We wrapped up the Summer Opens this past Saturday and are looking forward to the Fall season on Lake Norman! We will have an updated schedule of CATT events on Lake Norman coming up soon! Team events & BassKings solo events!
We will have an event on Black Friday this Fall also!
Corey & Colby Lassiter win the Lake Norman Open with 17.10 lbs!
And at the halfway point of this Elite Series derby, Cody Huff is the one holding fellow Elite feet to the fire.
Huff, a 27-year-old pro from Ava, Mo., leads the tournament with a two-day total of 10 bass for 29 pounds, 1 ounce. And while that might not be the eye-popping weight the sport’s best sticks regularly post, it’s certainly an impressive total given the slack bite on Day 1 followed by blistering temperatures that pushed the heat index into triple digits Friday.
The heat was extreme enough that Huff came to the scales more than an hour early on Friday, weighing in at approximately 1 p.m.
“I had a fish die on me, and I didn’t want to take the chance of losing any more,” Huff said.
His 15-4 total Friday was the heaviest of the day, even with the expired fish factored into his total. He bagged 13-13 on Thursday.
Huff may have the tournament lead, but the secret to his success remains a mystery, much like Smith Lake has been for all competitors this week.
“You never know what kind of fish you’re on here, really, because the fish are moving a lot,” he said. “I ran through some areas in practice that I thought might have fish, and I’ve just been circulating back through them and catching what I can.”
Huff said he’s sharing some spots with competitors, but for the most part has focused on secondary spots, trying to get away from boat traffic. The forecasted warm weekend should bring out a bevy of recreational boaters, too, so Huff said catching an early limit will remain important.
“I know it’s gonna be bumpy out there with some wake, but it might play to my favor, being out of the way of most traffic,” Huff said.
The goal, he added, is to remain consistent.
“I’m catching fish,” he said. “I caught 103 (on Day 1), but you obviously have to weed through a lot of them to get the bigger fish. I didn’t catch nearly as many today, but I had an early limit. Today, I had a 3-5, but I didn’t have a 3-pounder at all on Day 1.”
And yet, he’s still in the lead.
“That doesn’t happen very often, having only one 3-pounder and the lead,” he said, chuckling.
Jay Przekurat, a 25-year-old pro from Stevens Point, Wis., is in second place on Smith with a two-day total of 28-3. He said all his keeper fish have been spotted bass, and that mornings have been the only time he’s hooked up.
“My bite just stops at about 11 o’clock,” he said. “But all that could change. The fish are moody here right now. I haven’t fished much new water, but these fish are educated.”
Przekurat caught a 4-pounder on Friday – pretty much the gold standard anglers are gunning for on Smith this week.
“That 4 is a rare fish right now,” he said. “It’s like catching a 7 or 8 on Toledo Bend. You get one, it’s a game-changer. It was for me. Without the 4-pounder, I’m at 13 pounds today rather than the 14-8 I caught.”
Przekurat said he’s fishing for spotted bass on timber in about 40 feet of water. His best bites have come on a Strike King Z-Too jerkbait in either Gray Glimmer or Smokey Shad colors.
“You have to roam around to find them,” he said, “and I’ve been keying on certain sections of the lake with better timber and more bait. You can LiveScope in some areas and not see a thing. But the spots like to hide in that deep timber. And there’s a lot of bait down there for them – threadfin shad, herring. There’s a meal down there.”
Longtime Elite angler Steve Kennedy, who hails from Auburn, Ala., is third at the tournament’s halfway point, with a 27-10 total. Kennedy moved up from fifth place courtesy of a 3-10 spot he hooked just before 11 a.m.
“There were seven or eight of them that showed up, a real wolfpack,” Kennedy said. “I could’ve had a bigger bag today, but when I swung back around on that group, I got three bites on a Glide but didn’t catch one of them. I took out a Senko and hooked a 3-pound largemouth, but he broke off, then I took out an Original Glide and just missed on another 2-pound largemouth.”
Robert Gee, a 25-year-old pro from Knoxville, is in fourth place with 27-7. Canada’s Cory Johnston is in fifth place with 27-6.
Mukwonago, Wis., pro Caleb Kuphall won $1,000 for the 4-7 he caught Friday, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day. That ties him with Day 1 leader Hunter Shryock for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament and the $2,000 prize that goes with it. Shryock’s 15-15 total on Day 1 still leads for the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag prize of $2,000.
A total of 90 of the 98 Elite anglers competing in the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Elite at Smith Lake caught limits on Friday. The Top 50 anglers advanced to fish on Day 3 of the tournament, which will begin with a 6 a.m. CT take-off from Smith Lake Park. Weigh-in is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
The Top 10 anglers after Saturday’s weigh-in will advance to fish on Championship Sunday with the winner taking home a top prize of $100,000. Everyone in the cut also will earn additional points in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.
Carbondale, Ill., rookie Trey McKinney self-reported after weigh-in that he received a phone call from a family member asking his whereabouts during competition and was alerted that he was late to check in for weigh-in, which violated rule C3 xiv of the Practice and Competition of the Official Rules of Competition. As a result, McKinney’s weight was disqualified for the day.
“Unfortunately, we made a mistake today that will cost us greatly in the long run,” McKinney said. “We don’t know why the Lord lets some things happen, but He has a plan, and the positivity is we get to fish to win for the rest of the year. Sometimes we don’t always know God’s plan for the future.”
Alabama’s Justin Hamner, winner of the 2024 Classic, leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 597 points. Missouri’s Cody Huff is second with 577 points, followed by McKinney in third with 571, Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz in fourth with 551 and Przekurat in fifth with 550.
Saturday’s tournament coverage begins at 8 a.m. on FS1 and runs through 11 a.m. Saturday’s LIVE coverage will continue on Bassmaster.com at 11 a.m. Sunday’s coverage begins at 8 a.m. on FS1 and runs through 1 p.m. Sunday’s LIVE coverage will continue on Bassmaster.com at 1 p.m. All coverage times are ET.
2024 TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Elite at Smith Lake 6/27-6/30 Smith Lake, Cullman AL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 29-01 103 Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 15-04 2. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 10 28-03 102 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 14-08 3. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 27-10 101 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-08 4. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 27-07 100 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 14-00 5. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 10 27-06 99 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 12-10 6. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 10 27-05 98 Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-11 7. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 27-00 97 Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 12-08 8. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 26-11 96 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 12-10 9. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 26-11 95 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 13-03 10. Todd Auten Clover, SC 10 26-10 94 Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 16-00 11. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 26-09 93 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-15 12. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 26-08 92 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-04 13. Bryan New Leesville, SC 10 26-04 91 Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-01 14. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 26-03 90 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 10-04 15. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 26-01 89 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 14-04 16. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 25-15 88 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-07 17. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 25-14 87 Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 12-02 18. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 10 25-14 86 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-04 19. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 25-09 85 Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 13-05 20. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 25-09 84 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 12-11 21. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 24-14 83 Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-12 21. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 24-14 83 Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-12 23. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 24-13 81 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-06 24. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 24-12 80 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 13-04 25. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 24-11 79 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 12-10 26. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 24-10 78 Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 13-03 27. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 24-06 77 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-00 28. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 24-05 76 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-02 29. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 24-03 75 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-14 30. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 10 24-03 74 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 12-05 31. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 24-02 73 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 11-04 32. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 10 24-00 72 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-10 33. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 23-15 71 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 11-08 34. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 23-14 70 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-08 35. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 23-12 69 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 14-07 36. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 23-12 68 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 10-07 37. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 23-11 67 Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 11-00 38. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 23-10 66 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-10 39. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 23-05 65 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 10-14 40. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 23-05 64 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-00 41. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 23-04 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 10-08 42. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 23-03 62 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-03 43. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 23-02 61 Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 09-12 44. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 23-02 60 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 10-03 45. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 23-02 59 Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-02 46. Mike Huff London, KY 10 23-01 58 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 12-13 47. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 23-01 57 Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-01 48. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 23-00 56 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-03 49. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 23-00 55 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 11-03 50. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 22-15 54 Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 12-04 ———————————————————————– PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS Day 1 Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 04-07 $1,000.00 2 Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 04-07 $1,000.00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 92 480 1098-15 2 88 460 1057-12 ———————————- 180 940 2156-11
Louisiana pro catches two-day total of 95-3 to win Group B Qualifying Round, field of 20 set for Saturday’s Knockout Round
RICHMOND, Va. (June 28, 2024) – The James River continues to kick out impressive numbers of bass under the sweltering Virginia heat at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Stage Six Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts . The James is proving to be a very healthy fishery through four days of competition, the latest example being the 43 bass loaded onto SCORETRACKER® by Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, to the tune of 95 pounds, 3 ounces to win Group B.
With a 20-8 lead over second place heading into Friday and a cushion of over 30 pounds over the elimination line, LeBrun was never in doubt of advancing to the Knockout Round and spent most of his time Friday looking for more water. Still, LeBrun added another 21-9 to secure a nearly 10-pound margin over second-place angler Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, who had a day’s best 44-7 on 18 bass.
There was plenty of shuffling in the standings below LeBrun, but only one new entrant into the Top 10 who wasn’t there to begin the day. Brent Ehrler of Redlands, California, jumped from 13th into the final spot, and Clanton, Alabama’s Dustin Connell fell from fourth to 11th.
As the winner of the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit stop on the James, LeBrun has the most recent pro-level success in the field, and he’s picking up right where he left off. His 73-10 on his first competition day would have been enough to advance to the Knockout Round, but he added some padding to his total and more information to his plan for the rest of the event.
“My game plan today was to catch a 5-pounder, but I never had that big bite,” LeBrun said. “I threw topwater most of the day to get a big one, but it never happened. However, I still caught some scorable bass and learned a little bit.”
LeBrun fished new water today but still monitored his best areas throughout the day. How many casts did he make in his primary areas?
“None,” LeBrun said. “I fished some good stuff but saved all of the main juice. I have two different areas, and one was getting a little pressure. The other one, I never saw a boat fishing it, and I ran past it a few times during the day. That was encouraging to see.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Knockout Round, LeBrun is excited about the possibility of advancing to the Championship Round but is also tempering those expectations based on the tide schedule.
“I’m going to the spots that were good to me on the first day and hoping I can get on another flurry on the outgoing tide,” he said. “That may not happen until the second period, though, because the tide keeps shifting later and later every day. The tide is going to be different and also during much hotter weather. That’s my big ‘what if?’ that I’m thinking right now.”
Overall, LeBrun likes his chances and feels right at home on the James, given his success in the past two years.
“I fished carefree today, and I’m excited for tomorrow,” LeBrun said. “I’m glad I was in Group B this time so I can get back there tomorrow without an off day without having to think about it. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
As for what he thinks it will take to advance, LeBrun believes things are getting more challenging each day.
“It may take 40 or 45 pounds, somewhere in there, to advance,” he said. “There will be a lot of recreational traffic since it’s a weekend and the Chickahominy has been getting all the pressure. It might not even take that much to move on.”
On a day with very little movement on SCORETRACKER, California’s Ehrler was the only angler who vaulted into the Knockout Round that wasn’t inside the cut when the day began. That alone is a win for Ehrler.
“I feel good because, at this point in the event, I can’t fall any more places,” he said. “The last one to make it in your group, 20th place, is the worst I can do even if I don’t catch another bass.”
His hesitation about the Knockout Round bite stems from the tide, but he also predicts some fireworks at the end of the day.
“I don’t like the tide because we keep losing a little bit of the best bite every day,” Ehrler said. “We’ll catch a little bit of it tomorrow in the last 45 minutes, which should make things very interesting. I could see a guy 15 pounds out of the cut and way down the standings make a huge rally to make it. You have to be at the right place at the right time, and I don’t know where that will be, so I’ll be rotating spots a lot tomorrow.”
The top 10 pros from Group B that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on James River are:
1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 43 bass, 95-3 2nd: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 35 bass, 85-6 3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 40 bass, 84-7 4th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 37 bass, 81-11 5th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 35 bass, 80-5 6th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 42 bass, 80-3 7th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 37 bass, 78-6 8th: Greg Vinson, Wetumka, Ala., 34 bass, 75-5 9th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 28 bass, 73-4 10th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 33 bass, 73-4
Eliminated from competition are:
11th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 35 bass, 70-12 12th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 30 bass, 65-12 13th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 29 bass, 60-12 14th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 29 bass, 59-12 15th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 25 bass, 59-3 16th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 28 bass, 56-12 17th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 28 bass, 54-12 18th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 24 bass, 52-0 19th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 24 bass, 50-1 20th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 21 bass, 49-3 21st: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 20 bass, 46-10 22nd: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 21 bass, 46-10 23rd: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 19 bass, 46-9 24th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 21 bass, 45-12 25th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 21 bass, 44-5 26th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 22 bass, 44-4 27th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 21 bass, 43-11 28th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 19 bass, 42-6 29th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 17 bass, 40-6 30th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 20 bass, 40-6 31st: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 18 bass, 40-1 32nd: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., 16 bass, 38-14 33rd: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 15 bass, 38-8 34th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 18 bass, 38-0 35th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 36-9 36th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 15 bass, 35-2 37th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 16 bass, 34-14 38th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 15 bass, 34-3 39th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 11 bass, 21-5
Overall, there were 439 scorable bass weighing 953 pounds, 8 ounces, caught by 39 pros Friday, which included one 5-pounder, seven 4-pounders and 37 3-pounders.
Jacob Wheeler came into the event 14 points ahead of Alton Jones Jr. in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race. Both anglers have advanced to the Knockout Round, so the points difference when the anglers leave Virginia is still to be determined.
With just one event to go in the Bass Pro Tour season, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Behind Wheeler and Jones, Dustin Connell and Drew Gill both missed the Knockout Round, potentially turning the race into a nail-biting showdown between the top two anglers. The outcome of the next event will be crucial, making it a must-watch for fishing fans.
James Elam of Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 5-pound, 10-ounce largemouth bass that he caught on an unnamed worm during Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 39 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. Now that each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finished first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Osborne Landing, located at 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Richmond. Due to long boat runs, tides and high temperatures, MLF has enacted the Trailering Policy for the entirety of the event, meaning pros can trailer their boats and drive them to any ramp on the fishery closer to where they plan to start fishing. Pros taking advantage of the trailering policy will leave Osborne Landing at 6:45 a.m. ET daily and will begin fishing at 8 a.m. ET (Lines In) with the full field.
Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the landing, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Osborne Landing for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 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 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.
Learn about DAIWA’s new rods, reels, lures, fishing line, and accessories at a special ICAST presentation on July 17th at 9:30 a.m. in the DAIWA booth (5630)
ORLANDO, FL (June 28, 2024) – Opening day morning of the ICAST Expo always brings a level of excitement and anticipation for those in the sportfishing industry. DAIWA USA will again add to that and shine a spotlight on its new gear at the annual first day ‘New Product Presentation’ in booth #5630 at 9:30am EST on Wednesday, July 17. DAIWA’s senior marketing manager Marc Mils will host the event, with various DAIWA pro bass anglers, saltwater pro-staffers, company executives, sales reps, and its media relations staff also in attendance.Mills notes the event will be short and sweet, but highly informative, giving attending retailers, fishing media, and others, “a solid overview of the key new products DAIWA is introducing at ICAST, including the SEABORG G1800M-RJ power assist reel, TATULA SV100 baitcasting reel, Saltiga Light Jigging Rod and first-of-its-kind Ardito JITTE telescoping travel rod. We’ll also have the new J-Fluoro mainline, Smelthead-DX, innovative new soft plastics, as well as an extra special new fishing line brand launch to talk about.”
Along with its new at ICAST products, show attendees can expect to see the entire DAIWA 2024-25 product lineup within the booth, including rods and reels introduced in early ’24, such as the Blackline striper rods, Zillion bass rods, PX BF70 bait finesse reels, TD EYE walleye rods, and Lexa 500 large-capacity casting reels for both saltwater and muskie anglers.For assistance with DAIWA’s new products at show, stop by the booth’s customer service desk to connect with DAIWA’s media relations staff from Traditions Media (Leslie Vick and Jim Edlund) and John Mazurkiewicz (Catalyst Marketing).
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
wo-time Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year boats two-day total of 107-9 to win Group A Qualifying Round, Top 10 pros advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round
RICHMOND, Va. (June 27, 2024) – Followers of the Bass Pro Tour know Jacob Wheeler’s MO by now. The two-time winner this season wants to catch as much weight as he can during the first day of Qualifying Rounds, then use the second day to explore new water and dial in his pattern in preparation for the Knockout and Championship Rounds.
The Harrison, Tennessee pro has used that strategy to rack up more victories, Angler of the Year (AOY) titles and earnings in Bass Pro Tour competition than any of his peers, and so far at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Stage Six Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts on the James River, he’s following the same blueprint. Wheeler, who amassed a big lead over the rest of Group A when he stacked nearly 80 pounds on SCORETRACKER® on Day 1, added 15 scorable bass for 29-1 Thursday. That brought his total to 107-9, 23-4 ahead of Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma.
Behind Wheeler, the weights remained tightly bunched throughout the day, allowing three anglers who started below 10th place to climb above the cut line and secure spots in Saturday’s Knockout Round. The battle to stave off elimination was so close that it took a tiebreaker to determine the final spot in the Top 10, with Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, South Carolina, prevailing over Jared Lintner of Covington, Georgia , after both totaled 70-10.
The top 10 anglers advancing from Group A will now have an off day from competition Friday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The top 10 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
No surprise, Wheeler’s focus Thursday was less on adding to his weight total and more about learning the nuances of the fishery. However, there was one difference from his typical script. Instead of running new water once he felt he’d amassed enough weight to make the Knockout Round, the tidal nature of the James led Wheeler to revisit out several of the same spots he fished during practice and Day 1 on a different tide.
“Some places that I really thought looked good and I never got a bite in practice, I had to re-check them during a different tide and make sure, and I caught some fish,” Wheeler said. “It was a really good learning day just to understand what’s going on. It truly does make such an impact what tide you have and where the fish are at. It was definitely a learning experience for the future of understanding tidal fisheries.”
Like many in the field, Wheeler feels like he has a solid grasp of how to generate bites around low tide. The challenge has come when the water is high. Avoiding a high-tide lull will be increasingly important as the event progresses, with high tide scheduled to arrive right around lines in during the Knockout Round and shortly thereafter during the Championship Round.
Thus, Wheeler focused his efforts Thursday on finding spots that could hold groups of fish during high tide. He said he’s had more success with winding baits amid high water, whereas he’s slowing down and targeting “pinpoint locations” when it drops.
“The higher water is definitely a little bit tougher,” he explained. “It’s harder to generate a bite. There’s just so much more cover available, and you just spread so many more fish out. That’s why it gets a little bit more difficult with the higher water, and that’s something that I’ll have to figure out — at least shoot par, if you will, on the higher water come Saturday.”
The other unknown that Wheeler and the rest of the Knockout Round field will have to contend with is fishing pressure. With much of the field congregated in and around the Chickahominy River, Wheeler found himself sharing water with more competitors Thursday. It remains to be seen how his spots will hold up to the pressure — and whether there are even more boats in the mix come Saturday.
“I feel good about it; I feel like I can catch some bass,” Wheeler said. “But I just don’t know until you put 10 more boats on that body of water what is going to be available to fish. Plus, local anglers, Saturdays, it gets a little bit more difficult.”
Despite those unknowns, Wheeler is optimistic about his chances of advancing to a sixth Championship Round in eight events this season. Having another day to learn the fishery couldn’t have hurt.
Starting strong typically bodes well for Wheeler’s end result. The Qualifying Round win marks the 10th time he’s won his group during his Bass Pro Tour career, easily the most of any angler. During five of his eight BPT victories, Wheeler led his group after at least one of the two qualifying days.
“I’m hopeful,” he said. “With the conditions and the tides changing, it’s hard to say for sure, but I’m hoping that I added a few more things to my rotation.”
Thanks to its live scoring, the Bass Pro Tour is no stranger to drama around the cut line, but it doesn’t get any closer than Thursday’s scramble to finish among the Top 10. For most of the third period, seven or so anglers grappled for the final two spots. Then, after Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, went on a tear that saw him add 22-2 to his total in less than an hour, the bubble shrunk to one spot.
Lintner looked like he would claim the final Knockout Round berth when he caught a 1-12 with 11 minutes before lines out, then followed it up with a 1-8 shortly thereafter. However, Montgomery came through in the clutch, boat-flipping a 1-11 with less than 2 minutes remaining. That fish tied him with Lintner in total weight, and Montgomery won the tiebreaker, which was determined by each angler’s biggest bass of the round. A 4-9 caught by Montgomery during the first period Thursday bested Lintner’s 3-3.
Montgomery, who began the day in 15th place, rocketed up SCORETRACKER® with 19-7 in the opening period then did just enough to hold on. Most of his 17 scorable bass, including the buzzer beater, ate a Strike King Thunder Cricket.
“They bit the Thunder Cricket today,” Montgomery said. “That was the difference. I was able to lay it in my hand and roll with it.
“I may take the Thunder Cricket for ice cream tonight. I’m getting ice cream; I may take the Thunder Cricket with me.”
The top 10 pros from Group A that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on the James River are:
Overall, there were 455 scorable bass weighing 1,014 pounds, 13 ounces, caught by 39 pros Thursday, which included one 6-pounder, seven 5-pounders, and 12 4-pounders.
Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Florida, earned Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 6-pound largemouth that he caught on a drop-shot rig during Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
Wheeler isn’t making things easy for his pursuers in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race. The two-time AOY winner arrived at the James River with a 14-point cushion over Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas , meaning as long as he finishes in the top 14 of the Knockout Round, he’s guaranteed to hold the lead entering the final event of the season on the St. Lawrence River. Oh by the way, the last time the Bass Pro Tour visited the St. Lawrence, Wheeler won.
Jones and Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who sits third in the points, will try to join Wheeler in the Knockout Round when Group B returns to the water Friday.
The six-day tournament, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Osborne Landing, located at 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Richmond. Due to long boat runs, tides and high temperatures, MLF has enacted the Trailering Policy for the entirety of the event, meaning pros can trailer their boats and drive them to any ramp on the fishery closer to where they plan to start fishing. Pros taking advantage of the trailering policy will leave Osborne Landing at 6:45 a.m. ET daily and will begin fishing at 8 a.m. ET (Lines In) with the full field.
Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the landing, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Osborne Landing for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 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 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.
But a handful of competitors gutted out a tough day on the 21,000-acre fishery and gave themselves a slim edge on opening day of this derby in north-central Alabama.
Hunter Shryock, a 35-year-old resident of Ooltewah, Tenn., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to take the Day 1 lead. He’s just ahead of Canada’s Cory Johnston, who’s second with 14-12, and Ohio’s Alex Redwine, in third with 14-8.
In all, 76 of the 98 competitors are within 6 pounds of Shryock’s lead – underscoring not only how tough the fishing was on Smith, but also the unlikelihood anyone will run away with the lead.
Shryock did all he could, however, to put some distance between himself and the field on Day 1. Like most, he weighed spotted bass, but he added a trio of heftier largemouth to his catch, which isn’t exactly common on Smith Lake in June. One of them was a 4-7, earning Shryock $1,000 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day.
With the leaderboard as close as it is, Shryock wasn’t sharing much after he weighed in the day’s best bag.
“There’s not a lot of bites, obviously, and I’m kinda playing with fire,” he said. “But I learned some stuff today. I only had two fish at 11 a.m. and then I went on a little run. Sunshine helps me, so I think the cloud cover earlier today messed me up a lot. But honestly, I’m not sure. I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
Despite having only two bass by the lunch hour, Shryock said he probably couldn’t have asked for a much better start on Smith.
“I qualified for the Elites here (in a 2017 Southern Open), so I’ve fished here quite a bit,” he said. “One thing I learned then is that however you catch them one day, you can pretty much forget about it the next day. Just start over. Every time I’ve fished here it’s been like that. You take the days one by one and don’t fight it.”
Johnston shared that sentiment on Day 1, when he pulled five spotted bass from different locations and on different lures.
“This place is extremely hard to find the better-than-average size fish right now,” Johnston said.
“I’m covering a lot of water, using the LiveScope, looking for a lot of individual fish,” he continued. “I caught a few on a jig, a few on a minnow, a few on drop shots. They’re biting pretty short, but when you see them on the LiveScope, you get a pretty good idea if they’re big or not. You just have to cover water and hope the bigger ones bite.”
Johnston said he just missed some bigger bass Thursday, and that gives him some confidence heading into Day 2 and, perhaps, the weekend.
“It was a good day,” he said, “and I think I figured a few things out. But you never know with this place. You could catch 8 pounds tomorrow or it could be 16 pounds. I’m just trying to get in the right area and cast in front of the right ones.”
Redwine, 24 and from Blue Ash, Ohio, said Day 1 was a study in patience.
“It was a decent one here, a decent one there,” he said. “I felt like I was catching slightly above-average fish all day.”
But it wasn’t much more than that, he said.
“There are qualify fish out here, bigger than the ones it seems like everyone’s catching,” Redwine noted. “You can see them on the electronics. I think they’re a little bit smarter, a little bit older. It might take a little more time and better execution to catch them, but those are the ones you need to win.”
Bryan New, of Leesville, S.C., is in fourth place with a 14-3 total. Steve Kennedy, of Auburn, Ala., is fifth with 14-2. All but six of the 98 Elites caught a limit on Thursday.
The Alabama summer wasn’t nearly as unrelenting as it could have been on Day 1, with temperatures hovering in the mid-80s and intermittent rain showers throughout the morning. Friday’s forecast calls for highs near 90 with mostly sunny skies and a slim chance for scattered showers.
How those conditions help, or hurt, competitors is anyone’s guess – fitting for this summer showdown on Smith.
Day 2 of the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Elite at Smith Lake will begin with a 6 a.m. CT take-off from Smith Lake Park. Weigh-in is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The Top 50 anglers after Friday’s weigh-in will advance to fish on Day 3 while the Top 10 will make the cut to compete on Championship Sunday.
The winning angler will take home a top prize of $100,000 and valuable points in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage begins Friday at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster.com. Saturday’s coverage begins at 8 a.m. on FS1 and runs through 11 a.m. Saturday’s LIVE coverage will continue on Bassmaster.com at 11 a.m. Sunday’s coverage begins at 8 a.m. on FS1 and runs through 1 p.m. Sunday’s LIVE coverage will continue on Bassmaster.com at 1 p.m. All coverage times are ET.
While that win remains a highlight of LeBrun’s fishing career, to say he picked up where he left off doesn’t do justice to how he started Wednesday.
LeBrun wasted no time claiming the top spot on SCORETRACKER® and racing away from the rest of the field during Group B’s first day of the Qualifying Round. In the first hour and 45 minutes after Lines In, the Louisiana native boated 22 scorable bass totaling 51 pounds, 4 ounces. From there, he cruised to a 73-10 total, which has him more than 20 pounds clear of Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Florida, at the top of the leaderboard.
“I don’t know what else to say besides just praise the Lord,” LeBrun said. “It was just an incredible day. I’ll never forget it the rest of my life.”
While LeBrun’s first period alone (54-2) would have eclipsed everyone else’s total for the day, he was far from the only angler to find the bite just as hot as the weather during another blazing day on the James. For the second day in a row, it took more than 40 pounds to claim a spot in the Top 10, and 29 of the 39 anglers on the water topped 20 pounds on the day.
The six-day tournament, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism , showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The Louisiana pro knew he’d found some areas on the tidal river system during practice that would produce on a falling tide, which was the case for the entire first period Wednesday. However, he had no idea just how good they would be.
In fact, at one point he joked with his boat official that the two of them should jump into the water to cool off if he amassed 70 pounds on the day, not thinking he’d actually hit that mark. Once he got there early in the third period, though, he made good on his word.
“When the tide is right, I had a few places in practice where I just got a few bites and went on, and I didn’t really know what was there,” LeBrun said. “I knew that there were some fish there, but today, I got to see what was really there, and man, it was incredible.”
LeBrun didn’t want to share too many details about his approach but said he caught almost all his weight power fishing — chunking and winding with his Temple Fork Outfitters baitcasting rods. Once low tide passed and the tide changed, that pattern waned, and LeBrun used the rest of the day to explore new water.
“When the tide gets low and it starts coming back in, my spots aren’t as productive,” he said. “So, I really used the last period to try to just go and figure out something new and caught a few fish here and there.”
The good news for LeBrun is that the field will fish an outgoing tide longer and longer as the event progresses. The concern, though, is that as low tide gets later each day, the heat might make the bass less active. After temperatures reached triple digits Wednesday, the weather is forecast to cool off a bit in the days to come, but not much, with highs in the upper 80s and low 90s.
“I think I could ride it a little bit longer,” LeBrun said of his starting pattern. “It’s definitely an outgoing tide type of a thing, and so with these tidal days, the tide shifts about 30 minutes to an hour every day, and so if I whacked them in the first period, my bite might shift more toward the second period on Day 2. So, we’ll see.
“The heat is definitely not helping. In practice, when we had outgoing tide closer to daylight, it was really easy to get bites. But now that it’s so hot and the outgoing is getting pushed further in the morning and kind of midday, it’s making it more challenging.”
With a cushion of nearly 35 pounds over 11th place, LeBrun’s spot in the Knockout Round should be nearly secure. As a result, he plans to use the second day of qualifying as “a day of learning,” focusing especially on identifying a productive pattern around high tide.
While he knows he’ll need to make the right adjustments to have a shot at going back-to-back on the James, he made sure to soak in his special start. LeBrun called the day his most fun on the water in nearly two years on the Bass Pro Tour.
“This is a fun place,” LeBrun said. “I feel at home fishing here. It’s a special place to me and my wife. And it would be real special to do well here again. I’m just really humbled, because the guys in my group and the guys on the Bass Pro Tour in general are such top-notch competitors, and man, to be leading the round is just really special to me, especially against this group of names. It’s really special to be competing against these guys and to be doing well, because they’re the best out there.”
The 39 anglers in Group B will now have an off day from competition Thursday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Friday.
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on the James River are:
1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 32 bass, 73-10 2nd: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 26 bass, 53-2 3rd: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 22 bass, 52-12 4th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 26 bass, 50-15 5th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 19 bass, 50-8 6th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 23 bass, 44-4 7th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 19 bass, 43-1 8th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 20 bass, 42-13 9th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 41-0 10th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 17 bass, 40-15 11th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 17 bass, 39-0 12th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 17 bass, 37-6 13th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 14 bass, 34-4 14th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 16 bass, 34-0 15th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 16 bass, 33-3 16th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 17 bass, 32-12 17th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 14 bass, 29-5 18th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 12 bass, 28-13 19th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 14 bass, 28-9 20th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 12 bass, 27-15
Overall, there were 543 scorable bass weighing 1,191 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 39 pros Wednesday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounders, four 5-pounders and 11 4-pounders.
Luke Clausen of Spokane, Washington, earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after a 7-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bit his creature bait in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
Fishing Clash Angler of the Year leader Jacob Wheeler threw down the gauntlet on Day 1, jumping out to a big lead in Group A with 78-8 and all but assuring himself a spot in the Knockout Round. Wednesday, his two closest pursuers showed they’re not going to let Wheeler run away with his third AOY award.
Alton Jones, Jr., who entered Stage Six 14 points back of Wheeler in the season-long competition, currently sits eighth in Group B with 42-13, while Dustin Connell is fourth with 50-15. Connell arrived at the James in third place, 24.5 points off Wheeler’s total. As of now, all three anglers are positioned to meet in the Knockout Round, although Connell and Jones still have some work to do to assure their spots in Saturday’s field.
The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Osborne Landing, located at 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Richmond. Due to long boat runs, tides and high temperatures, MLF has enacted the Trailering Policy for the entirety of the event, meaning pros can trailer their boats and drive them to any ramp on the fishery closer to where they plan to start fishing. Pros taking advantage of the trailering policy will leave Osborne Landing at 6:45 a.m. ET daily and will begin fishing at 8 a.m. ET (Lines In) with the full field.
Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the landing, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Osborne Landing for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 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 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.
The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) has announced changes to the tournament schedule and times for stop three on Pickwick Lake in Counce, TN. To maximize angler opportunities and alleviate fishing pressure on weekends, the NPFL has adjusted the schedule.
Anglers will now compete from Wednesday through Friday. Takeoff is scheduled for 10:30 AM, with the first flight checking in at 5:45 PM. Live coverage of the event will run from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. These changes aim to optimize fishing conditions during typical afternoon flows and enhance overall fishing quality for the field.
“Water flow on any TVA system undeniably impacts fishing quality,” said Brad Fuller, President of the NPFL. “Our goal is to maximize daily weights and overall catch numbers. After extensive discussions, we concluded that the 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM offers optimal conditions for our competitors.”
Local angler Brandon Perkins, who won the last two events on Pickwick Lake in July 2021 and March 2023, commended the league for recognizing this opportunity.
“I appreciate the flexibility the league has shown with this event,” said Perkins. “By avoiding a large event scheduled for Saturday and adjusting launch times, the league has opened up another feeding window for all competitors.”
Perkins anticipates a challenging competition given the widespread understanding of ledge fishing among participants.
“Despite the post-spawn conditions and scattered fish, the later launch and check-in times should benefit the entire field,” Perkins explained. “This change will not only improve overall fish care but also enhance the competitive dynamics of the event.”
Jesse Wise, another competitor, echoed Perkins’ sentiments, noting the potential impact of weather and TVA flow regulations on fishing conditions.
“The afternoon window will undoubtedly help us catch more fish,” said Wise. “While we may miss the morning bite window, the extended fishing hours should level the playing field and contribute to a more exciting tournament.”
As the event approaches, anglers are optimistic about the opportunities presented by these schedule adjustments, mindful of the dynamic conditions that could influence their strategies.
Pickwick Event Schedule: Saturday, July 6: Community Outreach Sunday, July 7: Official Practice Monday, July 8: Official Practice Tuesday, July 9: Official Practice Wednesday, July 10: Day One Thursday, July 11: Day Two Friday, July 12: Day Three
Pickwick Tournament Hours (CST): 10:30 AM: Launch from the Pickwick Landing State Park Ramp 5:45 PM: First Flight Checks at Pickwick Landing State Park Ramp 6:00 PM: Weigh-in begins at Pickwick Landing State Park 7:30 PM: Last Flight Check-In
