Veteran PR expert and freelance writer pens first children’s book: All Fish are Awesome
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (July 19, 2024) – The world is a subjective place. We’re constantly judging people, places, and things. Regrettably, God’s creatures fall into this same prejudicial box. “Critters,” as author Noel Vick calls them, are easily and superficially labeled.“There’s an unwritten weighting system for animals – fish included,” said Vick, whose ‘real job’ is President at industry communications company Traditions Media. “Anglers regularly rank fish by how they taste or fight. In a pet store, a colorful fantail goldfish or angelfish get all the attention, while the equally as important Plecostomus – that prehistoric looking bottom feeder – goes unnoticed.”
In All Fish are Awesome, the fair-and-balanced author features both freshwater and saltwater fish, some well-known, others not so much. “I really wanted to feature unique fish species that live in the same environments. Moreover, my goal was to show a more popular species alongside one that’s not so loved, even considered inferior or less important.”For example, in one spread the curious-looking saltwater lizardfish appears opposite a redfish, which are prized by saltwater anglers for their fight and deliciousness blackened on the grill. And it was these two species that motivated Vick to write the book. “I was shore fishing in my hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas when I saw woman catch a fish in the distance and then instantly chuck it in the brush – couldn’t help but walk over and ask her what it was. She said, ‘It was a lizardfish, and they taste bad and steal my bait.’ I thought, that’s all part of the deal and doesn’t entitle you to killing it.”“I knew at that point I needed to say something. Well not to her, but in words, especially for kids, so they can appreciate the value of all living things.”
Page after page of All Fish are Awesome shares fascinating facts about fish to young readers. Did you know that goliath grouper ‘talk’ to each other by making rumbling sounds or that rainbow trout have two hearts? Probably not. And that’s the point. The author encourages youngsters to read on and see what else they can learn about our awesome fish.Clever and colorful illustrations that blend anatomical accuracy with some personality also make All Fish are Awesome a page-turner. “Being a legitimate fish guy, I didn’t want the book to get overly cartoonish,” said Vick. “At the same time, the fish needed to be fun, make kids smile right along with their teachers and parents.”In the end, All Fish are Awesome is a fun read with a healthy message for kids to appreciate all critters, big or small, colorful or drab, popular or not.All Fish are Awesome is available now for preorder, stocking and shipping in fall 2024.
ABOUTNoel Vick grew up fishing in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and now wets lines near his home in coastal Texas, where he co-owns a public relations company that focuses on fishing. A widely published fishing expert, he has a special interest in conservation and aquatic ecosystems. He has owned a fishing publication and fished throughout North and Central America, and he loves sharing his expertise with new anglers, especially kids. This is the first in a series of books that will extol the “awesomeness” of every living creature, big or small, colorful or drab, popular or not.BOOK DEDICATIONTo my children—Carly, Amelia, and Calvin—who grew up living an outdoors lifestyle and continue the family tradition today; my Grandpa, Harry, who taught me how to fish; and my parents, who encouraged my pursuits and never (well, rarely) complained about the aquariums and critters I studied in the garage.
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 18, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today at ICAST the schedule for the seventh season of professional bass fishing’s most competitive circuit – the 2025 Bass Pro Tour. The 2025 season will showcase 65 of the world’s top professional bass anglers competing for millions of dollars, including the sport’s top award of $150,000 at every regular-season event, plus valuable points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race, and qualification into REDCREST 2026 and the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event.
The 2025 Bass Pro Tour season, consisting of seven stages, begins in late January with Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Lake Conroe, where all anglers start with zero AOY points and look to get their season off to a strong start in the race for the Fishing Clash AOY title. The schedule continues through six more regular-season events – with three venues never fished before on the Bass Pro Tour – along with REDCREST 2025 and the sixth annual General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star Event (also at a new venue). The seven-event regular season culminates with REDCREST 2026 in the spring of 2026.
“We’re excited about the rollout of the Bass Pro Tour 2025 schedule and what the season will offer to our fans: a fun mixture of new and familiar destinations, with a variety of fishery types and styles,” said MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager Kathy Fennel. “The schedule includes some of the best bass lakes and rivers in the country, which will create consistent excitement for our fans. We’re grateful to our fans, local partners and Bass Pro Tour anglers as we’re set up for an exciting 2025 season.”
For the first time in Bass Pro Tour history, the full field will compete simultaneously in the Qualifying Round on days one and two. From there, top anglers will advance to the Knockout Round on day three and ultimately the Championship Round on day four. Every day of catch, weigh, immediate-release competition will be broadcast live on MLFNOW! and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble apps, and at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule:
Jan. 30- Feb. 2 Stage One at Lake Conroe Conroe, Texas Hosted by Visit Conroe
Feb. 13-16 Stage Two at the Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla. Hosted by Discover Lake County Florida
March 6-9 Stage Three at Lake Murray Columbia, S.C. Hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
April 3-6 Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 at Lake Guntersville Huntsville, Ala. Hosted by Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association and the Madison County Commission
May 1-4 Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga/Nickajack Lake Chattanooga, Tenn. Hosted by Chattanooga, Tennessee and Fish Tennessee
May 17-22 General Tire Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake Franklin County, Va. Hosted by Visit Franklin County, VA and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
June 5-8 Stage Five at Kentucky Lake Calvert City, Ky. Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
June 26-29 Stage Six at the Potomac River Marbury, Md. Hosted by Charles County Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Aug. 7-10 Stage Seven at Saginaw Bay Bay City, Mich. Hosted by Go Great Lakes Bay and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and WIX Filters.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the 2025 Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Lowrance® Introduces New Recon ™ Trolling Motors Built for Fresh and Saltwater Anglers
Tulsa, Okla. (July 18, 2024) – Lowrance®, a world-leader in fishing electronics, today announced Recon™, a new generation electric steer trolling motor, developed for both fresh and saltwater anglers, featuring a unique joystick remote and best in class power and GPS positioning. “This is an exciting launch for Lowrance because not only are we introducing the next generation of trolling motors but we’re also offering a version for saltwater anglers for the first time,” said Jeremiah Clark, VP & General Manager, Fishing Systems at Navico Group. “Recon is all about control – of your boat, your position and your catch. Between the premium power and GPS and unique joystick remote, Recon takes care of all the heavy lifting so anglers can focus on the fish.”
Recon gives anglers total control and the confidence to go anywhere. Recon introduces Freesteer™, a lightweight, wearable joystick remote providing full 360-degree precision steering. Combined with a wireless foot pedal* with programmable keypad and seamless display integration via NMEA® 2000, Recon delivers precision like nothing else on the market. Recon is built to put anglers on the target and keep them there. Best-in-class power and thrust give them the confidence to get into position, while the highly accurate GPS anchor holds them on the target, no matter the conditions, dialing into an incredible three feet radius. The FreeSteer remote revolutionizes positional control with its unique jogging abilities. Additionally, FreeSteer unlocks the ability to execute diagonal jogs in eight directions. Anglers also have the option to move anchor positions freely, in almost any direction, without having to re-anchor the boat. The brushless technology combined with the weedless prop, allows for searching into the densest weeds with no loss of control or efficiency. Recon’s silent brushless motor doesn’t spook fish, and the integrated sonar technology offers the clearest high-resolution pictures. The Lowrance Recon offers an upgradeable sonar nosecone option. The Lowrance Recon trolling motor starts at $3,299 and is available in fresh and saltwater versions. The freshwater is available in 48, 54, 60 and 72-inch shaft lengths, while the saltwater version is available in 54, 60, and 72-inch shaft lengths. Additionally, the Recon trolling motor comes with a lifetime shaft warranty.
Key Features Best-in-class power and precision GPS positioning Near-silent brushless 24V/36V motor Lightweight FreeSteer joystick remote with color LCD display Wireless, configurable foot pedal* Multiple accessory mount points NMEA 2000 connectivity Lifetime shaft warranty 3-year motor warranty
*The wireless foot pedal is only included with the Lowrance freshwater model of Recon
About Lowrance® Lowrance® is part of Navico Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), and has been a leader in marine electronics and sonar technology since first inventing the original consumer fishfinder in 1957. It features a brand portfolio that is dedicated to helping anglers find and catch more fish, and includes the industry-leading HDS PRO®, Elite FS™, Eagle® Chartplotters & Fishfinders, ActiveTarget™ 2 and Active Imaging™ HD Sonars and Lowrance Ghost™ and Recon™ Trolling Motors. Lowrance is distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. More information is available at lowrance.com.
About Navico Group A division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Navico Group is the world’s leading supplier of integrated systems and products to industries ranging from marine to recreational vehicle and beyond. The Navico Group portfolio is comprised of industry-leading brands in power management, digital control & monitoring, networked devices, and marine electronics. Some of the many brands that make up Navico Group include: Ancor, Attwood, B&G, BEP, Blue Sea Systems, C-Map, CZone, Lenco, Lowrance, Marinco, Mastervolt, MotorGuide, Progressive Industries, ProMariner, RELiON, Simrad, and Whale.
We have 1 more Potomac River CATT Qualifier and it’s this coming Sunday July 21 at Hope Springs Marina! Keep in mind you only have to enter 2 Potomac River Qualifiers to be eligible to enter the Potomac River Final July 27! If you have entered 1 Qualifier you must fish July 21st to make the Final! At the Final we add the entry fee to the Final Fund and pay it all back!
Safu Rana fishing solo and Ray Hogge-Donnie Daniel are tied for 1st Place in the points race! To view the points, tap on this link and scroll all the way down!
Tackle Warehouse Invitational set to visit Detroit next week to compete for top prize of up to $115,000 and qualification into REDCREST 2025
DETROIT (July 16, 2024) – The incredible bass fishing that the Detroit area offers to anglers will be on full showcase to a worldwide audience next week.
Major League Fishing (MLF) is set to visit Detroit and the Detroit River next week, July 26-28, for the sixth and final Tackle Warehouse Invitational event of the season – the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. The three-day tournament will feature a roster of up to 150 professional anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 – MLF’s most prestigious event – for the chance to win up to $300,000.
Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, the event also features the competitors competing in their last event of the season for valuable points to claim the coveted Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) title – including a $50,000 payout – and to qualify for the 2025 Bass Pro Tour, MLF’s premiere circuit.
“The Detroit Sports Commission is excited to welcome the competitors and spectators to the Tackle Warehouse Invitational on the Detroit River,” said Dave Beachnau, Executive Director of the Detroit Sports Commission. “We are extremely proud of our relationship with Major League Fishing and look forward to showcasing not only our great local fishing and recreation, but also the opportunities for visitors to enjoy all the Detroit region has to offer, including terrific attractions, restaurants and lodging.”
This tournament marks the 99th time that MLF (and FLW) has hosted an event that launched from the Detroit River, although if you add in the events that have taken place on Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie – also options for tournament anglers in this event – the number balloons to 184 events. The glacier blue waters are known for its massive smallmouth bass populations, and local competitor Troy Stokes of Trenton, Michigan, says that right now, the fishery is on fire.
“Looking at results from recent tournaments, it’s clear that the bite is extremely good right now and the fish are very healthy,” said Stokes, who has eight top-10 finishes on the fishery in MLF competition. “I was blown away by the weights at the Bassmaster Open last week. I’ve never seen weights that high, throughout the field, ever. The fish are fat, they’re biting, and we’re going to see a really exciting tournament next week.”
Stokes said that he expects to see all three fisheries in play for competitors.
“I predict the majority of anglers will be fishing in Lake St. Clair, partly because the Open just smashed them there,” Stokes said. “But it’s also the most consistent. Lake Erie definitely has winning potential, but you’re going to have to be really careful going out there. You’re much more susceptible to the wind and inclement conditions. And you also have to be familiar with the Detroit River – if it was later in the year the river would be a much bigger factor in this event. But you can’t discount it, especially on windy days. If the weather is bad and we end up having to fish in the river, it could derail your tournament if you’ve never fished there before. So there is definitely a lot in play.”
Stokes said that the majority of anglers would be weighing in large limits of smallmouth bass, but he expects to see quite a few largemouth bass visit the scale as well.
“There is some really good largemouth fishing – I’ve weighed in quite a few mixed bags over the years,” Stokes said. “But in this tournament, with the smallmouth biting as good as they are, it’s going to be extremely hard to compete with just largemouth. A guy might catch one big bag, but it’d be very tough to compete over the multiple days.
“With fishing this good, it’s going to take more than a 22-to-23-pound average each day to be there at the end,” Stokes went on to say. “I’m thinking someone is going to catch a mega bag one day, then back it up with a couple of very solid limits. I predict the three-day winner will have 74 pounds, 7 ounces.”
Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. ET each day from Elizabeth Park, located at 202 Grosse Ile Parkway in Trenton, Michigan. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals feature a field of professional anglers competing across six invitational tournaments around the country, for a total purse of $3.9 million and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points to qualify for a coveted spot on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, the sport’s top level.
In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live all three days of competition from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on CBS Sports Network.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
New extreme low diameter X-BRAID FINESSE developed through exclusive manufacturing processes.
FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (July 16, 2024) – It’s often said, “the devil is in the details”. It means the down-in-the-weeds-details are complicated, and if not managed with precision, are likely to produce a poor result. The axiom surely applies to manufacturing fishing products, too. Think about that realistically shaped and attractively painted off-brand crankbait that comes out of the box running like a bottle rocket off the stick. Sadly, it happens.The good news is that DAIWA pays painstaking attention to detail, and it shows in their high performance rods, reels, lures, accessories, and fishing line. Japan’s premier X-BRAID fishing line brand vexes over the details as well. And it’s why DAIWA partnered with X-BRAID to bring the world’s best fishing lines to the North American market, to include the new X-BRAID FINESSE.
Quite literally, those details start at a molecular level. For years, braided lines woven with Dyneema® were at the top of the food chain, but that’s all changed as IZANAS® takes the lead. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene material has the highest strength and modulus of a manmade fiber. How strong? Try nearly 8 times stronger than piano wire of the same weight.We turn to DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin, to further the discussion. “Beyond IZANAS being an unrivaled base material, it’s how individual weights of the entire X-BRAID family are manufactured that makes it far superior to the competition. Other companies take a single base material and stretch it to achieve the desired diameter and weight. This creates inconsistencies, which can lead to weak spots.”Uniquely, each diameter and weight of X-BRAID is produced from a dedicated spool. So, for example, if 10-pound X-BRAID FINESSE is the desired final weight, the base material fiber is 10-pound. No stretching. No inconsistencies.Martin goes on to underscore the weaving process employed for all X-BRAID lines. “The actual weaving machines are proprietary and built in house to create the ‘WX Weave’. In traditional weaving used by other brands the line comes off multiple bobbins. That means an in an 8 strand weave there are 8 bobbins spitting out line. That results in line twist and inconsistencies.”In X-BRAID’s “top secret” WX Weave, the strands come together uniformly to yield exceptional consistency. Moreover, the X-BRAID process produces a denser weave – 1.5 X the competition – with more material in the finished product. That tighter weave results in a smoother, more abrasion resistant fishing line. The meticulous process also takes twice as long as the competition, and anglers are the beneficiaries of the patient production.The WX Weave also generates a rounder and slightly stiffer line. This modest amount of stiffness makes it much easier to handle and tie, closer to how monofilament feels. This manageability translates into fewer bird’s nests on the cast, too. But if you happen to snarl, the micro stiffness makes it much easier to untangle the knot. The awesomeness of X-BRAID FINESSE doesn’t end there. “The line making process concludes with the addition of a specialized coating that allows for extremely low friction, as well as heat, abrasion, and chemical resistance…not to mention longer casts,” said Martin.Lastly, X-BRAID FINESSE comes in high visibility white to make the line easier to manage and visible in low-light conditions.
WHY X-BRAID FINESSE?The 8-carrier X-BRAID FINESSE was originally conceived in Japan to fish through current and in deeper water for tai (sea bream). The revered fish is used in celebrations to bring in good luck, which is associated with the tai’s vivid red color and beautiful shape.Stateside, the benefits of such an extremely low diameter line are manifold. “Bass anglers will love it for throwing superlight jigs, as well as fishing deep with spoons and bladebaits,” said Martin. He notes that the line’s supreme sensitivity makes it possible to feel the bait in those situations. He added, “There’s an incredible transfer of energy from the line to the rod tip. To that, its narrow diameter greatly reduces the formation of wind knots because X-BRAID FINESSE cuts wind on the cast.”Its abilities to slash wind and provide unmatched sensitivity will make X-BRAID FINESSE popular with panfish and trout anglers as well. “Think about casting 1/32nd and 1/16th ounce jigs. You need a line of this caliber to do that. And trout anglers will be able to gun inline spinners and spoons, not to mention feel the blade rotating and body wobbling.”In freshwater rivers, X-BRAID FINESSE will better slice the current – reduce bowing – so you can maintain contact with your bait. Walleye and smallmouth bass anglers will surely appreciate this feature.Martin concluded by touting the line’s breaking strength. “Don’t be fooled by X-BRAID FINESSE’s super low diameter. The breaking strength is unbelievable.”X-BRAID FINESSE FEATURES: Constructed of revolutionary IZANAS® polyethylene fibers 8-carrier braid Proprietary WX Weave process Multi-color green, tan, and black for camouflaging Perfectly round Extreme low diameter High breaking strength Abrasion resistant Specially coated to lower friction and repel oil, chemicals, etc. 165-yard spoon Available in 4-lb to 20-lb weights MSRP $25.99NOW SHIPPING!
For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us
Today’s Powerful, New 36-Volt Direct-Drive & Lithium-Powered Trolling motors require special, high-performance connections… which 6 Gauge Wire configured Connect-Ease® 36V PRO provides.
PRIOR LAKE, MN (July 16, 2024) – Today’s powerful, new 36-volt direct-drive and lithium-powered trolling motors require special, high-performance connections…Enter the Connect-Ease® 36V PRO Kit, which features 6 gauge wire, onboard charging leads, 60 amp circuit breaker, negative connection block, and direct connection leads with heat-shrinkable butt splices for a quick onboard charger connection—offering anglers hassle-free installation with everything preconfigured for proven, reliable performance. The 36V PRO features tinned marine-grade wire and materials that will provide corrosion-proof reliability for the life of your boat. Provides up to 110 Amps power and is lithium battery compatible. The Connect-Ease 36V Pro kit brings a quick, easy installation and powerful, proven performance to any 36V trolling motor installation. Ultimately, this easy-to-use multiple 36V series quick connect/disconnect lithium compatible system keeps serious anglers on the water longer; guys like top-winning professional walleye angler, Brett King, and numerous others.The perfect 36V in-series connection with multi-12V batteries and onboard charging leads provides the perfect connection for optimal performance from high-output trolling motors. Keep spare batteries on board with our additional 12V easy battery connections for quick battery replacement in seconds for extra-long days, weekends or tournaments out on the water. This is the solution for those who want a trouble-free way to maintain and replace trolling motor batteries with onboard charging systems.
Everything stays perfectly connected! Protect your expensive equipment. Easily replace batteries in tight compartments without the hassle of dropping nuts, connections or tools in the bottom of the boat. This easy to use product allows batteries to be removed in seconds and 36V in series systems to be hooked up in a snap, easily and correctly every time.Once Connect-Ease products are installed, no tools are needed for the removal, replacement or storage of expensive marine batteries. Using the Connect-Ease series of products allows connecting any 12V marine battery with any 36V trolling motor at any time, any place, easily and quickly, by simply snapping the connectors together.FEATURES/SPECS: Plug & Play Connections; Lithium Compatible 60 Amp Circuit Breaker and ground block included 6 Gauge Marine Grade Wire with Heat Shrinkable Butt Splices Integrate Your Onboard Charger through Pre-Wired Connections Makes Rigging and Battery Removal Foolproof UL1426 Tinned Marine Grade Wire Saltwater Approved One-Year Warranty Made In the USA MSRP $164.99
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (July 16, 2024) – The CPF Lures team, represented by Chuck Pippin and Jason George, brought a three-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 7 ounces to the stage Tuesday to win the 2024 ICAST Cup at Lake Toho Presented by Major League Fishing (MLF). The four-hour bass-fishing tournament, hosted by the Kissimmee Sports Commission, was the kick-off event to ICAST 2024 and raised a total of $8,200 to benefit the industry’s angler advocacy program, Keep America Fishing™.
The field totaled 41 boats, including a handful of MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and Toyota Series anglers, as well as outdoor media and industry representatives from popular tackle brands and non-profits. In its ten-year history, the charity tournament has raised more than $89,200 for Keep America Fishing™.
George and Pippin are partners in CPF Lures and said they leaned exclusively on one of their own baits for the winning bag.
“We caught every single one of our bass on a 10-inch ribbon tail worm from CPF Lures,” said Pippin. “We’re really known for our 8-inch trick worm, but sometimes this time of year when the weather’s hot and the water’s dirty, they want a little more action, so we slipped over to the ribbon-tail. You can never go wrong with a june-bug-colored bait on this lake.”
Pippin said they caught their limit early, in an area about the size of a bass boat.
“We caught them all by 8 a.m. this morning and just got really fortunate,” said Pippin. “A lot of guys were here from all across the country, and I think they were speeding up because we only have four hours, but we just drug that worm real slow and it paid off.”
George echoed Pippin’s sentiments.
“It was a good day,” said George. “Chuck put us on some really good fish, and we just ran the ribbon tail worm – just old-school-style fishing all morning. The bites were pretty consistent, so when they would stop, we would just go to the next spot and get a few bites and continued that pattern all morning.”
Pippin said the bite slowed later in the morning and the duo felt incredibly fortunate to have gotten the winning bass in the boat within the first few hours of the competition.
“Even though we only fished four hours, we probably would have weighed-in about the same if we’d fished eight hours, because they just kind of shut down on us,” Pippin said. “But this win feels pretty good! I’ve fished the ICAST Cup a couple times, but I didn’t watch the weigh-in because I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself. However, now that we’ve won it, we’re already making plans to win it again next year!”
The top 10 teams finished the tournament in:
1st: CPF Lures – Jason George and Chuck Pippin, three bass, 15-7 2nd: American Baitworks – Robert Greenberg, JT Kenney and Justin Harant, three bass, 12-8 3rd: 10 CAN INC – Robert Isom, Michael Wilson and Stevie Brave, three bass, 12-6 4th: Gary Ford Well and Pump – Thad Ford and Nick Hawkins, three bass, 11-12 5th: Bull Bay Tackle – Jake Stines and Danny Hamm, three bass, 11-4 5th: T.A. Mahoney Co. – Mike Hardy and Tom Mahoney, three bass, 11-4 7th: Glacier Outdoor – Christine Hayton, Daniel Valois and Horaciso Clare, three bass, 10-11 8th: USA Bass – Nicole Abrams and Julie Leavitt, three bass, 10-8 9th: Bob’s Machine – Steven Pelini, Bryan Honnerlaw and Betty Bauman, three bass, 10-8 10th: Amera Trail, Steve “Boogie” Brown, Terry Segraves and Cindy Joint, three bass, 10-4
Complete results and photos from the tournament will be posted at ICASTCup.com.
USA Bass partnered with MLF and Keep America Fishing™ to award the top-finishing women’s pair at the ICAST Cup a spot on the 2025 USA Pan American Bass fishing team. The highest-finishing team of female anglers was Nicole Abrams and Julie Leavitt, who brought three bass to the stage totaling 10 pounds, 8 ounces to earn their spot on Team USA Bass at the 2025 Pan American Bass Fishing Championship, alongside other top pros.
Keep America Fishing™ is leading the fight to preserve our right to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways. As the voice of the American angler, Keep America Fishing works to keep our public resources – our oceans, lakes, rivers and streams – open, clean and abundant with fish. For more information, please visit KeepAmericaFishing.org.
For more ICAST 2024 coverage, details and tournament information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Ultra-Versatile Dual Voltage Marine Batteries for Today’s Trolling Motors & Sonar
The new line of Norsk Lithium® 36+28V 60Ah batteries boast two sets of terminals, offering dual voltage functionality within a single package – providing enhanced trolling with clean, consistent power to maximize the performance of your forward-facing sonar modules to achieve the crisp and interference-free images modern anglers demand.
New Hope, Minn. (July 15, 2024) – Outside the box thinking led engineers at Norsk Lithium on a mission to create the most reliable, compact and feature-rich Group 31 deep cycle battery ever imagined, with the ground breaking ability to not only power your trolling motor at 36V, but to also provide power to sonar modules. The reasoning behind the drive to create this innovative power solution is truly the basis of good product design – they listened to input from forward facing sonar savants from all over the country that have been employing creative, and often complicated, methods to pull power from their 36V trolling motor batteries using a mish-mash of wiring, an external regulator, and a cut-off switch or two to achieve their goal of feeding higher voltage power to their sonar modules. Norsk Lithium engineers took one look at the task at hand, how to kill two birds with one stone, and committed themselves to making the complicated elegantly simple.
The wait is over…With Norsk Lithium’s new line of 36+28V 60Ah batteries, which conveniently features two sets of independent terminals, offering dual voltage functionality within a single battery. From one set the angler finds 36V power for their trolling motor. From the other set the option to provide 28V of clean, interference-free, and consistent power to their sonar module to optimize the performance of their trolling motor AND their forward facing sonar. Best of all, this “two bird, one stone” feat of engineering is achieved without the need for complicated wiring, regulators, or shut-off switches. Part of a completely reimagined product lineup, these batteries will be on display at ICAST 2024 in Orlando, July 16 – 19, at Booth 637.“This is the first battery of its kind in the entire marine battery market,” says Norsk VP of Strategy & Development, James Holst. “The reason we designed this battery stems from the importance of providing higher voltage to forward facing sonar systems for longer runtime and cooler, more efficient operation. The same goes for sonar modules where the voltage range can be up to about 32.5V depending on the module manufacturer. Savvy anglers started figuring out that they could feed a higher voltage to their forward-facing sonar to achieve cooler operation, longer runtime, and so many of these anglers on the cutting edge of forward facing sonar use tell us the overall image quality achieved when providing higher-voltage to their systems is significantly improved.”Holst continues: “If you consider the role of the forward-facing sonar module, it is the brain that processes all the forward-facing sonar transducer information. If the sonar module isn’t provided clean, consistent power it won’t operate at peak efficiency and that’s going to have a negative impact on the overall performance of the sonar units connected to it. The new 36V + 28V Dual Voltage battery makes it so incredibly easy to accomplish both tasks with a single battery that, in addition to the dual voltage capabilities, also offers other exclusive features like Norsk Guardian App integration and Deep Sleep™.
There’s truly no other solution like this and it’s backed by Norsk’s industry-leading 10 + 2 year non-prorated warranty and, in many instances, is priced hundreds of dollars less than other 36V batteries that can’t match our features or warranty”.And Norsk has built in a comprehensive 2-step approach to power management to ensure that when the battery isn’t in use, power isn’t being drained by the 28V terminals. Offers Holst: “We use the BMS to track the last time power was drawn from the 28V terminals by a connected sonar module. If there’s no power draw in 60 minutes, the 28V terminals shut off. And those terminals automatically “wake up” if a sonar module turns on and draws current so the user doesn’t have to do anything to ensure battery power isn’t being wasted while totally eliminating the need for a manual shut-off switch to control the 28V power.” The second step in our approach to power management is found in all Norsk Lithium marine batteries being released at ICAST 2024 and that’s the ground-breaking addition of Deep Sleep™, a new feature that allows an angler to shut down current to all terminals on all Norsk Lithium batteries installed in a boat with the touch of a button in the Norsk Guardian App. Deep Sleep is intended to provide that next level of power management in long or short-term storage by essentially eliminating passive power loss due to faulty wiring that leads to phantom draws that can be hard to track down and even harder to eliminate. When a battery is placed into Deep Sleep™ all power is cut from the terminals and power isn’t available again until the user deactivates Deep Sleep™. From the standpoint of intelligently managing battery power, we have the bases covered like no other battery manufacturer in the business right now!
And let’s not forget to mention the addition of the Battery Management button and integrated battery meter built into the top case of all Norsk Lithium marine batteries set for fall 2024 release. The integrated State of Charge (SOC) battery meter built into the top of the battery provides a quick visual check of the battery’s status without the need for the App on your phone. That battery management button also provides the users with the ability to wake up a battery from Deep Sleep™, activate Emergency Start Reserve (starting batteries only), and reset the BMS in the event the user wants to return the BMS to factory settings.The 36-volt trolling motor side of the battery provides 60 Amp hours of power that will provide all-day runtime for the vast majority of anglers. Now, should you use your bow mount electric to troll crankbaits, spinners, or spoons for species like walleye, trout, salmon in lieu of a small gas powered “kicker” outboard hanging off the transom, 2-4 Norsk Lithium 36V + 28V batteries can be wired in parallel for the ultimate “electric-only” trolling experience!
NEW FOR ICAST 2024!Norsk Lithium 36+28V 60Ah Batteries
60AH 36V+28V Heated Battery Type: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) Nominal Voltage: 38.4V Max Continuous Current: 120A BCI Compliant Case: Group 31 Weight: 46.3 lbs. Size: 13 X 6.81 X 9.25 inches Lifespan: 4,000+ Cycles, Est. 15-20 years Warranty: 10 Year + 2 with Norsk Guardian™ Norsk Guardian™ + Bluetooth® and Deep Sleep™ MAP $1,399.00AVAILABLE FALL 2024
60AH 36V+28V Battery Type: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) Nominal Voltage: 38.4V Max Continuous Current: 120A BCI Compliant Case: Group 31 Weight: 39.5 lbs. Size: 13 X 6.81 X 9.25 inches Lifespan: 4,000+ Cycles, Est. 15-20 years Warranty: 10 Year + 2 with Norsk Guardian™ Norsk Guardian™ + Bluetooth® and Deep Sleep™ MAP $1,299.00AVAILABLE FALL 2024
