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Kyle Welcher Takes Day One NPFL Lead on a Tough Lake Hartwell

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May 16, 2024

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Kyle Welcher Takes Day One NPFL Lead on a Tough Lake Hartwell

Kyle Welcher leads the charge after Day One of Stop #2 of the 2024 Season.

Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons

Making a key decision to change his approach first thing this morning, Alabama pro Kyle Welcher takes the day one NPFL lead at Lake Hartwell with 16 pounds, 11 ounces. His effort gives him a 7-ounce cushion over Will Harkins going into day two.

“I gambled a little bit this morning and decided I was going to change how I started the event,” he said. “I really thought it was going to be easier to catch some 2.5-pound fish but the sun made them not want to commit – they would go down on a bait but not come up.”

Welcher expects the cloud and storms forecasted for day two to help the bite and notes that the off day Wednesday moved a bunch of his spawning fish off the beds.

“Most of those fish left,” he added. “I do have a few left on beds, but if I could have, I would have caught them today. The fish bit much better in practice under overcast conditions, so hopefully that is the case tomorrow with storms forecasted.”

Will Harkins

A man on a mission, NPFL pro Will Harkins is continuing to get it done in 2024. Taking the win on Logan Martin in February, Harkins picked up where he left off and sits in the second-place spot on day one with a total weight of 16 pounds, 4 ounces.

Knowing throughout practice that Lake Hartwell was fishing tough, Harkins dedicated his practice to locating as many “transition type areas” as possible and ended up with over 120 areas he thought may play, and has several sneaky places he is confident he has to himself.

“Practice was all about running around and marking things I thought may be “different” from the normal,” he said. “I feel like most of the folks fishing offshore are targeting similar type things, and I am fishing more off the wall, if that makes sense.”

An expert with his electronics, Harkins is fishing how he is comfortable and rotating through as many waypoints as possible. While keeping an eye on where boats are focusing, he is mixing in community holes on Lake Hartwell and hoping to land in the right area at the right time.

“I don’t know if I burned my best places today or not, but I caught 30 to 40 bass,” he added. “I am starting my morning on some shad spawn areas, gambling a little bit, and then settling into my program. I am hoping the weather tomorrow helps.”

Buddy Gross

In the third-place spot, Georgia pro Buddy Gross caught 15 pounds, 14 ounces on day one on Lake Hartwell.

Jason Burroughs

With 15 pounds, 9 ounces, Jason Burroughs sits in the fourth-place spot on day one. Dealing with misfortune in the form of boat problems and lost fish, he is thrilled with a solid start to the tournament.

“It was not the best day, but not terrible,” he said. “I caught about what I was thinking I could catch with the weather conditions, but leaving take-off I broke my hot foot spring and ran wide open on Hartwell today.”

Once he got settled in, he got to work catching fish, but one lost fish cost him a much better bag.

“I wasted the first part of the morning fishing the shad spawn and it did not work, besides a few small fish. It was a gamble but I was able to make it work later on fishing targeting transition area and ended up losing one good fish. With the weather tomorrow, they are going to bite.”

Matt Mollohan

South Carolina pro Matt Mollohan sits in the fifth-place spot on Lake Hartwell with a day-one weight of 14 pounds, 12 ounces. After a tough practice, he skipped out on the shallow herring bite and focused his efforts on the offshore fish to get his tournament off to a good start.

“In 2022, I screwed myself here and missed out on the deal. This go around, I came in expecting the herring to be going off and that just wasn’t the case,” he said. “I made a change late in practice to fish deeper water and caught a bunch of bass. With the sun high today, I had to make yet another change. I went back to the bank and adjusted on the fly – it worked out.”

Mollohan is the highest-finishing Bass Cat Boats pro angler on day one.

Richard Kee

With 14 pounds, 7 ounces on day one, Tennessee pro-Richard Kee sits in the sixth-place spot on Lake Hartwell. After a slow start to the morning, he started to get into some fish and salved his day.

“Will (Harkins) and I were not sure how the sun would affect things, but it worked out,” he said. “I found some fish mid-morning and was able to get a few in the boat, but I ran around a bit, burned 30 gallons of gas, and survived. We thought this may be a day to survive, and if we could, we felt like we could do okay. We will see how that plays out.”

Rest of the Best:

Chris Whisenant 14-0
Isaac Peavyhouse 14-0
Jacoby Adkins 13-14
Michael Stout 13-12

DAY ONE LEADERBOARD

Cherokee Lake Set to Host 41st annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine

Brian Carter

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May 16, 2024

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Cherokee Lake Set to Host 41st annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine

Jefferson City gears up for $120,000 grassroots bass-fishing championship, offering weekend anglers advancement opportunities to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST 2025

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (May 16, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) returns to Tennessee, next week, May 29-31, for the 41st annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Championship Presented by T-H Marine on Cherokee Lake. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Jefferson County TN, will showcase 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.

In addition to the automatic REDCREST 2025 qualification and the chance to win $300,000, the highest-finishing boaters and co-anglers from each of the seven regionals at the All-American advance to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship, where they will have a shot at winning up to $235,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and $33,500, respectively.

Jefferson County, Tennessee, played host to a very successful All-American Championship in 2021. That event, however, was held on Douglas Lake. Church Hill, Tennessee boater Brant Grimm, who called Douglas and Cherokee lakes his “home fisheries” added his name to the illustrious list of BFL All-American winners.

“We are thrilled to once again be hosting the All-American Championship in Jefferson County, this time on Cherokee Lake,” said Lauren Hurdle, Director of Tourism for Visit Jefferson County TN. “The tournament could not be scheduled for a better time of year, as it is going to really showcase just how amazing this fishery is. Cherokee Lake has hosted numerous Major League Fishing events, including the Bass Pro Tour and countless Phoenix Bass Fishing League events. It will be so exciting to see what these top grassroot anglers are able to produce on these waters.”

The BFL All-American serves as a pathway for anglers who wish to advance to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. Former All-American champions who currently compete on the Bass Pro Tour and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include Shaw Grigsby (1984), Stephen Browning (1996), Jacob Wheeler (2011), Jeremy Lawyer (2016), Nick LeBrun (2018) and Connor Cunningham (2022).

Local Toyota Series pro Jimmy Neece Jr. of Bristol, Tennessee, said he expects to see a lot of action on Cherokee Lake during this event.

“I don’t think they could have picked a better time of year to hit Cherokee Lake,” said Neece. “The weather should be great, and the fish are in the perfect bite window, so this should be a pretty exciting, diverse event.

“I think we’ll see a lot of fish caught out deep and some up in the shallow cover. The upper end of the lake should play really well with the flipping and topwater bite.”

Neece said he thinks it will take about 13 pounds per day to make it into the top 10 on Championship Friday and 16 pounds per day to win the event.

“I’ve fished Cherokee Lake my whole life and can remember a time when you never caught a smallmouth,” said Neece. “But the fishery has shifted through the years. Smallmouth have been dominant for the last few years, but largemouth are starting to make a comeback now and this event is really setting up to be won with a combination of species.”

Cherokee Lake, also known as Cherokee Reservoir, is an artificial reservoir formed by the impoundment of the Holston River behind Cherokee Dam. The dam was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1941 to create hydroelectric energy during World War II.

“Cherokee Lake is a TVA lake, designed for power generation,” said Neece. “The TVA typically draws water out of the lake each fall, sometimes up to 30 to 50 feet, but with the spring rain, the lake starts rising and is usually at full pool by now. However, it’s currently still about 6-8 foot low.

“We’ve had a lot of rain, so it should start getting better and be at full pool by the time the tournament starts next week, which will make for a better topwater bite,” Neece explained. “On the mid to lower end of the lake, I expect to see a lot of fish caught out deep – deep-cranking, swimbaits and things like that – but the topwater bite should be good down there as well.”

Neece said go-to-baits like the Heddon Zara Spook Walking Bait and a Carolina rig are usually key staples on the fishery.

“I expect to see a combination of shallow and deep fishing during this event,” said Neece. “There will be a lot of [Garmin] LiveScoping going on, and I expect to see guys doing really good live scoping, but also think we’ll see other guys do well fishing up shallow or fishing the river.

“In this event, river rats, ‘scopers and traditional fisherman can all do really well,” Neece continued. “There’s a lot of backwater, creeks and shallow flats in Cherokee Lake. You can catch fish on bluff walls or in the backs of creeks, it all depends on who’s got the ability to get the furthest north up the river.”

Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. ET from the TVA Cherokee Dam Boat Launch, located at 2805 N. Highway 92 in Jefferson City. Weigh-in each day 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 will compete on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. 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 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.

Bubba & Colden Baker win CATT Lake Wateree, SC May 11, 2024

Brian Carter

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May 16, 2024

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Bubba & Colden Baker win CATT Lake Wateree, SC May 11, 2024

Next Wateree Summer CATT Qualifier is June 1st at Clearwater Cove Marina!

Bubba & Colden Baker win Wateree with 5 bass weighing 15.78 lbs!

William & Chad Gainey 2nd with 15.54 lbs!

Kyle & Konner McElveen with their catch!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Bubba Baker & Colden Baker	4.13	15.78	$875.00	110
Chad Gainey & William Gainey	4.16	15.54	$440.00	109
Justin Barfield & Johnny Barfield	3.65	11.96		108
Robie English & Justin Childers	3.19	11.50		107
Sonny Beam & Max Price	0.00	11.08		106
Jesse Williams & Mark Healon	0.00	10.23		105
Walt Almond & Chad Rabon	2.36	9.00		104
Jason Ries & Roger McKee	0.00	7.22		103
Kyle McElveen & Konner McElveen	0.00	7.22		102
Steve Phillps	0.00	0.00		92
Mitchell Gordon & Bruce Andrews	0.00	0.00		92
Daniel Barrick	0.00	0.00		92
Scott Faile	0.00	0.00		92
Jarrod Thompson	0.00	0.00		92
Total Entrys			$1,120.00
BONUS $			$525.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$1,315.00
CATT			$50.00
2024 Wateree Summer Final Fund			$230.00
2024 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00
2024 Wateree Summer Fund Total			$230.00

Max Hernandez takes Day One Lead at WON Bass Arizona Open with 22.27 pounds.Micah Jones in Second place with 20.87 pounds.

Brian Carter

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May 16, 2024

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Max Hernandez takes Day One Lead at WON Bass Arizona Open with 22.27 pounds.
Micah Jones in Second place with 20.87 pounds.

Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – May 15, 2024 –– One thing about desert lakes… you never know what you’re gonna get.

With a Colorado River impoundment like Lake Havasu, there are plenty of opportunities to fish however you want. You can choose power or finesse techniques, and the chances are, you’ll have a chance to be competitive. If you prefer to fish for largemouth or smallmouth, you’ll still have a shot at placing in the money.

On day one of the 2024 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Havasu Open presented by Mercury, the 121-boat field filled with Pro and AAA anglers headed out onto the calm waters of Lake Havasu. The conditions seemed surreal, as the area was blanketed in an overcast sky that typically means sturdy desert winds, yet there was barely a breath of a breeze.

The conditions alternated throughout the day, yet one thing that did not was the plan that day one leader Max Hernandez of Queen Creek, Ariz. used to post 22.27 pounds and take the lead on day one of the event. He and his AAA partner for the day, Kadyn Jaramillo used the patterns Hernandez developed in practice to take the day one lead.

They were followed in second place by Kingman, Ariz pro Micah Jones and his AAA partner Ronnie Orbaker with 20.87 pounds. Third place for the day went to Desert Hills, Ariz. pro Ian Boehm and AAA Frank One with 20.09 pounds while fourth place was claimed by Wildomar, Calif. pro Rich Vincent and AAA James Feeney III with 19.94 pounds. Pro Conrad Demecs of Phoenix, Ariz and his AAA partner James Meeks rounded out the day one top five with 18.90 pounds.

Hernandez had limited practice due to his work schedule at Arizona’s Salt River Power Company and his HMR Marine Carpet Restoration Company, so he made the best use of the time. “I really had to focus because I only had Monday and Tuesday to practice,” he said. “I found my primary pattern on Monday and developed something I thought might help on my second day, that really helped.”

Hernandez fished two spots all day and was surprised he was able to get on his first area. “I was boat 93 today, and I ended up having the area all to myself – I had 14 pounds at 11:00,” he said. “My afternoon pattern really produced; we culled four of the fish we caught in the morning to get our 22 pounds.”

He is looking forward to the second day of the event. “I feel really good about what I’ve been doing,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to get better; it’s a mixture of two different things and I’ll keep rotating through them.”

Jones said that he struck early and was able to save something going into the second day. “I fished shallow, mostly in the river, but did go out on the lake to do some ‘Scoping (Livescoping),” he said. “I had most of my weight at around 11:00 today but kept looking around to try and expand things. I’m fishing for postspawn fish, and If I can locate them tomorrow, I feel really good about what I can do.”

Each of the pros and AAA anglers who finished in the top five have earned a Golden Ticket berth into the 2025 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic

The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, visit https://wonbassevents.com/pages/lake-havasu-open-2024-pairings-results

WON Bass Lake Havasu Open 5/15 to 5/17/2024 Day One Standings

Place	Pro Day 1	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	B/B	Total
1	Max Hernandez	Queen Creek AZ	5-5	22.27	3.61	25.88
2	Micah Jones	Kingman AZ	5-5	20.86	6.63	27.49
3	Ian Boehm	Desrt Hills AZ	5-5	20.09	5.90	25.99
4	Rich Vincent	Wildomar CA	5-5	19.94	4.16	24.10
5	Conrad Demecs	Phoenix AZ	5-5	18.90		18.9
6	Chris Raza	Orangvalle CA	5-5	18.59	7.68	26.27
7	Kurt Dove	Del Rio TX	5-5	18.49		18.49
8	Taj White	Glendale AZ	5-5	18.49	6.22	69.86
9	Jeff Baird	Washington UT	5-5	18.41	5.25	23.66
10	Todd Kline	San Clemente CA	5-5	18.38		18.38

Place	AAA Angler Day 1	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	B/B	Total
1	Kadyn Jaramillo	Cottonwood CA	5-5	22.27	5.37	27.64
2	Ronnie Orbaker	Madera CA	5-5	20.86		20.86
3	Frank Ono	Hidden Valley Lake CA	5-5	20.09	3.39	73.53
4	James Fenney, III	Vista CA	5-5	19.94	6.21	26.15
5	Jeff Meeks	Blythe CA	5-5	18.90		18.90
6	John Harris	San Diego CA	5-5	18.59		18.59
7	Kevin Hoppe	Lake Havasu City AZ	5-5	18.49		18.49
8	Adam Gragg	Acton CA	5-5	18.41		18.41
9	Adam Gragg	Acton CA	5-5	18.41		18.41
10	Michael Grisham	Glendale AZ	5-5	18.38		18.38

The winner of the 2024 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open earns the Ranger Boats / Mercury Motor prize boat provided by Bass Pro Shops, and the Golden Tickets to the 2025 Bassmaster BASS Nation National Championship will be awarded to the top five Pro and AAA anglers and will further develop the season long competition to see who will receive guaranteed slots into the 2025 Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers.

The 2024 WON Bass Western Opens Series of events Consisting of five events in California, Arizona and Nevada moves next to the California Open at Clear Lake April 17 to 19, 2024. The series will culminate with the 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open at Lake Mohave in October. The full schedule of the five event dates are as follows:

Jan. 31–Feb. 2, Lake Shasta – Champion Nick Wood – 47.42 pounds

April 17-19, Clear Lake – Champion Austin Bonjour – 83.28 pounds

May 15-17, Lake Havasu

Sept. 18-20, Lake Mead

Oct. 14-16, U.S. Open at Lake Mohave

For complete details to register for future events, or to find results, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The 2024 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Phenix Rods, Yamamoto Baits, Bill Lewis Lures, Buckeye Lures, Steel Shad, Bioenno Power, SOG Knives, Cold Steel Knives, Gamma Line, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, DD26 Fishing, Anderson Toyota, A&M Graphics, Anglers Marine and Signature Gates.

Local presenting sponsors are Go Lake Havasu, Anderson Toyota and Riviera Marina. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins are being conducted at Riviera Marina.

The Drama Continues: Grey Areas in Tournament Bass Fishing

Brian Carter

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May 15, 2024

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The Drama Continues: Grey Areas in Tournament Bass Fishing

Tournament bass fishing has always been about skill, strategy, and sportsmanship. But this year, there’s a storm brewing in the world of the Elite Series anglers, and it’s not because of the weather. For the first time in a long while, the Elite Series anglers are planning to have a meeting to discuss some pressing issues. These issues center around the grey areas in the sport, especially concerning some of the young anglers who just joined the field this year. Here’s a closer look at what’s going on and why it matters.

The Grey Areas In any competitive sport, rules are essential. They ensure fair play and level the playing field. However, in tournament bass fishing, there are some grey areas that need to be addressed. These grey areas are causing tension among the anglers, and it’s time to sort them out.

The Rookie Advantage One of the biggest concerns is the advantage that some of the rookie anglers have. When the schedule for the Elite Series dropped, these rookies were not yet officially qualified. This meant they could still gather information and waypoints about the fishing spots, something that the already qualified anglers couldn’t do. This gave the rookies a significant edge, as they could buy information, go out with guides, and essentially learn the waters in ways that the seasoned anglers couldn’t. This grey area has led to frustration and resentment among the more experienced anglers. They feel like they’re at a disadvantage because the rookies had access to information that they didn’t. It’s a loophole in the rules that needs to be closed.

Forward-Facing Sonar Another hot topic is the use of forward-facing sonar. This technology allows anglers to see fish in real-time, making it easier to target and catch them. While some argue that it’s just another tool in the angler’s arsenal, others believe it’s giving an unfair advantage and changing the nature of the sport. Forward-facing sonar allows anglers to cast directly at fish rather than casting and hoping for a bite. This technology has become so dominant that many feel it takes away from the skill and experience that should define professional fishing. There’s a growing call to either limit its use or ban it altogether to preserve the integrity of the sport.

Enforcement of Rules Lastly, there’s the issue of enforcing the existing rules. Many anglers believe that the rules are not being enforced consistently, allowing some to get away with bending or breaking them. This inconsistency leads to a lack of trust in the system and further fuels the frustration among anglers. For example, there’s a rule that fish caught off the bed must be hooked inside the mouth. However, with forward-facing sonar, anglers can see the fish and target them specifically, leading to more fish being hooked outside the mouth. The rules need to be clear and enforced strictly to ensure fair play.

The Angler Meeting Given these grey areas and the mounting frustration, the Elite Series anglers are planning their first meeting in years. The goal is to discuss these issues and find solutions that will restore fairness and integrity to the sport.

The Role of Leadership One major point of discussion will be the role of leadership in enforcing the rules. The anglers want to ensure that the tournament directors and officials are holding everyone accountable and that there’s no favoritism or leniency. This is crucial for maintaining trust in the system.

Setting New Rules The anglers will also discuss setting new rules to address the loopholes and grey areas. For instance, they might propose a rule that once an angler signs up for the Elite Series, they immediately fall under the same information restrictions as the already qualified anglers. This would prevent rookies from gaining an unfair advantage. Regarding forward-facing sonar, the anglers might propose a limitation or even a ban on its use. While this will undoubtedly be a contentious issue, it’s important to have a clear stance on its role in the sport. The goal should be to preserve the skill and experience that define professional bass fishing.

Why It Matters You might be wondering why all of this matters. After all, isn’t fishing just about catching fish? Well, in professional bass fishing, it’s about much more than that. It’s about the thrill of the chase, the strategy, and the skill involved in finding and catching fish. It’s about sportsmanship and playing fair. When there are grey areas and loopholes, it takes away from the essence of the sport. It creates an uneven playing field and leads to frustration and resentment among the anglers. By addressing these issues head-on, the Elite Series can ensure that the sport remains fair and competitive.

Conclusion The world of tournament bass fishing is at a crossroads. The grey areas in the rules and the growing use of technology like forward-facing sonar are causing tension among the anglers. The upcoming meeting is a crucial step in addressing these issues and finding solutions that will restore fairness and integrity to the sport. As fans and followers of the sport, it’s important to support the anglers as they navigate these challenges. Let’s hope that the meeting leads to positive changes and that tournament bass fishing can continue to be the thrilling and competitive sport we all love. What are your thoughts and opinions on these issues? Do you think the rookies have an unfair advantage? Should forward-facing sonar be banned or limited? How can the rules be enforced more consistently? Share your thoughts in the comments on our Facebook page!

Top Lakes for Amazing Bass Fishing after the Spawn

Brian Carter

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May 15, 2024

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Top Lakes for Amazing Bass Fishing after the Spawn

Introduction:
As the bass spawning season comes to an end, avid anglers eagerly anticipate the post-spawn period when these magnificent fish gather their energy and feed voraciously. If you’re a passionate bass angler, now is the perfect time to explore some of the best lakes renowned for their incredible fishing opportunities after the spawn. Join us as we discuss our top picks and why these lakes are worth your attention.

Lake Chickamauga, Tennessee:
Situated on the Tennessee-Georgia border, Lake Chickamauga boasts a thriving largemouth bass population that attracts enthusiasts from near and far. Once the spawn is complete, these bass tend to scatter, making them challenging to locate. However, you’ll find them congregating near offshore structures such as islands, humps, and ledges. Don’t miss the opportunity to reel in some impressive catches on this fantastic lake.
Lake Guntersville, Alabama:
Covering a vast expanse of 75,000 acres along the Tennessee River, Lake Guntersville is a revered destination for bass fishermen. During the post-spawn period, bass migrate towards points and ledges, creating excellent angling opportunities. Here, you can expect a fruitful fishing experience and the chance to reel in some sizeable bass. Don’t forget to explore the lake’s stunning surroundings and soak in its natural beauty.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida:
Located in the heart of Florida, Lake Okeechobee is a legendary bass fishing destination. While the post-spawn bite on this giant lake can present some challenges, the potential rewards are enormous. Despite the tricky nature of post-spawn fishing, Lake Okeechobee offers ample opportunities to land some impressive catches and even encounter the elusive trophy-sized bass.
Lake Champlain, Vermont:
Situated at the border between Vermont and New York, Lake Champlain is famous for its thriving smallmouth bass population. After the spawn, these bass move towards shallow waters to feed, providing a fantastic opportunity for anglers. Lake Champlain’s picturesque scenery and abundance of smallmouth bass create an idyllic setting for a memorable fishing experience.
Lake St. Clair, Michigan:
Widely known for its trophy muskies, Lake St. Clair in Michigan is also home to a healthy population of smallmouth bass. Following the spawn, these bass migrate to shallow waters to feast on baitfish. This behavior provides an excellent chance for anglers to target these bass and enjoy an exciting post-spawn bite. Take advantage of this favorable feeding period and test your skills against these hard-fighting fish.

Conclusion:
While these lakes represent just a handful of the fantastic bass fishing destinations available, they are certainly among the top choices for anglers seeking incredible post-spawn fishing opportunities. Remember, before planning your next fishing adventure, research the specific attributes of each lake, inquire with local experts, and prepare accordingly. With a little preparation and a dash of patience, you could find yourself reeling in some impressive catches on these remarkable fishing grounds. Good luck and tight lines!

Lake Hartwell Preview – A different Hartwell this go around

Brian Carter

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May 15, 2024

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Lake Hartwell Preview – A different Hartwell this go around

The NPFL returns to Lake Hartwell to kick off stop #2 of the 2024 NPFL Season.
With the 2024 Championship event behind us, the NPFL returns to action this week at Green Pond Landing, on the famous Lake Hartwell. Hosted by Anderson County, Lake Hartwell produced for the NPFL field in April of 2022, where Drew Six took the victory by targeting deep spawning fish, and outlasted the shad spawn bites as the final scales closed.

Collin Smith
This year, a month later in the season with several natural factors at play, Lake Hartwell is looking a lot different. Colin Smith knows the lake as well as anyone in the field and says despite May and June being two of his favorite months to fish, it might be a tougher week than most expected due to major weather that swept through the area recently.

“We have had it all recently – crazy weather, tornados and trees and power lines down,” he said on Saturday, before the official practice period. “Our neighboring counties had it worse, but the fish will be biting and someone will catch them well. I love this time of year; there is so much happening and so many things that ‘should’ be playing out here. However, it has been tough.”

With everything said, Smith said some of the local events have seen some decent weights, but it’s been tough to be consistent day over day. In the NPFL, those who come out on top will have strung together three good days. 3-pound bites could be tough to come by with added pressure on the lake in the weeks leading up to the event.

“I’d guess it’s about 80% post-spawn, which means the fish are in thank ‘funk’ and nothing is for certain each day as things change,” he added. “This is an event where getting a big bite will make a huge difference. Under normal circumstances, it should be fishing better than it is, but the pressure on this lake has been unreal the last few weeks. Combined with the post-spawn deal, it could be hard to come by a 3-pound fish. It’s a marathon this week, not a sprint. You need to fish throughout practice, and the tournament, with an open mind because things are changing”

Brandon Perkins
In 2022, with the weights tight at the top, Brandon Perkins was right where he wanted to be on the final day. Weather and fishing pressure affected his bite and threw him a curve ball on the final day. His shallow “sight-fishing” pattern faded quickly. Now in 2024, Perkins is fresh off a victory at the inaugural NPFL Championship which changes the entire outlook of his season.

Practice kicked off on Sunday and Perkins was bouncing around trying to figure out how he should focus his practice period. “Water temperatures are a lot warmer and they are way further along in the spawning process,” he said. “There are some fish spawning, but for the most part, it seems like, as of now, most of the fish are not shallow.”

With the weather on Sunday, Perkins was hoping to get a good look around in shallow water to determine if he should continue focusing a portion of his practice on the bank, where he had success in 2022. With lots of anglers offshore fishing for pressured fish, he hopes to avoid fishing in a crowd as much as possible and hopes to find less pressured bass.

“The places from 2022 are dirtier and different, and the majority of the fish I have seen and caught have been offshore,” he noted. “The problem is, those fish are super hard to catch, there are boats all over them, and the few I have caught have been smaller sized. Looking forward to tomorrow and Tuesday, I feel like I know where and what I need to do, where the fish are at, but it’s going to come down to figuring out how to catch a few of the bigger fish – and fishing less pressured areas.”

Jesse Wise
Making a top ten on Hartwell in 2022, Jesse Wise has been super consistent throughout his time on the NPFL with top-five Progressive Angler of the Year finishes. Wise has had an up-and-down practice, through the midpoint of Tuesday and like Collin Smith, knows a big bite or two will make or break the event.
“These fish are super educated but the one thing we have is the low light bite – you can get a few fish to commit,” he said. “I have been able to do that during practice, but the next day I only caught a few keepers, so being consistent is tough.”

Wise noted lots of boats are fishing “the same types of things” and the fish show interest but are very hard to get to bite. Like the others, he feels like local pressure and fishing being in “the funk” are responsible, but like always, someone will catch them.
“These fish are tired and not wanting to eat,” he added. “I like these tougher events, but it’s stressful. If you don’t land a few big fish, you are not getting paid out here this week. I was thinking more before, but now 12 pounds per day should cash a check, and maybe 47 pounds total to win.”
How to Watch

Tune in daily from May 16 through 18 to watch daily action from Lake Hartwell with Live Coverage here and on the FREE PHYX TV App beginning on Thursday.
Follow along and watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers on Lake Hartwell.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Weigh Live Tracker with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
And be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter.
NPFL Stop #2 on Lake Hartwell is hosted by Anderson County. For more event Information, here.

The Wind to Win Patrick Walters — Winner of the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Murray

Brian Carter

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May 14, 2024

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The Wind to Win
Patrick Walters — Winner of the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Murray

On May 13, 2024, Patrick Walters of Summerville, South Carolina, won his third Bassmaster Elite Series tournament and fifth B.A.S.S. tournament, this time on Lake Murray in South Carolina. His 93-pound, 15-ounce total outpaced his closest competitor by more than 12 pounds, and he closed out the victory with the heaviest catch of the tournament, a five-bass limit weighing 26-12. The following is his account of how he prepares for every fishing trip.

Columbia, South Carolina — Before I go fishing — whether it’s a major tournament or just fun fishing with family or friends — I’m learning all I can about the conditions on the water from Omnia PRO. It’s an amazing platform that shows me the weather, temperature, mapping, topography, clarity, and lots more.

It played an important role in my winning the recent Elite Series tournament on Lake Murray. I was able to create a game plan before I left home, and it led to a very productive practice, and a strong start. I took the lead on the first day and never let go.

Water temperature is a key data point for making a decision on predicting fish patterns, helping me choose techniques and informing my strategy for catching big bass. That’s especially true leading up to the spawn. After the spawn, though, a lot of my attention goes to the wind, and Omnia PRO’s wind tracking capabilities were a big factor at Lake Murray.

I caught a lot of fish shallow and on top. Without knowing where I could find the right wind and current, I might have struggled. But with Omnia PRO, I was able to stay one step ahead, and it led to my third Elite Series win.

Omnia PRO is available from OmniaFishing.com, and I think the app is truly underappreciated. For a little bit of money, you get an amazing tool. In one app I get what would ordinarily require four or more apps, and they work together seamlessly.

The weather components of Omnia PRO were huge for me this week. The various layers show me wind speed and direction, air temperature, rain, and any storm cells out there. Wind moves plankton, which can trigger feeding. It also helps to mask my presence as an angler and make fish more aggressive.

Being in the right places to take advantage of the wind was a huge component of my success.

Fishing — especially tournament fishing — can be all about efficiency. How much water, how many patterns, how many baits can you eliminate before you ever get to the water? With Omnia PRO, I can drill down to just a few key places and methods that I feel sure will pay off. Without Omnia PRO, it’s easy to waste a lot of time, energy, and gas. I’m a big believer in Omnia PRO!

About Omnia Fishing and Omnia PRO
OmniaFishing.com is the first e-commerce store that allows anglers to find, buy, and organize their fishing gear based on the specific bodies of water they fish. We make finding the right tackle easy by presenting a refined list of relevant tackle based on the relationships between species, style, lake characteristics, season, community fishing reports, patterns, and products. We make sure you only see the products that make sense for you, on the lakes you fish, at the right time of year. Omnia is the most personalized tackle shopping on earth!

Omnia PRO is our premium service. It was created with serious anglers in mind. Members earn 10% back and free shipping on each of their gear purchases. Plus, they can use the Omnia Fishing app to access map layers with crucial fishing information, including depth contours, bottom composition, water clarity and temperature, weather info like wind, cloud cover and barometric pressure, and lots more.

Louisiana’s Fleming Throws Spinnerbait to Post Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Sardis

Brian Carter

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May 14, 2024

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Louisiana’s Fleming Throws Spinnerbait to Post Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Sardis

Boater winner Dakota Fleming of Oak Grove, Louisiana, and Strike-King co-angler winner Samuel Jones of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

Walters scores wire-to-wire victory in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Murray

Brian Carter

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May 13, 2024

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Walters scores wire-to-wire victory in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Murray

South Carolina’s Patrick Walters records a wire-to-wire win at the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray with a four-day total of 93-15.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

May 13, 2024

Walters scores wire-to-wire victory in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Murray

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Despite the gloomy weather, Monday brought bright prospects for Patrick Walters, who leveraged the opportunity to inflict a straight-up South Carolina smackdown en route to notching a wire-to-wire victory in the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray.

“What an amazing week; I don’t even know where to start,” said Walters, who notched his fifth major victory with B.A.S.S. “Today, I would have been happy with 17 pounds. Every single spot we went to today, we caught ’em.”

Following Thursday’s storms, which postponed the event’s scheduled start to Friday, a mostly cloudy Day 1 saw Walters catch 25 pounds, 8 ounces and establish a lead of 3-3. Adding a second-round limit of 19-13 kept Walters on top and expanded his margin to 4-15. With 21-14 on Day 3, Walters carried a margin of 8-4 into the final round.

Saving the best for last, he rocked Championship Monday with 26-12 — the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament worth a $2,000 bonus — and tallied an incredible four-day total of 93-15. Besting Missouri pro Cody Huff by 12-11, Walters won his third blue trophy and the $102,000 top prize. He also has two career wins in the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN.

“I did not think I was going to catch 25 or 26 pounds this week,” Walters said. “To do that on the final day — that’s how you do it. That’s how you get it done.”

Notably, Walters, who also won Elite titles at Lake Fork (2020) and the St. Lawrence River (2023) set the Bassmaster Elite record for the largest winning margin of 29-10 during his Lake Fork win. This was the third Elite event in a row won by a double-digit margin and the sixth in Elite Series history.

Walters, who weighed the biggest bag on Days 1, 3 and 4, said the final round’s complexion — overcast, sporadic light rain — kept the bite rolling all day. The first day saw similar conditions, while days 2 and 3 were clear and bright.

Like many of his competitors, Walters focused on bass that were targeting blueback herring near the surface. This time of year, herring spawn in the early morning hours and disperse once the rising sun intensifies. Dimmer skies prolong the surface bite.

“The clouds definitely helped,” Walters said. “I thought they absolutely chewed today. I probably caught four 20-pound bags today. I caught a bunch of 3-pounders.

“You kinda felt like you’re doing something wrong because you’re catching so many fish. It was one of those days.”

All week, Walters targeted the surface feeders with a Zoom Super Fluke on a 1/0 VMC Neko hook, a Rapala Precision XTreme Jowler 127 and a Clutch Darter glidebait. After the topside action subsided, he’d go deep with a Zoom Brush Hog Carolina-rigged on a 4/0 VMC EWG hook.

“I would throw the Carolina rig when the fish weren’t schooling, when they were just not active at all,” Walters said. “You could see them moving around, that’s when I would slow down and drag the ball and chain. That was when I was waiting on them to school.

“The Carolina rig didn’t produce any today, but it produced a big one the first three days,” Walters said. “Day 2, I caught my biggest one on it and Day 3, I caught one of my bigger ones on it.”

Walters opened Monday on a point not far from takeoff. After sacking up 20 pounds by about 8:30 a.m., he relocated to another point near the Dreher Shoals Dam, where he added several big culls.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got the tournament won, unless something crazy happens and someone catches 29 pounds,’” Walters said. “I was like, ‘I have 20 pounds, let’s go have fun and close the door.’

“I went down there and closed the door. I caught a 6-7 and two 5s. It was unbelievable.”

Hailing from Ava, Mo., Huff also turned in his best effort in the final round. That limit of 25-3, added to this previous weights of 22-1, 13-13 and 20-3 totaled 81-4.

“It went from the lowest lows to the highest highs,” Huff said of his day’s unfolding. “First thing this morning, I had them blowing my baits out of the water and missing them. But boy, did my day turn around.”

Huff anchored his big final-round effort with a 7-6. He caught his fish on wakebaits, a flat-side crankbait and a jighead minnow rig.

Rookie JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., finished third with 77-13. His daily weights were 21-1, 19-5, 18-9 and 18-14.

Thompkins also targeted the herring eaters and caught his fish on topwaters, Yamamoto D-Shads and Yamamoto Senkos rigged with tail spinners. Essential to his success was that ability to make long, precise casts to breaking fish.

“With herring fish, you have a lot of schoolers and a lot of pressure and you need a good quality rod and reel to make a long cast,” Thompkins said. “I was using a 7-7 FX Extreme Custom Rods medium-heavy with a SEVIIN reel. That rod has a good parabolic bend and I was able to easily hook up with a high percentage of these fish.”

Huff won the $1,000 award for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day with a 7-6. That fish also earned Huff the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament award.

Huff took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while sixth-place finisher Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned an additional $4,000 while McKinney claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

McKinney leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 478 points. Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., is in second with 448, followed by Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, with 423, Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, with 415, and Huff with 413.

McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings, followed by Thompkins with 378 points, Kyle Patrick of Cooperstown, N.Y., with 365, Alabama pro Wesley Gore with 363 and Tennessee pro John Garrett with 360.

The event was hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country.

2024 Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray 5/10-5/13
Lake Murray, Columbia SC.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 20 93-15 103 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-08 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 21-14 Day 4: 5 26-12
2. Cody Huff Ava, MO 20 81-04 102 $38,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 20-03 Day 4: 5 25-03
3. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 20 77-13 101 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 18-09 Day 4: 5 18-14
4. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 76-13 100 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 5 18-15 Day 4: 5 19-07
5. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 20 76-10 99 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 17-08 Day 4: 5 19-11
6. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 20 76-09 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 20-07 Day 4: 5 17-12
7. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 20 72-09 97 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 18-05 Day 4: 5 19-00
8. John Garrett Union City, TN 20 71-05 96 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 19-04 Day 4: 5 17-04
9. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 20 69-14 95 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 17-04 Day 4: 5 14-15
10. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 18 64-08 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 17-07 Day 4: 3 07-14
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 06-06 $1,000.00
2 Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 06-03 $1,000.00
3 Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 07-04 $1,000.00
4 Cody Huff Ava, MO 07-06 $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Cody Huff Ava, MO 07-06 $2,000.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 26-12 $2,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 94 492 1633-07
2 85 471 1407-02
3 47 242 779-08
4 9 48 186-12
———————————-
235 1253 4006-13

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