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Ryan Broughman & Caleb Copeland Win CATT Tidewater Chowan River, NC April 15, 2023

Brian Carter

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April 19, 2023

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Ryan Broughman & Caleb Copeland Win CATT Tidewater Chowan River, NC April 15, 2023

The CATT Tidewater Division second tournament of the year went out of Pembroke creek today and we were rewarded with a whole lot better weather this weekend then what we were dealt last Saturday. We appreciate the patience with the cancellation of last weekend’s tournament due to inclement weather and the 46 teams that showed up today. Those teams were rewarded with good conditions and some impressive bags as the results proved once again that we are fortunate to have a great fishery! No one proved that better than the team of Ryan Broughman and Caleb Copeland who brought a giant bag of bass to the scales weighing 27.46 lbs with an 8.81lb lunker to anchor there winning bag and take home a $2625 payday! After their winning bag things got much tighter. The team of Michael Kellet and Bobby Dunlow took home $1080 for a impressive second place bag weighing 22.31lbs with another 8.81 lunker. The rest of the teams placing in the money were as follows.

3rd Keith Jennings/ Jerry Murray 21.76 lbs

4th Quintin Chappell 20.90 lbs

5th Hunter Holloway/Bryan Hendricks 20.07 lbs

6th Michael Evans/ Brian Meadows 19.53 lbs

7th Michael Lassiter/Justin Brittenham 19.50 lbs

8th Brian Cooper/Heath Parker 18.15 lbs

9th Bubba Banks/Tommy Banks 16.38 lbs

Our next tournament will be next Saturday April 22nd out of new ramp on Perquimans.

Ryan Broughman and Caleb Copeland with a SACK! 27.46 lbs! $2,625.00!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Ryan Broughman – Caleb Copeland	8.81	27.46	$2,625.00	110
Michael Kellett – Bobby Dunlow	8.81	22.31	$1,080.00	109
Keith Jennings – Jerry Murray	5.70	21.76	$550.00	108
Quinton Chappell	7.01	20.90	$425.00	107
Hunter Holloman – Bryan Hendricks	6.18	20.70	$310.00	106
Michael Evans – Brian Meadows	4.63	19.53	$225.00	105
Michale Lassiter – Justin Brittanham	6.98	19.50	$180.00	104
Brian Cooper – Heath Parker	0.00	18.15	$140.00	103
Bubba Banks – Tommy Banks	7.35	16.38	$125.00	102
JR Milligan	0.00	15.89		101
Scott Rock – Jaden Rock	6.47	15.69		100
Nathan Welch – Ethan Welch	5.40	15.51		99
Jordan Sanderlin – Andrew George	0.00	15.24		98
Eugene Foushee – Brandon Johnson	5.90	15.22		97
Kirk Nixon – Trent Nixon	0.00	15.16		96
Tommy Houlroyd	0.00	15.03		95
Nick Meek – Kyle Verkullen	0.00	15.00		94
Lloyd Sanderlin – John Sanderlin	0.00	14.87		93
Jim Dick – Greg Dick	4.25	14.12		92
Derek Goodman – Gary Dibrito	0.00	13.23		91
JA Williford – Mike Layton	0.00	13.15		90
Michael Williams – Kevin Ross	0.00	12.98		89
Russell Gammon	0.00	12.37		88
Steve Brickhouse – James Williams	0.00	12.21		87
Kevin Jones – Tyler Jones	0.00	11.81		86
Joe Glazebrook – Brad Higginbotham	5.37	11.76		85
Charlie Reed – Jeremy Gatewood	0.00	11.61		84
Eric Powell	0.00	11.58		83
David Buchanan – Brian Richardson	0.00	11.53		82
Larry Barefoot	0.00	11.45		81
Brian Jackson – Billy Saunders	0.00	10.92		80
Cody Mathews – Marty Mathews	0.00	10.68		79
Al Biagioni – John LaRock	0.00	10.32		78
Marshall Williford – Jacob Pierce	0.00	10.26		77
Mike & Ben Knapp	0.00	10.02		76
Mike Scott – JP Scott	0.00	9.66		75
Brent Thomas – Ethan Thomas	0.00	9.64		74
David Shaffer – Scott Shaffer	0.00	9.52		73
Tony Baker – Edwin Johanees	3.55	6.60		72
Rick Plemons – Chris Pike	0.00	6.43		71
Matt Anderson	0.00	1.22		70
Richard Browder – Brett Overton	0.00	0.00		60
Kenneth Moore – Joseph Eure	0.00	0.00		60
Adam Britton – Riley Britton	0.00	0.00		60
Mike Askew – Brandon Vaughan	0.00	0.00		60
Powell Kemp	0.00	0.00		60
Total Entrys			$5,400.00
BONUS $			$675.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$5,660.00
CATT			$50.00
2023 Tidewater Final Fund			$415.00
2023 CATT Championship Fund			$75.00
2023 Tidewater Final Fund Total			$800.00

Jake & John Murdock Win CATT Roanoke Rapids Lake, NC April 15, 2023

Brian Carter

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April 19, 2023

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Jake & John Murdock Win CATT Roanoke Rapids Lake, NC April 15, 2023

Next CATT Roanoke Rapids Qualifier is May 13th at 5th Street Landing!

Jake Murdock & John Murdock took 1st Place with 5 bass weighing 20.10 lbs!

Robby Butler & Michael Midgett 2nd with 19.16 lbs!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Jake Murdock John Murdock	5.18	20.10	$568.00	110
Robby Butler Michael Midgett	0.00	19.16	$315.00	109
Cory Byrum Jesse Medlin	5.40	17.79	$77.00	108
Houston Cash Chase Davis	0.00	16.66		107
Dennis Bradley Allen Mitchell	0.00	16.04		106
Adam Owen Dylan Lynch	0.00	15.62		105
Chuckie Creech Al Lancaster	0.00	15.40		104
Bryan Edwards Kent Edwards	0.00	14.48		103
Thomas Webb Dan Garner	0.00	14.16		102
Shawn Evans Kevin Dickens	4.98	14.06		101
Ryan Hobbs Amy Hobbs	0.00	0.00		91
Total Entrys			$880.00
BONUS $			$350.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$960.00
2023 Roanoke Rapids Spring Final Fund			$245.00
CATT			$0.00
2023 CATT Championship Fund			$25.00
2023 Roanoke Rapids Spring Final Fund Total			$770.00

One Bass for $100K?! Major League Fishing’s General Tire Heavy Hitters Event Set to Hit Caney Creek and Bussey Brake Next Week

Brian Carter

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April 19, 2023

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One Bass for $100K?! Major League Fishing’s General Tire Heavy Hitters Event Set to Hit Caney Creek and Bussey Brake Next Week

MLF’s Bass Pro Tour All-Star Event to Showcase 30 Top Pro Anglers Targeting Monster Bass Over Six Days for Huge Payouts and Daily Big Bass Bonuses of Up to $100K

MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (April 18, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, is set to return to northwest Louisiana next week, April 24-29, for the fourth-annual General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops at Caney Creek Reservoir & Bussey Brake . The first five days of competition will be held at Caney Creek Reservoir, but on the sixth and final day the final 10 competitors will compete on Bussey Brake.

The General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe and the Louisiana Office of Tourism, will showcase the 30 pros that qualified from the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season competing in a no-entry-fee tournament for a purse of more than $500,000, with a top prize of $100,000 to the winner. Anglers will also be awarded Big Bass Bonuses during the competition that pay out $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000 to the single biggest bass in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds.

“We are excited to work in partnership with the Louisiana Office of Tourism once again to host one of Major League Fishing’s premier tournaments,” said Alana Cooper, Discover Monroe-West Monroe President/CEO. “The excitement and fun of having the world’s best professional fisherman in our area competing for thelargest bass showcases the regions diverse fisheries, our great outdoors and spotlights reasons to visit Monroe-West Monroe and Northeast Louisiana. We look forward to a great week of competition and fantastic fishing.”

To qualify for General Tire Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2022 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.

Although he failed to qualify this year, pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, was the event winner last season, earning the top prize of $100,000 on Texas’ Lake Palestine. Waco, Texas, pro Alton Jones, Jr. , was the big winner, however, as the Texas pro finished fifth, but earned the Big Bass Bonuses in both the Knockout and Champion Rounds to earn a total of $165,000 in winnings.

“Last year’s event was magical. I just love the format of this tournament, and I love hunting big fish,” said Jones, who will be among the 30 competitors in this event. “It’s what I do for fun in the offseason – I love to target one big fish. Hopefully this year I’ll get a chance to compete on Bussey Brake. All money aside, I just want to fish there because of the quality of fish that live there. It looks so fun.”

The Bass Pro Tour visited Caney Creek and Bussey Brake to open the season last year, in a tournament in early February. In that event, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama, set a new Bass Pro Tour record in the Knockout Round on Caney Creek for largest bass ever weighed – a 10-pound, 14-ounce brute. The very next day, Howell broke his own record, catching a 12-pound, 11-ounce behemoth on Bussey Brake.

“I was excited to see this event when the schedule was announced, and I pray that I can make it to the final day,” Howell said of a chance to beat his record. “We were there in February, and it was freezing. I can only imagine how good it will be with warmer weather, throwing topwaters around those bushes.”

“Caney is a great lake, and the grass was just starting to grow the last time we were there,” Howell continued. “Later in the year, it should be much healthier, and the fish should be done spawning and feeding up. I can see big topwaters, swimbaits and a bladed jig catching some big bass.”

“I’m so happy to be in this one – we think about this tournament every single day during the regular season,” said pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona. “Our championship, REDCREST, is great, but this is an event that you don’t want to miss. It’s the most fun tournament we fish all year. One swing of the rod and you can cash a huge check and it’s such a blast to be a part of that.”

Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT. The Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, Days 1-5, will launch from Caney Creek Hooks Marina, located at 400 Spillway Road in Chatham, Louisiana. The final 10 anglers competing in the Championship Round will launch from Bonner Ferry Road, located five miles northwest of Bastrop off of Highway 593. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Championship Saturday, April 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit the Bussey Brake boat ramp located at 5373 Boat Dock Road in Bastrop, to celebrate the top 10 and crown the 2023 General Tire Heavy Hitters Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Heavy Hitters Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.

Different from the Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, this tournament will feature anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format in which anglers catch as many scorable bass and as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. A bass must meet the 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable in the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, but for the final day Championship Round a bass must weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable.

The 15 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Monday and Wednesday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Tuesday and Thursday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Saturday’s final day Championship Round, weights carry over from the Knockout Round and the highest two-day total wins. In addition to the tournament, Big Bass Bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 awarded to the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds.

The 30 anglers that will be competing in the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2023 All-Star Event Caney Creek Reservoir and Bussey Brake are:

Group A:
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas
Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Group B:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.
Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.
Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2023 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 5 and running each Saturday through Sept. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Event include: Abu Garcia, B&W Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Builders First Source, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Plano, Power-Pole, Shore Lunch, StarBrite, Sqwincher, T-H Marine, Toyota, United States Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Austin Garland Wins CATT Yadkin Tuckertown Lake, NC April 15, 2023

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Austin Garland Wins CATT Yadkin Tuckertown Lake, NC April 15, 2023

Next up for the CATT Yadkin Division is this coming Saturday April 22 is a Yadkin Qualifier on High Rock at Southmont Hwy 8!

ALSO Sunday April 23 is the Yadkin Phantom Outdoors Open at Southmont Hwy 8! We reduced the entry fee to $120 per boat or $130 at the ramp! You can pay on line by selecting the Yadkin Division under “SHOP” on the CATT website. Select Yadkin Final which is $120 and, in the notes, put the Date and list the Phantom Open! The 3 Side Pot will still be optional paying up to 3 Places! $100, $50 and $25. Will be a great payback! (The $5,000 for 1st with 50 boats only applies with the $200 entry fee Phantoms)

Austin Garland took 1st Place with 5 bass weighing 22.61 lbs worth $987.00!

Hunter & Scott Harwood claimed 2nd with 22.28 lbs and the 2nd BF at 6.78 lbs!

Kolton & Keaton Hawks 3rd Place with 22.10 lbs!

Billy Sipe & Jarred Pharr 4th with 21.71 lbs and the 1st Academy BF at 7.25 lbs!

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings	Points
Austin Garland	0.00	22.61	$987.00	110
Hunter Harwood – Scott Harwood	6.78	22.28	$557.00	109
Kolton Hawks – Keaton Hawks	6.07	22.10	$287.00	108
Billy Sipe – Jarred Pharr	7.25	21.71	$314.00	107
Byron Brush	5.27	20.78	$100.00	106
Mike Kiser – Matt Stanley	5.28	20.26		105
Jacob Bridges – Brady Weisner	4.86	20.15		104
Theo Hagerman – Greg Sexton	0.00	19.90		103
Maurice Freeze – Jason Barnes	5.25	18.50		102
Derek Tolley	0.00	18.31		101
Todd Harris – Chris Brown	4.90	18.28		100
Michael Kinard – Aaron Harwood	4.62	18.25		99
Nick Bashford – Brian File	6.05	17.25		98
Alan Thompson – Michael Coley	5.51	17.20		97
Brandon Palmer – Drake Pate	0.00	16.57		96
Curtis Cox – Rusty Melton	5.08	16.55		95
Garey Ingram – Orlando Giles	4.20	15.92		94
Blake Gillespie – Joe Brinkley	0.00	15.42		93
Kris Scelsi – Zach Scelsi	4.51	14.90		92
David Echrin	5.18	13.26		91
Dakota Roberts – Carl Myers	4.23	12.03		90
Jeremy Smith – Jason Spivey	0.00	11.68		89
Brad Cooper – Shane Everhart	4.26	10.29		88
Duke Denison – Bobbie Cline	4.61	4.61		87
Kevin Stowell Sr	0.00	4.13		86
Elliot White – Blake White	0.00	0.00		76
Matt McBee – Bo Russell	0.00	0.00		76
Total Entrys			$2,160.00
BONUS $			$625.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$2,245.00
CATT			$50.00
2023 Yadkin Spring Final Fund			$440.00
2023 CATT Championship Fund			$50.00
2023 Yadkin Spring Final Fund Total			$1,310.00

Preston & Stanton Harris Win Lake Norman, NC Open April 15, 2023

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Preston & Stanton Harris Win Lake Norman, NC Open April 15, 2023

Here are the results of Saturdays CATT Open on Lake Norman:

We had a good turnout with 30 boats entering the fray…25 of which weighed in 5 fish!! Payout was for the top 6 and they were as follows:

In 6th place with 5 fish weighing 14.16 LBS was the team of Shane Ireland Sharpe and Will Mitchell for a check for $75.00.

In 5th place, with a 5 fish sack weighing 14.43 LBS was Roger Hoover winning him a check for $100.00

4th place was won by the team of Kj Queen and Grant Rutter weighing in 5 alive at 14.53 LBS. taking home $125.00 for their efforts.

3rd place check was written out to Adam Waters and Cole Blythe in the amount of $165.00 for a 5 fish bag weighing 16.16 LBS.

Bringing home the 2nd spot this week for a check in the amount of $275.00 was Conran Manuel with a 5 fish sack weighing 16.20 LBS.

1st place was brought home with an impressive bag weighing 18.63 LBS including a BIG FISH weighing in at 6.46 LBS was the Harris brothers. Preston Harris and Stanton Harris won a total of $1,300.00 for 1st place, big fish and the side pot. Congratulations fellas on a great day of fishing.

We will be back at it on Saturday April 29th on Lake Norman out of Pinnacle Landing (150 bridge) with blast off at safe light.

Team	BF	Weight	Winnings
PRESTON HARRIS / STANTON HARRIS	6.46	18.63	$1,300.00
CONRAD MANUEL	0.00	16.20	$275.00
ADAM WATERS / COLE BLYTHE	0.00	16.16	$165.00
KJ QUEEN / GRANT RUTTER	0.00	14.53	$125.00
ROGER HOOVER	0.00	14.43	$100.00
SHANE SHARPE / WILL MITCHELL	3.98	14.16	$75.00
JACOB SMITH	4.98	13.14
BRAIN ANDERSON / DAVE ANDERSON	0.00	13.06
STEVE ADDINGTON / MIKE STOUT	3.35	12.66
DERICK LIVINGSTON / BRITTANY LIVINGSTON	3.31	12.33
ETHAN HOSPERDALES / NICK COULTER	0.00	12.10
CONRAD POGORZELSKI	3.32	12.04
OWEN HAWKER / TOM LAICHER	3.11	11.97
ROB DIGH / TODD SOSBEE	3.65	11.69
JOSH GOWAN / HAYDEN FOSTER	0.00	11.00
BRAYDEN MUELLER / DUSTIN GREEN	0.00	10.94
LUKE CLARK / HEATHER CLARK	0.00	10.67
CHRIS TEAGUE	0.00	10.60
DAVID HENDRICK / SIDNEY REYNOLDS	0.00	10.31
DAVE BEARD / JERRY GOBEL	0.00	10.24
GREG SIMS / BOBBY YOUNG	0.00	10.13
MIKE GREEN / DREW MONTGOMERY	0.00	10.12
JOEL PORTER	0.00	9.31
TONY NELSON	0.00	8.47
DOUG BJORNSON / JOSH BJORNSON	0.00	6.73
TJ MURPHY	0.00	0.00
HAYDEN STRICKLAND / NICHOLAS WILLIAMS	0.00	0.00
ADAM PARKER / CHRIS VAN DYKE	0.00	0.00
JOSH ASHLEY / HILLARY ASHLEY	0.00	0.00
KEITH WOOD	0.00	0.00

Warren & Rigsbee Win 5 Alive Team Trail Qualifier #3 Falls Lake

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Warren & Rigsbee Win 5 Alive Team Trail Qualifier #3 Falls Lake

5 Alive Team Trail/Caswell Glass Heritage Trail. Qualifier #3
Falls Lake- 4/15/2023

We had our 3rd Qualifier tournament of the year last Saturday at Falls Lake where any swing of the rod could be a monster fish of a lifetime. We had 67 boats show up on Saturday to challenge the high water conditions. It’s Spring and the waters in the bushes at Falls Lake. You can pretty much talk to any local fishermen in the area and they will tell you it dosent get any better. That being said the lake gave way to some good bags but for the most part the lake fished tough for a lot of the teams. When the final team weighed in it was the team of Marty Warren and Paul Rigsbee that topped the field. They had a winning bag weighing 24.52 pounds.Topped of with a kicker fish weighing 8.16 pounds which also won them Big fish for the tournament and 1st place TWT. Yep they run the tables on Saturday. That bag earned them $2780.00 They were followed very closely by the team of Craig Hall and Bobby Carter with a bag weighing 24.49 pounds earning them $1055.00. There was only 5 bags weighing over 20 pounds and if you know anything about Falls Lake you know that’s not the norm! That being said there was 2 fish over 8 pounds, 2 over 7 and several over 6 pounds weighed in. BIG CONGRATULATIONS to those guys!

Now to the Caswell Glass Heritage Trail.
We had 5 teams on Saturday for the Heritage Trail.
It was the Team of Robert Galvin and his son Noah Galvin that took home their 2nd Heritage Trail Win in 2 years. They had a winning bag weighing 17.08 pounds earning them 2 Favorite Fishing rods, plaques, hats and two $50.00 Bass Pro Shops gift cards. (Gift cards from Tarhell Flooring). They were followed by the reigning Heritage Trail Points Champions Ross Oliver and Ethan Larabee.They had a bag weighing 12.24 pounds earning them two $25.00 Bobcats Bait and Tackle Gift Cards.

Fine & Matthew’s won the $300.00 Caymas bonus money From NC MARINE

BIG CONGRATULATIONS to those guys.
Matt Tuttle won the $50.00 Bass Pro Shops gift card giveaway.
Robert Galvins daughter won the Daves Tournament Tackle giveaway. Noah Martin better watch out because now that his sister has those Daves Tournament Tackle baits she might be taking his spot on the boat.
GREAT JOB TO ALL OF THE TEAMS WINNING ON SATURDAY!!

So if you haven’t heard we started a new division this year. It’s the Countryside Service Center FAT 5 Division. We have 20 teams entered for the first year of this division. After 3 tournaments the weights are very tight. 3 fish weighed in per team and 3 more to go for the year. Each team will drop their smallest fish out of the 6 fish weighed in to tallie up their biggest combined 5 fish of the year. The top 4 teams are separated by less than 7 ounces. This is going to be fun to watch!

Our next Qualifier is at the other BIG fish pond Jordan Lake on 5/6/2023
Hope to see yall there!

Results.
1st. Warren & Rigsbee – 24.52 pounds – $2780.00 TWT
2nd. Hall & Carter – 24.49 pounds- $1055.00 TWT
3rd. Herndon & Elliott- 21.99 pounds- $725.00 TWT
4th. Ellis & Stallings- 20.86 pounds-$355.00
5th. Dixon & Harris – 20.82 pounds-$285.00
6th. Fox & Wooten- 19.44 pounds-$250.00
7th. Williams & Latta – 18.34 pounds-$235.00
8th. Butts & Hammock- 17.70 pounds-$150.00
9th. Jacobs & Bassette – 17.61 pounds-$100.00

Big Fish.
Warren & Rigsbee – 8.16 pounds-$640.00

Full Results for Falls Lake and updated Points standings to follow.

Benjie Seaborn and Johnathan Seaborn with 22.19 win Neely Henry ABT

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Benjie Seaborn and Johnathan Seaborn with 22.19 win Neely Henry ABT

By Jason Duran

The Alabama Bass Trail North Division made stop number three of five at Lake Neely Henry. The halfway point in the season makes anglers start paying attention to the Angler of the Year points race. Teams wanting to qualify for the ABT Championship must finish in the top 75 to qualify. The top 12 teams will also qualify to fish the Bassmaster Team Championship. Team are working hard to make all those events and looking to get the win here at Neely Henry.

Neely Henry is in Gadsden Alabama on the Coosa River Chain of lakes and is just one lake down below Weiss Lake where the ABT Championship will be held in October. In the days leading up to this event teams were reporting catching fish in practice and expecting the fishing to be good.

The team of winning team of Benjie Seaborn and Johnathan Seaborn helped show everyone what Neely Henry Is capable of producing. When the Scales closed on Saturday they were one of three teams weighing in limits of over 20 pounds. To make things event better, they caught a kicker fish of 8.29. The biggest fish of the event. “ We caught that fish in the middle of the day and culled out a fish that was less than a pound and a half” said the team.

The team shared, “There are so many good fishermen in the ABT and there are no guarantees in this event even with 20 pounds we still felt like we needed one more big bite. Practice for us was terrible. On Wednesday during practice, we made the run down river to fish the lower end. It didn’t take us long down there to realize we got to do something else because this is not going to work down here. Upriver was way more productive for us and we saw more fish on this end the lake in practice. With the water dropping we knew the mid lake was going to hold more fish and more water in those conditions. WE caught several two pounders off the bed today, but it could have been a lot better if the water would not have dropped. In practice on Friday, we saw many five pounders on the bed that would have been easy to catch before the water dropped. We spend a lot of time targeting bed fish that we didn’t catch. We caught all our fish using a Zoom Fluke in a few different colors including white. The Berkley Lil’ Trooper was also a productive bait for us. Rotating though about four areas we caught about 15 fish all day. We came in second here a few years ago and lost a five pounder just before weighing in and lost the tournament by a half a pound. It was probably the worst feeling to have a $5,000 check in my pocket. We have fished the ABT since the beginning and have had multiple top ten finishes.” Today they doubled their previous second place winnings and took home a $10,000 pay day. With this win they automatically punch their ticket to the ABT Championship.

The team of Bradley Jones Broox Goza finished in Second place with 20.99. The team shared, “For us the fish were really biting well in practice. Today we were boat 53 and we got the pick of where we wanted to go and it just didn’t cooperate at our first stop. We started on a stretch of bank grass swimming a jig and frog and flipping. Once the fog lifted, we spent some time sight fishing and physically looking at them. We caught 20 fish all day and 10 of those were over 3 pounds probably culled out 13-15 pounds. Neely Henry has some really good fish. We both live on Weiss Lake and Neely Henry just has the better fishing right now. Finishing second is hard but to an 8.29 big fish makes it somewhat bitter sweet; one because it’s probably the biggest fish on the lake and second it is just a fluke chance anyone catches it but if it was just a six pounder we would have won this event.” With their second-place finish they collect a $5000 pay check for a Saturday of fishing. The team has their eyes set on making the ABT championship and getting back to their home on Weiss Lake and get the win. Though they are thankful for the finish today “for us I would have rather had the win on Weiss that the second-place finish today.”

Adam Bain Kris Colley take third-place with 20.04. Former ABT Championship Winners and 2^nd place in the ABT 100 here at Neely Henry and Kris won a Pickwick event Solo. The team shared, “It was a tough day fishing for us we didn’t catch a lot of fish but we caught the better size fish today. We spent practice trying to find sight fish and had a few located and today we went to the area down lake and spend the day there fishing for them. We caught about 10 fish today. The water dropped up here on the upper end but for us on the lower end the water came up a little. We saw more fish in practice than we did today. However, today saw some new fish had moved into stage up. We spend the day flipping a smorgasbord of plastic baits in green pumpkin. Ever fish seemed to want a little something different We did have a fish that was about 6-pounds that we were just unable to catch after about two hours and it would have culled up a 3-pound fish that would have for sure moved us up the leader board. They collected a $4000 pay day and a AmFirst highest finisher bonus of $2000.

The top five standings are below for a complete list of standings please visit:

Results

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

For Live coverage from this event and others visit https://www.youtube.com/@alabamabasstrailtv

The sponsors of the 2023 Alabama Bass Trail include: Phoenix Boats, Academy Sports, Alabama Power, America’s First Federal Credit Union, American Trailer Rental Group, BAJIO, Big Bite Baits, Bill Penney Automotive, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Anheuser – Bush, Inc., E3 Sports Apparel, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Garmin, Jack’s, Lew’s, Mtn Dew, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, Power-Pole, Strike King, Sweet Home Alabama, T-H Marine, Yamaha, YETI Coolers.

Lake Chickamauga Set to Host MLF Toyota Series Central Division Season Finale

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Lake Chickamauga Set to Host MLF Toyota Series Central Division Season Finale

DAYTON, Tenn. (April 18, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to the Dayton Boat Dock and Dayton, Tennessee, next week, April 25-27, for the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga . Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the three-day tournament is the third and final regular-season event in the Toyota Series Central Division.

“As of this week, the water levels are still really down – they haven’t filled it up yet – and it’s almost like a different lake right now,” said Bass Pro Tour pro John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee. “The water is warm, and the conditions are right, but we haven’t seen that big wave of fish move up to spawn, yet. There are definitely some on beds, but the big ones wait until the water comes up to full pool, and that is going to be the biggest factor in this tournament.”

“Overall, the lake is fishing really good,” Murray continued. “My son fished a big High School tournament there last weekend, and it took 25 pounds to win. So we’re going to see plenty of mid-20-pound limits. The key is being consistent – popping one big bag, and then backing it up with some solid limits.”

Murray said that anglers should expect to see fish caught in all three phases of the spawn.

“If the lake comes up to full pool, that’ll change everything,” Murray said. “Wacky-rigged (Yamamoto) Senkos, swimbaits and a big glidebait or MagDraft-type swimbaits will be strong, and if the water stays down I also think a ChatterBait will play – covering the grass in 3- to 5-feet of water.”

After two regular-season events in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division, Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, leads the Central Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 481 points, while Alan Hults of Gautier, Mississippi, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 508 points.

Anglers will launch each day at 7 a.m. ET from the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore Street in Dayton. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat dock and will begin at 3 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 V. 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: 4WP, 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.

B.A.S.S. names top student athletes to 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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April 18, 2023

B.A.S.S. names top student athletes to 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fifty-two of the most outstanding high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

The students were selected for the honor based on their success in bass tournament competition, academic achievement and leadership in conservation and community service.

To be considered for the All-State Fishing Team, a student must have been nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students enrolled in grades 10-12 with a current-year grade point average of 2.5 or higher were eligible.

B.A.S.S. received over 300 nominations from across the nation. From these, judges selected 52 student anglers from 30 states to make the All-State Fishing Team. Additionally, 42 students received Honorable Mentions recognizing them for their tournament success as well as community service and academic achievement.

“Congratulations to all 52 anglers on being selected to be a part of the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team as well as our 42 Honorable Mentions,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament Manager — College, High School and Junior. “It’s always impressive to see the accolades of each applicant. Every parent and angler should be very proud of joining the team.”

A second panel of judges will review the nominations of the 52 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. As in All-State judging, criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments, involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.

The 12 finalists will compete in a one-day Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, which will be held during the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River scheduled for June 1-4 in Orange, Texas.

Elite Series anglers will serve as teammates and “coaches” of the student anglers in the tournament. The high school standouts will be honored on the main stage at the weigh-in.

Below is the list of the 52 All-State anglers and 42 Honorable Mentions, in order by state:

Alabama
Triton Graham, Citronelle
Avery Padgett, Elba
Fisher Anaya, Eva (Honorable Mention)
Breanna Arnold, Cullman (Honorable Mention)
James Quinlivan, Headland (Honorable Mention)
Jake Woodward, Birmingham (Honorable Mention)

Arizona
Jeff Giffen, Phoenix

Arkansas
Ely Hagans, Scotland
Cole Martin, Hot Springs
Brady Horton, Clinton (Honorable Mention)
Garrett Ring, Greenbrier (Honorable Mention)

California
Logan Howarter, San Diego

Florida
Bryce DiMauro, Longwood
Evan Newell, Lakeland
Drew Bradstreet, Lutz (Honorable Mention)
Cody Morgan, Jacksonville (Honorable Mention)
Syler Prince, Palatka (Honorable Mention)

Georgia
Peyton Dunn, Fitzgerald
Gage Sellars, Bainbridge
Branton Champion, Richmond Hill (Honorable Mention)
Gabriel Clark, Ellerslie (Honorable Mention)
Will Hart, Danielsville (Honorable Mention)
Cooper Moon, Cartersville (Honorable Mention)

Illinois
Brett Mouw, Joliet
Hunter Petrovic, Minooka
Trevor Wilburn, Pulaski (Honorable Mention)
Zach Wolfe, Mokena (Honorable Mention)

Indiana
Braci Ault, Brookston
Ryan Seitz, Fishers (Honorable Mention)

Iowa
Evan Powell, Norwalk
Matthew Melvin, Libertyville

Kansas
Colton Hutchinson, Bonner Springs
Cydney Hutchinson, Bonner Springs
Lucas Sheafer, Louisburg (Honorable Mention)

Kentucky
Jake Mattingly, Stanford
Hayden Short, Harrodsburg
Michael “Hunter” Flynn, Irvine (Honorable Mention)

Louisiana
Garrett Hooker, Boyce
Jase White, Haughton
Baylen Guy, Breaux Bridge (Honorable Mention)
Hunter Hamilton, Baton Rouge (Honorable Mention)
Tanner Meyer, Mermentau (Honorable Mention)
Tyler Morris, Port Allen (Honorable Mention)

Maine
Brody Loiko, Vassalboro

Michigan
Gus Dietrich, Oxford
Rylan Hamlin, Jackson
Ephraim Cretsinger, Jackson (Honorable Mention)
Colten Dickerson, Zeeland (Honorable Mention)
Brayden Ruckman, Freeland (Honorable Mention)

Minnesota
Katherine Wedes, Excelsior
Noah Wells, Esko
Jaydon Manteufel, Fergus Falls (Honorable Mention)
Jonathan Waschek, Apple Valley (Honorable Mention)

Mississippi
Phillip Herring, Richton

Missouri
Alex Avery, West Plains
Jace McMasters, Reeds Spring
Brock Rogers, Bradleyville (Honorable Mention)
Ryan Thompson, Ava (Honorable Mention)

New Hampshire
Andrew Hebert, Litchfield
Cameron Yates, New Durham
Alex Gross, Jefferson(Honorable Mention)

New Jersey
Nicholas DellaPorta, Pequannock

New York
Connor Bell, Lisbon
Logan Wood, Adams Center

North Carolina
Garrett Christy, Salisbury
BJ Collins, Robbinsville
Hunter Alexander, China Grove (Honorable Mention)
Jarrett Barfield, Rocky Mount (Honorable Mention)
Coleman Self, Shelby (Honorable Mention)

Ohio
Brayden Hoehn, Saint Marys
Braden McNamara, Delaware

Oklahoma
Zack Cooper, Tahlequah

Pennsylvania
Nolan Fernandez, Mechanicsburg
Luke Rokavec, Mifflinburg
Ayden Cowan, Breezewood (Honorable Mention)

South Carolina
Kaleb Butts, Anderson
Luke McGuffin, Iva
Michael Gammons, North Charleston (Honorable Mention)
Anna Kay, Anderson (Honorable Mention)

Tennessee
Easton Drennon, Lebanon
Carson Holbert, Louisville
Zach Knight, Gallatin (Honorable Mention)
Ty Trentham, Sevierville (Honorable Mention)

Texas
Jacob Longlois, Orange
Zane Parker, Kingwood
Garry “Trace” Antunes, Henderson (Honorable Mention)
Karson Denton, Splendora (Honorable Mention)
Kaden Mueck, Livingston (Honorable Mention)
Dylan Sorrells, Dallas (Honorable Mention)

Virginia
Hunter Barrow, Ridgeway
Logan Buttolph, Doswell

West Virginia
Mason Grose, Nettie

Wisconsin
Hayden Fry, Brookfield
Julian Gallmeier, Neenah

Bassmaster College Series returns to James River

Brian Carter

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April 18, 2023

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Bassmaster College Series returns to James River

Richmond, Va., will host the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at James River presented by Bass Pro Shops April 21-22.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

April 18, 2023

Bassmaster College Series returns to James River

RICHMOND, Va. — For the first time since 2016, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will head to eastern Virginia to take on the mighty James River April 21-22, and Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Richmond resident Ed Loughran III expects giant bags to be caught.

“It should be a very good tournament. It should be very easy to catch fish,” Loughran said. “It wouldn’t shock me to see the winning weight being close to 50 pounds. There just are too many big fish rolling around and so many 2- to 4-pounders in the river system that someone will catch them. You will see a couple of really big fish caught. There should be several in the 7- to 9-pound category.

“It should be fun for everyone coming here; even if they don’t know the place.”

With 110 miles of the lower James River, as well as several other river systems that flow into the James, there will be plenty of room for the 275-boat field to spread out throughout the vast tidal system.

“There are fish from one end to the other,” Loughran said. “You can stay within a mile of the ramp, you can run all the way to the Chickahominy Dam, which is 60-some miles, and you can fish anywhere in between. You can go up the Appomattox River. There is so much water to fish and there are bass in all of it.”

Last year, the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens showed off just how good the fishery can be in the spring. During that three-day event, 10 bags over 20 pounds were brought to the scales with a multitude of limits surpassing the 15-pound mark.

With the potential for bass being in all three stages of the spawn, Loughran expects the College Series event to have that same feel.

“They should be pretty close to spawning,” he said. “It depends on how warm it is. There will be some spawning. I’m not sure if it will be every fish. It will be similar to last year. There are very few times I have been able to sight fish. Usually, you are blind fishing in those spawning areas. It has to be kind of out of the current or they could be adjacent to those spawning areas.”

Not only will there be plenty of water to cover, there are several different cover options anglers will need to pick apart. The river is full of cypress trees and other wood cover along with lily pads and docks. On the upper section of the river, there are several old gravel and sand pits that can be accessed.

“All but two of them are accessible, but fish go in there to spawn so people can go in there and drag stuff or throw shaky heads and wacky worms,” Loughran said. “That is all within a couple miles of the ramp.”

There are a variety of baits that could play, depending on how the spawn sets up. Creature baits like a Missile Baits D Bomb or a Zoom Brush Hog will be good options, as well as Senko-style worms. 2022 James River Open champion Kenta Kimura utilized a crankbait and a buzzbait to win and a big swimbait could potentially play as well.

A full field of 275 teams representing colleges from around the country will launch from Osborne Park and Boat Landing at 7:10 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3:10 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

Visit Richmond and Henrico County, Va., are hosting the event.

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3rd Keith Jennings/ Jerry Murray 21.76 lbs

4th Quintin Chappell 20.90 lbs

5th Hunter Holloway/Bryan Hendricks 20.07 lbs

6th Michael Evans/ Brian Meadows 19.53 lbs

7th Michael Lassiter/Justin Brittenham 19.50 lbs

8th Brian Cooper/Heath Parker 18.15 lbs

9th Bubba Banks/Tommy Banks 16.38 lbs

Our next tournament will be next Saturday April 22nd out of new ramp on Perquimans.

Ryan Broughman and Caleb Copeland with a SACK! 27.46 lbs! $2,625.00!

Next CATT Roanoke Rapids Qualifier is May 13th at 5th Street Landing!

Jake Murdock & John Murdock took 1st Place with 5 bass weighing 20.10 lbs!

Robby Butler & Michael Midgett 2nd with 19.16 lbs!

Next up for the CATT Yadkin Division is this coming Saturday April 22 is a Yadkin Qualifier on High Rock at Southmont Hwy 8!

Austin Garland took 1st Place with 5 bass weighing 22.61 lbs worth $987.00!

Hunter & Scott Harwood claimed 2nd with 22.28 lbs and the 2nd BF at 6.78 lbs!

Kolton & Keaton Hawks 3rd Place with 22.10 lbs!

Billy Sipe & Jarred Pharr 4th with 21.71 lbs and the 1st Academy BF at 7.25 lbs!

Here are the results of Saturdays CATT Open on Lake Norman:

We had a good turnout with 30 boats entering the fray…25 of which weighed in 5 fish!! Payout was for the top 6 and they were as follows:

In 6th place with 5 fish weighing 14.16 LBS was the team of Shane Ireland Sharpe and Will Mitchell for a check for $75.00.

In 5th place, with a 5 fish sack weighing 14.43 LBS was Roger Hoover winning him a check for $100.00

4th place was won by the team of Kj Queen and Grant Rutter weighing in 5 alive at 14.53 LBS. taking home $125.00 for their efforts.

3rd place check was written out to Adam Waters and Cole Blythe in the amount of $165.00 for a 5 fish bag weighing 16.16 LBS.

Bringing home the 2nd spot this week for a check in the amount of $275.00 was Conran Manuel with a 5 fish sack weighing 16.20 LBS.

1st place was brought home with an impressive bag weighing 18.63 LBS including a BIG FISH weighing in at 6.46 LBS was the Harris brothers. Preston Harris and Stanton Harris won a total of $1,300.00 for 1st place, big fish and the side pot. Congratulations fellas on a great day of fishing.

We will be back at it on Saturday April 29th on Lake Norman out of Pinnacle Landing (150 bridge) with blast off at safe light.

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