Posts | The Bass Cast

Retired U.S. Air Force Vet Earns First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at DeGray Lake

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April 22, 2024

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Retired U.S. Air Force Vet Earns First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at DeGray Lake

Boater winner Justin Howard of Austin, Arkansas, and Strike-King co-angler winner Jonathan Dotson of Dover, Arkansas.

Robinson and Davenport Tie for the Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Mitchell

Brian Carter

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April 22, 2024

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Robinson and Davenport Tie for the Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Mitchell

Boater winner Robbie Robinson of Mobile, Alabama, Strike King co-angler winner Brad Smith of Montevallo, Alabama, and Boater winner Blake Davenport of Jemison, Alabama.

Montevallo’s Smith Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

CLANTON, Ala. (April 22, 2024) – Boaters Robbie Robinson of Mobile, Alabama, and Blake Davenport of Jemison, Alabama, each caught five-bass limits weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to tie for the win at the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Mitchell . The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Bama Division. Robinson earned $2,964 for his share of the win, which includes the Berkley Big Bass prize of $425 for catching a bass that weighed 6-7. Davenport’s share was $2,539.

Interestingly, both anglers caught their fish throwing swimbaits. But they weren’t fishing the same pattern.

“Most of mine were postspawn, and I caught them offshore,” said Davenport. “There were a few prespawn too. I caught most of them off one spot that was up the river, on a swimbait.”

Davenport said the fish were schooled up in about 10 to 12 feet of water and relating to current.

He fished his swimbait on a 1/2-ounce Crusher Lures Legendary Swimbait Head and was able to land a limit in a quick flurry midmorning.

“It was like a 30-minute span and it was all over,” Davenport said.

Robinson pulled out a secret homemade swimbait he’s been making and using for years. The tournament veteran rigged the swimbait on a discontinued 8/0 hook that he carefully weighted with lead. He made long casts and waked the swimbait along and through the edge of some fresh green grass in about 2 feet of water.

The best grass beds were in pockets off the main lake. According to Robinson, the water dropped during pre-tournament week, which likely caused bass to vacate the grass. But then it came back up a foot on Friday, drawing the fish back into his areas.

“These fish have never seen it in their life,” he said about his homemade swimbait. “And it comes swimming through the top of the grass, and they literally lose their mind. I’ve had them hit it and come out of the water like yellowfin tuna.”

He figures he caught about five limits’ worth of 2-pound bass throughout the day. When he wasn’t fishing the swimbait, Robinson also caught some off beds, but the spawners weren’t big enough to help his limit.

His best keeper produced a memorable moment.

“When that big fish rolled up and ate that swimbait, I about had a stroke,” he said. “I stuck her and looked around at my co-angler and said, ‘Dude, you’re gonna have to get the net for this one.’ That’s the only time I asked for the net all day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

                1st:        Robbie Robinson, Mobile, Ala., five bass, 14-10, $2,964
1st:        Blake Davenport, Jemison, Ala., five bass, 14-10, $2,539
3rd:       James Willoughby, Gulfport, Miss., five bass, 13-8, $1,129
4th:        Jake Childers, Hamilton, Ala., five bass, 13-3, $790
5th:        Steven Ingram, Tallassee, Ala., five bass, 12-15, $677
6th:        Hunter Dubose, Andalusia, Ala., five bass, 12-6, $621
7th:        Morgan Brown, Spanish Fort, Ala., five bass, 12-4, $564
8th:        Chad Hall, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $451
8th:        Kyle Dorsett, Springville, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $451
8th:        Cole Williams, Jacksons Gap, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $451

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Brad Smith of Montevallo, Alabama, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,648 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 9 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Brad Smith, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $1,648
2nd:       Nick Glenn, Hamilton, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $824
3rd:       Troy Calloway, Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 9-8, $549
4th:        Gary Marlowe, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $385
5th:        Steve Barnett, Conroe, Texas, five bass, 9-5, $330
6th:        Brian Carroll, Glencoe, Ala., five bass, 9-1, $302
7th:        Kyle Kimbrell, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 8-15, $275
8th:        Bill Hutchison, Bessemer, Ala., five bass, 8-13, $234
8th:        Mark Black, Selma, Ala., five bass, 8-13, $234
10th:     Caleb Gwaltney, Athens, Ala., five bass, 8-12, $192

Co-anglers Steve Watson of Dadeville, Alabama, and Steve Barnett of Conroe, Texas, split the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $202 after each brought a bass to the scale that weighed in 2 pounds, 11 ounces.

The next event for BFL Bama Division anglers will be held May 4, at Lake Demopolis in Demopolis, Alabama. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.

The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL 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, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota 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.

Alabama’s Andrew Nordbye Surges to Win Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats

Brian Carter

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April 21, 2024

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Alabama’s Andrew Nordbye Surges to Win Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats

Nordbye catches final day limit of 21-14, including a near 6-pounder, to earn victory and top prize of $80,000

CALVERT CITY, Ky. (April 21, 2024) – Leading with 22 pounds, 12 ounces on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 Presented by Phoenix Boats on Kentucky Lake, pro Andrew Nordbye of Guntersville, Alabama, took a step back to second on Day 2 and could have continued the slide. Instead, he sacked up the biggest bag of the final day — 21 pounds, 14 ounces, including a near 6-pounder — to earn the win Sunday. With a 63-5 total, Nordbye finished almost a pound ahead of Brookeland, Texas’ Dakota Ebare and earned $80,000 and a berth to REDCREST 2025 for his efforts.

Link to Photo Gallery of Day 3 Afternoon Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights of Day 3 on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes

The win is Nordbye’s first with MLF, and he did it with his wife, Codi, and their newborn twins, Andi Mae and Zeal, on hand.

“Incredible, just amazing,” he said of the win. “I’ve been in first multiple times, second multiple times. But I’ve never been able to put all three days together to finish out and get a victory.”

Like many in the Top 10, Nordbye targeted smallmouth spawning on the flats of Kentucky Lake. For his part, he focused on stumps in 9 to 11 feet of water.

“I marked 1,500 waypoints in practice using side-scan,” he said. “We had long, 14-hour days in practice, so I probably idled six to eight hours a day and fished six to eight. When I would find a flat with stumps, maybe 300 stumps, I would graph them all first, and then I would pull up.

“I think the key was finding a niche stump row that probably had 100 stumps a little bit spread out that nobody else found,” he added. “I had my own water on about 100 stumps, and I caught my bag Day 1 there except for one, and Day 2, three of them came there, and today, two of them came from there.”

Relying heavily on Garmin LiveScope, Nordbye used Lew’s rods and Lew’s Custom Lite SS Series reels to present a variety of finesse offerings. His primary baits were a 5-inch Strike King Z-Too in Arkansas shiner, a Mach Skooler and a Strike King Ned Ocho.

Finessing the spawning smallies off stumps was standard issue for the pros on the week, but Nordbye separated himself by moving fast, refusing to get hung up on fish that wouldn’t bite.

“The fresh ones, they would bite right off the bat,” he said. “But honestly, I didn’t work a bed fish more than 5 or 10 minutes. I heard a lot of guys say they sat on one for 20 minutes and finally got it to bite. I felt like that was a waste of my time unless I knew it was a giant. I caught a 3-pound male today that was the size of a 6-pounder, and it would look like a 6-pounder on LiveScope. I really tried to make the most of my time, and if they wouldn’t bite, I had a plethora of stumps to fish.”

He narrowed his stump selection to the north end of the lake and ended up having a rough idea of what he wanted out of his stumps as well.

“I went south of the first bridge, almost all the way to Paris, in practice, and I found some stump fields and fished them and didn’t do any good,” Nordbye said. “The stump fields up here were a lot more productive in practice. Out of the current but still on the main lake, where there is current, seemed to be the deal. And a hard bottom. I caught a few right on the break of the channel, but 2-pounders, mostly; the better quality was more on the flat.”

In the end, it wasn’t just stumps and spawners for Nordbye – he needed to make the sort gameplan adjustment that wins tournaments. Doing so produced his kicker, a 5-15 brute with just a couple hours left before weigh-in.

“The whole tournament, I fished stumps with spawning smallmouth, and today at like noon, I decided to go fish an area where I caught a 4 ½-pound largie and some 2-pound smallies by a barge tie,” he said. “I went in there, and there was a school of 6-pound smallies sitting on the barge tie. There were like 20 of them. I got one to eat, and I couldn’t get any more to eat, but that was all I needed.”

The top 30 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 on Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats finished:

1st:        Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 63-5, $80,000
2nd:       Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 62-2, $50,000
3rd:       Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 61-1, $20,000
4th:        Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 59-2, $18,500
5th:        Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 57-13, $17,300
6th:        Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 56-9, $16,000
7th:        Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 56-6, $15,500
8th:        Kevin Meunier, Lamar, Ind., 15 bass, 56-1, $14,000
9th:        Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 15 bass, 55-12, $13,000
10th:     Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 55-9, $12,000
11th:     Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-1, $10,000
12th:     Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 54-11, $10,000
13th:     Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 54-6, $10,000
14th:     Adam Bartusek, Clearwater, Minn., 15 bass, 54-2, $10,000
15th:     Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., 15 bass, 52-6, $10,000
16th:     Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 51-7, $10,000
17th:     Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 50-12, $10,000
18nd:    Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., 14 bass, 50-5, $10,000
19th:     Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 15 bass, 49-11, $10,000
20th:     Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 49-7, $10,000
21st:      Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 49-3, $11,000
22nd:    Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 48-13, $10,000
23rd:     Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 48-12, $10,000
24th:     Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-4, $10,000
25th:     Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 15 bass, 47-3, $10,000
26th:     Brad Leuthner, Victoria, Minn., 15 bass, 46-2, $10,000
27th:     Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 15 bass, 44-10, $10,000
28th:     Mark Condron, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-1, $10,000
29th:     Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 13 bass, 42-9, $10,000
30th:     Ethan King, Wilsonville, Ala., 15 bass, 41-11, $10,000

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 148 bass weighing 503 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final 30 pros Sunday. Of the 30 final day competitors, 29 brought a five-bass limit to the scale.

With his third Top 10 of the season, pro Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, stayed in the lead of the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race with 587 points. However, there was some shuffling behind him, as Peru, New York’s Alec Morrison moved into second with 578 points, while pro Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio edged up to third place with 572 points. Heading into Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel on Lake Eufaula, the race is super tight and promises to go down to the wire.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, featured a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place May 10-12 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 19 on CBS Sports Network.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton Win Bass Nation of VA Lake Gaston with 29.92lbs

Brian Carter

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April 21, 2024

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Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton Win Bass Nation of VA Lake Gaston with 29.92lbs

The final day of the Bass Nation of VA event on Lake Gaston brought in larger bags weighing an average of 10lbs but so did a lot of the anglers as the rain came down the anglers brought in some great looking bags. But nobody would have ever thought we would see a bag over 20 lbs weighed in by Johnny Mitchel & Dale Cook, they weighed in the largest bag for the weekend as well as the largest single bass. This bag rocketed them into second place at the end of the day. Thank Goodness for the 15lb bag on day 1 that helped secure the close win (.48oz) for Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton. Congratulations to everyone that cashed a check.

Johnston victorious with overwhelming performance in Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

Brian Carter

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April 21, 2024

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Johnston victorious with overwhelming performance in Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

Canada’s Cory Johnston wins the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 93 pounds, 6 ounces.

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

April 21, 2024

Johnston victorious with overwhelming performance in Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

Elite_eventLogo_2024_StJohnsRiver_ForDarkLightBackgrounds_HighRes.png

PALATKA, Fla. — Cory Johnston fished a full tournament.

But with all due respect to nine other talented and worthy Top 10 competitors, he could’ve slept in the final day and still won the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

A four-day total of 93 pounds, 6 ounces gave the pro from Otonabee, Canada, a winning margin of 21-2 over Texan Brad Whatley. But Johnston’s Day 3 total — 73-13 — would have edged Whatley’s tournament total of 72-4 by 1-9.

“Everyone who fishes these tournaments dreams of winning one of these blue trophies,” said Johnston, who took home the $101,000 top prize. “I don’t know what to say; it was just one of those weeks that was absolutely incredible.

“People say, ‘When it’s your time, it’s your time.’ This week, I couldn’t do anything wrong.”

Johnston’s winning margin was the second largest in Elite history (behind Patrick Walters’ 29-10 record at Lake Fork in 2020). This is only the 15th time an Elite Series competitor has recorded a double-digit winning margin.

Johnston placed second on Day 1 with 23-3, took the lead with a second-round catch of 27-8, and held on to the top spot with a Semifinal Saturday limit of 23-2.

With Johnston carrying a 14-pound lead into the final round, a come-from-behind victory would have required either a stumble at the top, or heroics somewhere below.

Neither occurred and with Johnston turning in a Championship Sunday limit of 19-9, he strolled across the finish line to claim his first blue trophy. With a trio of second-place Elite finishes (Lake St. Clair 2020, St. Lawrence River 2022 and 2023), Johnston said that finally closing an Elite win was hugely rewarding.

“It’s been five years (on the Elites) and I’ve been so close so many times,” Johnston said. “To finally get it done, I can’t even describe it.”

All week, Johnston targeted bed fish in Salt Springs, which runs off the northwest side of Lake George. Noting that he relied heavily on Garmin Perspective Mode and his Power-Pole Move trolling motor, Johnston said he caught those fish by flipping various worms and creature baits and drop shotting a finesse worm.

On Day 4, Johnston sensed his main pattern was dwindling, so he started his morning by flipping spatterdock (pads) on the main river. This produced a couple of his limit fish, including his biggest catch — a 7-12.

“I managed my fish well and made good decisions,” Johnston said. “Flipping pads today was probably the best decision, in my mind, that I could’ve made.”

Of all the Top 10 competitors, Whatley was the one with the highest probability of snatching victory from Johnston’s grasp. The pro from Bivins, Texas, mounted the event’s biggest comeback by boosting a disastrous 95th-place Day 1 bag of 8-9 with a second-round limit of 20 pounds and rising to 36th.

“I didn’t turn it around; the good Lord turned it around,” Whatley said. “My back was against the wall. I had a couple of bad events (Toledo Bend and Lake Fork), got a Top 10 at the Harris Chain and came out here swinging.”

When Whatley hit the “dirty 30” with a Semifinal Saturday limit of 31-4 — the event’s heaviest bag and Whatley’s best Elite Series catch — speculation over his show-stealing potential percolated. Ultimately, Whatley weighed a Day 4 bag that went 12-7.

All week, Whatley has focused on main-river spatterdock fields. Whatley said he caught his bass on an Epic Baits swim jig and another unnamed swim jig, both with craw trailers and a chrome/blue Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap.

“I love Florida,” Whatley said of his back-to-back Sunshine State Top 10 finishes. “If I ever move anywhere, it will be right here.”

Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., finished third with 7-16. His daily weights were 17-11, 18-12, 18-4 and 16-11.

Committing his event to Rodman Reservoir, south of Palatka, Foutz focused on chasing bass that were moving with bait schools. When the fish came up schooling, he’d catch them on a Zara Spook. For the ones he spied on forward-facing sonar, a jighead minnow presentation got the bites.

“I had (Rodman) to myself, which is surprising with these guys,” Foutz said. “Anytime you have something to yourself, it means one of two things: It’s something special or you’re not on them at all.

“I was around so many fish. They were swimming around in schools of 30 and 40. They got a little hard to catch the last two days. I just had two 30-minute flurries when I caught the bulk of my weight.”

Cory Johnston won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for Day 4 with his 7-12. Whatley won the $2,000 Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag Award.

Whatley also won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for the tournament with his 8-7.

Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., won the $1,000 BassTrakk contingency award.

Florida pro Drew Benton also took home an additional $4,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Louisiana’s Greg Hackney earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Benton earned an additional $4,000 while Oklahoma’s Jason Christie claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Rookie Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., won $1,000 for once again finishing an event with the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. McKinney has 380 points, followed by Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., with 375, Canadian Chris Johnston with 342, Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, with 338 and Cory Johnston with 335.

McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings.

This event was hosted by the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.

2024 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 4/18-4/21
St. Johns River, Palatka FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 20 93-06 103 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 27-08 Day 3: 5 23-02 Day 4: 5 19-09
2. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 17 72-04 102 $40,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-09 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 31-04 Day 4: 5 12-07
3. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 20 71-06 101 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-04 Day 4: 5 16-11
4. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 20 70-11 100 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 20-14 Day 4: 5 21-08
5. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 70-00 99 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 18-14 Day 4: 5 13-02
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 67-15 98 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 15-09 Day 4: 5 16-04
7. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 20 66-09 97 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 15-14 Day 4: 5 16-13
8. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 19 66-09 96 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 4 13-00 Day 4: 5 16-09
9. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 20 64-13 95 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 09-03 Day 4: 5 16-08
10. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 20 63-15 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 20-03 Day 4: 5 11-09
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 07-15 $1,000.00
2 John Cox Debary, FL 08-00 $1,000.00
3 Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 08-07 $1,000.00
4 Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 07-12 $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 08-07 $2,000.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 31-04 $2,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 506 1411-00
2 101 510 1336-09
3 42 235 644-07
4 10 50 161-00
———————————-
252 1301 3553-00

The Surprising Truth About Rainy Days – You Won’t Believe What Happens!

Brian Carter

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April 21, 2024

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The Surprising Truth About Rainy Days – You Won’t Believe What Happens!

As I sit in the comfort of my tent, listening to the rhythmic sound of rainfall, I can’t help but ponder over the age-old question: is bass fishing better before or during the rain? Should the anglers expect a better day two in the rain, compared to the somewhat ideal conditions of day one with partly cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and no rain? Let’s dive into the science behind these two scenarios and explore the possibilities. And, of course, at the end, I’ll be eager to hear your thoughts and opinions. But for now, should I put on a rain jacket or simply stay in the shelter of my tent?

Before we delve into the details, it’s crucial to understand that bass fishing can be influenced by various factors, and predicting fish behavior with absolute certainty is nearly impossible. However, with a little knowledge of their habits and preferences, we can make educated guesses.

Before Rain:
One might assume that bass fishing just before rain arrives would be a fruitful endeavor. And in many cases, this assumption holds true. A drop in air pressure, increased cloud cover, and stronger winds often stir up the food chain, triggering bass to feed more actively. This increased activity can create the perfect conditions for landing your lunker. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that strong thunderstorms can temporarily shut down bass activity for several hours after they pass through. During this post-storm period, you might need to adjust your strategy and use slower presentations to entice bites.

During Rain:
Fishing for bass during rainfall can indeed be an exhilarating experience. Rain significantly alters the physical makeup of bodies of water by clouding them up and creating stronger currents. Bass, being naturally nervous creatures, find solace in this cloudy environment, as it reduces their ability to see shadows or your approaching boat. Consequently, they are more prone to biting during rainy conditions.

One crucial aspect to pay attention to while fishing in the rain is runoff. The best place to target bass during a rainstorm is wherever runoff is occurring. Surface runoff brings additional nutrients from the soil, attracting baitfish. And where there are baitfish, you’ll undoubtedly find bass lurking nearby. Furthermore, the runoff usually clouds up the water, creating the ideal conditions for bass fishing.

If the rain is pouring down, as opposed to a mere drizzle, consider utilizing topwater lures like buzz baits or jitterbugs. Heavy rain tends to make bass incredibly active, and these lures can effectively grab their attention. Additionally, it’s advisable to present your bait faster and cover more water during rainy days. Since bass won’t stay in one place for long, it’s vital to think like they do when it rains. Locate their travel routes and fish quickly along those paths.

Moving baits such as spinnerbaits, walking baits, and chatterbaits can work wonders to entice bass bites during rain. Furthermore, just after the rain subsides, slower topwater lures can also prove to be highly effective.

In conclusion, both periods have their advantages. Before the rain, it’s wise to focus on slower presentations, considering the possible decrease in bass activity during the post-storm period. On the other hand, during rainfall, take advantage of the feeding frenzy caused by the altered conditions of the water. Utilize faster techniques and explore the areas with runoff for the best chance of success.

Now, as I ponder my own decision of donning a rain jacket or remaining cozily tucked inside my tent, I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions. What would you do in my situation? Should I embrace the rain and venture out with my fishing gear, or should I simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the soothing sound of rainfall from the comfort of my tent? The choice is yours!

Johnston widens lead on Day 3 of Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

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Brian Carter

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April 20, 2024

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Johnston widens lead on Day 3 of Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

Canada’s Cory Johnston maintains the lead on Day 3 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a three-day total of 73 pounds, 13 ounces.

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

April 20, 2024

Johnston widens lead on Day 3 of Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Johns River

PALATKA, Fla. — With less competition, but more company, Cory Johnston leveraged late-day heroics to extend his lead on Day 3 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

Bolstering his first two days’ weights of 23-3 and 27-8, the seasoned pro from Otonabee, Canada, added a Semifinal Saturday limit of 23-2 to tally 73-13 and hold on to the lead he set on Day 2.

“It’s been an incredible week, but it’s one of those things — if it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen,” Johnston said. “The past two days, I caught a big one on the last cast. We’re just going to go out tomorrow, go fishing and see what happens.”

Leading Texan Brad Whatley by 14 pounds, Johnston spent his day looking for bed fish in Salt Springs, which runs off the northwest side of Lake George. He had far fewer competitors in the area, but with weekend pleasure boaters packing into this popular area, he had to account for more noise and habitat disturbance.

“They stir the water up a little bit, but you just keep looking and looking and looking and eventually you come across them,” Johnston said.

While he was fortunate enough to find a “one-flipper” — a fish that bit on the first presentation — Johnston said others were less cooperative. This was not necessarily due to the recreational boat traffic, as the area he’s fishing has sustained three days of heavy fishing pressure.

“I had a few that were not being nice to me, to say the least,” Johnston said.

Same as the past two days, Johnston flipped a variety of Texas-rigged plastics to his bed fish. Watching the fish on live sonar allowed him to monitor locations and reactions.

Johnston owns a stellar smallmouth fishing resume, with a St. Croix Bassmaster Opens win at the St. Lawrence River and a Bassmaster Century Club belt for catching over 100 pounds of smallies in a four-day Bassmaster Elite Series event (2022) at the same fishery. Despite his brown fish bona fides, he’s very familiar with largemouth.

“Where we grew up, it was all largemouth fishing; the smallmouth weren’t as relevant,” Johnston said. “We grew up punching mats, flipping reeds, and that kinda stuff.”

Late in the day, Johnston watched his younger brother Chris Johnston catch a 6-pounder, but the elder sibling soon struck back with a double shot of St. Johns difference-makers. Catching a 5-pounder at 1:41 p.m., he added a 7-pound day-ender a few minutes later.

With three second-place Elite finishes (Lake St. Clair 2020, St. Lawrence River 2022 and 2023), Johnston said he’s focused on closing the deal at the St. Johns River. After weighing in his third-round bag, Johnston said he wasn’t sure exactly how he’ll do that.

“I do have a backup plan that I haven’t had to use this week, but I feel like tomorrow’s probably going to be the day,” he said. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I don’t know if I’m going to go into (Salt Springs) at all; I don’t know if I’m going to go in there and not leave it. We’ll see what happens in the morning.”

Hailing from Bivins, Texas, Whatley electrified the weigh-in crowd with an astounding limit of 31-4 — the event’s biggest bag and the seventh-heaviest in St. Johns River Elite events. The only competitor to reach the 30-pound mark, Whatley has a three-day total of 59-13.

Coming off a Top 10 finish at last week’s Elite event at the Harris Chain, Whatley turned in the week’s greatest comeback. Placing 95th on Day 1 with 8-9, he added a Day 2 limit of 20 pounds and rose to 36th.

Anchoring his bag with an 8-7, Whatley said he endured a painfully slow Saturday morning that nearly drove him to abandon his area. Thankfully, his bite ignited and he sacked up all of his weight in about a two-hour period.

“I went to my main area and I wasn’t getting bit and I only had one little one (around 11:30 a.m.),” Whatley said. “I said, ‘I’m going to need a bite pretty quick or I’m going to have to burn out of here.’

“Probably 30 seconds later, I caught one that was close to 6 pounds and then, probably 30 minutes later, I caught that (8-7).”

Whatley spent his day flipping vegetation and fishing a swim jig. He’s optimistic that Championship Sunday holds the potential for him to repeat his Day 3 performance.

“This is Florida, they live here — we all know that,” Whatley said. “I’m seeing a lot of big fish. I’m definitely around some big fish. If they bite (tomorrow), I’ll have a chance to catch another 30-pound bag.”

Also making his home in Otonabee, Canada, Chris Johnston is in third place with 56-14. His daily weights were 16-9, 21-7 and 18-14.

Johnston started his day Saturday flipping main-river pads and then transitioned to Salt Springs bed fishing. He followed the same plan on Friday, but the third morning treated him better.

“I got a 4 1/2-pounder, a 2 1/4- and a 2-pounder, so that took some of the pressure off this morning,” Johnston said. “I knew if I went to the Springs and got two good bites, I’d have a decent day.

“I fished pads until about 10:30 and I didn’t get very many bites. That was discouraging, but I had one stretch that continued to produce bigger bites. That’s where I got a 4 1/2 on my way back in yesterday.”

Johnston caught his pad fish on stickbaits with a 5/16-ounce tungsten weight on 25-pound fluorocarbon. In Salt Springs, he caught his fish on a drop shot, a wacky rig and a Texas rig.

Whatley is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-7.

Rookie Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 380 points. Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., is in second with 375, followed by Chris Johnston with 344, Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, with 338, and Cory Johnston with 335.

McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings.

The Top 10 remaining pros will take off at 7 a.m. Sunday from Palatka City Dock & Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with the winning pro earning $100,000.

Follow all of the Championship Sunday action with live coverage on FS1from 8 a.m. – 1:30- p.m. ET and on Bassmaster.com from 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

This event is being hosted by the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.

2024 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 4/18-4/21
St. Johns River, Palatka FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 73-13 103
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 27-08 Day 3: 5 23-02
2. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 12 59-13 102 $1,000.00
Day 1: 2 08-09 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 31-04
3. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 56-14 101
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 18-14
4. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 54-11 100
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-04
5. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 52-06 99
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 20-03
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 51-11 98
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 15-09
7. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 14 50-00 97
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 4 13-00
8. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 49-12 96
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 15-14
9. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 49-03 95
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 20-14
10. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 48-05 94
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 09-03
11. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 48-05 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 19-04
12. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 15 47-14 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 18-08
13. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 46-14 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 15-10
14. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 15 46-11 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 18-00
15. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 13 46-09 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 22-11 Day 3: 3 07-13
16. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 46-06 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 18-08
17. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 45-11 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 09-01 Day 3: 5 15-12
18. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 45-04 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 13-01
19. Todd Auten Clover, SC 15 44-15 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 5 12-08
20. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 44-13 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 15-11
21. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 44-09 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 15-05
22. John Cox Debary, FL 15 44-01 82 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 09-11
23. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 13 44-00 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 3 11-00
24. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 43-07 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 10-09
25. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 43-06 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-03
26. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 11 42-11 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 28-08 Day 2: 1 03-11 Day 3: 5 10-08
27. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 42-09 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 5 11-13
28. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 12 41-13 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 2 10-05
29. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 41-12 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 10-12 Day 3: 5 09-00
30. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 41-12 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 14-06
31. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 41-01 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 5 11-03
32. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 40-14 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 09-00 Day 3: 5 13-07
33. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 14 40-13 71 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 4 05-06
34. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 40-11 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 10-06
35. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 15 40-09 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 13-10
36. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 40-08 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 5 09-10
37. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 40-04 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 07-14
38. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 40-03 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 10-12
39. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 15 40-02 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 12-15
40. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 15 39-15 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 12-00
41. Derek Hudnall Zachary, LA 14 39-05 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 4 09-15
42. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 38-15 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 10-13
43. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 13 38-12 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 3 04-09
44. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 15 38-05 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 11-03 Day 3: 5 10-14
45. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 37-10 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 09-11
46. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 15 36-14 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 08-04
47. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 36-12 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 11-00 Day 3: 5 09-15
48. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 36-07 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 09-10
49. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 32-09 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 05-07
50. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 12 30-00 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 2 02-08
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 07-15 $1,000.00
2 John Cox Debary, FL 08-00 $1,000.00
3 Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 08-07 $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 506 1411-00
2 101 510 1336-09
3 42 235 644-07
———————————-
242 1251 3392-00

Ebare Catches 21 Pounds for Second Consecutive Day to Take Lead at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats

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Brian Carter

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April 20, 2024

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Ebare Catches 21 Pounds for Second Consecutive Day to Take Lead at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats

Texas pro takes slim 13-ounce lead into final day of competition Sunday

CALVERT CITY, Ky. (April 20, 2024) – For a while, Dakota Ebare was a snakebit young gun, getting close so often and not quite sealing the deal, time after time. Now, he’s basically a grizzled veteran compared to some of his competition, and there’s pretty much no tournament he can’t win.

Tallying an even 21 pounds – the biggest bag of the day – the Texas pro moved into the lead of Stop 3 Presented by Phoenix Boats on Kentucky Lake. With a 42-2 total over two days, Ebare leads the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event by just under a pound, with three pros behind him who have averaged 20 pounds or better.

Falling to second, Andrew Nordbye weighed 18-11 on Day 2 for a 41-7 total, Colby Miller sacked up 20-11 to move up and Alec Morrison added 20-2 to his total to drop one spot in the standings. The entire Top 30 is averaging well over 15 pounds a day, and it’s been a genuine catchfest so far on Kentucky.

Link to Photo Gallery of Day 2 Afternoon Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights of Day 2 on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes

Moving up from second, Ebare has weighed all smallies so far, as has basically everyone else in the top five.

Heading into the event, Ebare knew what he wanted to look for. He’s executed perfectly so far.

“I had in my mind kind of what I wanted to do before I ever got here,” Ebare said. “I practiced at Rayburn for a couple weeks when I was home for what I felt like was going to be down here, and it was, and it is, and it’s worked out.”

Fishing for smallmouth predominantly, he says he’s not 100 percent locked-in on bedding fish, as some of his peers are.

“Some of them are spawning, for sure,” he said. “But I think some of them are just hanging out on current and cover.”

Tightlipped about the specifics, Ebare seems to know what he’s looking for, and he’s ran new water and old water so far – which should set him up well for the final day.

“The only thing is, there’s a lot of areas that have gotten a lot of pressure, and I don’t really know all of them,” he said. “I’ve been trying to stay out of the crowds. Tomorrow will be a lot more open, but I don’t want to fish a lot of dead water that has been pounded. I feel like I know what I’m looking for; it’s just about finding those right areas with fresh fish and getting a big bite. I’m catching a lot of them, but you never know when that next big bite is going to come.”

Given another good day, he may take home his third MLF win since January of ‘23.

“I think if I make good decisions tomorrow, I have a chance,” he said. “I think I’ve prepared myself well. I feel like I know what I need to look for. We’ve been down this road a bunch, and it hasn’t always worked out. But if I make good decisions tomorrow, I have a chance.”

The top 30 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes are:

1st:        Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 10 bass, 42-4
2nd:       Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 41-7
3rd:       Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 10 bass, 40-14
4th:        Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-9
5th:        Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 38-9
6th:        Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-3
7th:        Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., 10 bass, 37-11
8th:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 10 bass, 36-8
9th:        Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 10 bass, 35-15
10th:     Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-13
11th:     Kevin Meunier, Lamar, Ind., 10 bass, 35-13
12th:     Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 35-6
13th:     Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 35-4
14th:     Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 35-2
15th:     Brad Leuthner, Victoria, Minn., 10 bass, 34-14
16th:     Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 34-11
17th:     Adam Bartusek, Clearwater, Minn., 10 bass, 34-9
18th:     Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 10 bass, 34-8
19th:     Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 34-8
20th:     Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 10 bass, 34-5
21st:      Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-10
22nd:    Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., nine bass, 33-0
23rd:     Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 10 bass, 33-0
24th:     Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 10 bass, 32-13
25th:     Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 32-11
26th:     Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 10 bass, 32-8
27th:     Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 10 bass, 31-14
28th:     Mark Condron, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-14
29th:     Ethan King, Wilsonville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-12
30th:     Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 10 bass, 31-10

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award was split by pros Alec Morrison and Kyle Hall, as each brought a bass to the scale that weighed at 5 pounds, 3 ounces.

Overall, there were 559 bass weighing 1,535 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 130 pros Saturday. The catch included 86 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.

The final 30 anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT Sunday from the Kentucky Dam Marina, located at 466 Marina Drive in Gilbertsville. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CT. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Presented by Phoenix Boats will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 19 on CBS Sports Network.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton Lead Day 1 of Bass Nation of VA on Lake Gaston with 15.40lbs

Brian Carter

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April 20, 2024

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Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton Lead Day 1 of Bass Nation of VA on Lake Gaston with 15.40lbs

Day 1 of the Bass Nation of VA event was a tough start for the two day event. The field of 81 boats weighed in an average of 8lbs. But a few anglers were able to weigh some good looking bags but none better then the 15.40lbs. caught by Rickey Hodges & Kevin Walton. In 2nd place Kenny Wright & Charlie Seymore with 14.69lbs. Tomorrow is another day & the temp is supposed to change with a chance of light rain. We will see what happens to the weights & who takes home the win.

Austin Bonjour Wins 2024 WON Bass Clear Lake Open Joe Mariani finishes second, Anthony Madrigal wins AAA Division Crown.

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Brian Carter

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April 20, 2024

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Austin Bonjour Wins 2024 WON Bass Clear Lake Open Joe Mariani finishes second, Anthony Madrigal wins AAA Division Crown.

Lakeport, Calif. – April 19, 2024 –– Opportunity knocked – Austin Bonjour answered.

After taking a little more than a two-pound lead on the second day of the tournament, Bonjour, the 30-year-old pro from Templeton, Calif. knew that he had to perform on the final day. With warm and mild conditions remaining on the lake, and waves of massive Clear Lake largemouth bass moving, he knew his lead was tenuous.

He knew that all he had to do was locate quality fish and get them in the boat, often easier said than done – especially in a major tournament. He also knew that he had one major advantage in that he was going to be the first boat to takeoff and the final angler to weigh-in.

Walking on stage for the final time, Bonjour’s day two total of 59.25 was his official weight, and as each angler weighed in during the day three weigh-in, he stood in 46^th place until his five fish limit hit the scales. He needed his bag to be 19.15 pounds or more to claim the crown and the keys to the 2024 Ranger Boats Z518 with Mercury 150 ProXS outboard presented by Bass Pro Shops.

His daily limit posted at 24.03 pounds, bringing his total winning weight to 83.28 pounds for the three-day affair. He was followed by Winters, Calif. pro Joe Mariani, who had been in contention each day. Mariani produced a 21.87-pound limit on day three to bring his three-day total to 78.39 pounds, good enough for second place.

Bonjour said that he spent his days in the north area of the lake. “I fished Adobe and the creeks from the State Park to Lakeport in the mornings and went to Nice and Lucerne in the afternoons,” he said. “That’s the timing that seemed to work out for me as the fish moved with the sun.”

He reported catching two thirds of the keepers he weighed on a pair of unnamed 9-inch glide baits in Trout and Bone colors. He also mixed in a 1/16-ounce 2/0 Garage Tech Baits FFS jighead and Z-Man Scented Jerk Shad in “The Deal” color for three of his keepers while using Forward Facing Sonar, and he caught two bed fish on the final afternoon using a 1/2-ounce Garage Tech Baits Bed Jig in Bluegill color.

His best day was the first day, he reported catching 15 keepers, but then had to work hard to fill his limits on days two and three. “I only caught five keepers on the final two days,” he said. “I just had to keed gridning and trust that the bites would come.”

The win helped the Templeton, Calif. pro reach a peak he’s been climbing towards for years. “I finally got it done in a big event, he said. “I’ve had a few seconds (place finishes) and I’ve come close, but this is surreal and I can’t believe I’m sitting here with this trophy; I’m actually having a hard time putting my thoughts to words about it.”

Oakdale, Calif. pro Ish Monroe, a Bassmaster Opens EQ pro with nearly $2.5 million in career earning on national tours, smashed a 32.54-pound final day limit to bring his total weight to 77.47 pounds to finish third overall, jumping from 12^th place. Day one leader Nick Klein, from Oroville, Calif. pushed his final weight to 76.30 pounds to finish fourth for the event and Scott Helleson of Paso Robles, Calif. rounded out the top five with a three-day total of 74.82 pounds.

In winning, Bonjour earned the Ranger / Mercury prize boat rigged with Power-Pole Charge and Bioenno Power Batteries valued at $55,000 and the winner’s $17,000 share, bringing the total Champion’s prize package to $72,000 in value. Mariani’s runner up prize was $13,500 with Monroe earning $11,500 for third place, Klein received $10,000 and Helleson collected $9,000.

Mariani said he made the most of what he had found during practice. “I caught my first day weight off of Windflower point around the lava rock,” he said. “I caught an 8-pounder on a 6-inch Trash Fish (Lil’ Creeper’s Swimbait) and the rest on a wacky rigged 5-inch green pumpkin purple flake Senko; I sight fished the rest of the event.” He also said that he made the decision to stay in the Redbud and Rattlesnake arms of the lake to avoid the “circus up north.”

One of his main goals for the event was to earn one of the B.A.S.S. Nation Golden Tickets to compete in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in 2025. “I am super stoked to have accomplished that goal, and I really fished a super clean event; I did everything I could here,” he said. “Austin just flat beat me, and I’m really happy for him – he’s a great guy.”

In the AAA Division, Anthony Madrigal of Auburn, Calif. paired with Redding, Calif. pro Antonio Gold on the final day. The pair produced a final day limit of 30.03 pounds which was enough to push Madrigal’s three-day total to 79.46 pounds to claim victory and the $6800 AAA prize. Second place in the AAA division went to Oroville, California’s John McClellan with 78.33 pounds.

Chris Crawford of Sacramento, Calif. Finished third with 73.53 pounds, with Ottis Woodwar of Clearlake, Calif. finishing fourth with 71.52 pounds and David Oyler of Boulder City, Nev. round out the top five in the AAA division with 71.19 pounds.

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/clear-lake-2024-pairings-results

WON Bass Clear Lake Open 4/17 to 4/19/2024

Place	Pro Day 3	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Pnlty	Total
1	Austin Bonjour	Templeton, CA	15-15	33.84	25.41	24.03		83.28
2	Joe Mariani	Winters, CA	15-15	34.34	22.18	21.87		78.39
3	Ish Monore	Oakdale, CA	15-15	21.30	23.63	32.54		77.47
4	Nick Klein	Oroville, Ca	15-15	35.59	21.64	19.07		76.30
5	Scott Hellesen	Paso Robles, CA	15-15	26.46	17.85	30.51		74.82
6	Kurt Dove	Del Rio, TX	15-15	19.54	32.44	19.86		71.84
7	Scooter Griffith	Mesa, AZ	15-15	27.47	20.44	23.22		71.13
8	Bill Brown	Grand Junction, CO	15-15	25.59	20.41	23.86	1.00	69.86
9	Matt Nadeau	Nevada City, CA	15-15	19.61	22.33	26.29		68.23
10	Antonio Gold	Redding, CA	15-15	20.52	17.44	30.03		67.99

Place	AAA Angler Day 3	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Pnlty	Total
1	Anthony Madrigal	Auburn, CA	14-14	33.84	15.59	30.03		79.46
2	John Mcclellan	Oroville, CA	15-15	20.80	29.27	28.26		78.33
3	Chris Crawford	Sacramento, CA	15-14	17.23	32.44	23.86	0.50	73.53
4	Ottis Woodford	Clearlake, CA	15-15	24.24	21.12	26.16		71.52
5	David Oyler	Boulder City NV	15-15	26.73	25.41	19.05		71.19
6	Damon Motley	Orange, CA	15-15	30.37	25.86	14.52		70.75
7	Bob Nelson	Galt, CA	15-15	23.86	21.13	25.32		70.31
8	Chase Harrell	San Jose, Ca	13-13	34.34	20.86	14.43		69.63
9	Eric Painter	Tucson, AZ	14-14	15.05	20.68	32.54		68.27
10	Kirk Marshall	Discovery Bay, CA	15-15	21.27	20.71	26.08		68.06

The winner of the 2024 WON Bass Clear Lake Open earned 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 Clear Lake Open was 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 were Clear Lake Outdoors and the City of Lakeport. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins were at Library Park in the City of Lakeport, California.

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Austin Bonjour Wins 2024 WON Bass Clear Lake Open Joe Mariani finishes second, Anthony Madrigal wins AAA Division Crown.

Lakeport, Calif. – April 19, 2024 –– Opportunity knocked – Austin Bonjour answered.

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