – Blaine Mattingly Campbellsville University 141 Day 1: 4 07-04 Day 2: 5 08-02 Total: 9 15-06 111. Louis VerBrugge – Mohave Community College 140 Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 7 15-05 112. Jared Hubbard – Riley Hendricks Lander University 139 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 07-04 Total: 10 15-05 113. Hayden Marbut – Auburn University 138 Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 05-13 Total: 10 15-04 114. Clay Henderson – Brant Rowland Drury University 137 Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 06-11 Total: 10 15-04 115. Clay Taylor – Lander University 136 Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 5 07-05 Total: 9 15-04 116. Trevor Johnston – Ashton Hehr Texas A&M University 135 Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 06-15 Total: 10 15-02 117. Easton Lindus – Seth Jenkins Emmanuel College 134 Day 1: 4 05-07 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 9 14-14 118. Braden Cox – Joel Berelsman Ohio State University 133 Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 4 07-10 Total: 9 14-14 119. Dawson Lynch – Sonny Mann Tarleton State University 132 Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 5 07-07 Total: 10 14-14 120. Blair Cox – Zach Adamec Missouri State University 131 Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 7 14-13 121. Corey Morris – Brayden Mercer East Texas Baptist University 130 Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 06-11 Total: 10 14-13 122. Jeremy Monda – Will Boyd Jr Florida Gateway College 129 Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 08-01 Total: 10 14-13 123. Kaiya Ziga – Hunter Petrovic Southwestern Michigan College 128 Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 07-13 Total: 10 14-13 124. Nathan Fideldy – Laindree Richardson Drury University 127 Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 07-12 Total: 10 14-12 125. Logan Greeno – Matthew Nichols University of Nebraska – Lincoln 126 Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 06-02 Total: 10 14-11 126. Cole Moulton – Kaleb Brown Lander University 125 Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 4 03-13 Total: 9 14-08 127. Branden Burrill – Jack Simpson Western Michigan University 124 Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 5 07-00 Total: 10 14-06 128. Zion Dunaway – Casey Cornelius Purdue University 123 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 05-05 Total: 10 14-05 129. Stone Smith – Drake Wadsworth Northwestern State University 122 Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 08-02 Total: 10 14-04 130. Parker Lambert – Aaron Shumaker Lander University 121 Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 4 05-05 Total: 9 14-01 131. Jeffrey Jones – Coleman Bingham Bethel University 120 Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 06-08 Total: 10 14-01 132. TJ Edwards Jr – Sawyer Brady Blue Mountain Christian Universi 119 Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 05-08 Total: 10 13-12 133. Ty Mundhenke – Matthew Welcher Auburn University 118 Day 1: 5 06-07 Day 2: 5 07-05 Total: 10 13-12 134. Logan East – Conner Giles Bryan College 117 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 4 04-01 Total: 9 13-07 135. Nathan Preston – Auburn University 116 Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 5 06-07 Total: 10 13-06 136. Tripp Bowman – Matthew Nesbit LSU Shreveport 115 Day 1: 5 05-12 Day 2: 5 07-05 Total: 10 13-01 137. Grayson Ball – Sellers Odom Calhoun Community College 114 Day 1: 5 05-05 Day 2: 5 07-11 Total: 10 13-00 138. Kobe Thompson – Cole Carr Adrian College 113 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 4 04-11 Total: 9 12-12 139. Brayden Ruckman – Cason Price Carson-Newman University 112 Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 5 06-03 Total: 10 12-12 140. Cross Campbell – Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 111 Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 4 06-00 Total: 9 12-09 141. Jonah Barrow – Logan Russell University of Nebraska – Lincoln 110 Day 1: 4 05-05 Day 2: 5 06-06 Total: 9 11-11 142. Trey McMeen – Braydon Kelley East Texas Baptist University 109 Day 1: 4 04-10 Day 2: 5 06-14 Total: 9 11-08 143. Delaney Platt – Ryan Olsen Southwestern Michigan College 108 Day 1: 4 03-07 Day 2: 5 08-00 Total: 9 11-07 144. Kaleb Butts – Chase Rogers University of South Carolina – U 107 Day 1: 4 04-15 Day 2: 5 06-08 Total: 9 11-07 145. Benjamin Travis – Brendin Simich Auburn University 106 Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 5 05-15 Total: 10 11-05 146. Hank Sturm – Matt Mosby Adrian College 105 Day 1: 2 02-09 Day 2: 5 08-07 Total: 7 11-00 147. Elijah Jackson – University Of Alabama 104 Day 1: 3 03-01 Day 2: 5 07-07 Total: 8 10-08 148. Bryce Balentine – Giancarlo Russo Florida Gateway College 103 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 2 01-08 Total: 7 10-07 149. Lake Norsworthy – Calup Williams Blue Mountain Christian Universi 102 Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-13 150. Alec Poland – Jack Grushecky West Virginia University 101 Day 1: 5 07-10 Day 2: 2 02-02 Total: 7 09-12 151. Ryan Thomas – Jack Alexander University of Montevallo 100 Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 2 02-02 Total: 7 09-07 152. Logan Plueger – Charlie Wright University of Montevallo 99 Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-03 153. Scott Sledge – University of Montevallo 98 Day 1: 3 03-15 Day 2: 3 04-15 Total: 6 08-14 154. Colby Carrier – Justin Frey Bethel University 97 Day 1: 4 05-05 Day 2: 2 03-07 Total: 6 08-12 155. Caden Cardoza – Judd Morgan University of Tennessee 96 Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 5 08-10 156. Tucker Cory – Michael Witherup University of Montevallo 95 Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 4 05-07 Total: 6 08-07 157. Alex Gore – Colby Reece Carson-Newman University 94 Day 1: 4 03-14 Day 2: 3 04-08 Total: 7 08-06 158. Michael Canonica – Seth Proctor University of Tennessee 93 Day 1: 3 03-07 Day 2: 3 04-02 Total: 6 07-09 159. Carty Shoen – Jake Peck Auburn University 92 Day 1: 4 03-14 Day 2: 3 03-05 Total: 7 07-03 160. Caden Canaday – Virginia Tech 91 Day 1: 4 06-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 06-05 161. Peter Radulski Jr – Lane Gerbers Clemson University 90 Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 06-04 162. Hunter Jenkins – Dallas Baptist University 89 Day 1: 4 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 06-00 163. Matthew Echols – Christian Stewart Virginia Tech 88 Day 1: 4 05-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 05-11 164. Stetson Southard – Walker Wilburn Tarleton State University 87 Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 05-06 165. Colton Combs – Corbin Joyner Northeast State University 86 Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 1 01-00 Total: 4 05-00 166. Evan Ludlow – Drake Heath Southwestern Michigan College 85 Day 1: 1 00-15 Day 2: 4 03-12 Total: 5 04-11 167. Sean Ferguson – Kansas State University 84 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 01-14 Total: 2 01-14 168. Scott Balas – Samuel Gremban University of Wisconsin- Madison 83 Day 1: 2 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 01-07 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 139 789 1479-10 2 138 757 1424-08 ———————————- 277 1546 2904-02
Minnesota’s Easton Fothergill takes the Day 1 lead at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN with five bass weighing 26 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
August 23, 2024
Fothergill runs home water, takes Day 1 lead at St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake
WALKER, Minn. — It took a day longer than expected for many bass fishing fans around the globe to get their first glimpse of Leech Lake.
The 22-year-old Grand Rapids, Minn., native is one of the hottest young sticks today and he’s fished Leech for most of his young life. He used that intimate knowledge of the fishery to take the lead on Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN.
Fothergill weighed a limit of five smallmouth bass on Friday totaling 26 pounds, 10 ounces. The haul included the heaviest catch of the day — a 6-4 lunker that buoyed his big bag. That’s an impressive showing by any standards, no matter the lake or location.
Still, Fothergill was surprised by his total. By his count, he “only had about 25 pounds” in his livewell heading to Friday’s weigh-in at Walker Public Dock, about an hour west of his hometown of Grand Rapids. Not surprisingly, the bass fishing prodigy was met with boisterous cheering when he climbed atop the leaderboard with authority.
“With all the pressure (to perform well at home), to pull that off today was incredible,” he said. “It was definitely unexpected.”
Fothergill said he has dozens of waypoints to target on Leech and that he didn’t hit more than half of them on Day 1. With the three-day tournament shortened to a two-day derby following high winds on Thursday, that leaves him with at least another 30 seemingly productive spots he could exploit Saturday.
“I probably have five gallons (of fuel) left in my boat. That’s how much running I did today,” he said, adding he relied on three primary baits Friday, fishing rockpiles in anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water.
“The game plan is the same tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll just run every corner of the lake and see if I can find five big ones again.”
Now, Fothergill is fishing on home water and from the pole position.
He knows that’s a favorable vantage point, but he’s taking absolutely nothing for granted, even though Friday’s 26-10 was the biggest bag he’s caught in one of his many competitions on Leech Lake.
Still, he can’t help being confident — and rightfully so.
“I just have so many places to hit,” he said. “I know that if I pull up on one and there’s nothing happening, I can come back three, four, five times, and there eventually will be one there. It’s actually very mentally trying. You just have to keep in the game and know your bites will eventually come if you keep working.”
The tournament marks the first time a B.A.S.S. event at any level has been held on Leech Lake — a 112,000-acre jewel located in remote northern Minnesota. And Leech didn’t disappoint in its coming-out party, with 79 of the 203 pro anglers in the field weighing at least 15 pounds on Friday. The competitors hail from 36 different states and two foreign countries.
Brett Cannon, a 40-year-old pro living in Kiln, Miss., is in second place with a 25-1 limit. Cannon said he didn’t expect to catch 25 pounds either, but he discovered a lure that eventually sparked his smallmouth bite.
“When you catch a smallmouth here, it’s a big one, but they’re really hard to get to bite,” he said.
“So, I messed around and tied everything on … I found the right bait and wound up catching about 12 (bass). I threw back a 4½ pounder, a 4 pounder … Every fish I kept was right at 5 pounds. And if … today wasn’t a fluke, I think I can catch 25 again tomorrow.”
Rounding out the Top 5 on Friday are third, Virginia’s Chase Clark, 22-13; fourth, Georgia’s Emil Wagner, 22-2; and fifth, Tennessee’s Jimmy Washam, 21-12.
With the tournament limited to two days, there’s a smaller margin for error for the many pros fighting for points in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) standings. The top nine anglers who fish in each of this year’s nine Opens tournaments will qualify for the Elite Series in 2025. Those nine anglers won’t be determined, however, until the final Open of the year which is scheduled Oct. 10-12 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C.
A total cash purse of $300,034 will be split among the Top 45 pros fishing at Leech this week. The winner will claim $45,186 in cash, as well as a berth in the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors when it’s held March 21-23 at Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas.
Not be forgotten are the 102 non-boaters competing at Leech this week, too. The Top 40 will divvy up a total of $39,916 in prize money when the tournament concludes Saturday.
Tennessee’s Gary Haraguchi leads that bracket with a limit of three bass for 10-12. Minnesota’s Curt Blomquist is second with 9-11, and fellow Minnesotan Eric Naig is third with 9-9. Missouri’s Mark Cowart, Wisconsin’s Brad Goetz and Minnesota’s Mack Trayner all caught a 4-10 Friday and share the big bass lead among non-boaters.
The second and final takeoff of the tournament will begin at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Walker Public Dock. Weigh-in is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Coverage of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN will air on FS1 on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com.
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN 8/23-8/24 Leech Lake, Walker MN. (BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 26-10 200 Day 1: 5 26-10 2. Brett Cannon Kiln, MS 5 25-01 199 Day 1: 5 25-01 3. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 22-13 198 Day 1: 5 22-13 4. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 22-02 197 Day 1: 5 22-02 5. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 21-12 196 Day 1: 5 21-12 6. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 21-05 195 Day 1: 5 21-05 7. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 21-00 194 Day 1: 5 21-00 8. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 20-11 193 Day 1: 5 20-11 9. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 5 20-07 192 Day 1: 5 20-07 10. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 5 20-02 191 Day 1: 5 20-02 11. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 19-13 190 Day 1: 5 19-13 12. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 19-10 189 Day 1: 5 19-10 13. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 19-09 188 Day 1: 5 19-09 14. Elijah Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 19-08 187 Day 1: 5 19-08 15. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 5 19-07 186 Day 1: 5 19-07 15. Jack York Emory, TX 5 19-07 186 Day 1: 5 19-07 17. Kevin Dritschler Prosper, TX 5 19-06 184 Day 1: 5 19-06 17. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 19-06 184 Day 1: 5 19-06 19. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 5 19-05 182 Day 1: 5 19-05 20. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 19-04 181 Day 1: 5 19-04 20. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 19-04 181 Day 1: 5 19-04 22. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 19-03 179 Day 1: 5 19-03 23. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 19-02 178 Day 1: 5 19-02 23. Garrett Warren Scottsboro, AL 5 19-02 178 Day 1: 5 19-02 25. Fernando Lobato Sparta, WI 5 18-12 176 Day 1: 5 18-12 25. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 18-12 176 Day 1: 5 18-12 27. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 18-11 174 Day 1: 5 18-11 28. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 5 18-10 173 Day 1: 5 18-10 28. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 18-10 173 Day 1: 5 18-10 30. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 18-07 171 Day 1: 5 18-07 31. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 5 18-03 170 Day 1: 5 18-03 32. Paul Browning Monahans, TX 5 18-01 169 Day 1: 5 18-01 32. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 18-01 169 Day 1: 5 18-01 32. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 5 18-01 169 Day 1: 5 18-01 35. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 17-15 166 Day 1: 5 17-15 36. Dan Welsh Elko New Mrkt, MN 5 17-14 165 Day 1: 5 17-14 37. Lance Keene Manistee, MI 5 17-13 164 Day 1: 5 17-13 38. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 5 17-12 163 Day 1: 5 17-12 39. Andrew Loberg Grant, AL 5 17-11 162 Day 1: 5 17-11 40. Kollin Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 17-11 161 Day 1: 5 17-11 41. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 17-10 160 Day 1: 5 17-10 42. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 17-09 159 Day 1: 5 17-09 43. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 17-06 158 Day 1: 5 17-06 44. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 17-05 157 Day 1: 5 17-05 44. Kyle Weisenburger Columbus Grv, OH 5 17-05 157 Day 1: 5 17-05 46. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 5 17-03 155 Day 1: 5 17-03 46. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 17-03 155 Day 1: 5 17-03 48. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 17-02 153 Day 1: 5 17-02 49. Kyle Minke Lindsrom, MN 5 16-15 152 Day 1: 5 16-15 50. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 16-13 151 Day 1: 5 16-13 51. Tommy Parker Delano, MN 4 16-13 150 Day 1: 4 16-13 52. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 16-11 149 Day 1: 5 16-11 53. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 16-09 148 Day 1: 5 16-09 53. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 5 16-09 148 Day 1: 5 16-09 55. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 5 16-08 146 Day 1: 5 16-08 55. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 5 16-08 146 Day 1: 5 16-08 57. Kyle Palmer Winchester, TN 5 16-07 144 Day 1: 5 16-07 58. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 4 16-07 143 Day 1: 4 16-07 59. Masayuki Matsushita Porter TX JAPAN 5 16-04 142 Day 1: 5 16-04 59. Christian Ostrander Turlock, CA 5 16-04 142 Day 1: 5 16-04 61. Jeff Johnson Bemidji, MN 5 16-02 140 Day 1: 5 16-02 62. Brian Bengtson Bloomington, MN 5 16-01 139 Day 1: 5 16-01 63. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 5 15-15 138 Day 1: 5 15-15 64. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 15-14 137 Day 1: 5 15-14 65. Jim Moynagh Remer, MN 5 15-13 136 Day 1: 5 15-13 66. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 4 15-12 135 Day 1: 4 15-12 67. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 15-10 134 Day 1: 5 15-10 68. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 15-09 133 Day 1: 5 15-09 68. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 15-09 133 Day 1: 5 15-09 70. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 15-06 131 Day 1: 5 15-06 70. James Watson Lampe, MO 5 15-06 131 Day 1: 5 15-06 72. Josh Butler Hayden, AL 4 15-06 129 Day 1: 4 15-06 73. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 15-05 128 Day 1: 5 15-05 74. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 15-03 127 Day 1: 5 15-03 74. Brent Shores Boise, ID 5 15-03 127 Day 1: 5 15-03 76. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 15-02 125 Day 1: 5 15-02 76. Andrew Julson Stoughton, WI 5 15-02 125 Day 1: 5 15-02 78. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 5 15-01 123 Day 1: 5 15-01 79. Rich Lindgren Lakeville, MN 5 15-00 122 Day 1: 5 15-00 80. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 14-15 121 Day 1: 5 14-15 81. Nathan Whiting Forest Lake, MN 4 14-15 120 Day 1: 4 14-15 82. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 14-13 119 Day 1: 5 14-13 82. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 5 14-13 119 Day 1: 5 14-13 84. Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI 5 14-12 117 Day 1: 5 14-12 85. Adam Bartusek Clearwater, MN 4 14-10 116 Day 1: 4 14-10 86. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 4 14-09 115 Day 1: 4 14-09 87. Cody Salzmann Southgate, MI 5 14-02 114 Day 1: 5 14-02 88. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 4 14-01 113 Day 1: 4 14-01 89. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 5 14-00 112 Day 1: 5 14-00 90. John Voyles Petersburg, IN 5 13-15 111 Day 1: 5 13-15 91. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 13-15 110 Day 1: 4 13-15 92. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 13-14 109 Day 1: 5 13-14 93. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 13-13 108 Day 1: 5 13-13 93. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 5 13-13 108 Day 1: 5 13-13 95. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 13-13 106 Day 1: 5 13-13 96. Tai Au Glendale, AZ 5 13-12 105 Day 1: 5 13-12 97. Tim Tyndell Mineola, TX 5 13-11 104 Day 1: 5 13-11 98. Vue Thao Madison, WI 4 13-10 103 Day 1: 4 13-10 99. Jackson Swisher Lake City, FL 5 13-07 102 Day 1: 5 13-07 100. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 4 13-07 101 Day 1: 4 13-07 101. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 5 13-06 100 Day 1: 5 13-06 102. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 5 13-04 99 Day 1: 5 13-04 102. Richard Lowitzki Fort Myers, FL 5 13-04 99 Day 1: 5 13-04 104. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 5 13-01 97 Day 1: 5 13-01 105. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 5 13-01 96 Day 1: 5 13-01 106. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 12-13 95 Day 1: 5 12-13 107. David Bromenshenkel Sauk Centre, MN 4 12-13 94 Day 1: 4 12-13 107. Sean Clayton Seneca, SC 4 12-13 94 Day 1: 4 12-13 107. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 4 12-13 94 Day 1: 4 12-13 110. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 5 12-11 91 Day 1: 5 12-11 111. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 5 12-10 90 Day 1: 5 12-10 112. Randy Ramsey Burlington, MI 5 12-09 89 Day 1: 5 12-09 113. Steve Lee Crystal, MN 4 12-02 88 Day 1: 4 12-02 114. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 5 11-15 87 Day 1: 5 11-15 115. Tom Monsoor La Crosse, WI 4 11-14 86 Day 1: 4 11-14 116. Matt Thompson Stacy, MN 5 11-13 85 Day 1: 5 11-13 117. Bryan Partak Marseilles, IL 4 11-13 84 Day 1: 4 11-13 118. Blake Schroeder Whitehouse, TX 4 11-12 83 Day 1: 4 11-12 119. Andy Dassow Medford, WI 4 11-07 82 Day 1: 4 11-07 120. Josh Leeseberg Bemidji, MN 3 11-01 81 Day 1: 3 11-01 120. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 3 11-01 81 Day 1: 3 11-01 122. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 3 11-00 79 Day 1: 3 11-00 123. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 4 10-15 78 Day 1: 4 10-15 124. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 3 10-15 77 Day 1: 3 10-15 125. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 5 10-14 76 Day 1: 5 10-14 126. Kevin Rogers Pleasant Hill, MO 3 10-11 75 Day 1: 3 10-11 127. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 4 10-09 74 Day 1: 4 10-09 128. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 3 10-03 73 Day 1: 3 10-03 129. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 5 10-01 72 Day 1: 5 10-01 130. Gunnar Meger Otsego, MN 4 10-01 71 Day 1: 4 10-01 131. Cole Zagrzebski Stevens Point, WI 3 10-00 70 Day 1: 3 10-00 132. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 3 09-13 69 Day 1: 3 09-13 133. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 3 09-09 68 Day 1: 3 09-09 134. Dale Salzmann Hazel Green, WI 4 09-08 67 Day 1: 4 09-08 135. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 3 09-00 66 Day 1: 3 09-00 135. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 3 09-00 66 Day 1: 3 09-00 137. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 2 09-00 64 Day 1: 2 09-00 138. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 4 08-15 63 Day 1: 4 08-15 139. Joseph Titus Bemidji, MN 3 08-12 62 Day 1: 3 08-12 140. Ed Czerwinski Crown Point, IN 3 08-11 61 Day 1: 3 08-11 140. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 3 08-11 61 Day 1: 3 08-11 142. Parker Knudsen Minnetonka, MN 2 08-11 59 Day 1: 2 08-11 143. Dave Parsons Yantis, TX 3 08-10 58 Day 1: 3 08-10 144. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 3 08-09 57 Day 1: 3 08-09 144. Samuel Moore Ramsey, MN 3 08-09 57 Day 1: 3 08-09 146. Bryan Finch Belton, TX 4 08-07 55 Day 1: 4 08-07 147. Matt Adams Oxford, AL 2 08-04 54 Day 1: 2 08-04 148. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 3 08-03 53 Day 1: 3 08-03 149. Bailey Bleser Burlington, WI 2 08-01 52 Day 1: 2 08-01 150. Cade Laufenberg Onalaska, WI 3 07-15 51 Day 1: 3 07-15 151. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 2 07-11 50 Day 1: 2 07-11 151. Dalton Smith Taylorsville, KY 2 07-11 50 Day 1: 2 07-11 153. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 3 07-09 48 Day 1: 3 07-09 154. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 2 07-09 47 Day 1: 2 07-09 155. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 3 07-07 46 Day 1: 3 07-07 156. Brady Hanna Silvis, IL 3 07-06 45 Day 1: 3 07-06 157. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 2 07-06 44 Day 1: 2 07-06 158. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 2 07-02 43 Day 1: 2 07-02 158. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 2 07-02 43 Day 1: 2 07-02 160. Nathan Thompson Eagan, MN 2 07-01 41 Day 1: 2 07-01 161. Derrick Sadlowski Monaca, PA 2 06-10 40 Day 1: 2 06-10 162. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 3 06-07 39 Day 1: 3 06-07 163. Zack Williams Shell Knob, MO 2 06-06 38 Day 1: 2 06-06 164. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 2 06-03 37 Day 1: 2 06-03 165. Mark Tonjum Spencer, IA 2 05-14 36 Day 1: 2 05-14 166. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 2 05-13 35 Day 1: 2 05-13 167. Tadd Johnson Lakeville, MN 2 05-10 34 Day 1: 2 05-10 168. Austin Anderson Ashley, IN 2 05-07 33 Day 1: 2 05-07 169. Alexander Welter Onalaska, WI 2 05-04 32 Day 1: 2 05-04 170. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 2 05-03 31 Day 1: 2 05-03 171. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 2 05-01 30 Day 1: 2 05-01 172. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 2 04-13 29 Day 1: 2 04-13 173. Jody Gardner Tippecanoe, OH 2 04-12 28 Day 1: 2 04-12 173. Al Trapp Inverness, FL 2 04-12 28 Day 1: 2 04-12 175. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 2 04-11 26 Day 1: 2 04-11 176. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 2 04-10 25 Day 1: 2 04-10 177. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 1 04-08 24 Day 1: 1 04-08 178. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 2 04-07 23 Day 1: 2 04-07 178. Kelvin Wilcox Hazlehurst, GA 2 04-07 23 Day 1: 2 04-07 180. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 1 04-07 21 Day 1: 1 04-07 181. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 2 04-05 20 Day 1: 2 04-05 181. Manny Sciberras Liberty Twp, OH 2 04-05 20 Day 1: 2 04-05 183. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 1 03-12 18 Day 1: 1 03-12 184. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 03-09 17 Day 1: 1 03-09 185. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 1 03-07 16 Day 1: 1 03-07 185. Trevor McKinney Noble, IL 1 03-07 16 Day 1: 1 03-07 187. Caden Cowan Stephenville, TX 1 03-05 14 Day 1: 1 03-05 188. Lance Owen Greer, SC 1 03-02 13 Day 1: 1 03-02 189. Daniel Larson Onamia, MN 1 02-15 12 Day 1: 1 02-15 189. Clint Leonard Jr Saint Cloud, FL 1 02-15 12 Day 1: 1 02-15 191. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 1 02-10 10 Day 1: 1 02-10 192. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 1 02-04 9 Day 1: 1 02-04 193. Mitchell Jacobs Prior Lake, MN 1 02-03 8 Day 1: 1 02-03 194. Dustin Bliss Brooklyn Park, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Jason Elliott Warsaw, IN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Ken Quilt Prior Lake, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Brady Schran Zumbrota, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Andrew Smith Chesterfield, MI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 194. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 102 752 2466-00 ———————————- 102 752 2466-00
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN 8/23-8/24 Leech Lake, Walker MN. (NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 10-12 200 Day 1: 3 10-12 2. Curt Blomquist Wright, MN 3 09-11 199 Day 1: 3 09-11 3. Eric Naig Bemidji, MN 3 09-09 198 Day 1: 3 09-09 4. Jim Nordlund Stacy, MN 3 09-05 197 Day 1: 3 09-05 5. Brian Brecka Alma, WI 3 09-04 196 Day 1: 3 09-04 6. Wilfred Raeker-Rebek St.Paul, MN 3 09-01 195 Day 1: 3 09-01 7. Troy Simpson Moline, IL 3 08-14 194 Day 1: 3 08-14 8. Chase Traeger Lino Lakes, MN 3 08-09 193 Day 1: 3 08-09 9. Brad Goetz Waunakee, WI 2 08-06 192 Day 1: 2 08-06 10. Justin Oppegard Eagan, MN 3 08-02 191 Day 1: 3 08-02 11. Kevin Yeska Madison, WI 3 08-00 190 Day 1: 3 08-00 12. Greg Poetz Winsted, MN 3 07-15 189 Day 1: 3 07-15 13. Robert Vander Kooi Mesa, AZ 3 07-09 188 Day 1: 3 07-09 14. Belle Kusske Carver, MN 2 06-13 187 Day 1: 2 06-13 15. Roy Biwer Shakopee, MN 2 06-09 186 Day 1: 2 06-09 15. Andrew Tweten Fargo, ND 2 06-09 186 Day 1: 2 06-09 17. Wyatt Peterson Excelsior, MN 2 06-05 184 Day 1: 2 06-05 18. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 2 06-00 183 Day 1: 2 06-00 18. Willie Meyer North Mankato, MN 2 06-00 183 Day 1: 2 06-00 20. Maggie Carsello Stoughton, WI 2 05-12 181 Day 1: 2 05-12 21. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 2 05-08 180 Day 1: 2 05-08 22. Towa Yoshikawa Kitakatsuragi-Gun JAPAN 2 05-07 179 Day 1: 2 05-07 23. Asher Schmidt Saint Paul, MN 2 05-04 178 Day 1: 2 05-04 24. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 2 05-01 177 Day 1: 2 05-01 25. Paul Schlotfeldt Saint Paul, MN 2 04-14 176 Day 1: 2 04-14 26. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 1 04-10 175 Day 1: 1 04-10 26. Mack Traynor Hanover, MN 1 04-10 175 Day 1: 1 04-10 28. Hoser Melgaard Elk Mound, WI 2 04-09 173 Day 1: 2 04-09 28. David Waack Cary, NC 2 04-09 173 Day 1: 2 04-09 30. Tom Lyskawka Arlington Heights , IL 2 04-08 171 Day 1: 2 04-08 31. Kristine Fischer Weeping Water, NE 1 04-08 170 Day 1: 1 04-08 31. Bradley Pierce Gretna, NE 1 04-08 170 Day 1: 1 04-08 33. Troy Jutting Savage, MN 2 04-05 168 Day 1: 2 04-05 34. Tanner Johnson Bemidji, MN 1 03-13 167 Day 1: 1 03-13 35. Erik Gaffron Hanover, MN 1 03-06 166 Day 1: 1 03-06 35. Don Kimmel Fishers, IN 1 03-06 166 Day 1: 1 03-06 37. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 03-04 164 Day 1: 1 03-04 38. Greg Spaid Brainerd, MN 1 03-03 163 Day 1: 1 03-03 39. Richard Conrad Arcadia, WI 1 02-15 162 Day 1: 1 02-15 40. Brett Brandstrom Shoreview, MN 1 02-14 161 Day 1: 1 02-14 40. Shane Kuehn Bennington, NE 1 02-14 161 Day 1: 1 02-14 42. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 1 02-13 159 Day 1: 1 02-13 43. Ryan Hastie Selkirk CANADA 1 02-12 158 Day 1: 1 02-12 44. Dennis Duffy Westmont, IL 1 02-11 157 Day 1: 1 02-11 45. Chris Stelter Chisago City, MN 1 02-10 156 Day 1: 1 02-10 46. Scott Dondlinger Scottsboro, AL 1 02-09 155 Day 1: 1 02-09 47. Sean Ruegemer Bloomington, MN 1 02-08 154 Day 1: 1 02-08 47. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 1 02-08 154 Day 1: 1 02-08 47. Levi Warner Hilbert, WI 1 02-08 154 Day 1: 1 02-08 50. David Riggs Highland, IL 1 02-07 151 Day 1: 1 02-07 51. Matt Commerford Wendell, MN 1 02-06 150 Day 1: 1 02-06 52. Kevin Deering Isanti, MN 1 02-05 149 Day 1: 1 02-05 52. Darren Gates Macon, IL 1 02-05 149 Day 1: 1 02-05 54. Brent Peterson Excelsior, MN 1 02-02 147 Day 1: 1 02-02 55. Brian Bottenfield Mound, MN 1 01-09 146 Day 1: 1 01-09 56. Jason Anakkala Brainerd, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Patrick Bartley Waconia, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Harrison Barton Sun Prairie, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Rich Bleser Burlington, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Kent Booth Hackensack, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Andrew Brandstrom Shoreview, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Eric Breitkreutz Sheboygan, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Dan Brown Groveland , FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Evan Cady St.Paul, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Kurt Chelminiak Delafield, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Bobby Cowan Stephenville, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Gabie Dandurand Detroit Lakes, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Dale Dobbins Maiden, NC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Mat Eichinger Chippewa Fls, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Joel Erickson Alexandria, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Mike Fischer Stacy, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Scott Gobeil Fort Frances CANADA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Richard Greene Ocala, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Alex Grimbos Innisfil CANADA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Steven Hiemenz Clear Lake, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Cason Hiers St. Paul, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Tanner Horton Pine Island, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Albert Jones Jr Covington, GA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Matt Kelley Detroit, MI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Klaus Kuester Forest Park, IL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Sean Lofgren Forest Lake, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Christopher Majerle Trenton, MI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Danny Mancini Necedah, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Art Monteil Shawnee, KS 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jimmy Obrien Southampton, NY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Adam Omlid Grand Forks, ND 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Eddie Payne Tomball, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jesse Piontek Elk Mound, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Mark Schill Plymouth, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Dalon Schmidt White Bear Lake, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jeffrey Shaw Anoka, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. David Slonaker Howard, OH 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Jeff Somers Crystal, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Kenny Stelter Forest Lake, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 56. Martin Terveer
During the summer, water released from dams is significantly cooler than the surface water in reservoirs. This temperature difference, often around 10 degrees cooler, plays a crucial role in determining bass behavior. The cooler water, combined with the current in rivers below dams, keeps the bass in much shallower areas, making them more accessible to anglers. Unlike in lakes, where bass retreat to deeper, harder-to-reach waters, river bass remain in relatively shallow zones. Understanding this behavior allows anglers to target these shallower areas for more successful fishing during the hot summer months. The cooler water enhances oxygen levels, which keeps bass more active and willing to strike. The consistent flow of water from the dam creates a special type of environment where bass are less likely to experience thermal stress, allowing them to feed more aggressively. As a result, anglers can use a variety of techniques, including soft plastic baits, to effectively target bass in these conditions. Recognizing the influence of water temperature and current can also help anglers identify prime fishing spots, such as eddies and current breaks, where bass are likely to moveThe new FreshBaitz Lizards deliver a realistic profile that excels in both power and finesse techniques. Act fact, we just released new Hot Sauce, MidNight, Ghost and 10w30 Syntheic Lizard designs! The unique forward-facing leg design creates drag that holds it in the strike zone longer or produces wild flapping action with every pull of the rod. Additionally, its slightly ribbed solid body and large head hold your hook in place and provide much better weedless performance making it the ideal bait to use in any condition. Water clarity always plays a super big role in color selection but in any season year-round, you can’t miss when using colors such as Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, or Green Pumpkin. Its flexible tail design ensures added movement, tempting even the most cautious fish. The superior 5.5-inch profile stretches to a whole 7 inches which is perfect for predatory fish including bass year round. Made from long-lasting durable high-grade non-salted plastic for total and maximum attention-grabbing action underwater.
Popular fishing spots near dams can become crowded, especially on weekends when both anglers and recreational boaters flock to the water. To avoid these crowds and increase the chances of a successful fishing trip, it’s beneficial to explore areas farther down the river. In such locations, shallow gravel bars may be present, making them difficult to access with standard boats, but ideal for those with jet-driven boats. These less-trafficked areas offer a more peaceful environment and can be prime spots for catching bass. By venturing into these quieter zones, anglers can enjoy a more productive and serene fishing experience. Moving away from the crowds reduces competition for prime fishing spots, allowing for a more strategic and relaxed approach. The quieter areas also tend to see less fishing pressure, which can result in bass that are less wary and more likely to strike. Exploring can lead to discovering hidden gems where bass are abundant and more cooperative. The reduced boat traffic in these areas helps maintain the natural behavior of the fish, increasing the likelihood of successful catches. Navigating to these remote locations can offer rewarding fishing success.We use our Fresh Scorpion because it closely imitates a crawfish. Our newest 10w30 Synthetic, Slimer Green, and Barbie Pink Scorpion colors work wonders. The Scorpion is a revolutionary new look to soft plastics. Its intricate detailing and texture mimic the nuances of a real crawfish, making it hard for bass to resist. Of course, water clarity always plays a role in color selection but in any season, you can’t miss using colors such as Green Pumpkin Seed, Brown Bark, Magneto. This bait not only appears natural to fish but gives them something to become curious about. The Scorpion paired with a stand-up jig is deadly because the jig actually sits the bait upright in a defensive stance. The subtle color variations across the bait further enhance its appeal, mimicking the natural color shifts found in live prey. Each Fresh Scorpion has a unique and exclusive 3-axis tail design that is engineered like no other soft plastic bait. Our Scorpions are made by anglers from high-grade non-salt plastic to provide superior life-like action-triggering strikes!
Soft plastics can be highly effective during the early morning or in shaded areas of the river. When worked just below the surface or along the bottom, often attract bass that are actively feeding. Matching the action of these soft plastics to the bass’s behavior is crucial. Slow and deliberate movements can entice less active fish, while more aggressive retrieves might trigger strikes from bass that are in a feeding frenzy. Learning how to vary your retrieve speed and presentation based on the bass’s mood can lead to more consistent and successful catches. Soft plastics are versatile and can be rigged in various ways, such as Texas, Carolina, or drop shot rigs, to target bass in different environments. The lifelike action of soft plastic baits make them particularly effective in clear water. Incorporating pauses and subtle twitches in your retrieve can make the bait appear more natural, increasing its appeal to wary fish. Soft plastics also allow anglers to fish around heavy cover without the risk of snagging, making them ideal for targeting bass hiding in dense vegetation or around submerged structures. Experimenting with different rigging and retrievals can significantly improve your fishing.Our Fresh HellaMite is designed to imitate a major aquatic food source, delivering a realistic profile of an insect larva that fish can’t resist. Scented for complete and total attraction underwater along with being made in the USA by real fishermen just like you. Grab our newest Hot Sauce, MidNight, Glow, 10w30 Synthetic, Slimer Green, and Barbie Pink HellaMite colors. Act quickly, these new colors won’t stay in stock for long. We also recently restocked our Ghost, Red Bug, Purple Rain, Brown Bug, Electric Chicken, and Goby Wan colors. The HellaMite’s solid body and hyperactive ribbed tail design produce a life-like quivering action with every twitch of the rod. Additionally, its unique flat underbelly detail enables this bait to be fished as a drop shot, Ned rig, neko rig, and even a small Carolina-rig, making it the ideal bait in any condition year-round. When the water is clear, the fish can see the bait and look like real food, causing strikes. Each cast becomes an opportunity for an exhilarating catch, thanks to the HellaMite’s superior performance and versatility
The interplay of light and current is a key factor in river fishing, especially during the heat of summer. Early in the day, when the sun is low, fishing in shaded areas can yield good results, as bass are often drawn to these cooler spots. As the day progresses and the sun rises higher, these shady areas disappear, prompting a shift to deeper water where logs and other structures provide cover. Current breaks are also critical, as they create pockets of slower water where bass often lie in wait for prey. Positioning your boat to take advantage of these current breaks and adjusting your fishing strategy as the light changes can make a significant change in your catch rate. By learning how light penetration affects water clarity can help in selecting the right lure color and presentation style. As light levels increase, bass may become more cautious, requiring a more subtle and natural-looking bait presentation. In lower light conditions, you can often get away with more aggressive techniques that create a lot of movement and noise. Monitoring changes in the current, such as increased flow from dam releases, can also help you anticipate where bass might move throughout the day.Our Fresh Beetle delivers ultimate versatility in a soft plastic bait. Its slim yet wide body design and four claws are engineered to naturally glide and wobble as it moves through the water. This design ensures they remain enticingly active longer than conventional baits. Its unique texture also provides a realistic feel, making bass hold on longer once they bite. Water clarity plays a big role in color selection but year-round you can’t miss when using go-to colors such as Chocolate Mint, Ox Blood, or 10w30 Synthetic beetles. The hyper-active swimming claws are designed thin with long-lasting durable non-salt plastic to make them come alive with the slightest movement. The Fresh Beetle offers an enticing 4-inch profile and is scented for complete and total attraction! You can rig these Beetles as a Jig/ Chatter Trailer, Flippin/ Punching, Texas Rig, Swing Jig, and Carolina Rig. Making the beetle beyond perfect in any weather condition year-round!
When bass are not responding, more subtle presentations are perfect for enticing bass that are less aggressive and more reluctant to strike. Flipping different soft plastics lures along structures like logs, rocks, and other cover can often trigger bites in otherwise challenging conditions. Working these baits slowly and deliberately through potential bass-holding areas allows you to thoroughly cover the water and locate where the fish are hiding. By keeping a variety of soft plastics and techniques in your arsenal, you can adapt to the bass’s mood and continue to catch fish, even when they’re being picky. Experimenting with different rigging methods, such as Texas or Carolina rigs, can help you present these baits in the most effective way for the given conditions. Varying the weight and size of your soft plastics can also be crucial in matching the local forage and appealing to bass that are feeding on specific prey. Soft plastics are versatile enough to be fished in a range of depths, from shallow cover to deep drop-offs, allowing you to target bass no matter where they are holding. Paying close attention to the subtleties of how bass react to different soft plastic presentations can help you fine-tune your approach.Using a stick-styled worm is the most tried and true ways to catch fish. We have a variety of 5-inch Worms to choose from but we just added new MidNight, Glow, and Ghost Worms! You can also experience our new wacky rigging kit while it’s ON SALE! The WACKY Pack offers our most popular colors and essential tools for wacky rigging. If you’re fast enough you might be able to grab the limited-release Pumpkin Spice Worm before it’s completely sold out along with some of our newest colors including the Brown Worm, Electic Chicken Worm, and Goby Wan Worm colors. The high-grade non-salt plastic they’re made from provides positive buoyancy and it even floats underwater! We also released new 6-inch Worms including Charmeleon, Rainbow TRT, Bone, Chocolate Mint, and Fire TGR are all available in 5 and 6-inch. We’ve also recently released new 8-count packs of worms available in Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, and Green Pumpkin. We also offer worms that have the unique ability to shift from one color to another. Scented for total attraction underwater.
Water flow from dams significantly influences bass behavior and fishing conditions. During summer, a moderate flow rate is often ideal, as it provides oxygenated, cooler water that bass seek out. Too much flow can create strong currents that make fishing difficult, while too little flow may reduce oxygen levels and make bass less active. By understanding and monitoring the flow rates, anglers can position themselves in the best areas of the river, where bass are more likely to be active. Targeting areas with moderate current and avoiding heavy flows can enhance your chances of a successful fishing trip. Flow rates dictate where bass are likely to hold, such as behind current breaks or near slower-moving water, making it easier to predict their behavior. Anglers should also consider the time of day, as water releases from dams often vary throughout the day, affecting the fish’s location and activity level. Adapting your strategy based on these conditions can lead to more consistent catches. Learning to read the water and recognizing subtle changes in current can give you an edge in locating and targeting bass in various flow conditions. Observing these changes will help refine your approach.Our newest FreshBaitz Mandingo Trick Worm is the ultimate game-changer for anglers with a passion! Engineered for the angler who knows SIZE does matter, this lure is designed to attract only the BIGGEST bass with a penchant for the larger bait. The Mandingo Trick Worm boasts a solid 7-inch body enhanced with a hyperactive ribbed design, ensuring irresistible mouth-watering action for those trophy bass. Officially available in a vibrant array of 8 colors. Each worm is made from durable, high-grade Non-Salted plastic for lifelike action and unparalleled durability. Perfectly balanced for a variety of rigging options and scented for total and maximum attraction, the Mandingo Trick Worm promises year-round effectiveness in lakes, rivers, and streams. Whether you’re rigging it on a Shakey Head, Drop Shot, Texas Rig, or Carolina Rig, these worms are your ticket to landing the big ones. Proudly made in the USA by real anglers to help elevate your fishing experience and catch more bass year-round!
Despite the presence of deep holes in rivers, bass often remain in relatively shallow water during the summer. These shallow zones, usually less than 15 feet deep, are where bass can find cooler temperatures and ample food. Understanding this behavior is crucial, as it allows anglers to focus their efforts on these more accessible areas rather than wasting time probing deep, less productive waters. Fishing in shallower water also makes it easier to present lures effectively, increasing the chances of a strike. By targeting these shallow spots, you can improve your catch rate and make the most of your time on the water. Shallow water fishing often allows for more precise and controlled presentations, which can be crucial for enticing wary bass. Observing water clarity and structure in these shallower areas can further enhance your chances, as bass are more likely to be active and visible. Utilizing techniques like slow retrieves or bouncing lures off the bottom can also be particularly effective in these settings. Finally, adapting your approach based on the specific conditions of the shallow water will help you stay in tune with behavior and increase your success.We have a wide variety of terminal tackle to choose. For creature baits, we love to use the Stand-Up Jig because it sits your bait up-right in a defensive stance! Mosquito Hooks work for drop-shotting and perfectly accommodates a wide range of soft plastics. The popular All Purpose Hooks are built with an extra-wide gap and are made to accommodate a wide range of soft plastics. The Block Head Jig is perfect for ned rigging the HellaMite with its mushroom-style head that seamlessly matches a wide variety of soft plastics. The Offset Block Head Jig, offers the same mushroom-style head with a unique offset hook, making it a go-to for weedless Ned Rig applications. The Shakey Ultrahead can permanently secure baits by inserting the pin in the center and screwing the twist lock coil spring for perfect rigging every time! The Ultrahead Wacky Jig features precise weight positioning and hook orientation for the ultimate wacky presentations. For fast Texas rigging, we use the Bullet-Type Rig which has an attached weight saving you pressure time when fishing cover. The 4x Jungle Flippin Hook is designed for big fish and the toughest conditions. The Range Roller Jig Head is crafted for precision with its high center axis design, perfect for hover-strolling and mid to bottom strolling with forward facing sonar, ensuring an enticing rolling action.
WHAT: The first event of the 2024 Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Team Series will premiere Sunday, with every minute of competition livestreamed from Erie, Pennsylvania.
The star-studded event, hosted by VisitErie, features two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour pros competing from the same boat, and working together to claim a piece of a season purse of more than $720,000.
For the first time ever, the General Tire Team Series will be livestreamed daily, meaning every cast and every catch will be covered live and fans can watch teammates work together to break down a brand new body of water in real time. The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live all six days of competition at the Challenge Cup.
WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 25 – Friday, Aug. 30, 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: MLFNOW!® is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and on Rumble.
NOTES: The B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota in Erie is the first of the four-event series.
In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, Erie, Pennsylvania, was not revealed to Team Series anglers until 30 days prior to the start of the tournament. All fishable waters within 60 miles of Erie then went off limits to anglers, and the competitors will discover exactly where they’re competing only after arriving at the boat ramp on the morning of competition. Fans watching the MLFNOW! livestream will find out the fishery right along with the anglers and watch all the action unfold live as teams work together and share their knowledge to break down each fishery in real time.
The 12 teams that will compete in the General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota in Erie, Pennsylvania are:
Team 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J. Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn. Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team Builders FirstSource: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Coign: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill. Matt Stefan, Junction City, Wis.
Team Ferguson: Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La. Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Team Knighten Industries: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn. Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Team Kubota: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn. Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Team REDCON1: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash. John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
Team Star Tron: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala. Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Team U.S. Air Force: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C. Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team WIX Filters: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich. Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.
For complete details and updated information on the General Tire Team Series visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Curious about one of Florida’s most legendary bass catches? Let me share the story of Billy O’Berry, who made history with his remarkable catch in 1986. This 17 lbs 4 oz largemouth bass, caught in a Polk County lake, remains a testament to Florida’s reputation as a bass fishing paradise.
The Legendary Catch
On July 6, 1986, Billy O’Berry of Seffner, Florida, landed what would become a state record largemouth bass. Fishing in a small, unnamed lake in Polk County, O’Berry initially thought he had hooked a large catfish when the bass took his spinnerbait and dove deep. It wasn’t until he reeled it in that he realized the magnitude of his catch—a massive 17 lbs 4 oz bass that would go down in Florida’s fishing history.
Who is Billy O’Berry?
Billy O’Berry is a passionate angler from Seffner, Florida, whose love for fishing led him to this extraordinary achievement. His record-setting catch was not just a stroke of luck but also a result of his dedication and skill as an angler. O’Berry’s story has inspired countless anglers to pursue their own trophy catches in Florida’s rich waters.
The Significance of the Catch
O’Berry’s catch highlights the incredible potential of Florida’s freshwater fisheries. The state’s warm climate, diverse aquatic habitats, and abundant food sources create ideal conditions for largemouth bass to grow to impressive sizes. This record catch underscores Florida’s status as a top destination for anglers seeking trophy bass.
Fishing in Florida: Tips and Techniques
If you’re inspired by Billy O’Berry’s success and want to try your luck in Florida, consider these tips:
Use Effective Lures: Spinnerbaits, like the one O’Berry used, are excellent for attracting largemouth bass. They mimic the movement of prey and can provoke aggressive strikes.
Focus on Structure: Bass often hide in submerged structures or vegetation. Target these areas to increase your chances of a successful catch.
Fish During Optimal Times: While many anglers prefer dawn or dusk, O’Berry’s catch shows that midday fishing can also yield great results
Conclusion
Billy O’Berry’s 1986 catch of a 17 lbs 4 oz largemouth bass remains a legendary moment in Florida’s fishing history. His achievement not only set a state record but also continues to inspire anglers to explore Florida’s waters in search of their own trophy bass. Happy fishing, and may your next catch be as memorable as Billy O’Berry’s!
Hampton Shull of Lander University takes the Day 1 lead at the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell.
Photo by Tyler Bridges/B.A.S.S.
August 22, 2024
Shull single-handedly takes Day 1 lead in Bassmaster College National Championship at Lake Hartwell
Competing against a field mostly comprising two-angler teams was no concern for Shull. In fact, it likely contributed to his overall success.
“Being alone didn’t bother me,” Shull said. “It allowed me to fish freely without having to consider other opinions.”
Shull split his time between shallow fish and offshore fish that were in 10 to 50 feet. Hartwell has a mix of natural and man-made structure and Shull fished some of everything.
“It was about 50/50 between shallow and deep fish, but I think the deep bite is (most promising) for a three-day tournament,” Shull said.
After bagging a limit by 12:30 p.m., Shull finished his weight by about 2 o’clock. His biggest fish, a 4-plus-pounder, bit mid-morning and put Shull through the wringer.
“When I was trying to net my biggest one, the net got tangled up in my Minn Kota Raptor switch and I had to reach down and grab the fish with my hand,” he said. “It got dramatic, and the fight stretched out about 2 minutes.
“I didn’t panic because I really don’t use a net unless I’m tournament fishing, so I just treated it like a practice day.”
Moreover, his big-bass achievement at Sam Rayburn gave Shull the confidence to manage a stressful moment.
“Knowing that I could do that calmed my nerves,” he said.
Shull said he fished throughout much of the lake and found each of his eight keepers on different spots.
“I think it had to do with it being August and fish are tough to catch,” he said. “It was just junk fishing all day.
“I was just fishing by the seat of my pants and trusting my gut to fish what looked good.”
Shull fished a mix of baits and caught two of his limit fish on a worm and three on a topwater. As for Day 2, he’s keeping an open mind and trusting the game plan that got him to the top of the leaderboard.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow,” Shull said. “I’ll be listening to my gut and not getting locked in on any one thing.”
Guy and Campbell are in second place with 16-6.
Blake Milligan and Carson Maddux of Auburn University are in third place with 15-11.
Andrew Oswalt and Evan Mabrey of University of Montevallo are in the lead for Big Bass honors with their 5-15.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Green Pond Landing and Event Center. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 8/22-8/24 Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC. (BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Hampton Shull – Lander University 250 Day 1: 5 17-00 Total: 5 17-00 2. Parker Guy – Tyler Campbell Emmanuel College 249 Day 1: 5 16-06 Total: 5 16-06 3. Blake Milligan – Carson Maddux Auburn University 248 Day 1: 5 15-11 Total: 5 15-11 4. Peyton Sorrow – Garrett Ring University of Montevallo 247 Day 1: 5 15-10 Total: 5 15-10 5. Merrick Diaz – Cade Hayford Campbellsville University 246 Day 1: 5 15-02 Total: 5 15-02 6. Drake Hemby – Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 245 Day 1: 5 14-12 Total: 5 14-12 7. Dylan Akins – Chase Carey Emmanuel College 244 Day 1: 5 14-11 Total: 5 14-11 8. Miles Smith – Levi Thibodaux LSU Shreveport 243 Day 1: 5 14-07 Total: 5 14-07 9. Brantley Anders – Reece Keeney Kentucky Christian University 242 Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05 10. Nathan Reynolds – Banks Shaw University of North Alabama 241 Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14 11. Lane Clark – Tallis Morrison Erskine College 240 Day 1: 5 13-11 Total: 5 13-11 12. Andrew Oswalt – Evan Mabrey University of Montevallo 239 Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08 12. Dalton Phelps – Gannon Stork Wabash Valley College 239 Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08 14. Robert Miller – John Michael Ortman Emmanuel College 237 Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04 15. Peyton Harris – Dalton Head University of Montevallo 236 Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01 16. Lane Stephens – Ethan Fields Mckendree University 235 Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00 17. Slade Davis – Trace Antunes III University Of Montevallo 234 Day 1: 5 12-12 Total: 5 12-12 17. Anderson Jones – Lander University 234 Day 1: 5 12-12 Total: 5 12-12 19. Braylon Eggerding – Lucas Washburn Adrian College 232 Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09 20. Dillon Robertshaw – Robert Hunt Missouri State University 231 Day 1: 5 12-08 Total: 5 12-08 21. Jared West – Gus McLarry Texas A&M Commerce Fishing Club 230 Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07 22. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 229 Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06 23. Hunter Odom – Brenton Godwin University of Montevallo 228 Day 1: 5 12-01 Total: 5 12-01 24. Luke Davis – Chance Schwartz University of Montevallo 227 Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00 25. Bryson O’ Steen – Seth Jones Florida Gateway College 226 Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00 26. James Willoughby – Phillip Herring University of Montevallo 225 Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13 27. Carter Nutt – Dylan Nutt University of North Alabama 224 Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09 28. Dylan May – Evan Newell Carson-Newman University 223 Day 1: 5 11-08 Total: 5 11-08 28. Andrew Rickman – Ty Manterola Dallas Baptist University 223 Day 1: 5 11-08 Total: 5 11-08 30. Caden Pearson – Nathan Kallstrand Wabash Valley College 221 Day 1: 5 11-05 Total: 5 11-05 31. Brayden Nichols – William Tew LSU Shreveport 220 Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04 32. Tyler Combes – James Gillis Clarkson University 219 Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03 33. Brooks Anderson – Max Heaton Emmanuel College 218 Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02 34. Aiden Clark – Jackson Kulijof Murray State University 217 Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01 34. Nicholas Dellaporta – Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 217 Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01 34. Trevor Easter – Clayton Easter Tarleton State University 217 Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01 34. Harmon Marien – Maxwell Trotter Mckendree University 217 Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01 38. Hunter Keller – Garrett Christy Catawba Valley Community College 213 Day 1: 5 10-12 Total: 5 10-12 39. Cole Moulton – Kaleb Brown Lander University 212 Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11 40. Kai Barnett – Parker Welch Mckendree University 211 Day 1: 5 10-09 Total: 5 10-09 41. Cade Lipham – Caleb Coleman Drury University 210 Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08 42. Michael Avery – Peyton Dunn Emmanuel College 209 Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07 43. Wyatt Pearman – Ridge Rutledge Campbellsville University 208 Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07 44. Eli Jaime – Jack Hay Southwestern Michigan College 207 Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06 45. Landon Robbins – Will Eriksson University of Tennessee 206 Day 1: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05 46. Cameron Yates – Harrison McCall Lander University 205 Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04 47. Tanner Hadden – Caleb Hudson University of South Carolina – U 204 Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03 47. Will Harris – Cole Rankin Carson-Newman University 204 Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03 47. Peyton Rose – Brogan Gregg Wabash Valley College 204 Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03 50. Evan Fields – Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 201 Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02 51. Preston Kolisek – Smith McGregor University of North Alabama 200 Day 1: 4 10-02 Total: 4 10-02 52. Lawson Blake – Bailey Mckinney Marshall University 199 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 52. Connor Dunn – Cade Johnson Texas A&M University 199 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 52. Blair Erickson – Jackson Pontius University of Montevallo 199 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 52. Hunter Hamilton – Tyler Morris LSU Shreveport 199 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 56. Hunter Barrow – Caleb Dugger King University 195 Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01 57. Brady Metzger – Mason Bohland Purdue University 194 Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00 58. Brendan Vinton – Jacob Vanscoik Catawba Valley Community College 193 Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00 59. Hunter Sandschafer – Blake Beckmann Wabash Valley College 192 Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15 60. Alex Standerfer – Tyler Gunter Catawba Valley Community College 191 Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14 61. Lake Norsworthy – Calup Williams Blue Mountain Christian Universi 190 Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13 62. Jason Qualich – Jack Stephens Mckendree University 189 Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11 63. Dalton Mollenkopf – Derek Rodriguez Jr. Adrian College 188 Day 1: 5 09-09 Total: 5 09-09 63. Nick Owens – Quade Lobo Adrian College 188 Day 1: 5 09-09 Total: 5 09-09 65. Adrian Urso – Corbin Templon Murray State University 186 Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08 66. Hayden Marbut – Auburn University 185 Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07 67. Jackson Paden – Joey Bissing University of Tennessee 184 Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07 68. Logan East – Conner Giles Bryan College 183 Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06 68. Hunter Fillmore – Dylan Fogarty Bethel University 183 Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06 68. Andrew Ready – Trey Garrett Southeastern University 183 Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06 68. Andrew Turner – Stevie Mills Carson-Newman University 183 Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06 72. Riley Faulkner – Szymon Piton Carson-Newman University 179 Day 1: 5 09-04 Total: 5 09-04 72. Luke Wenger – Braxon Hightower Dallas Baptist University 179 Day 1: 5 09-04 Total: 5 09-04 74. Grant Dohle – Jake Mantovani Missouri State University 177 Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03 74. Hayden Gaddis – Ben Cully Carson-Newman University 177 Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03 74. Logan Plueger – Charlie Wright University of Montevallo 177 Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03 77. Kane Weekley – Connor Koch Southeastern University 174 Day 1: 5 09-02 Total: 5 09-02 78. Bryant Martin – Luke Batts LSU Shreveport 173 Day 1: 5 09-01 Total: 5 09-01 79. Brayden Stoker – Tucker Kendall Tarleton State University 172 Day 1: 4 09-01 Total: 4 09-01 80. Zion Dunaway – Casey Cornelius Purdue University 171 Day 1: 5 09-00 Total: 5 09-00 81. Cy Lambert – Austin King University of North Alabama 170 Day 1: 4 09-00 Total: 4 09-00 81. Avery Padgett – Kasen Pemberton Troy University 170 Day 1: 4 09-00 Total: 4 09-00 83. Bryce Balentine – Giancarlo Russo Florida Gateway College 168 Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15 83. Blake Wheat – Zachary Helton Carson-Newman University 168 Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15 85. Hudson Choquette – Brooks Parker University of Montevallo 166 Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15 86. Tripp Berlinsky – Bryce Dimauro Bryan College 165 Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14 86. Aaron Jagdfeld – Elliot Wielgopolski Adrian College 165 Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14 88. Cody Monlezun – Caden Denny Texas A&M University 163 Day 1: 5 08-13 Total: 5 08-13 89. Parker Lambert – Aaron Shumaker Lander University 162 Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12 90. Hagan Marlin – Chris Fallon University of Montevallo 161 Day 1: 5 08-11 Total: 5 08-11 91. Logan Greeno – Matthew Nichols University of Nebraska – Lincoln 160 Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09 91. Clay Henderson – Brant Rowland Drury University 160 Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09 91. Xander Patton – Stephen Brooks Emmanuel College 160 Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09 94. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. – Brady Pinwar Adrian College 157 Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08 95. Tyler Leachman – Mark Bixler Murray State University 156 Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07 95. Mitch Straffon – Owen Januszewski Adrian College 156 Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07 97. Emery Burnett – Drake Axon Georgia Southern University 154 Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07 98. Hunter Russell – Benny Blank Wabash Valley College 153 Day 1: 5 08-06 Total: 5 08-06 99. Hayden Short – Kentucky Christian University 152 Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05 99. Aric Szambelan – Alex Wood Missouri State University 152 Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05 101. TJ Edwards Jr – Sawyer Brady Blue Mountain Christian Universi 150 Day 1: 5 08-04 Total: 5 08-04 101. Elijah Kelley – Chris Baker Kentucky Christian University 150 Day 1: 5 08-04 Total: 5 08-04 103. Trevor Johnston – Ashton Hehr Texas A&M University 148 Day 1: 5 08-03 Total: 5 08-03 104. Chase Milholen – Koltyn Harbin Bethel University 147 Day 1: 5 08-02 Total: 5 08-02 104. Corey Morris – Brayden Mercer East Texas Baptist University 147 Day 1: 5 08-02 Total: 5 08-02 106. Jared Hubbard – Riley Hendricks Lander University 145 Day 1: 5 08-01 Total: 5 08-01 107. Kobe Thompson – Cole Carr Adrian College 144 Day 1: 5 08-01 Total: 5 08-01 108. Nick Seitz – Paxton Giem Adrian College 143 Day 1: 5 08-00 Total: 5 08-00 109. Harrison Heins – Hunter Slone Tennessee Tech University 142 Day 1: 5 07-15 Total: 5 07-15 109. Kade Hillestad – John Kyle Pearce University of Louisiana Monroe 142 Day 1: 5 07-15 Total: 5 07-15 111. Clay Taylor – Lander University 140 Day 1: 4 07-15 Total: 4 07-15 112. Tyler Cory – Nick Dumke University of Montevallo 139 Day 1: 5 07-12 Total: 5 07-12 113. Alec Poland – Jack Grushecky West Virginia University 138 Day 1: 5 07-10 Total: 5 07-10 114. Ben Burns – Riley Aebi Stephen F Austin State Universit 137 Day 1: 5 07-09 Total: 5 07-09 114. Jeffrey Jones – Coleman Bingham Bethel University 137 Day 1: 5 07-09 Total: 5 07-09 116. Storm Cline – Gabe Fishlock Carson-Newman University 135 Day 1: 5 07-08 Total: 5 07-08 116. Trace Loe – Levi Loe Southern Arkansas University 135 Day 1: 5 07-08 Total: 5 07-08 118. Dawson Lynch – Sonny Mann Tarleton State University 133 Day 1: 5 07-07 Total: 5 07-07 119. Branden Burrill – Jack Simpson Western Michigan University 132 Day 1: 5 07-06 Total: 5 07-06 120. Kaden Buchmann – Chase Wodzinski Lander University 131 Day 1: 5 07-05 Total: 5 07-05 120. Ryan Thomas – Jack Alexander University of Montevallo 131 Day 1: 5 07-05 Total: 5 07-05 122. Braden Cox – Joel Berelsman Ohio State University 129 Day 1: 5 07-04 Total: 5 07-04 123. Justin Latham – Blaine Mattingly Campbellsville University 128 Day 1: 4 07-04 Total: 4 07-04 124. Luke McGuffin – Rylan Green Erskine College 127 Day 1: 5 07-03 Total: 5 07-03 125. Kolten Goolsby – Landon Oconnor Stephen F Austin State Universit 126 Day 1: 5 07-01 Total: 5 07-01 126. Nathan Fideldy – Laindree Richardson Drury University 125 Day 1: 5 07-00 Total: 5 07-00 126. Kaiya Ziga – Hunter Petrovic Southwestern Michigan College 125 Day 1: 5 07-00 Total: 5 07-00 128. Nathan Preston – Auburn University 123 Day 1: 5 06-15 Total: 5 06-15 128. Trevor Young – Maxwell Schweikert Grand Valley State University 123 Day 1: 5 06-15 Total: 5 06-15 130. Jeremy Monda – Will Boyd Jr Florida Gateway College 121 Day 1: 5 06-12 Total: 5 06-12 131. Blake Bullock – John Mark Berry Blue Mountain Christian Universi 120 Day 1: 5 06-11 Total: 5 06-11 132. Cross Campbell – Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 119 Day 1: 5 06-09 Total: 5 06-09 132. Noah Lieberman – Colin Wolinski Missouri State University 119 Day 1: 5 06-09 Total: 5 06-09 134. Brayden Ruckman – Cason Price Carson-Newman University 117 Day 1: 5 06-09 Total: 5 06-09 135. Ty Mundhenke – Matthew Welcher Auburn University 116 Day 1: 5 06-07 Total: 5 06-07 136. Callaway Robinson – Tucker Pearson Georgia College 115 Day 1: 5 06-05 Total: 5 06-05 137. Caden Canaday – Virginia Tech 114 Day 1: 4 06-05 Total: 4 06-05 138. Peter Radulski Jr – Lane Gerbers Clemson University 113 Day 1: 5 06-04 Total: 5 06-04 139. Stone Smith – Drake Wadsworth Northwestern State University 112 Day 1: 5 06-02 Total: 5 06-02 140. Hunter Jenkins – Dallas Baptist University 111 Day 1: 4 06-00 Total: 4 06-00 141. Tripp Bowman – Matthew Nesbit LSU Shreveport 110 Day 1: 5 05-12 Total: 5 05-12 141. Tyler Chmelar – Kase Kramer Tarleton State University 110 Day 1: 5 05-12 Total: 5 05-12 143. Cameron Smith – Thomas Phillips Ohio State University 108 Day 1: 5 05-11 Total: 5 05-11 144. Matthew Echols – Christian Stewart Virginia Tech 107 Day 1: 4 05-11 Total: 4 05-11 145. Easton Lindus – Seth Jenkins Emmanuel College 106 Day 1: 4 05-07 Total: 4 05-07 146. Stetson Southard – Walker Wilburn Tarleton State University 105 Day 1: 5 05-06 Total: 5 05-06 146. Benjamin Travis – Brendin Simich Auburn University 105 Day 1: 5 05-06 Total: 5 05-06 148. Grayson Ball – Sellers Odom Calhoun Community College 103 Day 1: 5 05-05 Total: 5 05-05 149. Colby Carrier – Justin Frey Bethel University 102 Day 1: 4 05-05 Total: 4 05-05 150. Jonah Barrow – Logan Russell University of Nebraska – Lincoln 101 Day 1: 4 05-05 Total: 4 05-05 151. Billy Erdakos – Davis Klimczak Southwestern Michigan College 100 Day 1: 5 05-03 Total: 5 05-03 152. Kaleb Butts – Chase Rogers University of South Carolina – U 99 Day 1: 4 04-15 Total: 4 04-15 153. Trey McMeen – Braydon Kelley East Texas Baptist University 98 Day 1: 4 04-10 Total: 4 04-10 154. Caden Cardoza – Judd Morgan University of Tennessee 97 Day 1: 3 04-09 Total: 3 04-09 155. Louis VerBrugge – Mohave Community College 96 Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02 156. Colton Combs – Corbin Joyner Northeast State University 95 Day 1: 3 04-00 Total: 3 04-00 157. Scott Sledge – University of Montevallo 94 Day 1: 3 03-15 Total: 3 03-15 158. Alex Gore – Colby Reece Carson-Newman University 93 Day 1: 4 03-14 Total: 4 03-14 158. Carty Shoen – Jake Peck Auburn University 93 Day 1: 4 03-14 Total: 4 03-14 160. Delaney Platt – Ryan Olsen Southwestern Michigan College 91 Day 1: 4 03-07 Total: 4 03-07 161. Michael Canonica – Seth Proctor University of Tennessee 90 Day 1: 3 03-07 Total: 3 03-07 162. Elijah Jackson – University Of Alabama 89 Day 1: 3 03-01 Total: 3 03-01 163. Tucker Cory – Michael Witherup University of Montevallo 88 Day 1: 2 03-00 Total: 2 03-00 164. Hank Sturm – Matt Mosby Adrian College 87 Day 1: 2 02-09 Total: 2 02-09 165. Blair Cox – Zach Adamec Missouri State University 86 Day 1: 2 02-07 Total: 2 02-07 166. Scott Balas – Samuel Gremban University of Wisconsin- Madison 85 Day 1: 2 01-07 Total: 2 01-07 167. Evan Ludlow – Drake Heath Southwestern Michigan College 84 Day 1: 1 00-15 Total: 1 00-15 168. Sean Ferguson – Kansas State University 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 139 789 1479-10 ———————————- 139 789 1479-10
Whitewater Fishing pro shares his Insights for more largemouths & smallmouths now.
MUSKEGON, Mich. (August 22, 2024) – August can be a challenging month for bass anglers. In some regions of the country, the heat index can still ride high, while in the Upper Midwest and East, weather patterns begin to change, especially toward the end of the month with cooler pre-autumn weather emerging and anglers watching significantly decreasing and increasing surface water temps changes day-to-day. It’s not uncommon to experience anything from the high 80s to the low 70s within days and the movement of cold and heat fronts in and out.Northeast U.S.-based Whitewater staffer and professional MLF and NPFL tournament bass angler, Cole Harris, has dialed in systems allowing him to pivot quickly when one pattern falls apart, for both green fish and brownies right now that we should all consider.“During August, largies stay pretty much positioned where there’s food and cover, so I’m rarely fishing more than 15 feet deep—and fishing shallow most of the time,” offers Harris.“But smallmouths are all over the board. You could find them on a 25 foot hump one day and go out to your tournament the next day and they’re completely gone. They could be in four feet of water or 60 feet of water. They’re just moody, and I feel like it has a lot to do with night temperatures. Recently, for us the nights have been in the mid 50s and it’s like someone flipped the light switch, so the smallies have been on the move.”He points out that while smallmouth bass have reigned supreme on his home waters of Lake Champlain, at the recent B.A.S.S. Elite tournament largemouths won the event, which was surprising. But it just goes to show that the lake has not only solid populations and year classes of smallmouths, but some excellent largemouth opportunities, too.
Largemouth Bass #1: Flip A JigAs such, in lakes from North Carolina to Lake Champlain in Vermont, Harris has been chasing largemouths, targeting milfoil and hydrilla with a jig.“I’m a huge jig fisherman, I really love to flip,” says Harris. “Right now, I’m fishing anything from 8 inches of water to 15 feet. It really depends how they’re set up, but lately the largemouth bite has been great flipping a jig. Really, until we get into fall, these fish aren’t really in transition yet. Right now, you can find largemouths around weeds, docks, structure, and they’re not moving too far.”When it comes to specific baits for this bite, Harris is fond of Team Ark Randall Tharp Flippin’ Jigs, 9 times out of 10 using a perch pattern to mimic predominant forage on a lot of his favorite lakes. Largemouth Bass #2: Topwaters“This time of year, the other thing I throw are topwaters, either a spook-style bait or buzzbait as fish are feeding up, whether that’s baitfish or panfish in a lot of these central or northeastern waters.”Other baits that should be considered are Whopper Ploppers and any pencil- or cigar-shaped topwater, even old-school baits like Jitter Bugs and prop- or wake-style baits. Anybody who has fished these baits with confidence knows the bites are often spectacular.Harris on Late-Summer Smallmouth BassFor Harris, smallies can be a bit tougher to pattern, sending him searching everything from 3- or 4-feet to depths reaching 60 feet, depending on the day—as the fish can migrate back and forth daily, even hour-to-hour, given weather, temperature, sun, barometric pressure, all on the chase for their preferred forage. “When it’s sunny out, I’m targeting August smallies in six feet or less. They get shallow in the sun and hunt,” notes Harris. “Cloudy days I’ll be working anything from 15 to 60 feet.”
Smallmouth Baits #1: Drag A Jig DeepTypically associated with deep largemouths situated over hard bottom or on ledges, one of Harris’ favorite smallmouth baits is a football jig, typically dressed with a creature/craw trailer trimmed down a bit to eliminate tail-biters and poor hooksets.Plus, he says, fish on Lake Champlain are conditioned given tournament fishing pressure and are hip to a lot of the commonly-used trailers, shying from overly long and bulky baits this time of year.“You can use pretty much any football jig, but I use the same Ark Flippin’ Jig I use for largemouths. With its head design, it’s good for flipping, dock skipping, even dragging. The big thing is getting the right size for the depth; I’ll throw anything from a 1/2- to 5/8-ounce most of the time,” notes Harris.In terms of location, Harris says while most anglers—especially on Lake Champlain—will concentrate their smallmouth efforts on rock, he fishes “everything.”“I like to find the boulders, the hard bottom, and then I like the grassy and harder-sand bottoms in between. When it comes to bottom type, I try to cover all the bases and don’t overlook grassy transition areas, either.”Smallmouth Baits #2: TopwatersLike largies, Harris says the August smallie bite can be epic on topwaters.“Especially when it’s cloudy, I fish them in 40 feet, sometimes deeper. On forward-facing sonar, watching fish come up from 40 feet at full speed to hit a topwater bait is incredible. It’s the best thing in the world.”On sunny days, Harris probes skinny water when smallies are on the hunt, just tail-walking topwater baits and covering water.
Dress For The Cool & HeatHarris is quick to point out that lately the nights have been cool—and the mornings, too, when he cranks up his motor to begin the bass chase—temps around 50 degrees.“The Whitewater Torque Heated Vest lives in my boat year ‘round. I might not wear it all day, but it keeps my core warm with nothing more than a Whitewater Rays Performance Hoodie or Lightweight Tech Hoodie underneath.”As the sun climbs higher and the day heats up into the 70s, Harris puts the Whitewater vest back in a boat storage compartment and fishes in the same hoodies, which provide UV sun protection and are breathable/moisture-wicking.And, he says, even when it gets hot, he’s still wearing Whitewater Prevail Pants, which he recently wore on the water in North Carolina in the high 90s and “didn’t get hot in the least bit”. Designed as the ultimate in fishing pants with UPF 50+ sun protection rating, their comfortable, cool, and have an athletic design. “They keep you just as cool as if you were wearing shorts with the side seam vent zippers but with no leg sunburn and fly/mosquito protection.”
Next James River CATT Qualifier is September 14 at Hopewell! This the last Qualifier of 2024 and we have several teams who need to get 1 more qualifier in to be eligible to enter the James River Final October 5th & 6th! You only need to enter 3 Qualifiers to be eligible! Check out the James River points by going to the James River Division page and scrolling all the way down!
Woodel Roof System sponsors our James River Points payout! Tap on the logo to visit their website! They offer several services!
Trey Goodman & Tim Chaffin are leading the James River points with 1 Qualifier left! Can they hold on!
Bubba Whitehurst & Brandon Coffey win the James River with 5 bass weighing 18.54 lbs! Great job guys!
