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Tuesday, December 16, 2025
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Teutopolis’ Dhom Catches Late Kicker for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Shelbyville

Brian Carter
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Teutopolis’ Dhom Catches Late Kicker for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Shelbyville
Boater Jeremy Dhom of Teutopolis, Illinois, and Strike-King co-angler Tad Cain of La Place, Illinois.
La Place’s Cain Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (May 15, 2023) – Boater Jeremy Dhom of Teutopolis, Illinois, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Shelbyville. The tournament was the first event of the season for the BFL Illini Division. Dhom earned $4,246 for his victory.

“I drew a good number and was fortunate to get to my starting spot and caught two fish there,” said Dhom. “I bounced around and ended up having a limit by 8:30. Things were going good … I had 10 or 11 pounds on my five fish. Then I went about three hours without a tick in my line.”

Dhom said his drought continued with only one small fish to show for his efforts until late in the afternoon.

“About 1:45 I caught one that went more than 6 pounds, and that changed my day,” Dhom said. “That is a rare fish at Shelbyville. That just doesn’t happen very often. I knew I had it won after I caught that fish. It’s rare to break a 15-pound bag on Shelbyville in May.”

Dhom said he fished shallow flats offshore in his hunt for bass. He added the morning fish were in 3 to 5 feet of water, but the sun came out and his afternoon bites came in 8 to 10 feet. Dhom said he caught 25 fish during the course of the day, including eight keepers.

“I knew I had a good chance at doing well during this event,” Dhom said. “I fish up there all the time. I’ve won probably 15 to 20 team tournaments there. So, this year I said, ‘I’m going to jump up and fish the BFLs.’ And it turned out very well.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

                1st:        Jeremy Dhom, Teutopolis, Ill., five bass, 15-2, $4,246
                2nd:       Joshua Tyner, Spencer, Ind., four bass, 13-15, $1,878
                3rd:       Ben Holmes, Altamont, Ill., five bass, 12-2, $1,253
                4th:        Derick Holmes, Fairfield, Ill., five bass, 11-9, $876
                5th:        Todd Blakeman, Chatham, Ill., five bass, 11-7, $1,721
                6th:        Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 9-15, $689
                7th:        Garrett McDowell, Windsor, Ill., four bass, 9-14, $626
                8th:        Corey Bohlmann, Danvers, Ill., five bass, 9-12, $563
                9th:        Scott Neighbors, Makanda, Ill., five bass, 9-11, $501
                10th:     Larry Diveley, Saint Jacob, Ill., five bass, 9-10, $438

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Dhom’s 6-pound, 2-ounce bass also earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $490.



Tad Cain of La Place, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,478 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

                1st:        Tad Cain, La Place, Ill., four bass, 12-4, $2,478
                2nd:       Jojo Johnson, Marion, Ill., five bass, 11-3, $1,089
                3rd:       Andrew Williams, Homer, Ill., four bass, 9-15, $627
                4th:        Jim Budde, Waterloo, Ill., four bass, 9-10, $438
                5th:        Lane Argo, Edinburg, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $376
                6th:        Evan McCormick, Edwardsville, Ill., four bass, 8-2, $344
                7th:        Rowdy King, Shelbyville, Ill., two bass, 7-11, $558
                8th:        Aaron Wehmeyer, Bloomington, Ill., four bass, 7-2, $282
                9th:        Richard Skiff, Edwardsville, Ill., three bass, 6-11, $250
                10th:     Gary Huber II, Saint Charles, Mo., four bass, 6-8, $219

Rowdy King of Shelbyville, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $245, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After one event, Jeremy Dhom of Teutopolis, Illinois, now leads the BFL Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Tad Cain of La Place, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 250 points.

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. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.

The 2023 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. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.

Jon Harmon & Troy Wines Win HillCity Basmasters on the James River

Brian Carter
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Jon Harmon & Troy Wines Win HillCity Basmasters on the James River

Yesterday started off a little dreary on the river; but everyone managed to bring in a decent bag for the James and fishing the slot! I want to thank you all for coming out to fish!

First Place: Jon Harmon and Troy Wines with 5 fish weighing 6.03 lbs


Second Place: Kevin Lloyd and Daniel Newman with 5 fish weighing 5.91 lbs


Third Place: Jacob Stephens and Jeff Swain with 5 fish weighing 5.01 lbs

We look forward to seeing you all again next month on June 17 at Leesville Lake Marina!

Farmersburg’s Wilkinson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Season Opener at the Ohio River-Tanners Creek Presented by Rabid Baits

Brian Carter
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Farmersburg’s Wilkinson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Season Opener at the Ohio River-Tanners Creek Presented by Rabid Baits
Boater Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Indiana, and Strike-King co-angler Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio.
Ohio’s Sorrell Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

LAWRENCEBERG, Ind. (May 15, 2023) – Boater Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at the Ohio River-Tanners Creek Presented by Rabid Baits . The tournament was the first event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Presented by Rabid Baits Division. Wilkinson earned $5,575 for his victory.

“I hit four different creeks throughout the day and didn’t have a keeper until 10 o’clock,” said Wilkinson, who now has nine career Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins. “I finally figured out a couple of things.”

Wilkinson said he caught most of his fish on a gill-colored Hog Snatcher Baits tube and a few on a Hook Some Bass Bait Company spinnerbait. He said he targeted wood and rock shallow, in 1 to 3 feet of water. Wilkinson said the bait combination produced seven keepers on tournament day.

“Once I figured out what they were doing and where they were positioning, it was pretty easy after that, really,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson added that his ninth BFL win was just as special to him as the previous eight.

“This will never get old,” Wilkinson said. “If it does, I won’t do it anymore. I love the competition, and I love to win, and that gets me going that much harder each time I win. Because I want to win another one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

                1st:        Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 12-3, $5,575
                2nd:       Brady Bickers, Carrollton, Ky., five bass, 10-7, $2,288
                3rd:       Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 10-3, $1,525
                4th:        Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 9-14, $1,068
                5th:        Pete Justice, Sharonville, Ohio, four bass, 9-9, $915
                6th:        David Spivey, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 9-5, $1,389
                7th:        Hunter Colwell, Sidney, Ohio, five bass, 8-10, $1,263 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
                8th:        Brad Baldwin, Waynesville, Ohio, three bass, 8-8, $1,313
                8th:        Zach Graham, Westerville, Ohio, two bass, 8-8, $648
                10th:     Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., five bass, 8-0, $534

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Brad Baldwin of Waynesville, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $665.


Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,620 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

                1st:        Steve Sorrell, Beavercreek, Ohio, four bass, 8-13, $2,620
                2nd:       Brandon Houston, Lakeside Park, Ky., five bass, 7-4, $1,144
                3rd:       Brian Short, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 6-14, $762
                4th:        Jeffrey Smith, West Chester, Ohio, five bass, 6-5, $534
                5th:        Dominic Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 6-4, $658
                6th:        Sean Hupp, Logan, Ohio, three bass, 6-0, $419
                7th:        Dean Osborne, Jackson, Ohio, four bass, 5-13, $381
                8th:        Andrew Cassidy, West Portsmouth, Ohio, three bass, 5-8, $343
                9th:        Jeremy Middleton, Marengo, Ohio, three bass, 5-0, $305
                10th:     Jesse Foster, Franklin, Ohio, three bass, 4-12, $267

Sorrell also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $332, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After one event, Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Indiana, now leads the BFL Buckeye Presented by Rabid Baits Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 250 points.

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. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.

The 2023 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. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.

Davis Jr. wins first Bassmaster Elite Series trophy less than an hour from home on Lay Lake

Brian Carter
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Davis Jr. wins first Bassmaster Elite Series trophy less than an hour from home on Lay Lake

Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., has won the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a four-day total of 62 pounds, 12 ounces.  

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

May 14, 2023

Davis Jr. wins first Bassmaster Elite Series trophy less than an hour from home on Lay Lake

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Throughout the years, Will Davis Jr. estimates he and his father Will have won over $300,000 fishing tournaments on Lay Lake. Today, Davis Jr. added another $100,000 to that total by winning the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a four-day total of 62 pounds, 12 ounces.

The rookie from Sylacauga, Ala., hoisted the blue trophy in front of what seemed like his entire hometown and the roar that erupted drowned out the thunder from a pop-up thunderstorm.

“It means the world to do it in front of my home crowd,” Davis said. “I did it for my wife, dad, my little girl and everyone who came and watched me. I did it for these guys I fish against around here too. They are good enough to be on the Elite Series. I was just really blessed. I had a good job and a good boss, Chris Landers, who let me take off and fish the B.A.S.S. Nation.”

Davis kept himself firmly in the Top 10 all week. With limits weighing 15-14, 18-5, 14-7 and a final-day limit of 14-2, Davis edged Brandon Palaniuk, who led the tournament for three days, by 2 ounces. Palaniuk suffered a dead-fish penalty that cost him 4 ounces and ultimately the win.

The victory wouldn’t have been possible without a bedding largemouth he affectionately called “White Eye.” Boats had been in the creek where he had seen this 4-pounder in practice, but when he asked Mark Menendez about it in the Day 3 weigh-in line, his fellow competitor confirmed the bass with the white outline around its eye was still there.

“At 1:30, I didn’t think this was going to happen,” he said. “I went into this creek, I saw her and she ran off when I flipped to her. I went down the bank and there was a brand new one. I flipped and flipped and couldn’t make her bite. I tied on a jerkbait, threw it out there and after about five casts in a row, she just opened her mouth at it. The next cast I threw it 2 feet away from her and she sucked it in.”

When he landed that bass, the back hook came unbuttoned from the fish and ended up in Davis’s thumb. He had to push the hook through his finger. With no hook cutters in his own boat, he, fortunately, found a local angler at the mouth of the creek who had a pair he could use.

Once the hook was out of his hand, he went back to where he saw White Eye and caught her with the jerkbait, an old floating Bomber Long A, in a chartreuse foil color.

“She was pulled up and positioned perfectly,” he said. “That is what sealed the deal.”

When Davis qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series with his victory at the 2022 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Pickwick Lake, he wasn’t thrilled to see his home lake on the schedule.

“I knew I was going to expose this to the world. My dad and I have worked all of our lives to learn this lake,” Davis said. “It took me seven years to figure out that deal up there (below Logan Martin Dam) and a lot of torn-up stuff. That’s why you don’t see a lot of people up there. Boulders up there move.”

After trying several different areas the first day, Davis spent most of the final three days fishing a 5-mile stretch of tailrace that started at the base of the dam for mostly spotted bass that were in all three stages of the spawn. In that stretch, he fished a mix of boulders, brushpiles and current seams as well as the concrete face of the dam.

He caught bass from 2 to 10 feet of water. Making the win even more special, he won using mostly baits developed by his father’s bait company.

A Davis Bait Company Shaky Worm in green pumpkin rigged on a 3/16-ounce Little Wills Series Shaky Worm Head, as well as a new Davis Xswim Fat Minnow rigged on a 1/2-ounce Davis Shaky Fish head, caught the majority of his spotted bass.

He used Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon on his Daiwa Tatula spinning reels, 12-pound test on the shaky head and 15-pound on the Shaky Fish.

Baitfish were also key. If he did not see little threadfin shad around the boulders, he would not catch anything. The bait moved every day as well. With how quickly the spotted bass were transitioning out of the spawn, Davis said he wouldn’t have won up there if the tournament was a week later.

Davis started the final morning fishing a shad spawn around bank grass and was able to land one keeper on a Davis Beast swim jig in blue glimmer shad with a Zoom Z Craw Jr. After a couple of different stops, he headed upriver and landed two more keepers before moving to the creek where he caught his two quality largemouth.

“I went to my spot hole and I caught my biggest one, about 3 1/2,” he said. “I ran up to the tailrace and fished there for 30 minutes and caught another 3-pounder. I caught another keeper, I mean a 12-incher, and I thought, ‘This is not going to be good.’ I went to my turbine spot and never got bit, not even a drum.”

After leading three days on Lay Lake, a disappointed Palaniuk fell to second with a four-day total of 62-10. He opened the tournament with 19-7 and followed with bags of 16-5 and 15-11. On the final day, the two-time Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year caught the bass he needed to win, but a 4-ounce penalty forced Palaniuk to wait longer for his seventh B.A.S.S. win.

“It is mind-blowing that spot held up and had enough to win,” he said. “I said on camera that it was amazing I even caught a limit every day out of that place. I can’t be mad about it, but it hurts. I had enough to do it. But I have to be thankful. Coming into it, I thought I would have a big bag on Day 1 and it would fall off and I would finish in the 30s.”

The Rathdrum, Idaho, pro caught all of his bass in 3 feet of water or less, using a variety of baits in a wide range of scenarios. An X Zone Lures Deception Worm in green pumpkin/blue was one of his go-to lures, along with a Megabass Vision OneTen jerkbait in the Ito Wakasagi color.

After catching the VMC Monster Bag of the Tournament on Day 3 at 23-0, Oklahoma’s Jason Christie added 11-7 on the final day to finish third with 60-9. The 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota champion spent much of the tournament fishing a creek north of the Beeswax Creek takeoff.

Matt Herren earned the $1,000 daily bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with his 4-5. The 9-4 largemouth Christie caught on Day 3 claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors — good for $3,000 in bonuses. It also leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year standings, which pays $10,000 at the end of the season.

Davis took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program while Christie claimed $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Palaniuk earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and Christie took home an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant. 


Paul Mueller of Connecticut won the $1,000 BassTrakk contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.

With four events left in the Elite Series season, Greenwood, S.C., pro Brandon Cobb leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 485 points. Georgia pro Drew Cook is second with 436 points, followed by Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet in third with 415, Florida’s John Cox in fourth with 414 and Alabama’s Kyle Welcher in fifth with 413.

Davis leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 383 points, followed by Alabama pro David Gaston in second with 369 and California pro Bryant Smith in third, also with 369.

Discover Shelby hosted the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake.

2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake 5/11-5/14
Lay Lake, Shelby County  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           20  62-12  104 $100,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   14-07     Day 4: 5   14-02   
2.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            20  62-10  103  $36,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   15-11     Day 4: 5   11-03   
3.  Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           20  60-09  102  $35,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-05     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   23-00     Day 4: 5   11-07   
4.  Bryan New              Saluda, SC              18  56-03  101  $25,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 3   08-10     Day 3: 5   13-11     Day 4: 5   15-02   
5.  Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI       20  55-13  100  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 5   13-02     Day 4: 5   14-09   
6.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         20  55-07   99  $19,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   13-05     Day 4: 5   12-11   
7.  Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           20  54-13   98  $19,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 5   16-03     Day 4: 5   11-08   
8.  Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           20  51-08   97  $17,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   11-06     Day 4: 5   09-13   
9.  Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            16  48-00   96  $17,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   14-06     Day 4: 1   04-05   
10. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          19  47-09   95  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   16-01     Day 3: 5   12-12     Day 4: 4   05-04   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        05-14      $1,000.00
 2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         06-04      $1,000.00
 3   Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       09-04      $1,000.00
 4   Matt Herren              Ashville, AL        04-05      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
     Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       09-04      $2,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
     Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       23-00      $2,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        92       497      1122-07
 2        83       478      1069-11
 3        43       234       541-10
 4         8        45       110-00
———————————-
         226      1254      2843-12

Nadeau Capitalizes on Bed Fish to Win APEX Pro Tour on Lake Almanor

Brian Carter
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Nadeau Capitalizes on Bed Fish to Win APEX Pro Tour on Lake Almanor

By David A. Brown

PLUMAS PINES, Calif. — For two days, Matthew Nadeau had seen the picture taking shape and when Championship Saturday found all the pieces in place, it did not take him long to sack up a limit of 15.37 pounds and win the APEX Pro Tour season opener on Lake Almanor presented by Bridgford Foods.

Having qualified through the Most Scorable Bass division with a 2-day total of 15, the pro from Nevada City, Calif. notched his first APEX Pro Tour victory.

“Dude, I’m so pumped up; this is my first major win,” Nadeau said. “I’ve been after this for a long time and to have a major win against the best anglers on the West Coast, it solidifies the angler I am.

“My family has supported me every step of the way. It’s their win as much as mine. This is an amazing moment.”

Fishing Almanor’s east shore, Nadeau spent his tournament in one area with three points and a big spawning bay. On Day 1, he fished a 2.8 and 3.3 Keitech Swing Impact Fat in electric shad on a 3/16-ounce Gamakatsu ball head jig and caught 10 keepers on 25 bites.

Day 2 saw Nadeau use the same swimbaits, along with a Strike King 6XD, which produced his two biggest fish. He caught five keepers on seven bites.

“The fish were chasing and moving around more on Day 1 than they were days 2 and 3,” Nadeau said. “I think the sun helped the fish get into their bedding mode, so by day 2 and 3, they started moving to their spawning zone.”

Nadeau said he had seen the fish swimming around the right areas for two days and when he arrived on the final morning, he found them locked onto beds.

“The wind was blowing today, so I wasn’t seeing the fish in 8-10 feet of water, but I was seeing the dark spots (where they were bedding),” Nadeau said. “I was pitching the 2.8 Keitech Swing Impact Fat on the ball head to the beds and when I’d see the tick, I’d set the hook.”

Idling through the likely areas, Nadeau would spot a bed, circle back around and make precise casts. Once the morning conditions got right, he got the job done in short order.

“It all happened in about a 45-minute period; about 9:30-10:15,” Nadeau said. “I was working the Keitech kinda like a worm the first two days. For the bed fish I’d pitch it and shake it a couple times. I wasn’t keeping it down there very long.

“This past year, I’ve been throwing a Keitech for bed fish. It seems like those smallmouth like it. I actually threw a craw bait today, but they wouldn’t bite it. They wanted that little swimbait.”

Finishing less than a quarter pound behind Nadeau, Austin Bonjour of Atascadero, Calif. placed second with 15.15. Qualifying through the Total Weight division with a 2-day total  of 29.23, Bonjour spent days 1 and 2 on the lake’s southeast region and then fished the whole eastern shore on Day 3.

“I picked that area based on (Internet) research and tournament results research,” Bonjour said. “I kept looking for bed fish because we’re in May and today I found a bunch of bed fish and I did that all day.”

The first two days, he caught his fish on a Megabass 110 and 3-inch Keitech Easy Shiner on a 1/8-ounce Keitech tungsten ball head. Bonjour did his Day-3 bed fishing with a Basstrix Flash-Trix on a dropshot and a 3-inch Keitech Easy Shiner on a 1/8-ounce Keitech tungsten ball head.

“Most of the time, I would see the bed first from a ways away before I saw the fish and I would throw the Easy Shiner first,” Bonjour said. “Normally, I’d let it sit on the bottom and they’d eat it and if they didn’t, I’d get closer to them and throw the drop shot in there.

“I worked 30-40 bed fish and I caught 12. My biggest one was a 4-pounder 30 minutes before weigh ins. It was a pound and a half cull.”

John Pearl of Upper Lake, Calif. finished in third place with 13.46. Qualifying through the Most Scorable Bass division with 15, Pearl focused his efforts on the lake’s lower east section, near the dam.

“I was targeting pockets just inside the points,” Pearl said. “I was going off what I learned when we went here two years ago. I had some knowledge of how the lake fishes, so I felt like the fish should be pushing into the same areas.

“My thought was I might as well check those places first because I know how they should set up. I just ran straight to where I fished when we were here before and I caught them. I pretty much ran history after that — spots where I had caught them prior.”

Pearl caught his fish on a G-Ratt Baits GB-100 SP rip bait in 6-8 feet and a Megabass Vision 110+1 Jr in 8-15. Chasing wind pockets, he said, was key.

“If it looked like the wind was blowing on the other side of the lake, I would run over there,” Pearl said. “When you’re throwing that reaction bait, you need some ripple on the water. It’s really hard to get them to bite when it’s slick calm.”

Rounding out the top 5 were Ryan Friend with 13.18 and Mason McAbee with 12.82.

After two days of full-field competition, the top-10 anglers advanced to Saturday’s Championship round. The final field comprised the top-5 anglers with the Most Scorable Bass and the top-5 anglers with the highest Total Weight. Total days weight and Scorable Bass count from days 1 and 2 were cumulative. In the final round, weights and keeper count were zeroed.

Justin Lucas Wins MLF Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula Presented by Chewalla Creek Marina

Brian Carter
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Justin Lucas Wins MLF Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula Presented by Chewalla Creek Marina

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 14, 2023) – Bass Pro Tour angler Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, crossed the stage with a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the final Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division event of the season – the Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula Presented by Chewalla Creek Marina – and earn the top payout of $79,300, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Lucas’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 51-13 earned him the victory by a 5-pound, 10-ounce margin over Orlando, Florida, pro Bobby Bakewell, who finished runner-up with 15 bass weighing 46-3 to earn $17,000.  

“I’m on cloud nine,” Lucas said to MLF reporters after his victory. “To win on an inland lake that’s not tidal and not in the Great Lakes (region) is amazing.”

The victory marks Lucas’ first Toyota Series as a pro, and he said that it’s just as sweet of a win to him as any of his previous pro-level titles.

“I’ve always said that the level of competition in the Toyota Series is as hard to win at as one of the bigger pro events, because you have the best locals in all of these events,” he said. “A lot of these people, you may not have heard of them before, but they’re hammers here. I’ve always respected these guys and so to be able to win against them is a big deal to me. It’s a great payday too.”

After catching his bass primarily with a spinnerbait and crankbait combination targeting the shad spawn early in the event, Lucas abandoned it quickly on Day 3. Plan B included working slowly and methodically to fish his way into the right caliber of fish. Lucas spent the final day slowly upgrading his catch as the day wore on.

“My plan worked, and everything came together,” he said. “Today it got calm and sunny. I picked up a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait Power Hawg and just got to dragging it really slow. It was just slow and steady bites; you know every time I would catch one, I would upgrade. It just all worked out.”

Lucas focused on shallower fish on the final day, opting to target fish that were more lethargic and just finishing up spawning, or fish that were transitioning out of the spawning phase prior to their migration to deeper water.

“I think some of the fish I was catching today were still late spawners,” he said. “I was targeting 4 to 8 feet of water and just fishing rock, stumps, and some gravel spots. Just trying to fish slowly and pick everything apart.”

Lucas’ victory automatically qualified him to fish the Toyota Series Championship on Table Rock Lake in November. Lucas said that he now gets to stress a little less about the busy schedule he had planned for 2023, bouncing between both Toyota Series events and the Bass Pro Tour.

“I was planning on going to the Potomac and Lake of the Ozarks. So, to be able to make it by winning this event is great because now I don’t have to go to those two places. I was going to be pushing it schedule-wise. I didn’t know if I could even do it for sure, so winning this is awesome,” Lucas went on to say.

The top 10 pros on Lake Eufaula finished:

1st:          Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 51-13, $79,300 (includes $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2nd:         Bobby Bakewell, Orlando, Fla., 15 bass, 46-3, $17,000
3rd:         Kyle Austin, Ridgeville, S.C., 15 bass, 44-9, $12,750
4th:         Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 15 bass, 43-0, $10,750
5th:         Michael Smith, Andalusia, Ala., 15 bass, 42-0, $9,750
6th:         Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 15 bass, 41-12, $8,375
7th:         Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 41-8, $7,300
8th:         Mike Cavender, Phenix City, Ala., 15 bass, 39-14, $6,300
9th:         Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 38-15, $5,300
10th:       Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 38-10, $4,200

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Thursday, pros Keith Bardolf of Abbeville, Alabama, and Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Florida, split the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, as each weighed in a bass totaling 6 pounds, 6 ounces. On Friday pro Lonnie O’Neal of Valdosta, Georgia, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize with a largemouth weighing in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

Robert Griswold of Lincolnton, North Carolina, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 23 pounds, 7 ounces. Griswold took home the top co-angler prize package worth $34,350, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Eufaula finished:

1st:          Robert Griswold, Lincolnton, N.C., nine bass, 23-7, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:         Larry Mullikin, Jacksonville, Fla., eight bass, 23-6, $5,525
3rd:         Roger Phillips, Delta, Ala., 10 bass, 22-4, $4,300
4th:         William Lewis, Jacksonville, Fla., nine bass, 20-0, $3,650
5th:         James Menold, Amory, Miss., six bass, 18-2, $3,150
6th:         Joseph Chilcott, Williamson, Ga., eight bass, 17-12, $2,650
7th:         William Grantham, Mobile, Ala., eight bass, 16-13, $2,150
8th:         Dax Liner, Mineral Bluff, Ga., 10 bass, 16-3, $1,825
9th:         Sean Wooten, Umatilla, Fla., six bass, 13-2, $1,530
10th:       Stephen Draghi, Sparrow Bush, N.Y., five bass, 13-0, $1,440

Mullikin earned Thursday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass award after weighing in a 6-pound, 3-ounce largemouth, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Stephen Draghi, who brought a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale.

With the three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division now complete, pro Chad Mrazek of Montgomery, Texas, was crowned the 2023 Southern Division Pro Angler of the Year (AOY) and earned the $5,000 AOY bonus with a total of 749 points. Stephen Draghi of Sparrow Bush, New York, won the 2023 Southern Division Strike King Co-angler AOY race and the $2,000 AOY bonus with 747 points.

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Eufaula Presented by Chewalla Creek Marina was hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce. It was the third and final regular-season event for the Toyota Series Southern Division. The next event for the top 25 anglers in the Toyota Series Southern Division AOY standings will be the Toyota Series Championship at Table Rock Lake, Nov. 2-4, in Branson, Missouri. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Palaniuk leads for third day in a row at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

Brian Carter
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Palaniuk leads for third day in a row at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is leading after Day 3 of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a three-day total of 51 pounds, 7 ounces.  

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

May 13, 2023

Palaniuk leads for third day in a row at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — When Brandon Palaniuk began his research for the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake, he knew the 2010 Bassmaster Classic had been won in Beeswax Creek where the field launched from this week.

What he didn’t know, however, is that the water he has focused on this week is the exact area Kevin VanDam used to win his third Classic trophy. Now, Palaniuk is just one day away from etching more history into the Beeswax Creek record book.

With a 15-pound, 11-ounce bag on Day 3, “The Prodigy” maintained his lead on the Coosa River impoundment with a three-day total of 51-7. After opening with a 19-7 limit and a 16-5 Day 2 bag, Palaniuk leads Oklahoma’s Jason Christie by 2-5 after Christie rocketed up the leaderboard with a Day 3 megabag of 23-0.

“I knew this creek is where (the Classic) was won. I did not know it was behind that bridge,” Palaniuk said. “It blows my mind every day when I come back. Like, how did I catch this much weight? What blows my mind the most is, I feel like I have exhausted everything, like I have caught every bass I can. And then I’ll see a 5-pounder swimming down the bank. It’s like, there is still at least one big one left in here.”

During his 13-year career with B.A.S.S., Palaniuk has six victories, including two that came in wire-to-wire fashion — his first win ever at Bull Shoals in 2012 and his 2013 victory at the St. Lawrence River. Now he’s vying for a seventh overall win and a third in the wire-to-wire category.

Each day, Palaniuk has been unsure of what he would be able to catch in the back of Beeswax. But each day has produced its own pattern.

The first day, he mostly sight fished for bedding bass. Then on the second day, he targeted cruisers and used his Humminbird MEGA 360 to find bream beds where bass were feeding on spawning bluegill.

On Saturday, the late morning and afternoon hours provided the most sunshine of any point in the tournament, and Palaniuk could see more bass cruising around.

“I feel like they were a little more accessible compared to yesterday where I caught more off the 360,” he said. “It positions them some, but it really allows me to see them before they see me.”

Palaniuk has caught all largemouth thus far in less than 3 feet of water. An X Zone Lures Deception Worm continues to generate most of his bites. The lake level fluctuated the first two days, so much so that Palaniuk compared Lay Lake to a tidal fishery. On Day 3, however, the water stayed stable and on the lower side while water temperatures rose to the 80-degree mark.

“As soon as I feel like I know what they are trying to do, it’s like they change a little bit or they change the water level,” he said. “I feel like I understand a couple of things that they are trying to do and how they are trying to move through that area.”

After a 45-minute fog delay on Semifinal Saturday, Palaniuk started his day targeting offshore cover in his primary area and caught a small limit by 9:30 a.m. As he made his way back, he was surprised to find two spawning largemouth. After figuring out where the bed actually was, Palaniuk caught both bass before 11:15 a.m., the second coming just six or seven casts after the first.

After going a couple of hours without a bite, Palaniuk keyed back in on the bream bed and fry guarder pattern and was able to upgrade a couple of times, including his second-biggest bass with 20 minutes to go.

Now that he has been able to hold the lead for three days, Palaniuk is starting to believe he can make his strategy work for one more.

“But nobody knows,” he said. “I lost one big one today and two big ones yesterday. I saw two big ones cruising that I didn’t catch. I feel like there are still fish around. It is just whether or not you make the right moves in the right places.”

With bags of 16-5 on Day 1 and a disappointing 9-13 Day 2 performance, Christie ripped the VMC Monster Bag of the Tournament away from Palaniuk with his giant Day 3 bag, which also lifted him into second with a three-day total of 49-2.

That bag was anchored by a 9-4 kicker largemouth that not only leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament standings but also became the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year. The daily award was worth $1,000 — and if it holds, it will pay $2,000 for Big Bass of the Tournament and $10,000 for Big Bass of the Year.

“I’m kind of speechless. That was a surprise. I looked out there and I saw one swimming,” he said. “I told my marshal, ‘That’s a 4- or 5-pounder.’ I threw my frog over there and she didn’t like that. She just kind of turned. I picked up a spinning rod and fired out in front of her and sat there and shook it. She ate it, and the rodeo started. There was stuff all around me.”

Christie’s season to this point has been a rollercoaster and that has continued at Lay. He opened this tournament in fourth place on the first day before falling to 17th after Day 2. Semifinal Saturday didn’t begin particularly well either, as Christie lost two 4-pounders before his good fortune began.

“I’m fishing objects. I’m just going down the bank and if I see one swimming, I’ll stop and throw at it,” Christie said. “It was a great day. I have burned up everything that I have so tomorrow I just have to go fishing somewhere.”

After landing in second yesterday, Sylacauga, Ala., native Will Davis Jr. dropped to third with a three-day total of 48-10. The hometown angler has spent most of the week targeting spawning spotted bass in 2 feet of water. He started the tournament in seventh with 15-14 and moved into second on Day 2 with an 18-5 limit.

Davis spent most of Day 3 within sight of the Logan Martin Dam and has discovered the bigger bass have moved deeper. The fog also hurt him, particularly when he arrived at his starting spot.

“I stopped on one place and had the perfect lineup with the waypoint and a tree, and I couldn’t see my tree,” Davis said.

The day was slow overall for the Elite Series rookie. He got just six bites total, but three of those bass were over 3 pounds. He ended the day with four spotted bass and a largemouth.

“It was tough today,” he said. “I couldn’t get dialed in to what rock they were on and all that stuff. I stayed up there and pulled up on another deal I hadn’t practiced on, and on my second cast, I caught my biggest fish. Then I moved a little deeper and caught another big one.”

Davis said he plans on starting Championship Sunday by fishing around some grass closer to takeoff and hopes a shad spawn will carry him to a quick start.

South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 487 points. Georgia pro Drew Cook is second with 436 points, followed by Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet in third with 415, Florida’s John Cox in fourth with 414 and Alabama’s Kyle Welcher in fifth with 413.

Davis leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 381 points followed by Alabama pro David Gaston in second with 369 and California pro Bryant Smith in third, also with 369.

The Top 10 remaining anglers will launch from Beeswax Creek Park at 6:30 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. The winner will take home $100,000 and a blue trophy.

Bassmaster LIVE will start at 7 a.m. CT on FS1 and move to Bassmaster.com at 12:30 p.m.

2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake 5/11-5/14
Lay Lake, Shelby County  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  51-07  104   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   15-11   
2.  Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           15  49-02  103   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-05     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   23-00   
3.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           15  48-10  102
  Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   14-07   
4.  Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  43-11  101
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   14-06   
5.  Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           15  43-05  100
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 5   16-03   
6.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         15  42-12   99
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   13-05   
7.  Seth Feider            New Market, MN          15  42-05   98
  Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   16-01     Day 3: 5   12-12   
8.  Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           15  41-11   97
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   11-06   
9.  Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI       15  41-04   96
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 5   13-02   
10. Bryan New              Saluda, SC              13  41-01   95
  Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 3   08-10     Day 3: 5   13-11   
11. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  40-07   94  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 5   15-12   
12. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            15  39-11   93  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   14-10     Day 3: 5   13-12   
13. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN          15  39-05   92  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   10-02     Day 3: 5   13-01   
14. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                15  38-15   91  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   11-03     Day 3: 5   13-12   
15. John Cox               DeBary, FL              15  38-03   90  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 5   13-07   
16. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, Ontario CANADA  15  37-12   89  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   12-04     Day 3: 5   12-11   
17. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN             15  37-02   88  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-06     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 5   11-15   
18. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  37-02   87  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 5   11-08   
19. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN            15  37-01   86  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-12     Day 3: 5   12-11   
20. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  37-00   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   15-14     Day 3: 5   07-07   
21. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             15  37-00   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 5   12-05   
22. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA            15  36-11   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   11-07   
23. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  36-01   82  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   09-00     Day 3: 5   09-11   
24. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  36-01   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   12-03     Day 3: 5   12-00   
25. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             15  35-15   80  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 5   12-05   
26. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            15  35-14   79  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   12-13     Day 3: 5   09-12   
27. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       15  35-05   78  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-06     Day 3: 5   10-11   
28. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL            15  35-03   77  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   11-08     Day 3: 5   12-13   
29. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               15  35-00   76  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 5   10-07   
30. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             15  35-00   75  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 5   13-00     Day 3: 5   12-08   
31. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        13  34-12   74  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 3   05-07     Day 2: 5   17-06     Day 3: 5   11-15   
32. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            14  34-10   73  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 4   06-14   
33. Chad Pipkens           DeWitt, MI              15  34-07   72  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   10-10     Day 3: 5   10-12   
34. Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi  15  34-07   71  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   11-00     Day 3: 5   12-14   
35. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           15  34-04   70  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   09-00   
36. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           15  33-15   69  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   10-02     Day 3: 5   11-06   
37. Frank Talley           Temple, TX              15  33-06   68  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   15-11     Day 3: 5   06-10   
38. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               15  32-13   67  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   13-00     Day 3: 5   11-02   
39. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            15  32-10   66  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   09-09   
40. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         11  32-09   65  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   15-04     Day 3: 1   01-01   
41. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          15  32-02   64  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   13-12     Day 3: 5   07-11   
42. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              12  31-03   63  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 2   05-00   
43. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  31-02   62  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   12-10     Day 3: 5   08-04   
44. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             14  31-01   61  $11,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 5   16-10     Day 3: 4   05-09   
45. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             15  31-00   60  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   06-11     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   08-09   
46. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               15  30-09   59  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-10     Day 3: 5   08-00   
47. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           12  29-13   58  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 2   04-06   
48. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          15  29-07   57  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   07-08   
49. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             14  27-02   56  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   10-15     Day 3: 4   05-01   
50. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              12  25-02   55  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   11-03     Day 3: 2   02-09   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        05-14      $1,000.00
 2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         06-04      $1,000.00
 3   Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       09-04      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        92       497      1122-07
 2        83       478      1069-11
 3        43       234       541-10
———————————-
         218      1209      2733-12

Puzzled Palaniuk continues to surprise in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lay Lake

Brian Carter
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Puzzled Palaniuk continues to surprise in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lay Lake

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is leading after Day 2 of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a two-day total of 35 pounds, 12 ounces.  

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

May 12, 2023

Puzzled Palaniuk continues to surprise in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lay Lake

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Most of this week, Brandon Palaniuk has worn a wry smile on his face. It is one of disbelief more than anything that he has actually found the quality of bass he has during the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake.

By adding 16 pounds, 5 ounces Friday to his Day 1 tally of 19-7, the Rathdrum, Idaho, native now has a two-day total of 35-12 and holds the lead for the second day in a row. Alabama rookie Will Davis Jr. is second with 34-3 and veteran Florida pro Bernie Schultz is third with 31-8.

“I’m just the clueless leader out there,” Palaniuk said. “I’m 100% in disbelief. The fact I was able to fish for all of those fish the first day blew my mind. The fact I went back there and caught 16 pounds today blows my mind, too. I’m going to have to go again tomorrow because I don’t know what is going to happen. I might have another 15 or 16.”

Palaniuk has been maximizing one specific area of Lay Lake and has had to adjust to the conditions every day. Even though thunderstorms moved through the area Thursday night, the water had dropped a couple of inches when he arrived Friday morning. As the day progressed, it began to rise again.

“It is almost like a tidal fishery this week,” Palaniuk said. “They keep bringing the water up and down, up and down, so it has been hard for me to get dialed in to any one thing. You can see the water clarity change and you can see the current move in one direction and then back the other. It definitely changes everything.”

Friday morning when the water was at its lowest, there was very little activity in the area. The shad were stagnant and the bream beds were not active. But once the water rose, activity increased and the bite improved.

Adding to his disbelief, Palaniuk has had his area largely to himself, with only a couple of anglers filtering in and out.

“The way everyone else fishes it, it is really hard to get a bite,” he said. “The way I am fishing it, I have been able to get bites here and there. That is the biggest difference. I am fishing in an area that has bass, but doing it differently than everyone else. I can’t even describe how obvious it seems, but yet everyone missed it.”

On Thursday, Palaniuk did most of his damage sight fishing and caught the Day 1 Phoenix Boats Big Bass — a 5-14 largemouth — on his second pitch to one particular bed. On Friday, the two-time Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year excelled by finding postspawn bass that were either cruising or in specific cover he saw on his Humminbird MEGA 360.

He pitched his drop shot, rigged with an X Zone Lures Deception Worm to that cover. That presentation produced his biggest bass Friday, which was over 5 pounds. He also caught a couple of bass on a frog.

“I didn’t catch a bass off a bed today. I didn’t even see any,” he said. “I saw one that was maybe set up on a bed but wouldn’t lock on.”

He also caught a 4-pound cruiser and bream came into play as the day progressed.

“They aren’t on all of them, though. Just certain ones for sure,” he said.

Palaniuk added that he had several missed opportunities, including a bass he saw and coaxed into biting with a glidebait. Unfortunately for him, the bass made one big jump as it neared the boat and came free.

That bass went back to the same spot, and Palaniuk said he plans on trying to catch it again Saturday. He also dialed in a specific pattern that led to several culls later in the day.

“I did figure out a little something late where I culled up quite a few times,” he said. “I started catching fish off of my Humminbird 360 that clued me into something different. I don’t know how much I can expand on it.”

After landing in seventh on Day 1 on his home fishery with 15-14, Davis caught 18-5 on the second day with four spotted bass and one largemouth. It was the biggest bag of Day 2.

The Sylacauga, Ala., native’s starting spot had big bass schooling all over it, but Davis was unable to generate a bite.

“It was slick today and that hurt the topwater bite deal I had going on,” he said. “I didn’t have a swim jig bite this morning either.”

As the day wore on, Davis moved to an area on Lay Lake that featured some stronger current and caught close to 12 keepers, six of those coming on consecutive casts. The 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. window was his best window for catching the better quality.

At around noon, he also noticed the dam operators turned on two turbines, which helps position the bigger bass to his liking.

“I think more fish are coming to me,” he said. “I caught a big one late in the day. She was a prespawn spot and she was 10 feet down there. She was almost 5 pounds. I feel good about that for sure.

“They are gorging on shad. I had to clean my livewell screens three times today.”

Davis said the bream bed pattern has not been as good as he anticipated.

“I think a lot of bass are just getting through spawning and they are in that funk,” he said. “In another week, they will definitely be on bream beds. But right now, that’s not the deal — at least not for me.”

Schultz caught 15-4 Friday, anchoring his bag with a 5-11 largemouth he caught early. One bait has done most of the damage this week, a black Hildebrandt SqueakEasy buzzbait he designed with a Zoom Horny Toad as the trailer.

One area has provided the best results for the Gainesville, Fla., native. Schultz said there were so many shad in this area on Day 1 he could walk across them. On Friday, the shad presence wasn’t quite as prevalent, but he got two big bites — the 5-11 and a big spotted bass.

“Yesterday, the bass were active,” he said. “We had a low sky with low pressure. It was a humid kind of morning and it was on. That place had potential because it was right next to deep water and it had so much bait. I don’t know how other people missed it.”

The rest of Day 2, Schultz struggled to get bites but was able to finish his limit in a backwater pond up the river.

Palatka, Fla., angler Cliff Prince claimed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day — and the $1,000 prize that goes with it — with a 6-4 largemouth. That bass surpassed Palaniuk’s Day 1 lunker to take over Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors. Palaniuk still holds the VMC Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 19-7 Day 1 bag.

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb continues to lead the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 480 points. Georgia pro Drew Cook is second with 425 points, followed by Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet with 416 and Alabama’s Kyle Welcher and Florida’s John Cox with 401 each.

Davis leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 382 points, followed by Alabama pro David Gaston with 381 and California pro Bryant Smith with 364.

The Top 50 remaining anglers will launch from Beeswax Creek Park beginning at 6:30 a.m. CT on Saturday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. Only the Top 10 will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Bassmaster LIVE will begin at 6:30 a.m. CT on FS1 before moving to Bassmaster.com at 9:30 a.m. 

2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake 5/11-5/14
Lay Lake, Shelby County  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  35-12  104   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   16-05   
2.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           10  34-03  103
  Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   18-05   
3.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  31-08  102
  Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   15-04   
4.  Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           10  30-05  101
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   17-14   
5.  Seth Feider            New Market, MN          10  29-09  100
  Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   16-01   
6.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  29-09   99
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   15-14   
7.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         10  29-07   98
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   15-03   
8.  Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  29-05   97
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   15-06   
9.  Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI       10  28-02   96
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   14-13   
10. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            10  27-12   95
  Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   12-14   
11. Bryan New              Saluda, SC               8  27-06   94
  Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 3   08-10   
12. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           10  27-02   93
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   14-01   
13. Frank Talley           Temple, TX              10  26-12   92
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   15-11   
14. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  26-06   91
  Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   09-00   
15. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN          10  26-04   90
  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   10-02   
16. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  26-03   89
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   12-15   
17. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           10  26-02   88
  Day 1: 5   16-05     Day 2: 5   09-13   
18. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  26-02   87
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   12-13   
19. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            10  25-15   86
  Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   14-10   
20. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  25-10   85
  Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   11-14   
21. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  25-08   84   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 5   16-10   
22. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  25-07   83
  Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   13-07   
23. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           10  25-04   82
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   12-14   
23. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA            10  25-04   82
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   12-06   
25. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN             10  25-03   80
  Day 1: 5   10-06     Day 2: 5   14-13   
26. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                10  25-03   79
  Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   11-03   
27. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, Ontario CANADA  10  25-01   78
  Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 5   12-04   
28. John Cox               DeBary, FL              10  24-12   77
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   11-07   
29. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             10  24-11   76
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-07   
30. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  24-11   75
  Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   12-15   
31. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       10  24-10   74
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-06   
32. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  24-09   73
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   14-04   
33. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          10  24-07   72
  Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   13-12   
34. Cole Sands             Calhoun, TN             10  24-06   71
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-12   
35. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  24-01   70
  Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   12-03   
36. Chad Pipkens           DeWitt, MI              10  23-11   69
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   10-10   
37. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             10  23-10   68
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   12-00   
38. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            10  23-01   67
  Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   11-09   
39. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  22-14   66
  Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   12-10   
40. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         8  22-13   65
  Day 1: 3   05-07     Day 2: 5   17-06   
41. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           10  22-09   64
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   10-02   
42. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  22-09   63
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-10   
43. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  22-09   62
  Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   11-03   
44. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  22-08   61
  Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 5   13-00   
45. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             10  22-07   60
  Day 1: 5   06-11     Day 2: 5   15-12   
46. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL            10  22-06   59
  Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   11-08   
47. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             10  22-01   58
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   10-15   
48. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          10  21-15   57
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-00   
49. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  21-11   56
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   13-00   
50. Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi  10  21-09   55
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   11-00   
51. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  21-07   54   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-05     Day 2: 5   13-02   
52. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            10  20-14   53   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   09-01   
53. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               9  20-07   52   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 4   08-11   
54. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                10  20-06   51   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   08-08   
55. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              9  20-05   50   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 4   08-11   
56. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI       10  20-05   49   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-11     Day 2: 5   10-10   
57. David Williams         Newton, NC              10  20-03   48   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   08-06   
58. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  20-03   47   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 5   10-12   
59. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           10  20-01   46   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   07-09   
60. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          8  20-01   45   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 3   08-15     Day 2: 5   11-02   
61. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  19-15   44   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 5   11-03   
62. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA    10  19-08   43   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   07-00   
63. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10  19-06   42   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 5   09-14   
64. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  19-05   41   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   06-12     Day 2: 5   12-09   
65. Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                10  19-05   40   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   07-03   
66. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  8  19-02   39   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 3   06-00   
67. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  19-00   38   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   08-07   
68. Keith Poche            Cecil, AL                9  18-15   37   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 4   05-12     Day 2: 5   13-03   
69. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              10  18-15   36   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   07-06   
70. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  18-14   35   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   06-08   
71. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            10  18-13   34   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 5   08-05   
72. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN          10  18-09   33   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   09-07   
73. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  18-04   32   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   05-12     Day 2: 5   12-08   
74. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           9  18-04   31   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 4   07-03     Day 2: 5   11-01   
75. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  18-03   30   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   08-00   
76. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 10  18-03   29   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   09-02   
77. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  18-02   28   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   07-02   
78. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            9  18-00   27
  Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 4   06-00   
79. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT          10  17-14   26
  Day 1: 5   08-05     Day 2: 5   09-09   
80. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  17-09   25
  Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   07-12   
81. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC      10  17-06   24
  Day 1: 5   07-13     Day 2: 5   09-09   
82. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  17-02   23
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   08-00   
83. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          10  16-13   22
  Day 1: 5   08-02     Day 2: 5   08-11   
84. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI            10  16-10   21
  Day 1: 5   09-06     Day 2: 5   07-04   
85. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             9  16-10   20
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 4   07-08   
86. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          9  16-08   19
  Day 1: 4   05-10     Day 2: 5   10-14   
87. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              7  16-07   18
  Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 2   03-04   
88. KJ Queen               Conover, NC             10  16-07   17
  Day 1: 5   10-06     Day 2: 5   06-01   
89. Masayuki Matsushita    Tokoname-Aichi  JAPAN    9  16-06   16
  Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 4   06-14   
90. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            9  16-05   15
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 4   05-12   
91. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          10  16-04   14
  Day 1: 5   07-09     Day 2: 5   08-11   
92. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                8  15-05   13
  Day 1: 4   07-01     Day 2: 4   08-04   
93. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL             8  15-03   12
  Day 1: 3   06-11     Day 2: 5   08-08   
94. Skylar Hamilton        Jefferson, TN            6  14-14   11
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 1   02-08   
95. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            9  14-04   10
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 4   05-06   
96. Mike Huff              London, KY               9  12-09    9
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 4   04-13   
97. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              6  12-05    8
  Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 1   01-11   
98. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             7  12-03    7
  Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 2   03-03   
99. Larry Nixon            Bee Branch, AR           6  11-07    6
  Day 1: 3   04-03     Day 2: 3   07-04   
100. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            7  10-09    5
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 2   02-15   
101. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  4  09-10    4
  Day 1: 3   06-09     Day 2: 1   03-01   
102. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  09-05    3
  Day 1: 2   04-02     Day 2: 3   05-03   
103. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            6  06-15    2
  Day 1: 2   02-03     Day 2: 4   04-12   
104. Bradley Hallman        Edmond, OK               4  05-09    1
  Day 1: 2   03-01     Day 2: 2   02-08   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        05-14      $1,000.00
 2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         06-04      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        92       497      1122-07
 2        83       478      1069-11
———————————-
         175       975      2192-02

Palaniuk powers to opening-round lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

Brian Carter
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0
Palaniuk powers to opening-round lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is leading after Day 1 of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with 19 pounds, 7 ounces.  

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

May 11, 2023

Palaniuk powers to opening-round lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lay Lake

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Benefitting from a quick start, Brandon Palaniuk claimed the Day 1 lead at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake with a 19-pound, 7-ounce limit of largemouth.

Palaniuk has no idea if he can come close to repeating that performance. But for now, the Rathdrum, Idaho, native holds an 11-ounce lead over South Carolina’s Bryan New and a 2-pound lead over North Carolina’s Matt Arey.

“I knew today was super important with what I had and what I found,” he said. “Literally, I was hoping to catch enough today to carry me through a good event. I have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow. I have a brushpile I think I can catch 6 pounds of spotted bass out of. That might be my starting spot.

“I have spent four days on this place and still don’t feel like I have a clue.”

The two-time Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year also claimed the award for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with a 5-14 lunker largemouth he caught sight fishing. Palaniuk said that bass weighed at least a pound more when he noticed it in practice on Wednesday.

“She dumped her eggs from yesterday to today. Yesterday she was super wide,” he said.

When he went back this morning, Palaniuk noticed it 40 feet away from the bed.

“It bit on the second cast. I pulled up and could barely see the bed, and I thought I saw a fish swim off. I couldn’t tell if it came back so I pitched up there and didn’t see anything move,” Palaniuk explained. “I reeled it back in and I looked 90 degrees to my right, and 40 feet from the bed, I just see these two bass swimming. It was that pair, the little male and that giant female, and they were heading back to the bed.”

Palaniuk pitched his drop shot, rigged with an X Zone Lures Deception Worm, back in and held his bait steady until he saw the female reach the bed. With one shake, the bass ate and swam off.

That was part of a limit that the six-time B.A.S.S. winner achieved by 10 a.m. Along with the Deception Worm in green pumpkin/blue, he caught bass on a frog and an Adrenaline Craw from X Zone.

Following a weather system that moved through parts of the state on Wednesday morning, cloud cover lingered over Lay Lake all morning and into the afternoon hours. That made for tough fishing conditions for much of the field, with several anglers commenting on Bassmaster LIVE that it was, by far, their toughest morning this week.

The water also dropped throughout practice. But on Thursday, it rose a couple of inches and Palaniuk remarked on LIVE that may have caused some bass to move into the area. Even still, he has seen very few bass on bed like the one he caught on Day 1.

He believes the bass are on the tail end of their spawning cycle.

“I don’t know if there are more coming. I highly doubt it,” Palaniuk said. “I don’t even have a 3-pounder I can run to tomorrow and be like, ‘I saved that one.’ Maybe a 2-pounder.”

Lay Lake was where New officially clinched his Elite Series berth back in 2020 with a 22nd-place showing at the St. Croix Bassmaster Eastern Open. This week, he finds himself in contention again in second place with 18-12.

His biggest bass Thursday weighed 5 pounds.

“I don’t know how tomorrow is going to go, but it was a really good day today,” New said. “A good start. I kind of jive with Lay Lake. I kind of went fishing. I didn’t expect a ton. Practice was garbage. I had a few hints and it went well.”

Running a couple of different areas in the morning, New achieved a limit with a kicker bass in the first two hours using a couple of different baits. In the afternoon, the Elite Series champion made two key upgrades, a 3-6 and a 4-1 that were logged on BassTrakk just before 2 p.m.

“I think I found something that’s obviously pretty special,” New said about his afternoon pattern.

Arey rotated through several baits to catch his limit of 17-6. He caught three of the biggest bass he had seen all week, including two largemouth, one weighing 4-11 and one almost 4 pounds. He also caught a 3-pound spotted bass.

“I caught one off a bed, I caught one flipping, I caught one swimming a jig and I caught two casting a worm. I am really dialed in as you can tell,” Arey said, laughing. “I was fortunate today to get two really big largemouth bites. I’ve got a little deal where I can get a lot of bites, but I only think it is good for 6- to 8-pound limits. I’ve gotta mix in some big-bait power fishing to get a big largemouth.”

With the time of year, Arey said he isn’t surprised the bass are as spread out as they are. He has seen a little bit of everything this week and he says there are bites right now that will mislead anglers. That’s why he’s been switching techniques and areas often.

“The water fluctuation this week is what helps or hurts it,” Arey said. “This system is sensitive to rising and falling water. The water looks like it has come up some now. It had been falling throughout practice, which made the shallow largemouth bite fickle. Hopefully, they don’t drop the bottom out of it and it continues to improve.”

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 469 points. He is followed by Florida’s John Cox in second with 414 points, Australia’s Carl Jocumsen in third with 413, Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet in fourth with 405 and North Carolina’s Shane LeHew in fifth with 394.

Sylacauga, Ala., pro Will Davis Jr. landed in seventh place Thursday with 15-14 and now leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 377 points. He is followed by California pro Bryant Smith in second with 376 points and Alabama’s David Gaston in third with 373.

The full field will launch from Beeswax Creek Park beginning at 6:30 a.m. CT on Friday morning and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 50 anglers following the Day 2 weigh-in before the Top 10 compete on Championship Sunday for the $100,000 first-place prize.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage starts at 7 a.m. and streams through 2 p.m. on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms. 


Discover Shelby is hosting the tournament.

2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake 5/11-5/14
Lay Lake, Shelby County  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  19-07  104   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-07   
2.  Bryan New              Saluda, SC               5  18-12  103
  Day 1: 5   18-12   
3.  Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  17-06  102
  Day 1: 5   17-06   
4.  Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            5  16-05  101
  Day 1: 5   16-05   
5.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  16-04  100
  Day 1: 5   16-04   
6.  Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN           5  16-02   99
  Day 1: 5   16-02   
7.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL            5  15-14   98
  Day 1: 5   15-14   
8.  Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  14-14   97
  Day 1: 5   14-14   
9.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          5  14-04   96
  Day 1: 5   14-04   
10. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  14-00   95
  Day 1: 5   14-00   
11. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  13-15   94
  Day 1: 5   13-15   
12. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  13-12   93
  Day 1: 5   13-12   
13. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  13-11   92
  Day 1: 5   13-11   
14. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  13-08   91
  Day 1: 5   13-08   
15. John Cox               DeBary, FL               5  13-05   90
  Day 1: 5   13-05   
15. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             5  13-05   90
  Day 1: 5   13-05   
17. Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI        5  13-05   88
  Day 1: 5   13-05   
18. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              5  13-04   87
  Day 1: 5   13-04   
18. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        5  13-04   87
  Day 1: 5   13-04   
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  13-04   85
  Day 1: 5   13-04   
21. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              5  13-03   84
  Day 1: 5   13-03   
22. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  13-02   83
  Day 1: 5   13-02   
23. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  13-01   82
  Day 1: 5   13-01   
23. Chad Pipkens           DeWitt, MI               5  13-01   82
  Day 1: 5   13-01   
25. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA             5  12-14   80
  Day 1: 5   12-14   
26. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, Ontario CANADA   5  12-13   79
  Day 1: 5   12-13   
27. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  12-08   78
  Day 1: 5   12-08   
27. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA     5  12-08   78
  Day 1: 5   12-08   
29. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  12-07   76
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
29. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            5  12-07   76
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
31. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  12-06   74
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
31. Skylar Hamilton        Jefferson, TN            5  12-06   74
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
31. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  12-06   74
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
34. Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                 5  12-02   71
  Day 1: 5   12-02   
35. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  12-00   70
  Day 1: 5   12-00   
35. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  12-00   70
  Day 1: 5   12-00   
37. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ           5  11-15   68
  Day 1: 5   11-15   
37. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  11-15   68
  Day 1: 5   11-15   
39. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                 5  11-14   66
  Day 1: 5   11-14   
39. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  11-14   66
  Day 1: 5   11-14   
41. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             5  11-13   64
  Day 1: 5   11-13   
41. David Williams         Newton, NC               5  11-13   64
  Day 1: 5   11-13   
43. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  11-12   62
  Day 1: 5   11-12   
43. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  11-12   62
  Day 1: 5   11-12   
45. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              5  11-10   60
  Day 1: 5   11-10   
45. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL              5  11-10   60
  Day 1: 5   11-10   
47. Cole Sands             Calhoun, TN              5  11-10   58
  Day 1: 5   11-10   
48. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  11-09   57
  Day 1: 5   11-09   
49. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  11-08   56
  Day 1: 5   11-08   
50. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  11-06   55
  Day 1: 5   11-06   
51. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH             5  11-05   54
  Day 1: 5   11-05   
52. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA              5  11-02   53
  Day 1: 5   11-02   
53. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  11-01   52
  Day 1: 5   11-01   
54. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  11-00   51
  Day 1: 5   11-00   
55. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL             5  10-14   50
  Day 1: 5   10-14   
56. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  10-11   49
  Day 1: 5   10-11   
57. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  10-10   48
  Day 1: 5   10-10   
58. Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi   5  10-09   47
  Day 1: 5   10-09   
58. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  10-09   47
  Day 1: 5   10-09   
58. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  10-09   47
  Day 1: 5   10-09   
61. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  10-08   44
  Day 1: 5   10-08   
62. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN              5  10-06   43
  Day 1: 5   10-06   
62. KJ Queen               Conover, NC              5  10-06   43
  Day 1: 5   10-06   
64. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  10-05   41
  Day 1: 5   10-05   
65. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  10-04   40
  Day 1: 5   10-04   
66. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  10-03   39
  Day 1: 5   10-03   
67. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  09-13   38
  Day 1: 5   09-13   
68. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        5  09-11   37
  Day 1: 5   09-11   
69. Masayuki Matsushita   Tokoname-Aichi  JAPAN     5  09-08   36
  Day 1: 5   09-08   
69. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  09-08   36
  Day 1: 5   09-08   
71. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN  5  09-08   34
  Day 1: 5   09-08   
72. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  09-07   33
  Day 1: 5   09-07   
73. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI             5  09-06   32
  Day 1: 5   09-06   
74. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           5  09-02   31
  Day 1: 5   09-02   
74. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  09-02   31
  Day 1: 5   09-02   
74. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  09-02   31
  Day 1: 5   09-02   
77. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                  5  09-01   28
  Day 1: 5   09-01   
78. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  09-00   27
  Day 1: 5   09-00   
79. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          3  08-15   26
  Day 1: 3   08-15   
80. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            5  08-14   25
  Day 1: 5   08-14   
80. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  08-14   25
  Day 1: 5   08-14   
82. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  08-12   23
  Day 1: 5   08-12   
83. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  08-11   22
  Day 1: 5   08-11   
84. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  08-05   21
  Day 1: 5   08-05   
85. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  08-05   20
  Day 1: 5   08-05   
86. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  08-02   19
  Day 1: 5   08-02   
87. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  07-13   18
  Day 1: 5   07-13   
88. Mike Huff              London, KY               5  07-12   17
  Day 1: 5   07-12   
89. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  07-10   16
  Day 1: 5   07-10   
90. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  07-09   15
  Day 1: 5   07-09   
91. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           4  07-03   14
  Day 1: 4   07-03   
92. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                4  07-01   13
  Day 1: 4   07-01   
93. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  06-12   12
  Day 1: 5   06-12   
94. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  06-11   11
  Day 1: 5   06-11   
95. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL             3  06-11   10
  Day 1: 3   06-11   
96. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  3  06-09    9
  Day 1: 3   06-09   
97. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  05-12    8
  Day 1: 5   05-12   
98. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            4  05-12    7
  Day 1: 4   05-12   
99. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          4  05-10    6
  Day 1: 4   05-10   
100. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         3  05-07    5
  Day 1: 3   05-07   
101. Larry Nixon            Bee Branch, AR           3  04-03    4
  Day 1: 3   04-03   
102. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               2  04-02    3
  Day 1: 2   04-02   
103. Bradley Hallman        Edmond, OK               2  03-01    2
  Day 1: 2   03-01   
104. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            2  02-03    1
  Day 1: 2   02-03   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        05-14      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        92       497      1122-07
———————————-
          92       497      1122-07

MLF Toyota Series Southwestern Division Finale Set for Sam Rayburn Reservoir 

Brian Carter
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0
MLF Toyota Series Southwestern Division Finale Set for Sam Rayburn Reservoir 

BROOKELAND, Texas (May 11, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Jasper, Brookeland and Sam Rayburn, next week, May 18-20, for the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir . Hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce, the three-day tournament is the third and final regular-season event in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division.

The tournament will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.

“I think this is going to be a great tournament. There is going to be a lot of fish caught, a lot of different ways,” said Bass Pro Tour angler Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas, who won the season-opening Toyota Series event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir earlier this year. “The spawn is over, the shad should be spawning, and there’ll be some bluegill spawning. The lake is in really good shape right now.

“The water is a little up, so there should be plenty of water in the shallow bushes and the cypress trees,” Ebare continued. “There is a lot of hydrilla this year, and there will be some fish set up offshore in the brush piles. A guy can really pick his poison and go with it in this tournament.”

Fellow Bass Pro Tour angler Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, believes that offshore fish will be the key.

“There will be multiple ways that guys can catch fish – that’s what is so fun about this lake, you can fish pretty much any way you’d like and do well,” Faircloth said. “That being said, I believe this event will be won offshore with a big crankbait, a football jig, a big swimbait – something like that.”

Both anglers agreed that big crankbaits – Strike King 6XDs and 10XDs – would be strong. Ebare mentioned that he’d also have a Strike King Sexy Dawg tied on for the early topwater bite, while Faircloth hinted that he’d be throwing a 1-ounce Strike King Slither Rig around the outside edges of the grass.

“Rayburn is really hard to predict – three good days with good weather and it could easily take 68 to 70 pounds,” Ebare said. “But the weather and the conditions always make a huge difference, so you never know. I think it’ll take at least 60 pounds to win the event next week.”

“I think a guy is going to have to average right around 22 (pounds) a day to be in contention at the end,” Faircloth went on to say.

After two regular-season events in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southwestern Division, pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, leads the Southwestern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 508 points, while Justin Swayze of Gurdon, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 508 points.

Anglers will take off each day at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Umphrey Family Pavilion, located at 5438 Sam Rayburn Parkway in Brookeland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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