We would like to thank the 22 teams that made it out today for stop #3 pf the Bass Cast Touney trail event on Smith Mountain Lake. Our current points leaders come in with the winning bag Mark Winn & Mike Nichols weighing in 19.72lbs. In second place was the father son team of Jimmy & Craig Blankenship with 19.21lbs. Congratulations to everyone that cashed a check as well as our on the bubble winners Greg & Nick Bassham who received a $100.00 gift card to SML Tackle Shack.
| TEAM | BF | WEIGHTG | WINNINGS | POINTS |
| CODY AMAN AUSTIN KING | 4.39 | 13.19 | $855.00 | 110 |
| RONALD VAUGN | 3.75 | 11.94 | $350.00 | 109 |
| DWIGHT SCHOLER JERRY PADGETT | 3.86 | 11.52 | $90.00 | 108 |
| TONY CRABB CHAD OBERHAUSER | 3.53 | 10.14 | 107 | |
| MATTHEW SMITH TOM TRIPP | 0.00 | 10.04 | 106 | |
| BRIAN HADDOCK | 3.16 | 9.73 | 105 | |
| ERIC BROWN RUSSELL BROWN | 2.87 | 8.64 | 104 | |
| NATHANIEL DRAYTON | 0.00 | 8.42 | 103 | |
| NEIL MASON ETHAN MASON | 2.13 | 6.00 | 102 | |
| GABE GRIFFIN RICHARD DOMINIC | 0.00 | 5.28 | 101 | |
| ANTWAN MOORE SR/JR | 0.00 | 3.63 | 100 | |
| BRYCE PATTERSON HUNTER MCPHERSON | 0.00 | 0.00 | 90 | |
| BOB MONROE AL STEINHAUER | 0.00 | 0.00 | 90 | |
| BRYAN LINK ROGER GRIFFITH | 0.00 | 0.00 | 90 | |
| JEREMY MILLER SR/JR | 0.00 | 0.00 | 90 | |
| DAVID GRANTHAM MARK GAME | 0.00 | 0.00 | 90 | |
| Total Entrys | $1,280.00 | |||
| BONUS $ | $350.00 | |||
| Total Paid At Ramp | $1,295.00 | |||
| CATT | $50.00 | |||
| 2024 Neuse River Spring Final Fund | $235.00 | |||
| 2024 CATT Championship/Phantom Fund | $50.00 | |||
| 2024 Neuse River Spring Fund Total | $945.00 |
| Team | BF | Weight | Winnings | Points |
| Thomas Elliott | 6.77 | 25.49 | $1,700.00 | 110 |
| Chris Savage – Walker Mishue | 5.50 | 17.93 | $450.00 | 109 |
| Chris Prosser – Seth Smith | 0.00 | 17.77 | $200.00 | 108 |
| Tim Arnett – Allen Arnett | 5.99 | 17.48 | $120.00 | 107 |
| Donovan Barnes – Chris Walton | 4.17 | 14.74 | 106 | |
| Sam Crosby | 4.55 | 14.16 | 105 | |
| David Sasser – Travis Hardin | 0.00 | 13.99 | 104 | |
| Reid Gore – Eric Buie | 5.08 | 13.83 | 103 | |
| Tony Britt – Earl McMillan | 3.54 | 13.02 | 102 | |
| Keith Butler – Gerald Barlow | 4.35 | 12.96 | 101 | |
| Wayne Mishue – Tim Mishue | 0.00 | 12.80 | 100 | |
| Bradley Canady – Gage Canady | 4.46 | 12.61 | 99 | |
| Vincent Povazsay – Rodney Stewart | 0.00 | 11.96 | 98 | |
| Mitch Garner- Bradley Turner | 0.00 | 11.58 | 97 | |
| Ed Nelson – Danny Watson | 4.86 | 10.72 | 96 | |
| Shawn Keene | 0.00 | 10.67 | 95 | |
| Joshua Mckenney – Hunter Caudill | 0.00 | 8.73 | 94 | |
| Michale Jarrell – Misty Jarrell | 5.28 | 8.33 | 93 | |
| Joe Smith – Franky Lockamy | 0.00 | 8.12 | 92 | |
| Total Entrys | $2,400.00 | |||
| BONUS $ | $500.00 | |||
| Total Paid At Ramp | $2,470.00 | |||
| SENC Spring Final Fund | $330.00 | |||
| CATT | $50.00 | |||
| 2024 CATT Championship Fund | $50.00 | |||
| 2024 SENC Fall Final Fund Total | $1,560.00 |
| Team | BF | Weight | Winnings | Points |
| Shane Doughtie Evan White | 5.00 | 19.10 | $510.00 | 110 |
| Doug Larson Chris Napier | 5.30 | 18.88 | $390.00 | 109 |
| Matt Bradley Michael Cullom | 0.00 | 15.60 | 108 | |
| Jake Murdock John Murdock | 4.22 | 15.38 | 107 | |
| Bryan Edwards Kent Edwards | 4.02 | 14.74 | 106 | |
| Dennis Bradley Allen Mitchell | 0.00 | 13.28 | 105 | |
| Houston Cash | 0.00 | 0.00 | 95 | |
| Michael Hobbs Larry Hobbs | 0.00 | 0.00 | 95 | |
| Cory Byrum Allen Lifsey | 0.00 | 0.00 | 95 | |
| Robby Butler Cindy Butler | 0.00 | 0.00 | 95 | |
| Total Entrys | $800.00 | |||
| BONUS $ | $350.00 | |||
| Total Paid At Ramp | $900.00 | |||
| 2024 Roanoke Rapids Spring Final Fund | $200.00 | |||
| CATT | $25.00 | |||
| 2024 CATT Championship Fund | $25.00 | |||
| 2024 Roanoke Rapids Spring Final Fund Total | $900.00 | |||
Savannah River Division boater takes home All-American Championship title and top payout of $120,000
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (May 31, 2024) – Tallying 38 pounds, 6 ounces over three days, Paul Marks Jr. of Cumming, Georgia, dominated the 41st annual Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cherokee. Topping 12 pounds for the third day in a row with a Day 3 limit that weighed 12-5, Marks won by more than 4 pounds over runner up Matt O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, and earned $120,000 for his efforts, including the lucrative $20,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Additionally, he qualified for the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Wheeler Lake and REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville.
Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of Championship Friday on Cherokee Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of Championship Friday On-The-Water Highlights on Cherokee Lake
While he’s only 23, Marks’ star has burned bright for several years. This marks his fifth win with MLF since 2019, which includes stats from high school, and could serve as the launchpad for yet another prolific tournament fishing career.
On the water, Marks is an assassin, laser focused on the task at hand and deadly with the tools of the modern angler. His father, Paul Marks Sr., has fished at a high level as well and seen his son’s potential take shape over the years.
“He’s been fishing most all his life, going in the boat with me before he could get around good – crawling around in the boat,” said Marks Sr. “He’s always had a passion for it, always.”
Starting his son in team tournaments at home on Lake Lanier, Marks Sr. thinks early success helped turn Marks Jr. into the budding superstar that he is.
“I competed, and a lot of my friends did – when your kid grows up around that excitement, I think they tend to take a liking to it,” the elder Marks said. “He kind of fell into it. In high school, he made nationals as a freshman. He just got more and more of a passion for it. He’s been very fortunate, from when he started in high school to fishing local tournaments with me and being on the winning side of it. That puts more gas in your motor.
“People like to fish, but to go to this level, you have to have a passion for it, a little more depth involved,” Marks Sr. continued. “He does just like to fish, but he likes to win. He’s not much on talking, but he’s very focused when it comes to fishing.”
As focused as Marks is, he let loose a little bit on stage. When Chris Jones called the final weight, a smile peeked out after a flurry of fist pumps, the young angler recognizing that he did something special.
“I don’t know what the feeling is that I have right now from winning,” Marks Jr. said. “I think my heart might explode. It’s not really set in yet – I don’t think I’ll sleep for a couple weeks.”
Weighing all smallmouth, Marks was able to stay steady when basically nobody else could. For whatever reason, Cherokee was brutally tough on the field this week.
“I was fishing points that pointed into the current or the wind,” he said. “I caught some really nice ones the first day of practice – I think I had 15 or 16 pounds. The rest of practice, I just drove around and looked for the same stuff. I ran stuff I knew the first day of the tournament and did alright. The second day, I ran almost all new water – places I’d marked.”
Not fishing super deep, Marks used a lot of the lake and seemed to understand the fish well.
“I was focusing around 15 foot, maybe deeper, maybe shallower,” he said. “I was using Lowrance SideScan, the 3-in-1 transducer, to pretty much just mark rocks. It was all sizes; some of them were the size of trucks, some of them were the size of a basketball, they just had to be in the right spot. Legit spots that I thought I might actually fish, I probably marked 150. A lot of them were a little too deep – I think (the fish) are still shallower, it’s been coolish the last few weeks.”
Fishing over the rocks with finesse gear, Marks used a 3.8-inch Zoom Z-Swim on a 3/8- or 1/4-ounce Greenfish Tackle Bad Little Shad Swimbait Head. He threw it on a 7-foot, medium-light Shimano Poison Ultima with a Shimano Vanquish 3000, 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid and a 12-pound Seaguar Tatsu leader.
Marks presented his bait about 2 or 3 feet above the rocks and let the fish come to it.
“They’ll come get it,” he said. “The water isn’t real clear, but the smallmouth can see or maybe feel it coming – they’ll haul ass to get it from a long ways. I’d say 80 percent of the time, I didn’t see them. I’d throw out there and they’d come eat it. That’s why I think I did a little better, too – I wasn’t just looking for fish. There are so many fish out there; I was ignoring all the fish I saw and throwing at structure.”
After three days of catching Tennessee smallmouth better than anyone else in the field, Marks convincingly earned one of the most sought-after titles in bass fishing – he’s the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion.
The Top 10 boaters at the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Cherokee Lake finished:
1st: Paul Marks Jr., Cumming, Ga., 15 bass, 38-6, $120,000 (includes $20,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2nd: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 15 bass, 34-1, $20,000
3rd: Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn., 15 bass, 33-3, $15,000
4th: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 15 bass, 31-9, $21,000 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
5th: Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., 14 bass, 31-8, $18,000 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
6th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 15 bass, 30-15, $14,000 (includes $2,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
7th: Jason Barnes, Concord, N.C., 13 bass, 30-5, $12,000 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
8th: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., 13 bass, 28-5, $10,000
9th: Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., 12 bass, 26-2, $9,000
10th: Pete Saele, New Lenox, Ill., nine bass, 20-8, $8,000
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 41 bass weighing 90 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 9 of the final 10 boaters Friday. Six of the final 10 boaters caught a five-bass limit.
The highest-finishing boater from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American also now advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000.
The eight boaters that finished highest from their region earned an automatic qualification in to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on Wheeler Lake are:
Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla.
Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn.
Paul Marks Jr., Cumming, Ga.
Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill.
Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga.
Pete Saele, New Lenox, Ill.
Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga.
After starting Day 1 in eighth place, Justin Parchman of Oologah, Oklahoma, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce to earn the top prize package of $50,000. Co-angler Caleb Welch of Bolivar, Missouri, finished runner up with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces, good for $10,000.
The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Cherokee Lake finished:
1st: Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla., 10 bass, 21-1, $50,000
2nd: Caleb Welch, Bolivar, Mo., nine bass, 19-12, $10,000
3rd: Rodney Tapp, Inman, S.C., nine bass, 17-11, $6,000
4th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 16-7, $5,000
5th: Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., seven bass, 16-4, $4,500
6th: Tyler Nekolny, Coral Springs, Fla., seven bass, 15-11, $4,000
7th: Ashley Klaus, Thomson, Ga., seven bass, 15-4, $3,500
8th: Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., seven bass, 15-3, $3,000
9th: Terry Laverack, Martin, S.D., seven bass, 13-8, $2,500
10th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-1, $2,000
Overall, there were 12 bass weighing 25 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 7 Strike King co-anglers on Friday. The catch included zero five-bass limits.
The highest-finishing Strike King co-angler from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American also now advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $33,500.
The eight Strike King Co-anglers that finished highest from their region and earned an automatic qualification at the 2024 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on Wheeler Lake are:
Caleb Welch, Bolivar, Mo.
Stacy Metz, Staley, N.C.
Stephen Vick, Dandridge, Tenn.
Tyler Nekolny, Coral Springs, Fla.
Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla.
Rodney Tapp, Inman, S.C.
Terry Laverack, Martin, S.D.
Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn.
The three-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American presented by T-H Marine on Cherokee Lake was hosted by Visit Jefferson County TN. The event featured the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers competing for a top prize of up to $120,000 – and an automatic qualification into REDCREST 2025, MLF’s most prestigious event – and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
Television coverage of the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 16 on CBS Sports. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field was cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers competed on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that caught the heaviest three-day total weight earned the title of the 41st Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation is one of six conservation grant recipients award by AFTCO in 2024.
Photo courtesy of AFTCO
May 31, 2024
AFTCO announces 2024 B.A.S.S. conservation grant recipients
SANTA ANA, Calif. — AFTCO upholds its longstanding commitment to conservation by awarding six Conservation Grants to B.A.S.S. Nation Clubs in 2024. This year’s total contribution of $25,000 will be distributed among six recipients. Since the program’s inception in 2018, AFTCO has contributed over $145,000 to support these initiatives. For 2024, the six recipients that have been selected to receive grants are:
1. Banner Creek Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Project with Leavenworth Bass Club
2. East Tennessee Lake Improvement Project with Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation c/o Meigs County High School
3. Lake Brownwood Fish Habitat Enhancements with Texas B.A.S.S. Nation
4. Oregon B.A.S.S. Nation Reservoir Enhancement Project with Oregon B.A.S.S. Nation
5. Tennessee Statewide Habitat Project with Tennessee B.A.S.S Nation
6. Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation Fish Care with Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation
The goals of these programs include enhancing aquatic habitats across various reservoirs and lakes, restoring native vegetation, improving fish habitats, increasing angler education, and promoting collaborative conservation efforts. Coordinated locally, these programs couldn’t be done without the collaborative efforts of B.A.S.S. Nation chapters, governmental fishing agencies, local businesses, and the invaluable support of volunteers and youth organizations.
“These grants are a great example of the efforts our B.A.S.S. Nation clubs are putting forth to enhance the fishing in their local lakes and reservoirs,” said Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director. “Our state chapters are blessed to be associated with a company like AFTCO that takes conservation to heart. That continued commitment to the B.A.S.S. Nation and to the fishery resources that our sport depends on is unmatched.”
Led by the Leavenworth Bass Club, the goal of the first project is to establish native aquatic vegetation along three miles of the currently barren shoreline at Banner Creek Reservoir in Holton, Kansas. This will be achieved by building a greenhouse at Perry State Park where plants will be propagated and transplanted back into the reservoir from 2024 to 2026. The greenhouse can produce nearly 3,000 plants per year. Monitoring will be conducted through presence-absence surveys, bathymetric mapping, and snorkel assessments to track the spread and survival of the vegetation until 2031. Youth anglers will assist with transplantation, and a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) biologist will educate local high school students on the importance of native aquatic plants.
The second project will provide new habitat for bass in an aging reservoir, Watts Bar Lake. Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation, in collaboration with Meigs County High School and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), will construct artificial fish structures. These structures, built with the assistance of local high school bass clubs, college students, coaches, and angler volunteers, will provide vital habitat for bass during various life stages, addressing the degradation of the reservoir’s existing habitat. The AFTCO grant will fund phase 2 of the project, focusing on completing the construction and deployment of these structures, with a goal of successful deployment by the end of 2024. Additionally, the project serves as an outreach initiative, engaging youth anglers and local fishing clubs in conservation efforts and promoting outdoor work through volunteer construction days.
The goal of the third project is to revitalize the structural fish habitat in Lake Brownwood, a major destination for tournament bass fishing in western Texas. The reservoir has a history of fluctuating water levels, and much of it is devoid of aquatic vegetation and woody habitat. Spearheaded by Texas B.A.S.S. Nation, this project involves installing natural and man-made fish habitat structures across three designated areas of the reservoir. This will restore the structural fish habitat that has been lost and improve fishing for all anglers. Along with the AFTCO grant, financial contributions and resources from partners such as the Brown County Water Improvement District, Brownwood Bass Club, Major League Fishing Black Bass Stewardship Group, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will support this project. TBN Youth Directors will engage youth, high school teams, participating adults, club members, and encourage other project partners and the local community to involve youth and families in this effort.
The fourth project, led by Oregon B.A.S.S. Nation, aims to improve low water habitat at Cottage Grove Reservoir through the implementation of Spider Blocks and Stake Blocks. The project plans to conduct this enhancement in phases over a 3-5 year period, placing 200 blocks annually, with 100 blocks designated for Cottage Grove Reservoir and 100 for Fern Ridge Reservoir to help with the reduced low water habitat. Additionally, the project emphasizes youth angler involvement by collaborating with local bass clubs to engage young participants in the construction and placement of the blocks.
For the fifth project, Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation aims to enhance reservoir habitats across the state through angler education, habitat construction, and partnership development. Collaborating with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and various angler groups, the project targets multiple reservoirs in different regions of Tennessee, deploying a variety of artificial structures and recycled Christmas trees to improve fish habitats. The AFTCO grant will be used to fund the materials needed to construct fish attractors and habitat structures. The project also emphasizes the involvement of youth anglers, with hundreds of junior and high school teams participating in habitat construction and cleanup efforts, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement.
The final grant recipient in 2024 is Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation. The goal of their project is to enhance current fish care techniques at their youth events, recognizing the growing popularity of youth fishing and the importance of preserving the bass population. With a solid system already in place, they aim to improve their weigh-in system by incorporating pure oxygen and advanced aeration methods to enhance fish care/release tanks, allowing for more recuperation time for the fish before release. With the AFTCO grant, they plan to invest in equipment such as oxygen gas cylinders, air blowers, and dissolved oxygen meters to optimize the fish care environment. Furthermore, this project will educate youth anglers on fish care practices and set an example by implementing the best possible weigh-in system, aiming to instill a sense of responsibility and care for the resource among young anglers.
“AFTCO has been fortunate to work with great partners at B.A.S.S. and all their passionate B.A.S.S. Nation state chapters,” said Matt Florentino, AFTCO Marketing Director. “Together we’ve been able to make a big impact to enhance these fisheries across the country and give back to both the resource and the angling community.”
Savannah River Division boater catches 13-pound, 6-ounce limit to take 2-pound, 10-ounce lead, final 10 boaters and co-anglers set for Championship Friday
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (May 30, 2024) – Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Presented by T-H Marine was tough, and Day 2 was even tougher. Limits are a big achievement on Lake Cherokee this week, and a 12-pound bag can rocket an angler up the leaderboard at an astonishing rate.
With the Day 1 leaders faltering, Paul Marks, Jr., of Cumming, Georgia, tallied 13 pounds, 6 ounces to jump up to a 26-1 total, which gives him an edge of more than 2 pounds over Dillon Falardeau of Hixson, Tennessee , who weighed 12-2 on Day 2 to bring his total to 23-7. While that’s a commanding lead mathematically for Marks, the way the lake is fishing probably won’t allow anyone to sleep easy.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King co-anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Friday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Jefferson County TN, showcases the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000 – and an automatic qualification into REDCREST 2025, MLF’s most prestigious event – and the winning Strike King co-angler a top prize of $50,000.
The winner of last year’s regional on Lake Eufaula and runner-up in the most recent Tackle Warehouse Invitationals stop, the 23-year-old Marks entered the event as one of the favorites. Sporting acres of screen on his rig and all the accompanying skills, the Georgia angler is again showing why he’s considered a top prospect.
Weighing exclusively smallmouth, Marks has relied on a Zoom Z-Swim in Tennessee shad, picking off smallmouth on various points all over the lake.
“I caught a few the first day — I had a really good bag the first day,” he said of practice. “The rest of practice, I pretty much drove around.”
Marks seems to know what he’s looking for, which is the presence of bass and particular structural features.
“It’s the way the islands are pointing, and the way the points are — from a contour standpoint and a current standpoint,” he said. “And, if there are stripers there, there’s no bass; if there’s bass, usually there are no stripers.”
Many local observers have expressed shock at how tough the fishing is, and Marks is surprised as well.
“I expected like 14 a day to do good, not whatever I’ve had,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve seen it this bad. I wasn’t liking it in practice, but now I’m liking it.”
He’d really like if things hold up for one more day.
“I’d probably cry,” Marks said about the prospect of winning the All-American. “It’s a staple. It’d definitely help kickstart a career for me.”
Sitting in second and within striking distance, Falardeau charged up the leaderboard from sixth on Day 2. A full-time guide and lodge owner at Lake Chickamauga, Falardeau is in hot pursuit of a fishing career after 10 years in the Army — so, winning the All-American would be perfect for him.
“I’ve got this one area I’ve found with a good population of fish, and I’m staying in that really small area — I don’t know if there’s enough for tomorrow,” he said. “But I do have one rock with 12, maybe 15 bass on it, and they’re all 3 pounds. I caught a 3-2 yesterday and a 3-4 today off it. Once you catch one, you can give it a couple hours, and they set back up, but I just can’t get another one off of it.”
Five off the magic rock would go a long way on Championship Friday. If Falardeau can pull it off, it’d probably be one of the first times the winning spot at the All-American was found in bed.
“The big thing on a lake like this with such a big drawdown is an app, Field Maps,” Falardeau explained. “I basically lay down in bed at night and find my spots when the lake is 30-foot low. The rock I’m fishing, I found last night laying in bed.”
Tomorrow, he knows what he’s going to do.
“Once I have my limit every day, I’ve been pulling the trolling motor and leaving and practicing,” he said. “I did that today, and it was a waste of 2 hours. I know where there’s a 16-pound bag, so I’m going to sit on it all day.”
With a little luck (or maybe a lot, considering the tough fishing), this could be a big week for Falardeau.
“[Winning the All-American] would be life-changing for me,” he said. “Being a full-time guide, leaving for a full week, I don’t get paid, and I’m scraping by. I love guiding, but this is what I want to do for a living. This is what I’ve always wanted to do for a living, and that would give me the boost to be able to go to the next level.”
The Top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of the All-American on Cherokee Lake are:
1st: Paul Marks Jr., Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 26-1
2nd: Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 23-7
3rd: Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., 10 bass, 23-4
4th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 20-12, $500
5th: Pete Saele, New Lenox, Ill., nine bass, 20-8
6th: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., nine bass, 20-8
7th: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 10 bass, 20-2
8th: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 10 bass, 20-1
9th: Jason Barnes, Concord, N.C., eight bass, 20-0
10th: Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., nine bass, 19-6
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Eli Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., 10 bass, 19-6, $3,000
12th: Bradley Enfinger, Donalsonville, Ga., nine bass, 18-1, $3,000
13th: Jacob Woods, Loudon, Tenn., eight bass, 17-2, $3,000
14th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., seven bass, 16-14, $3,000
15th: Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., eight bass, 16-6, $3,000
16th: Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., seven bass, 15-11, $3,000
17th: Tyler Ivie, West Haven, Utah, six bass, 15-4, $3,000
18th: Thomas Rallo, Eldon, Mo., six bass, 15-4, $3,000
19th: Brian Wilson, Nancy, Ky., six bass, 15-3, $3,000
20th: Jackie Flack, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 14-15, $3,000
21st: Andrew Shufelt, Peterborough, Ontario, seven bass, 14-1, $2,000
22nd: Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, seven bass, 13-15, $2,000
23rd: Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., six bass, 13-13, $2,000
24th: Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 13-11, $2,000
25th: Eldon Newcomb, Mt. Vernon, Ky., six bass, 13-9, $2,000
26th: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown,Tenn., six bass, 13-8, $2,000
27th: Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., six bass, 12-8, $2,000
28th: Dan Shoraga, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 11-1, $2,000
29th: Donavan Carson, Bluff City, Tenn., six bass, 11-0, $2,000
30th: Michael McMahon, Hackettstown, N.J., five bass, 10-12, $2,000
31st: Evan Eldred, Goodrich, Mich., six bass, 10-9, $1,500
32nd: Jeff Clark, Van Buren, Ark., four bass, 10-5, $1,500
33rd: Vernelle Quinnie, Duncanville, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $1,500
34th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., five bass, 9-13, $1,500
35th: Christopher Wilder, Macon, Ga., five bass, 9-12, $1,500
36th: Josh Lee, Powell, Tenn., four bass, 8-15, $1,500
37th: Aspen Martin, White, Ga., four bass, 8-6, $1,500
38th: Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., four bass, 7-14, $1,500
39th: Cody Mackie, McMinnville, Tenn., three bass, 7-12, $1,500
40th: Austin Lawson, Charleston, Ark., three bass, 6-11, $1,500
41st: Brandon Medlock, Lake Placid, Fla., two bass, 5-11, $1,500
42nd: Tyler Wilson, Brooklet, Ga., three bass, 5-6, $1,500
42nd: Aaron Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., three bass, 5-6, $1,500
44th: Cody Carl, Lake Lotawana, Mo., two bass, 5-5, $1,500
45th: Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., one bass, 3-14, $1,500
46th: Randy Williams, New Richmond, Ohio, two bass, 3-8, $1,500
47th: Roger Pope, Statesville, N.C., one bass, 3-0, $1,500
48th: Rick Funk, Middleton, Idaho, zero bass, 0-0, $1,500
48th: Phil Smith, Orange, Texas, zero bass, 0-0, $1,500
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 123 bass weighing 273 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 43 boaters Thursday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.
Justin Parchman of Oologah, Oklahoma, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 10-3 to lead the Strike King Co-angler Division at Cherokee Lake after Day 2, with a two-day total of eight bass for 17-7. Justin McGaha of Knoxville, Tennessee, sits second with 16-7, and Ashley Klaus of Thomson, Georgia, finished third with 15-4. With the weights correspondingly low on the co-angler side, Championship Friday is even less of a sure thing for the backseaters.
The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers advancing to the final day of competition at the All-American on Cherokee Lake are:
1st: Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla., eight bass, 17-7
2nd: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 16-7, $250
3rd: Ashley Klaus, Thomson, Ga., seven bass, 15-4
4th: Caleb Welch, Bolivar, Mo., seven bass, 14-8
5th: Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., six bass, 13-6
6th: Tyler Nekolny, Coral Springs, Fla., six bass, 13-6
7th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-1
8th: Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., five bass, 11-14
9th: Terry Laverack, Martin, S.D., six bass, 11-12
10th: Rodney Tapp, Inman, S.C., six bass, 11-7
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Brian Carroll, Glencoe, Ala., six bass, 11-7, $1,500
12th: Colby Elliott, Blairsville, Ga., six bass, 11-3, $1,500
13th: Stacy Metz, Staley, N.C., five bass, 10-3, $1,500
14th: Douglas Guidorzi, Fenton, Mo., five bass, 9-15, $1,500
15th: Matthew Strickland, Portsmouth, Ohio, five bass, 9-8, $1,500
16th: Stephen Vick, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 9-7, $1,500
17th: Zion Dunaway, Campbellsburg, Ind., three bass, 9-0, $1,500
18th: Philip James, Benton, Ark., four bass, 9-0, $1,500
19th: Dennis Blakely, Norwalk, Ohio, four bass, 8-11, $1,500
20th: Cody Stokes, Ooltewah, Tenn., four bass, 8-2, $1,500
21st: Larry Elliott, Enoree, S.C., four bass, 8-1, $1,000
22nd: Chase Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., three bass, 6-10, $1,000
23rd: Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., three bass, 6-4, $1,000
24th: Connor Kapp, Benton, Pa., three bass, 6-3, $1,000
25th: Marcus Mann, Benton, Ky., three bass, 6-2, $1,000
26th: William Thomas Cowart, Danielsville, Ga., three bass, 5-15, $1,000
27th: Jerry Vitiello, Wayne, N.J., two bass, 5-13, $1,000
28th: Kris McCarter, Pheba, Miss., two bass, 5-13, $1,000
29th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., two bass, 4-14, $1,000
30th: Bart Burford, Loose Creek, Mo., two bass, 4-9, $1,000
31st: Bill Hockaday, Nashville, Ark., two bass, 4-7, $750
32nd: Brian Rodriguez, Orlando, Fla., two bass, 3-14, $750
32nd: Jeff Moss, Oronogo, Mo., two bass, 3-14, $750
34th: Daniel Dobransky, Kuna, Idaho, two bass, 3-10, $750
35th: James Moore Jr., Lampasas, Texas, two bass, 3-8, $750
36th: Josh Kauffman, Marysville, Pa., one bass, 2-9, $750
37th: Jeremiah Toliver, Las Vegas, Nev., one bass, 2-8, $750
38th: Jonathan Ceaser, Maidens, Va., one bass, 2-5, $750
39th: Melvin Veasey, North Little Rock, Ark., one bass, 2-2, $750
40th: Peter Owen, Barnstead, N.H., one bass, 1-15, $750
41st: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., one bass, 1-14, $750
42nd: Lamar Oxford, Dale, Ind., one bass, 1-11, $750
43rd: Jeremy White, Dittmer, Mo., one bass, 1-11, $750
44th: Ross Turner, Kingston, Ga., zero bass, 0-0, $750
45th: Ryan Legg, Parma, Ohio, zero bass, 0-0, $750
46th: Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., zero bass, 0-0, $750
47th: Keith Westrick, Marietta, Ga., zero bass, 0-0, $750
48th: Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., zero bass, 0-0, $750
49th: Gary Huber II, Saint Charles, Mo., zero bass, 0-0, $750
Overall, there were 80 bass weighing 157 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 35 Strike King co-anglers on Thursday. The catch included four five-bass limits.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King co-anglers will launch Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET from the TVA Cherokee Dam Boat Launch, located at 2805 N. Highway 92 in Jefferson City. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the boat launch and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Friday from 6:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. Now, after two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete tomorrow on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 41st Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 16 on CBS Sports. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
OAKLEY, Calif. (May 30, 2024) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Oakley, California next week, June 5-7, for the third and final regular-season event of the 2024 Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – the Toyota Series at the California Delta Presented by Suzuki Marine.
The three-day bass-fishing tournament, hosted by the City of Oakley, will feature a number of the west coast’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $75,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“This event is going to be very unique for a June tournament on the Delta,” said Elk Grove, California pro Ken Mah, who has nine top-10 finishes on the California Delta in MLF Toyota Series competition. “Typically, this time of the year the fish are predominantly postspawn, but I feel like the system is running behind and we’re still seeing a lot of prespawn fish being caught. So the weights are going to be a little bit better – slightly higher than we normally see in June.
“There are a lot of fish biting in the system,” Mah continued. “I think guys are going to be spread out. It’ll be typical Delta fishing – catch them however you want. We’ll see vibrating jigs, square-bills, flipping, pitching, punching, throwing frogs. For co-anglers, throwing a (Yamamoto) Senko and a drop-shot worm will be the deal.”
Mah said that in order for an angler to do well, they’re going to need to handle the tides.
“The key to doing well is going to be working the tides,” Mah said. “We have high tide early, and it’ll pretty much go out to a minus tide at the end of each day. So the angler that develops a pattern where they can catch them during high and low tide – it’ll be low tide during most of this tournament – is going to win.”
With the fish biting well, Mah said he expects weights to be better throughout the entire field.
“There was a local team tournament las weekend that took 25 (pounds) to win, which isn’t anything crazy on the Delta, but the thing that I was most impressed with was that even 21st place had 14.98 pounds,” Mah went on to say. “I could absolutely see someone winning with 65 pounds, but I think if a guy can catch 19 pounds a day for three days then I could see them being right there at the end with a chance to win.”
Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. PT each day from Big Break Marina, located at 100 Big Break Road in Oakley. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2 p.m. each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters, YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MARBURY, Md. (May 30, 2024) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to open the 2024 Northern Division with the first event of the season next week, June 5-7, in Marbury, Maryland – the Toyota Series at the Potomac River.
The three-day bass-fishing tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, will feature a number of the west coast’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $75,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“This is going to be a really good tournament,” said Toyota Series pro Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, who has eight career top-10 finishes and one victory on the Potomac River in MLF competition. “Guys are going to catch them everywhere. The fish are all postspawn, and they’re biting a little bit better than they were a few weeks ago.
“I don’t expect to see a ton of big fish – 5+ pounders – but numbers are good right now,” Langford continued. “There is more grass than ever. Maybe the big ones are just hiding better. But lately it’s been taking around 16 pounds a day to win some local tournaments, and in May that is a little bit off.”
Langford said that he doesn’t expect forward-facing sonar to play much of a role in this tournament, but that anglers will likely be catching them on a variety of baits, including frogs, swimbaits, ChatterBaits and (Yamamoto) Senkos.
“The fish a biting pretty good, and everything is going to work,” Langford said. “The key is going to be finding something to yourself. All of the creeks will be in play, and it’s going to be so important to find the little areas that people may have overlooked, so you’re only sharing the areas with a couple of guys as opposed to 40 others.”
Langford went on to predict that the winner would likely have a three-day total right around 50 pounds.
“It’s very tough to duplicate the big bags right now,” Langford said. “I expect the winner will have one big day – around 20 pounds, and then back it up with a couple of 15-pound days. Weights are going to be tight.”
Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. ET each day from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2 p.m. each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters, YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Saginaw Bay will host the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops June 6-7.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
May 30, 2024
Saginaw Bay ready to show out for Bassmaster College Series regular-season finale
BAY CITY, Mich. — The Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will wrap up the regular season at Saginaw Bay — one of the most underrated fisheries in the country — and Michigan pro Bo Thomas believes conditions will be just right for big bags.
“It is the type of fishing that only a few people get to experience in their whole lives,” said Thomas, who fishes the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN. “That place is absolutely unreal. There are just so many bass. You can fish in the river, fish out in the lake or you can gamble and go fish for smallmouth. You can do anything you want there.”
Competitors will launch from Veterans Memorial Park in Bay City June 6-7 beginning at 5:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. This will be the last chance for anglers competing in the Legends Trail to earn a berth to the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, which is scheduled for Aug. 22-24 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
Saginaw Bay has awed anglers since the College Series first visited there in 2021. Located on the southwest side of Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay and the Saginaw River hold impressive numbers and quality of both largemouth and smallmouth.
The beginning of June usually means smallmouth will be heading toward shallow water for the spawn, if they aren’t spawning already. A full moon will occur two days before the tournament starts, making that scenario more likely if the water temperatures are warm enough. The Charity Island region gets a lot of attention from anglers this time of year.
“Wind plays a big factor,” Thomas said. “If they do have a warming trend coming into the tournament, playing the wind is going to be key whether it is going to be a prespawn bite or spawn bite. If the wind blows in from Huron, it will blow in cold water and cool down the whole bay. The spawn won’t take place if that is the case.
“The smallmouth will be around boulders and rock on sand flats. Typically, this time of year, you won’t see them very deep.”
Thomas believes smallmouth will likely be the ticket to winning, if winds allow anglers to access the big waters. Traditional smallmouth techniques like fishing a drop shot, tube or a Ned rig will be productive in any scenario. But if a team finds prespawn smallmouth, a jighead minnow could come into play, too.
The largemouth, meanwhile, will be in a prespawn mode. The flats on the outer edges of the bay feature grassbeds and reed lines, allowing anglers to flip, frog and use a bladed jig to catch these bass. The Saginaw River also holds an impressive population of largemouth, and those bass will likely be in the creeks and cuts off the main river.
“Largemouth will play for most of the field,” Thomas said. “They will be back in the canals that you can get to on the west or east side of the lake. The south end can be really good too. They will be along grasslines and weed clumps. If you want to go shallow, you can punch mats and throw a frog up shallow.”
Following the College Series event, Saginaw Bay will play host to the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and a concurrent Bassmaster Junior Series event on June 9.
