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Lake Ozark’s Luetkemeyer Nets Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Familiar Table Rock Lake

Brian Carter
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<strong src=Lake Ozark’s Luetkemeyer Nets Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Familiar Table Rock Lake" title="Lake Ozark’s Luetkemeyer Nets Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Familiar Table Rock Lake" />
Boater Justin Luetkemeyer of Lake Ozark, Missouri, and Strike-King co-angler Kirk Short of St. Clair, Missouri.
St. Clair’s Short Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (Feb. 27, 2023) – Boater Justin Luetkemeyer of Lake Ozark, Missouri, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Table Rock Lake. The tournament was the first event for the BFL Ozark Division. Luetkemeyer earned $7,000 for his victory.

Luetkemeyer, 25, began fishing Table Rock Lake during his College Fishing days at the University of Missouri, and has fished the body of water quite a bit during the last five years. He calls it his “second home lake” after Lake of the Ozarks. His familiarity with Table Rock paid off, as he was able to make slight adjustments that helped him key in on a winning pattern.

“I had a really good practice and was catching them a little bit more shallow for Table Rock this time of year – in trees and brush piles in the 20- to 30-foot range,” said Luetkemeyer. “I hit some of my areas, and there wasn’t much wind, and the fish that I did find in those areas were not active.

“So, I pulled into one of my better areas from practice, and there were some bait fish that had pushed in there, and I saw on my Garmin Livescope that the bass were feeding on them,” Luetkemeyer added. “Right away I caught one of my biggest fish – a 4-pounder – and I told my co-angler, ‘We’re probably going to stay here all day long.’”

Luetkemeyer said he sat on the mid-lake spot for six hours and caught an estimated 30 or 40 keepers there during the tournament. Luetkemeyer’s baits of choice were the YUM YUMbrella Flash Mob Jr. Umbrella Rig when the wind blew, and a Kaitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbait. He said he had to keep the boat 80 to 100 feet from the fish and make long casts to the fish with the swimbait. That one spot provided enough weight for the win for Luetkemeyer and an eighth-place finish for his co-angler.

“It was just a right time at the right place kind of thing,” Luetkemeyer said. “This win is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time. This is my second season of fishing BFLs, so I’m glad to get this win, and I hope to get many more in the future.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

                1st:        Justin Luetkemeyer, Lake Ozark, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $7,000
                2nd:       Eric Olliverson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-5, $3,000
                3rd:       Ryan Butler, Blue Eye, Mo., five bass, 17-3, $2,500 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
                4th:        Dustin Lippe, Blue Eye, Mo., five bass, 17-1, $1,770
                4th:        Brock Bila, Ozark, Mo., five bass, 17-1, $1,300
                6th:        Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $1,100
                7th:        Mark Long, Cape Fair, Mo., five bass, 16-14, $1,000
                8th:        Jason Beem, Gravette, Ark., five bass, 16-8, $800
                8th:        Cullen Baxter, Columbia, Mo., five bass, 16-8, $800
                8th:        Jacob Wisecup, Ava, Mo., five bass, 16-8, $800

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Nick Morris of Princeton, Missouri, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.



Kirk Short of St. Clair, Missouri, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $3,500 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

                1st:        Kirk Short, St. Clair, Mo., five bass, 15-5, $3,500
                2nd:       Brad Tyer, Grain Valley, Mo., five bass, 14-1, $1,500
                3rd:       Grant Denbow, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 13-12, $1,000
                4th:        Kyle King, St. Louis, Mo., five bass, 12-12, $700
                5th:        Aaron Lorenz, Branson West, Mo., five bass, 12-5, $600
                6th:        Adler Odle, Willow Springs, Mo., three bass, 11-7, $550
                7th:        Matthew Newman, Jasper, Mo., four bass, 10-11, $500
                8th:        Terence Booth, Ozark, Mo., four bass, 10-10, $450
                9th:        Joshua Karpowecz, Hermann, Mo., four bass, 10-2, $400
                10th:     Brian Huber, Saint Charles, Mo., four bass, 10-0, $350

Short also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $500, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

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 Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. 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: 4WP, 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, 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.

How I caught my 9.40 lbs Smith Mountain Lake PB by LT Burnette

Brian Carter
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How I caught my 9.40 lbs Smith Mountain Lake PB by LT Burnette

By LT Burnette

I honestly had not fished in 3 weeks so I was going purely on history. Pulled into a creek in the middle section of the Roanoke side first thing and started with a jerkbait and crankbait. I’ve been hearing that the Alabama rig was the deal lately so buying into the dock talk after going 20 minutes without a bite, I picked it up and started tossing it around some laydowns. (I have Livescope but haven’t really spent enough time with it yet to know exactly what I am looking at. The one thing I was able to determine though was the bank I was fishing had a lot of bait and fish moving up and down it, but they looked big and most likely stripers). There were two laydowns on the bank in front of me and I tossed the A-rig between them and she bit. I thought it was a striper at first but to my surprise it was a largemouth. Once we got her in the net, I knew she was big but no idea how big until she rolled on her side. I weighed her, then after seeing that weight I tared (zeroed) it again and both times it hit 9.40 lbs. She couldn’t have been deeper than 5 or 6 feet as she bit pretty quickly after the A Rig hit the water. That was my only bite on the A Rig all day. My nonboater caught a keeper on a crankbait finally around 0930 so in an effort to not be the “one bite all day but it was the right one” guy at the weigh-in, I literally turned the graphs off and we cranked for the last 5 hours of the day and it paid off with some nice quality fish to make it a day I’ll never forget.



Georgia’s Sato Posts Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwel

Brian Carter
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<strong src=Georgia’s Sato Posts Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwel" title="Georgia’s Sato Posts Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwel" />
Boater Spencer Sato of Gainesville, Georgia, and Strike-King co-angler Timothy Jones of Honea Path, South Carolina.
Honea Path’s Jones Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

LAVONIA, S.C. (Feb. 27, 2023) – Boater Spencer Sato of Gainesville, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell . The tournament, hosted by the City of Lavonia, was the second event of the year for the BFL Savannah River Division. Sato earned $12,119, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

In only his fifth time on Lake Hartwell, the 25-year-old Sato said he focused his efforts on main-lake features early, and managed to eke out a small limit by 9:30. Online research by Sato had provided him with a couple of other promising areas, so he relocated down the lake and found two groups of quality fish. He landed another couple of 4½-pounders, then decided to let the spot rest.

Sato said he caught 15 to 20 keepers during the course of the day by targeting structure, secondary points and bends in ditches in 20 to 45 feet of water with a finesse swimbait on a 3/8-ounce head. After he let his quality fish area rest for an hour and a half, he returned and caught another 4-pounder and a 3½-pounder and had his final weigh bag.

“I knew at that point I might have a top-five finish,” Sato said. “With the weather warming, I thought it would trigger the big largemouth to bite, and people caught big ones here and there, but nobody managed to put together a stringer of big ones.

“I know a lot of guys go a long time without ever winning a BFL event, so to knock one out pretty early in my fishing career is definitely a big accomplishment for me,” Sato added. “I’m very thankful and grateful for it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

                1st:        Spencer Sato, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 19-11, $12,119 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
                2nd:       Paul Marks, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 19-1, $2,059
                3rd:       Chase Stewart, Ware Shoals, S.C., five bass, 18-9, $1,374
                4th:        Brent Willey, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 18-2, $892
                4th:        Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 18-2, $1,362
                6th:        Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $755
                7th:        Bradley Day, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 17-9, $686
                8th:        Tallis Morrison, Royston, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $618
                9th:        Adam Rice, Belton, S.C., five bass, 17-1, $549
                10th:     Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 16-12, $780

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.



Matthew Justice of Fair Play, South Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $565.

Timothy Jones of Honea Path, South Carolina, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,059 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 18 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

                1st:        Timothy Jones, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 18-12, $2,059
                2nd:       Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., five bass, 16-5, $1,030
                3rd:       James Akins, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 15-0, $687
                4th:        Damon Phillips, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 14-5, $480
                5th:        Mark Yarborough, Salem, S.C., five bass, 13-9, $412
                6th:        Brandon Hendrix, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $378
                7th:        Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $343
                8th:        Darren Jeter, Candler, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $292
                8th:        Joseph Tucci, Salem, S.C., five bass, 12-13, $574
                10th:     Thomas Pennell III, Boiling Springs, S.C., five bass, 12-12, $240

Tucci earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $282, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After two events, Paul Marks of Cumming, Georgia, leads the BFL Savannah River Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 494 points, while Todd Huntley of Inman, South Carolina, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 494 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 Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. 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: 4WP, 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, 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.

Greg Stallings & Ricky Grant Win STOP #2 Region 4 TBF Open Team Tournament Trail, February 25 at Smith Mountain Lake

Brian Carter
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Greg Stallings & Ricky Grant Win STOP #2 Region 4 TBF Open Team Tournament Trail, February 25 at Smith Mountain Lake

STOP #2 Region 4 TBF Open Team Tournament Trail, February 25 at Smith Mountain Lake, 

46 Team took off from the State Park awaiting Cold Rain and Big Bass.

Everyone got to feel the the cold wetness, only the lucky few got to experience the joy of monster bags that was weight in!

1st Greg Stallings & Ricky Grant 24.72

2nd Seth Brogan & Josh Ingram 23.24

3rd David Martin & Kevin Simmons 21.26

4th Ian Branson & Jon Branson 20.58 

5th Charles Lee & Tony Morris 20.32

6th Shannon Breeding & Ricky Bowman 19.32

We had 6 fish weight in over 6+ but the Biggest and winning big fish was Kyle Smith and Bert Smith 6.70lb 

Thanks to everyone who came out on the Cold rainy day. 

Hope to see alot of you at Stop#3 March 25th Clayton Lake , Hidden Valley Boat Ramp. 

Rookie Joey Cifuentes III notches first Bassmaster Elite Series win on Lake Seminol

Brian Carter
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Rookie Joey Cifuentes III notches first Bassmaster Elite Series win on Lake Seminol

Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., has won the 2023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole with a four-day total of 85 pounds, 2 ounces.

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

February 26, 2023

Rookie Joey Cifuentes III notches first Bassmaster Elite Series win on Lake Seminole

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. — Despite enduring several painful losses, Arkansas rookie Joey Cifuentes III held on to sack up a final-round limit of 18 pounds, 7 ounces and win the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole with a four-day total of 85-2.

After placing sixth on Day 1 with 19-13, Cifuentes took over the top spot with a Day 2 limit of 26-1 — the tournament’s heaviest bag. He added 20-13 on Saturday and entered Championship Sunday with a lead of 4-1 over Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La.

In the final round, Cifuentes held off a serious charge by fellow rookie Kyoya Fujita of Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, who caught 19-15 on Championship Sunday and ultimately finished second with 76-6.

Along with his first blue trophy, Cifuentes collected the top prize of $100,000.

“I can’t believe this,” a visibly relieved Cifuentes said. “Today was so wild; you have to expect (pressure) when you have Tyler Rivet behind you.

“I knew I had a cushion, but I didn’t think it was going to take that much weight to do it.”

Cifuentes entered the final round with slightly more than a 4-pound advantage over the red-hot Rivet, who won last week’s season opener at Lake Okeechobee.

After fishing fairly clean on Day 3, Cifuentes struggled with several painful losses that threatened to derail his Championship Sunday effort, including a bass he estimated at 6 to 7 pounds that came unbuttoned right at the boat late in the day.

“I just tried to block out everything that happened; it’s really hard to do, but I just kept my nose down and tried to stay positive knowing I’d get a bite somewhere else,” Cifuentes said. “That was the key and I did that.”

Such concentration facilitated a plodding pace, as Cifuentes stuck with his week’s tedious pattern of targeting standing timber in a bay off Spring Creek. As he explained, this area offered the right mix of clear water, prespawn staging habitat and proximity to expansive spawning flats.

“I was using my Garmin LiveScope (forward-facing sonar) on the edge of the spawning flats on the outside edge of the grass,” he said. “I was looking for where the main channel swing came in, where fish would be coming and going.

“I went and looked at those places and I found fish. I caught them in practice and that’s what I did in the tournament.”

As the tournament advanced, Cifuentes noticed that his most consistent action came in areas where two to three trees clustered. Large cypress stumps also produced, but the key factor, he said, was the spawning crappie that likely provided a food source for prespawn bass.

Cifuentes spent part of Sunday on the spot he’d previously fished. After losing fish on that spot, he moved to a similar area, also in Spring Creek, where he ended up catching everything he weighed.

He caught his fish on a drop shot with a 1/4-ounce weight and a 6-inch hand-poured finesse worm in the morning dawn color. To minimize his snagging risk, he Texas rigged his bait on a 1/0 hook.

Cifuentes also beefed up his Abu Garcia spinning tackle by spooling his Revo SX reel with 15-pound Berkley x5 braid and adding a 15-pound Berkley 100% fluorocarbon leader.

“With that heavier tackle, I could put more pressure on the fish and steer them through the timber,” he said.

Fujita, who missed his first victory by a margin of 8-12, spent all four days in the Flint River. He caught limits of 16-12, 16-5 and 23-6 and 19-15.

“I am so happy,” Fujita said. “Today, I caught big fish. The key for me was to find clean water.”

Fujita fished docks with a 4.8-inch Deps Bull Flat in green pumpkin with a 6/0 hook and a 3/32-ounce weight. The bait produced 10 fish, including two of the largest ones he weighed. He also caught bass on a unique cube-shaped Japanese bait with small appendages on each side.

“I used that bait to catch fish that were (cruising the shoreline),” Fujita said.

Fujita said he received a rude awakening when he saw firsthand the hazards of Seminole’s treacherously shallow wood.

“I (damaged) my boat during pre-practice, so I got a new boat,” he said.

After making a strong run at back-to-back wins, Rivet finished third with 74-2. Also fishing the Flint, he turned in daily weights of 17-4, 19-11, 25-11 and 11-8.

“I still feel like I’m dreaming; everything has happened perfectly,” Rivet said of his two Top 10 finishes to open the season. “Today was the only day I just didn’t know what was going on.

“But I have a new favorite lake — Seminole. It looked like home and that’s what helped me get into my comfort zone.”

Rivet targeted spawning bass, but he said he was not able to see the fish in the turbid water. Watching for the movement of territorial fish chasing off bream and other intruders gave him visual guidance for targeted casts.

The first three days saw Rivet catching bass on a prototype Xcite Baits popping frog and an Xcite Baits Xtreme Stix (stickbait). He caught all of his final-round fish on an Xcite Baits Sucka Punch creature bait in the junebug and magic craw colors.

Rivet took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program while Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Fujita earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and Pat Schlapper of Eleva, Wis., claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant. 

Cifuentes earned the $1,000 daily bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day Sunday, a 5-12 largemouth. He also won the $2,000 VMC Monster Bag award for his Day 2 catch of 26-1.

Fujita also won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament with the 8-6 he caught on Day 3; however, South Carolina angler Brandon Cobb’s 8-12 at Lake Okeechobee is still leading the field for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year honors. 
 

Hunter Shryock of Ooltewah, Tenn., won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.

Rivet leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 206 points. Australian Carl Jocumsen is in second with 193, followed by Cifuentes with 190, Cobb with 187, and Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., with 184.

Cifuentes also leads the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings.

2023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole 2/23-2/26
Lake Seminole, Bainbridge  GA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4    Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$ 1.  Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             20  85-02  104 $103,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   26-01     Day 3: 5   20-13     Day 4: 5   18-07   
2.  Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi  20  76-06  103  $38,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   23-06     Day 4: 5   19-15   
3.  Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            20  74-02  102  $31,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   19-11     Day 3: 5   25-11     Day 4: 5   11-08   
4.  Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               20  73-04  101  $25,000.00
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   21-14     Day 3: 5   18-00     Day 4: 5   21-07   
5.  Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             20  72-09  100  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   19-04     Day 4: 5   19-12   
6.  Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          20  70-11   99  $19,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   18-09     Day 4: 5   17-13   
7.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            19  70-09   98  $18,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   24-07     Day 3: 5   22-13     Day 4: 4   09-00   
8.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            20  69-01   97  $17,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   19-04     Day 4: 5   16-01   
9.  Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             20  66-08   96  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   19-10     Day 3: 5   17-11     Day 4: 5   14-02   
10. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          20  65-01   95  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   23-09     Day 3: 5   08-10     Day 4: 5   13-08   
———————————————————————– PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Matt Arey                Shelby, NC          08-01      $1,000.00
 2   Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       06-05      $1,000.00
 3   Kyoya Fujita             Minamitsuru, Yamanashi JAPAN08-06      $1,000.00
 4   Joey Cifuentes III       Clinton, AR         05-12      $1,000.00 ———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
     Kyoya Fujita             Minamitsuru, Yamanashi JAPAN08-06      $2,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
     Joey Cifuentes III       Clinton, AR         26-01      $2,000.00 ———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1       102       515      1433-10
 2        96       500      1453-03
 3        48       245       733-02
 4         9        49       161-09
———————————-
         255      1309      3781-08

Illinois team of Wilburn and Hill claim Bassmaster High School Series win at Lay Lake

Brian Carter
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<strong src=Illinois team of Wilburn and Hill claim Bassmaster High School Series win at Lay Lake" title="Illinois team of Wilburn and Hill claim Bassmaster High School Series win at Lay Lake" />

Trevor Wilburn and Kagen Hill of Century High School in Illinois have won the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Lay lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with 19 pounds, 5 ounces. 

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

February 25, 2023

Illinois team of Wilburn and Hill claim Bassmaster High School Series win at Lay Lake

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Trevor Wilburn and Kagen Hill live 6 1/2 hours from Lay Lake, but they looked right at home on Saturday, winning the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Lay Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

The duo from Century High School in the small town of Ullin, Ill., caught 19 pounds, 5 ounces to win the second stop on the 2023 Bassmaster High School Series circuit. The total was nearly 4 pounds more than their nearest competitors in the tournament, which attracted more than 200 teams from 12 states.

“It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime thing to travel this far and have an outcome like this,” Wilburn said.

Willburn and Hill, both 17, caught all their bass on a bluegill-colored spinnerbait with a large gold Colorado blade and a smaller orange Colorado blade. They had a limit in the boat by 10 a.m. and switched to other lures, hoping to trigger even bigger bites. But the spinnerbait was the only one working for them.

“We kept it at the top of the water column, in no more than 4 or 5 feet of water, dragging it through the (dollar grass),” Hill said, noting the 17-pound Seaguar line they used. “If it would get caught in the grass, we’d shake it free and drop it back in.”

Their bite was consistent, too, with the biggest bass weighing an even 5-0. That one fish weighed more than they caught overall in the first Bassmaster High School tournament of the year held in January on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes. The teammates finished that derby with only two bass weighing 2-13.

“We’ve been at this for a while now,” Hill said. “We’ve been skunked out. We’ve zeroed. We’ve had close calls. But we finally got one. It’s a very satisfying feeling.”

Their boat captain, Rex Wilburn (Trevor’s dad), agreed.

“This is a pretty emotional moment,” Rex Wilburn said. “They took a butt-kicking down in Florida. But they didn’t give up … They give it all they’ve got.”

Nick Keith Jr. and Jagger Wells of Alabama’s Munford High School finished second with 15-8. The duo used shaky head jigs (green pumpkin) to catch their best bass, dragging the lures on the reservoir bottom in 6 to 8 feet of water.

Rounding out the Top 5 teams were, third, Alex Barrett and Davis Ray of Alabama’s Fayetteville High School with 15-7; fourth, Avery Padgett and Ethan Young of Alabama’s Zion Chapel High School with 15-6; and fifth, Nolan Holloway and Jackson Fanning of Georgia’s Morgan County High School with 15-4.

Presley Lannom and Trevor Sanford of Tennessee’s Mt. Juliet High School won the Big Bass of the Tournament award with a 5-12.

The Top 25 teams earned a spot in the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. The date and fishery for that event are yet to be announced.

The tournament was hosted by DiscoverShelby.com.

2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School at Lay Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 2/25-2/25
Lay Lake, Shelby County  AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

    Angler                                       Club/School                       Pts

1.  Trevor Wilburn – Kagen Hill                  Century High School – IL              0
  Day 1: 5   19-05   Total:   5  19-05
2.  Nick Keith Jr. – Jagger Wells                Munford High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   15-08   Total:   5  15-08
3.  Alex Barrett – Davis Ray                     Fayetteville High School – AL         0
  Day 1: 5   15-07   Total:   5  15-07
4.  Avery Padgett – Ethan Young                  Zion Chapel – AL                      0
  Day 1: 5   15-06   Total:   5  15-06
5.  Nolan Holloway – Jackson Fanning             Morgan County High School – GA        0
  Day 1: 5   15-04   Total:   5  15-04
6.  Bre Arnold – Connor Clark                    Good Hope Fishing Team – AL           0
  Day 1: 5   14-05   Total:   5  14-05
7.  Max Himmel – Tyler Morris                    Catholic High School of Baton Ro      0
  Day 1: 5   14-04   Total:   5  14-04
8.  Walker LaRue – Joe Vaulton                   Alcoa Fishing Team – TN               0
  Day 1: 5   14-03   Total:   5  14-03
9.  Richard Johnson – Stuart Norman              Lakeland High School – FL             0
  Day 1: 5   14-02   Total:   5  14-02
10. Lainie Holbert – Sarah Swindle               Riverside High School – TN            0
  Day 1: 5   14-00   Total:   5  14-00
10. Carter Pjesky – JD McBroom                   Kaneland High School – IL             0
  Day 1: 5   14-00   Total:   5  14-00
12. Jonbrady Buttram – Cadence Barrett           Fayetteville High School – AL         0
  Day 1: 5   13-15   Total:   5  13-15
13. Mason Martin – Grant Raney                   East Limestone High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   13-13   Total:   5  13-13
14. Presley Lannom – Trevor Sanford              Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 5   13-11   Total:   5  13-11
15. Cameron Whitehead – Christopher Johnson      Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 5   13-10   Total:   5  13-10
16. Blalock Eskew – Ellis Turner                 Heard County High School – GA         0
  Day 1: 5   13-09   Total:   5  13-09
17. Kasen Pemberton – Ethan Berry                Chipley Bassmasters – FL              0
  Day 1: 5   13-06   Total:   5  13-06
18. Justin McGee – Sadie Wallace                 Bibb Country – AL                     0
  Day 1: 5   13-04   Total:   5  13-04
19. Evan Wood – Taedem Ashworth                  Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   13-00   Total:   5  13-00
20. Griffin Ralph – Kaleb Snow                   Lakeside Fishing Team – AR            0
  Day 1: 5   12-12   Total:   5  12-12
21. Hayes Finch – James Lamberth                 Alabama Christian Academy – AL        0
  Day 1: 5   12-06   Total:   5  12-06
22. John James Coco – Wesley Macdonald           Oak Mountain High School – AL         0
  Day 1: 5   12-06   Total:   5  12-06
23. Jackson Mitchell – Evan Mabrey               Hueytown Student Anglers – AL         0
  Day 1: 5   12-05   Total:   5  12-05
24. Corbin Bornstein – Thomas James              Lipscomb Academy – TN                 0
  Day 1: 5   12-04   Total:   5  12-04
25. Drew Turnbull – Thomas Turnbull              Evangel Christian School – AL         0
  Day 1: 4   12-04   Total:   4  12-04
26. Makenzie Bailey – Dalton Bailey              Winter Springs High School – FL       0
  Day 1: 5   12-03   Total:   5  12-03
27. Andrew Kunz – Jacob Hood                     Bibb Country – AL                     0
  Day 1: 5   12-01   Total:   5  12-01
28. Camden Randall – James Roop                  Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   11-10   Total:   5  11-10
29. Kade Crowson – Slade Davis                   Evangel Christian School – AL         0
  Day 1: 5   11-08   Total:   5  11-08
30. Coleman Dyess –                              Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   11-08   Total:   5  11-08
31. Hayden Hammond – Coleman Self                RoCo Anglers – NC                     0
  Day 1: 5   11-05   Total:   5  11-05
32. Ethen Gardner –                              Alabama Christian Academy – AL        0
  Day 1: 5   11-04   Total:   5  11-04
32. Joseph Mashburn – Kobe Walden                Clinton High School – TN              0
  Day 1: 5   11-04   Total:   5  11-04
34. Parker Ramsey – Luke Hoesley                 Hoover High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 5   11-02   Total:   5  11-02
35. Langston Martin –                            Lee County Anglers – AL               0
  Day 1: 4   11-02   Total:   4  11-02
36. Carson Howell – Talen Ashworth               Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   10-14   Total:   5  10-14
37. Sailor Whitehead – Luke Bramhall             Riley’s Catch – NC                    0
  Day 1: 5   10-13   Total:   5  10-13
38. Carson Holbert – Owen Stamm                  Eagleton College and Career Acad      0
  Day 1: 5   10-11   Total:   5  10-11
39. Charlie Mathis – Braden Sullivan             Dixie County High School – FL         0
  Day 1: 5   10-11   Total:   5  10-11
40. Caleb Martinez – Logan Carter                Lincoln County High School – TN       0
  Day 1: 5   10-10   Total:   5  10-10
40. Luke Salvail – Tyler Seikel                  Grissom High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   10-10   Total:   5  10-10
42. Ben Puckett – Jesse Klutts                   Henry County High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   10-08   Total:   5  10-08
43. Hunter Travis – Jameson Norris               Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   10-07   Total:   5  10-07
43. Carson Winn – Jake Krauth                    Franklin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 5   10-07   Total:   5  10-07
45. Bryant Johnson – Kendrick Johnson            Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   10-05   Total:   5  10-05
46. Donovan Wellman – Culley Mcdowell            Warren County High School – TN        0
  Day 1: 4   10-04   Total:   4  10-04
47. Conner Cordle – Tyson Summers                Alabama Christian Academy – AL        0
  Day 1: 5   10-03   Total:   5  10-03
48. Brody Kellum – Carson Thompson               Franklin County High School – GA      0
  Day 1: 5   10-01   Total:   5  10-01
48. Temern Pfaffenberger – Reece Chambless       DeWitt High School – AR               0
  Day 1: 5   10-01   Total:   5  10-01
50. Easton Morris – Hunter Thrash                Jemison High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   09-12   Total:   5  09-12
50. Landon Story – Garrett Sharp                 East Limestone High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   09-12   Total:   5  09-12
52. Jake Lovingood – Harlyn Nelson               Alcoa Fishing Team – TN               0
  Day 1: 5   09-11   Total:   5  09-11
53. Drayke Clayton – Spencer Lovett              Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   09-09   Total:   5  09-09
53. Destin Morales – Samuel Cobb Jr              Livingston Parish High School –       0
  Day 1: 5   09-09   Total:   5  09-09
55. Ben Chance – River Rushlow                   Franklin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 5   09-08   Total:   5  09-08
56. Derek Davis – Connor Jaco                    Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 5   09-07   Total:   5  09-07
57. Clay Bales – Jaydon Jones                    South Laurel High School (10073)      0
  Day 1: 5   09-05   Total:   5  09-05
58. Cole Mcausland – Alex Gordon                 American Christian Academy – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   09-04   Total:   5  09-04
59. Landon Rhine – Gabe Morrow                   Lamar High School – AR                0
  Day 1: 5   09-02   Total:   5  09-02
59. Spencer Stewart – Nathan Baldwin             Springville High School – AL          0
  Day 1: 5   09-02   Total:   5  09-02
61. Brody Mitchell – James Mitchell              Grissom High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   09-01   Total:   5  09-01
62. Grant West – Lydia West                      Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 5   09-01   Total:   5  09-01
63. Alex Smith – Cade Bowden                     Saraland High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 5   09-00   Total:   5  09-00
64. Charleigh Blackwell – Connor Sunday          Hoover High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 5   08-15   Total:   5  08-15
64. Jackie Hatfield – Graham Willis              Alcoa Fishing Team – TN               0
  Day 1: 5   08-15   Total:   5  08-15
66. Brady McCormick – Harris Jones               Briarwood Christian School – AL       0
  Day 1: 2   08-15   Total:   2  08-15
67. Ian Fryer – Jaden Sanford                    Smiths Station High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   08-14   Total:   5  08-14
67. Jameson Pursley – Hayden Spears              Warren County High School – TN        0
  Day 1: 5   08-14   Total:   5  08-14
69. Preston King –                               Briarwood Christian School – AL       0
  Day 1: 3   08-14   Total:   3  08-14
70. Max Flatten – Hayden Ries                    Glacial Lakes High School – SD        0
  Day 1: 5   08-12   Total:   5  08-12
70. Will Thompson – Chandler Millsap             Briarwood Christian School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   08-12   Total:   5  08-12
70. Brady Vest – Brody Hopper                    Cullman High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   08-12   Total:   5  08-12
73. Max Hondorp –                                Panhandle Youth Anglers – FL          0
  Day 1: 5   08-09   Total:   5  08-09
73. Kayden Waller – Michael Harris               Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 5   08-09   Total:   5  08-09
75. Spencer Grooms – Hudson Galimore             Auburn High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 4   08-08   Total:   4  08-08
76. Connor Kennedy – Jaylee Coates               Mid Florida Youth Anglers – FL        0
  Day 1: 4   08-05   Total:   4  08-05
77. Evan Newell – Kody Glass                     Mid Florida Youth Anglers – FL        0
  Day 1: 5   08-03   Total:   5  08-03
78. Kaden Cornelius – Elijah Page                Good Hope Fishing Team – AL           0
  Day 1: 4   08-03   Total:   4  08-03
79. Caden Schilling – Slade Jones                Hixson High School – TN               0
  Day 1: 3   08-02   Total:   3  08-02
80. Caden Stevens – Hunter Crittenden            Franklin County High School – TN      0
  Day 1: 5   08-01   Total:   5  08-01
80. Turner Tharpe – Blake James                  Rhea County High School – TN          0
  Day 1: 5   08-01   Total:   5  08-01
82. Alex Gore – Colby Reece                      Jefferson County High School – T      0
  Day 1: 5   08-00   Total:   5  08-00
83. Drew Bradstreet – Kamden Bradstreet          Bradstreet Homeschool – FL            0
  Day 1: 4   08-00   Total:   4  08-00
83. Jack Fitzgerald – Landen Manning             Mt. Pleasant High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 4   08-00   Total:   4  08-00
85. Jamison Drake – Alex Girodo                  East Limestone High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   07-15   Total:   5  07-15
86. Kaleb Page – Kasen Page                      Coffee County School – TN             0
  Day 1: 5   07-14   Total:   5  07-14
87. Samuel Branum –                              Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 4   07-14   Total:   4  07-14
88. Andrew Graves – Michael Maynor               Hewitt Trussville High School –       0
  Day 1: 5   07-09   Total:   5  07-09
89. Luke England – Jed Defee                     Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   07-08   Total:   5  07-08
90. Jacob Baugh – Scott York                     Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 5   07-06   Total:   5  07-06
91. Eli Galloway – Mylan Tuberville              Baldwin County High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 5   07-05   Total:   5  07-05
92. Peter West – Zach Knight                     Gallatin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 5   07-04   Total:   5  07-04
93. Noah Carruth – Ty Carruth                    Alabama Bass Academy – AL             0
  Day 1: 5   07-02   Total:   5  07-02
93. Luke Malik – Ashton Ozolins                  Sumner County Bass Team – TN          0
  Day 1: 5   07-02   Total:   5  07-02
95. Easton Booth – Kolton Booth                  Geneva High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 4   07-00   Total:   4  07-00
96. Jordan Guest – Landon Guest                  Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 4   06-06   Total:   4  06-06
97. Buckner Anderson – Greyson Widgeon           Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 4   06-05   Total:   4  06-05
98. Brody Brinson – Isaiah Mussnug               Sumner County Bass Team – TN          0
  Day 1: 3   06-01   Total:   3  06-01
98. Jordan Houston – Luke Hurst                  Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 3   06-01   Total:   3  06-01
100. Andrew Jones – Carson Underwood              Hewitt-Trussville High School –       0
  Day 1: 2   06-00   Total:   2  06-00
101. Seth Loggins – Jett Swann                    Good Hope Fishing Team – AL           0
  Day 1: 4   05-13   Total:   4  05-13
102. Levi Huffstetler – Carson Weber              Alcoa Fishing Team – TN               0
  Day 1: 3   05-13   Total:   3  05-13
103. Cole Reid – Jordan Thomas                    Hayden High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 3   05-11   Total:   3  05-11
104. Briley Tomlin – Kole Bradford                Falkville High School – AL            0
  Day 1: 3   05-10   Total:   3  05-10
105. Cole Martin – Josh Bowen                     Lakeside High School – AR             0
  Day 1: 3   05-09   Total:   3  05-09
106. Elijah Lawler – Landon Reed                  New Hope High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 2   05-07   Total:   2  05-07
107. Landon Parker – Jake Watson                  DeWitt High School – AR               0
  Day 1: 3   05-04   Total:   3  05-04
108. Rooksby Gordon – Fisher Deason               American Christian Academy – AL       0
  Day 1: 4   05-03   Total:   4  05-03
108. Landon Rousseau – Brody Berninger            Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 4   05-03   Total:   4  05-03
110. Milam Mcillwain – Landon Lewis               Creekwood High School – TN            0
  Day 1: 2   05-03   Total:   2  05-03
111. Fisher Tyler – Blake Ingram                  Salem High School – AR                0
  Day 1: 3   05-00   Total:   3  05-00
112. Miles Allen – Ethan Roths                    St. Xavier High School – KY           0
  Day 1: 5   04-15   Total:   5  04-15
113. Kaden Casey – Collin French                  Montgomery County High School –       0
  Day 1: 4   04-13   Total:   4  04-13
114. Jackson Edenfield – Hunter Harris            Chiles High School – FL               0
  Day 1: 3   04-06   Total:   3  04-06
115. John Cooper – Gabriel Avalos                 Scotts Hill Student Anglers – TN      0
  Day 1: 2   04-06   Total:   2  04-06
116. Mason Carden – Dawson Bryant                 Shelby County High School – AL        0
  Day 1: 2   04-02   Total:   2  04-02
117. Carter Burdette – Thomas Wright              Circle Christian School – FL          0
  Day 1: 3   04-01   Total:   3  04-01
118. Chris Fallon – Briar Dodson                  Gardendale High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 2   04-00   Total:   2  04-00
119. Skipper Stallings – Tyler Wakefield          Evangel Christian School – AL         0
  Day 1: 3   03-09   Total:   3  03-09
120. Reese Ray – Connor Mccown                    Glenmora High School – LA             0
  Day 1: 2   03-08   Total:   2  03-08
121. Brady Talbot – Bryce Distefano               Live Oak High School – LA             0
  Day 1: 3   03-06   Total:   3  03-06
122. Cody Adams – Barron Ellis                    Chiles High School – FL               0
  Day 1: 2   03-06   Total:   2  03-06
123. Isaac Garvin – Blake Gibson                  Valley Springs High School – AR       0
  Day 1: 1   03-06   Total:   1  03-06
124. Colby Onderdonk – Dalton Kelly               Saraland High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 2   03-04   Total:   2  03-04
125. Dylan Fulk – Briar Shock                     Richland County High School – IL      0
  Day 1: 1   03-04   Total:   1  03-04
125. Grant Laney – Trey Trotter III               Fairview High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 1   03-04   Total:   1  03-04
127. Annie Lassiter – Logan Evans                 Soddy Daisy High School – TN          0
  Day 1: 2   03-03   Total:   2  03-03
127. C.J. Stanley – Colton Parten                 Rhea County High School – TN          0
  Day 1: 2   03-03   Total:   2  03-03
129. Luke Abston – Sam Dunn                       Spain Park High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 1   03-02   Total:   1  03-02
130. Austin Kelly –  Chase Woodham                Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 2   03-01   Total:   2  03-01
131. Fletcher Brasington – Mo Katz IV             Headland High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 2   03-00   Total:   2  03-00
132. Elijah Griffith – Jake Carney                Sale Creek High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 1   03-00   Total:   1  03-00
133. Holten Phillips – Hunter Little              Hot Springs Lakeside – AR             0
  Day 1: 2   02-15   Total:   2  02-15
134. Jack Canoles – Owen Darden                   Fayetteville High School – AL         0
  Day 1: 1   02-13   Total:   1  02-13
135. Cooper Lumpkin – Jackson Simpson             American Christian Academy – AL       0
  Day 1: 1   02-12   Total:   1  02-12
136. Cole Pickett – Dutch Kor                     Many High School – LA                 0
  Day 1: 3   02-11   Total:   3  02-11
137. Storm Clark – Levi Bolton                    Harris County Bass Fishing Team       0
  Day 1: 2   02-11   Total:   2  02-11
138. Maclaine Butters – Noah Sherman              Franklin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 2   02-10   Total:   2  02-10
139. Joshua Stokes – Ryan Smith                   Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 2   02-05   Total:   2  02-05
140. Palmer Norris – Lucas Pace                   Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 1   02-05   Total:   1  02-05
141. Jack Mcillwain – Dyson Weaver                Creekwood High School – TN            0
  Day 1: 1   02-04   Total:   1  02-04
141. Tanner Russell – Hunter Hodges               Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 1   02-04   Total:   1  02-04
143. Caleb Baird – Eli Baird                      Portland High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 2   02-02   Total:   2  02-02
144. Blade Rice – Trace Jones                     Ariton High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 1   01-15   Total:   1  01-15
145. Trey Connell III – Bowen Jones               Ariton High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 1   01-14   Total:   1  01-14
146. Franklin  Mangrum – Kaden Mangrum            Sulphur High School – LA              0
  Day 1: 1   01-13   Total:   1  01-13
147. Austin Sawyer – Damian Pugh                  Eufaula High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 1   01-12   Total:   1  01-12
148. Lucas Milewski – Micah Dixon                 Franklin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 1   01-11   Total:   1  01-11
149. Logan Kirkland – Robert Turner               Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 1   01-10   Total:   1  01-10
150. Colin Chavers – Copelin Prewitt              Vestavia Hills High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 1   01-09   Total:   1  01-09
150. Ryan Leiffer – Collier DeClerk               Bentonville High School – AR          0
  Day 1: 1   01-09   Total:   1  01-09
150. Tucker McCoy – Ethan Hopkins                 Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 1   01-09   Total:   1  01-09
153. Konner Allen – Tristan Henry                 901 Bass Club – TN                    0
  Day 1: 1   01-08   Total:   1  01-08
153. Caleb Johnston – Colin Cosenza               Many High School – LA                 0
  Day 1: 1   01-08   Total:   1  01-08
155. Carter Fountain – David Campbell             Briarwood Christian School – AL       0
  Day 1: 1   01-07   Total:   1  01-07
155. Gavin Seewald – Tate Turner                  Hoover High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 1   01-07   Total:   1  01-07
157. Colt Canterberry – Abram Whitehead           Hayden High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 1   01-05   Total:   1  01-05
157. Landon Myers – Luke Morris                   Alcoa Fishing Team – TN               0
  Day 1: 1   01-05   Total:   1  01-05
159. Cody Burns – Slade Kitchens                  Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 1   01-03   Total:   1  01-03
159. Daniel Lowhorn – Wade Mackie                 Monterey High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 1   01-03   Total:   1  01-03
161. Jamison Conyer – Brendan Brown               Gallatin High School – TN             0
  Day 1: 1   01-02   Total:   1  01-02
161. Kolby Leger – Nicholas Vitello               Sulphur High School – LA              0
  Day 1: 1   01-02   Total:   1  01-02
161. Hollis Rose – Grant Arnold                   Jefferson County Patriot Anglers      0
  Day 1: 1   01-02   Total:   1  01-02
164. Cole Wampler – Mason Wampler                 Rhea County High School – TN          0
  Day 1: 1   01-00   Total:   1  01-00
165. Joseph Abercrombie – Zachary Manasco         Saraland High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Patrick Adcock – Kaide Scheer                Cullman High School (10106)           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Wayland Adkisson – Clay George               BGA High School – TN                  0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Drake Anderson –                             Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Paul Baker – Ashton Albert                   CT BASS Thunder – CT                  0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Isaac Bauer – Cason Ewing                    Cullman High School                   0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Cody Carden – Isaiah Yates                   Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Braylon Carden –                             Beulah High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Evan Conn – Collin Allison                   Vestavia Hills High School – AL       0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Brayden Cranford – Owen Jordan               Sumner County Bass Team – TN          0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. AJ Danner – Gauge Wallace                    Helena High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Griffin Davison – Robert Stanley             Escambia Academy Fishing Team –       0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Daylin Doak – Brooks Putnam                  Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Parker Dodson – Preston Dodson               Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Easton Douglas – Riley Spring                Dixie County High School – FL         0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jed Draper – Kaden King                      Franklin County High School – TN      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Easton Drennon –                             Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Josh Foshee – Lance Roberts                  Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Greer Gammon – Deacon Blair                  Mt. Juliet High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jess Goggans – Drake Dooley                  Scottsboro High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Andon Goins – Izack Hancock                  Sale Creek High School – TN           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Triton Graham – Huntley Dees                 Citronelle High School – AL           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Levi Harris – Zane Roberts                   Fairview High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Justin Holloway – Ethan Webb                 Ariton High School – AL               0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Tyler Jackson – Walter Salter                Eufaula High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Avery Johnson – Drake Middleton              Riverside High School – TN            0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Brody Jones – Parker Batts                   Jefferson County High School – T      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Bryant Kennamer – Daniel Olinger             Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Aiden King – Brody Porter                    Shelby County High School – AL        0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Connor Koch – Hudson Windham                 Capital City Bass Hunters – FL        0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Ethan Long – Peyton Long                     Shelby County High School – AL        0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jaidon Lovett – Bridget Mathis               Dixie Bass Masters – FL               0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Gaige Lunsford – Robert Ayers                Meigs County High School – TN         0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Aubrey Madison – Emory Nichols               Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Michael Markham – Carter Davidson            Tallassee High School – AL            0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Tyler Martin – Blake Rogers                  Sequatchie County High School –       0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Tanner Mason – Matthew Mason                 DAR High School – AL                  0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jacob McCurdy – Christopher Naugher          Piedmont Fishing Team – AL            0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Tyler Mims – Lane Mims                       Isabella High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Brett Mouw – Logan Kinsella                  Hill Toppers – IL                     0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Mason Mullins – Caden Graham                 Soddy Daisy High School – TN          0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jacey Murphy – Shannon Cook                  Fayetteville High School – AL         0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Riley North – Karson Peterman                Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jerry Nugent III – Landon Stockstill         Tuerlings Rebel Fishing Team – L      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Luke Outlaw –                                Ariton Bass Team – AL                 0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Dylan Owens – Brody Shepherd                 Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jack Pickett –                               Skyline High School – AL              0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Kaden Randles – Landon Black                 DAR High School – AL                  0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Ethan Reeves – Noah Reeves                   Mortimer Jordan High School – AL      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Jeremiah Sharrott – Linkon Patrick           Fairview High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Mason Taylor – Wesley Kent                   Dekalb Fishing Team – TN              0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Ethan Tedder – Evan Tedder                   Muscle Shoals High School – AL        0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Andrew Terry – Carson Bryant                 DCHS Fishing Team – TN                0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Bradford Vandemark – Elias Hitson            Eagleville Fishing Club – TN          0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Connor Watts – Parker Myers                  Rehobeth High School – AL             0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Lawton Williams – Eli Cooke                  Cleveland County – NC                 0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Matthew Wilson – Grady Mcclendon             Holy Spirit Tuscaloosa – AL           0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
165. Toben Yearwood – Ryan Hart                   Franklin County High School – GA      0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   Total:   0  00-00
———————————————————————–
BIG BASS OF TOURN
     Presley Lannom           Lebanon, TN         05-12          $0.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        83       593      1226-05
———————————-
          83       593      1226-05

Joey Cifuentes III maintains lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole

Brian Carter
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0
<strong src=Joey Cifuentes III maintains lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole" title="Joey Cifuentes III maintains lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole" />

Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., is leading after Day 3 of the 2023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 11 ounces.

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

February 25, 2023

Joey Cifuentes III maintains lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. — On Semifinal Saturday, Joey Cifuentes III stuck with his game plan, tallied a three-day total of 66 pounds, 11 ounces, and retained his lead in the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole.

The rookie from Clinton, Ark., placed sixth on Day 1 with 19-13 before taking the top spot with a Day 2 limit of 26-1 — the tournament’s heaviest bag. Cifuentes added 20-13 on Saturday and heads into Championship Sunday with a lead of 4-1 over Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La.

“I’m not going to say I can do 20 again tomorrow, but I feel like it’s there,” Cifuentes said. “I saw some really good fish today.”

Cifuentes committed his time Saturday to Spring Creek, where he fished standing timber in about 20 to 22 feet. Targeting groups of trees and large cypress stumps proved the most productive.

When his Day 2 bite slowed around noon, Cifuentes moved shallow to flip vegetation before finishing his day in the offshore timber. Today, it was all about the wood.

“I stayed in my area and my goal was to get 20 pounds; I got it and I left,” Cifuentes said. “I kinda weaseled back close and ended up catching a couple good bass, then I left around 10:30.

“I found another spot where I saw some good fish swimming around the bottom. I may hit it up tomorrow, but I’m going to start on my primary area and I’m going to try and get another 20 pounds.”

Describing his main spot and the new area, Cifuentes said he’s targeting deep timber on the edge of a spawning flat. Using his forward-facing sonar to watch for specific fish, he’s making short pitches with a drop shot.

Cifuentes is using a 1/4-ounce weight and a 6-inch hand-poured finesse worm. For snag avoidance amid the timber, he’s Texas rigging his worm on a 1/0 hook.

“I like that little hook because it’s less visible,” Cifuentes said. “I think that’s helping me get bites. I didn’t lose any fish today, I fished clean.”

Cifuentes said he feels confident his spots hold the potential winning fish. He specifically chose Spring Creek because it had the right mix of clear water, timber and spawning habitat.

He’s hopeful that his chosen spots will allow him to continue intercepting bass on their way to and from the spawning grounds.

“Today, all my fish were postspawn; yesterday, they were all prespawn,” Cifuentes said. “I think I have fish coming to me also. I learned that today, so that’s exciting.”

Rivet is in second place with 62-10. His daily weights were 17-4, 19-11 and 25-11.

Coming off his first Elite win at last week’s event at Lake Okeechobee, Rivet spent his day in the Flint River where he caught bass on a popping frog and an Xcite Baits Xtreme Stix (stickbait), which he fished Texas rigged and wacky style.

“I caught one fish on the frog — on my third cast,” Rivet said. “I threw the frog for a while, but it has to be the right scenario. It has to be a little dirty and shallow. The one I caught was on a bed, so she came out and ate it.”

Rivet said all of his bass were on beds. Turbid water prevented him from actually sight fishing, but reading the clues guided his presentations.

“I know they’re there by the way they’re acting; I can see them swirling around and chasing stuff,” he said. “It’s all about throwing in there at the right time. If you see one swell, you’ve got to put your bait in that swell.

“When they’re trying to eat something and (the bait) is in their face, they eat it.”

Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., is in third with 61-9. After an opening limit of 14-5 put him in 44th place, Hackney caught the second-heaviest bag of Day 2 — 24-7 — and rose to third place. Adding 22-13 on Saturday, he’ll start Championship Sunday in the third-place position.

“I fished totally different today from yesterday — I had to fish a lot slower,” Hackney said. “I power fished yesterday and today I finesse fished. Yesterday, I caught them winding, today I was grinding.

“Same area, but totally different. They wouldn’t chase. I don’t know why; it was perfect weather. They never got aggressive like they did yesterday.”

Hackney caught his fish on a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug in green pumpkin. He said he’s eager to take one more shot at Seminole.

“I look forward to going out there again,” he said. “It’s been fun the last couple of days. I really struggled the first day of the tournament; one got off. Other than that, I fished really clean the last couple of days.”

Kyoya Fujita of Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, earned the $1,000 daily bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with an 8-6 largemouth. That fish also leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament, which is good for a $2,000 bonus.

Cifuentes is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag award with his Day 2 catch of 26-1.

Rivet leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 207 points. Australian Carl Jocumsen s in second with 193, followed by Cifuentes with 190, Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., with 184, and Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., with 184.

Cifuentes leads the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 190 points.

The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET from the Earle May Boat Basin Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:30 p.m.

FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com. 

The Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole is being hosted by the City of Bainbridge Community Development. 

023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole 2/23-2/26
Lake Seminole, Bainbridge  GA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             15  66-11  104
  Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   26-01     Day 3: 5   20-13   
2.  Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            15  62-10  103
  Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   19-11     Day 3: 5   25-11   
3.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  61-09  102
  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   24-07     Day 3: 5   22-13   
4.  Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi  15  56-07  101   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   23-06   
5.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            15  53-00  100
  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   19-04   
6.  Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          15  52-14   99
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   18-09   
7.  Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             15  52-13   98
  Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   19-04   
8.  Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             15  52-06   97
  Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   19-10     Day 3: 5   17-11   
9.  Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               15  51-13   96
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   21-14     Day 3: 5   18-00   
10. Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          15  51-09   95
  Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   23-09     Day 3: 5   08-10   
11. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA    15  51-06   94  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   18-07   
12. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       15  51-04   93  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   18-06     Day 3: 5   14-02   
13. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        15  50-10   92  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-04     Day 2: 5   19-02     Day 3: 5   12-04   
14. John Cox               DeBary, FL              15  50-10   91  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   17-09     Day 3: 5   14-10   
15. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             15  49-15   90  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   15-09     Day 3: 5   16-01   
16. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  49-07   89  $11,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   15-07   
17. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15  48-12   88  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   19-00     Day 3: 5   15-00   
18. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             15  48-08   87  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   14-00     Day 3: 5   20-04   
19. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           15  48-08   86  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   15-13     Day 3: 5   16-04   
20. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           15  48-04   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   14-07     Day 3: 5   18-08   
21. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA           15  48-03   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   11-15   
22. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         15  48-03   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-06     Day 2: 5   13-01     Day 3: 5   14-12   
23. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           15  48-03   82  $11,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   17-05     Day 3: 5   12-14   
24. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            15  47-13   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   16-06     Day 3: 5   17-14   
25. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            15  46-12   80  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   16-07     Day 3: 5   14-15   
26. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           15  46-07   79  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   21-13     Day 2: 5   10-05     Day 3: 5   14-05   
27. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          15  46-03   78  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   16-15     Day 3: 5   17-00   
28. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN             15  46-02   77  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   15-14     Day 3: 5   13-14   
29. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               15  46-02   76  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   15-01   
30. David Fritts           Lexington, NC           15  46-00   75  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   20-14     Day 3: 5   16-12   
31. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               15  45-07   74  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   14-02     Day 3: 5   13-07   
32. Taku Ito               Chiba, JAPAN          15  45-07   73  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   13-04   
33. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                15  45-04   72  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 5   16-06   
34. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           15  45-00   71  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 5   12-02   
35. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          15  44-14   70  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   22-00     Day 3: 5   10-00   
36. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  44-13   69  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-11     Day 2: 5   10-04     Day 3: 5   13-14   
37. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        15  44-02   68  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   16-11     Day 3: 5   11-05   
38. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 15  44-02   67  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   16-09     Day 3: 5   14-11   
39. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  44-01   66  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   16-05     Day 3: 5   12-00   
40. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL            15  44-00   65  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   14-12     Day 3: 5   15-09   
41. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  43-09   64  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   15-04     Day 3: 5   12-06   
42. Cole Sands             Calhoun, TN             15  42-12   63  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   15-10     Day 3: 5   14-01   
43. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           15  42-04   62  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   13-01   
44. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              15  41-12   61  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   16-07     Day 3: 5   09-14   
45. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            15  38-10   60  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   13-12     Day 3: 5   09-11   
46. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15  38-04   59  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   13-05     Day 3: 5   10-02   
47. Wes Logan              Springville, AL         15  38-01   58  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   15-13     Day 3: 5   08-08   
48. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             15  37-04   57  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 5   07-04   
49. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         13  35-12   56  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   14-05     Day 3: 3   06-14   
50. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            12  34-02   55  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   16-09     Day 3: 2   04-05   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Matt Arey                Shelby, NC          08-01      $1,000.00
 2   Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       06-05      $1,000.00
 3   Kyoya Fujita             Minamitsuru, Yamanashi JAPAN08-06      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1       102       515      1433-10
 2        96       500      1453-03
 3        48       245       733-02
———————————-
         246      1260      3619-15

Highlights: Day 2 action at Seminole (Bassmaster Elite Series)

Brian Carter
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Highlights: Day 2 action at Seminole (Bassmaster Elite Series)

Joey Cifuentes III wrangles Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole

Brian Carter
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<strong src=Joey Cifuentes III wrangles Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole" title="Joey Cifuentes III wrangles Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole" />

Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole with a two-day total of 45 pounds, 14 ounces.

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

February 24, 2023

Joey Cifuentes III wrangles Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite on Lake Seminole

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. — Joey Cifuentes III played a dicey game and ended up on the right side of the risk/reward calculation.

The rookie from Clinton, Ark., brought in the event’s heaviest bag so far Friday with five bass that weighed 26 pounds, 1 ounce. That combined with his Day 1 limit of 19-13 gave Cifuentes the lead in the Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole with a total weight of 45-14.

New Jersey superstar Mike Iaconelli is second, trailing by just 2-15.

“It was really slow out there and I apologize to everyone who was watching Bassmaster LIVE. It took me a while to get it,” Cifuentes said. “I worked my butt off out there and it worked out.”

Fishing in Spring Creek, Cifuentes spent the majority of his day targeting standing timber in 20 to 22 feet. A classic prespawn staging scenario, this habitat provides fish the right mix of heat-retaining cover, ambush feeding opportunities and protective structure. The latter presents the biggest challenge.

“Getting the fish to bite hasn’t been that hard; it’s just getting the fish out,” Cifuentes said. “That’s what’s so stressful, because they’re sitting in groups of like two or three big trees together, so they’re hard to get out. But if I get lucky and they go the right way, I can steer them.”

Bassmaster LIVE saw Cifuentes lose an estimated 4-pounder when the bass ran into unyielding cover. Despite his best dislodging efforts, which included sticking his rod into the water, Cifuentes was unable to free the ensnared fish before it shook the hook.

Compounding the challenge of fishing such unforgiving habitat, Cifuentes found his best way to tempt bites was a drop shot on spinning gear. Typically a light-line finesse technique, Cifuentes made strategic adjustments that improved his ability to manage the timber.

“I’m using a bigger leader and line on my spinning rod, so I can really pull on them,” Cifuentes said. “I’m using a 7-foot medium rod with 15-pound Berkley x5 Braid and a 12-pound Berkley 100% fluorocarbon leader.”

Cifuentes said his drop shot is comprised of a 1/4-ounce weight and a 6-inch hand-poured worm in the morning dawn color. To minimize snags, he Texas rigged the worm.

“I rig the worm weedless because you’re reeling around timber and if you had an open hook you’d be getting hung all the time,” he said. “I’m using a small 1/0 hook and I think that’s key because I don’t think the fish can see the hook as much.”
 

Iaconelli, who won the 2002 Georgia Bassmaster Tour event on Lake Seminole, added 23-9 Friday to his Day 1 weight of 19-6 and sits in second with 42-15.

“This place has a special memory for me and maybe there’s a little bit of good mojo there. I’m trying to keep that going,” Iaconelli said. “I have one really special area and that scares me a little bit, but if that special area keeps producing, I’ll have a good shot to make (Championship Sunday).”

Both days, Iaconelli has fished a small bay in the Flint River. He’s spending most of his time targeting what he calls the last staging point before bass move onto a spawning flat.

On Day 1, Iaconelli caught all of his fish on reaction baits. Today, half of the bass he caught bit a reaction bait and half bit a soft-plastic bait.

“Ninety percent of my weight has come from this area and it’s unlike the way I like to fish,” Iaconelli said. “I’m high-strung; I don’t like to sit still. I’m Power-Poling down and sitting.

“It’s tough for me to fish like that, but it’s a special spot. Fish are swimming past me by the minute. It’s the kind of place that’s feast or famine, so if they stop funneling through that area, I’m happy I made the (Semifinal Saturday) cut.”

Another longtime B.A.S.S. star, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., is in third place with 38-12. After placing 44th on Day 1 with 14-5, Hackney added Friday’s second-heaviest bag, 24-7.

Hackney said he’s fishing a mix of reaction and slower baits. As he explained, the key to his second-round improvement was calmer weather.

“Yesterday, it was hard for me to be efficient in that wind,” Hackney said. “This morning it was warmer and it was slick and I could be more efficient.”

Hackney said he’s fishing a couple of scenarios, one of which is drop-off related. Water movement, he said, is playing a role in his strategy.

“There’s a lot of fish that are up, but there’s also a lot of fish that haven’t gotten there yet,” Hackney said. “It’s a weird deal; we’ve had such warm weather, but there’s so much water running through the system that it’s keeping it colder. The water temperature’s not warming up with these 80-degree days.”

Jason Christie of Dry Creek, Okla., earned the $1,000 daily bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with his 6-5. Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., still leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament with the 8-1 he caught on Day 1.

Cifuentes is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag award for his Friday catch.

Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 203 points. Cifuentes is second with 190, followed by Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., with 183, Australian Carl Jocumsen with 183 and Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., with 179.

Cifuentes leads the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 190 points.

The Top 50 remaining anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday from the Earle May Boat Basin Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:30 p.m., with only the Top 10 advancing to Championship Sunday for a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.

FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com. 

The Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee is being hosted by the City of Bainbridge Community Development. 

2023 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole 2/23-2/26
Lake Seminole, Bainbridge  GA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             10  45-14  104
  Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   26-01   
2.  Michael Iaconelli      Pittsgrove, NJ          10  42-15  103
  Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   23-09   
3.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  38-12  102
  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   24-07   
4.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  38-06  101
  Day 1: 5   19-04     Day 2: 5   19-02   
5.  Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       10  37-02  100
  Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   18-06   
6.  Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            10  36-15   99
  Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   19-11   
7.  Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA           10  36-04   98
  Day 1: 5   20-12     Day 2: 5   15-08   
8.  John Cox               DeBary, FL              10  36-00   97
  Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   17-09   
9.  Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           10  35-05   96   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   17-05   
10. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          10  34-14   95
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   22-00   
11. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  34-11   94
  Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   19-10   
12. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  34-05   93
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-14   
13. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  34-00   92   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   15-08   
14. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             10  33-14   91
  Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   15-09   
15. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  33-13   90
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   21-14   
16. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  33-12   89
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   19-00   
17. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            10  33-12   88
  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   18-09   
18. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             10  33-09   87
  Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   18-09   
19. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  33-07   86
  Day 1: 5   20-06     Day 2: 5   13-01   
20. Kyoya Fujita           Minamitsuru, Yamanashi  10  33-01   85
  Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-05   
21. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA    10  32-15   84
  Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   11-09   
22. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           10  32-14   83
  Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   19-15   
23. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  32-13   82
  Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   16-11   
24. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           10  32-04   81
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   15-13   
25. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN             10  32-04   80
  Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   15-14   
26. Taku Ito               Chiba, JAPAN            10  32-03   79
  Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   15-03   
27. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           10  32-02   78
  Day 1: 5   21-13     Day 2: 5   10-05   
28. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  32-01   77
  Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   16-05   
29. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  32-00   76
  Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   14-02   
30. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              10  31-14   75
  Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   16-07   
31. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            10  31-13   74
  Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   16-07   
32. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  31-03   73
  Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   15-04   
33. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  31-01   72
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   16-05   
34. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  30-15   71
  Day 1: 5   20-11     Day 2: 5   10-04   
35. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             10  30-00   70
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   16-12   
36. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            10  29-15   69
  Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   16-06   
37. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            10  29-13   68
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   16-09   
38. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           10  29-12   67
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   14-07   
39. Wes Logan              Springville, AL         10  29-09   66
  Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   15-13   
40. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 10  29-07   65
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   16-09   
41. David Fritts           Lexington, NC           10  29-04   64
  Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   20-14   
42. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  29-03   63
  Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 5   16-15   
43. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           10  29-03   62
  Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   15-06   
44. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  28-15   61
  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   13-12   
45. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                10  28-14   60
  Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 5   13-04   
46. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  28-14   59
  Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   14-05    
47. Cole Sands             Calhoun, TN             10  28-11   58
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   15-10   
48. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL            10  28-07   57
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   14-12   
49. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  28-04   56
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   14-00   
50. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10  28-02   55
  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   13-05   
51. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  28-02   54   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   13-09   
52. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             10  28-01   53   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   14-05   
53. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           10  28-00   52   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-03     Day 2: 5   15-13   
54. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  27-15   51   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   11-02   
55. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, OOntario CANADA 10  27-10   50   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   14-01   
56. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  27-09   49   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   15-08   
57. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  27-05   48   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   16-02   
58. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT          10  27-04   47   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   14-05   
59. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             10  26-14   46   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 5   11-07   
60. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN          10  26-13   45   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   15-10   
61. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK             10  26-11   44   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   12-10   
62. Larry Nixon            Bee Branch, AR          10  26-10   43   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   15-02   
63. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  26-09   42   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   13-06   
64. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL            10  26-07   41   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   14-09   
65. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          10  26-05   40   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   09-00   
66. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  26-04   39   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   14-03   
67. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  26-00   38   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-04     Day 2: 5   17-12   
68. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               10  25-11   37   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   14-08   
69. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          10  25-09   36   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-00     Day 2: 5   12-09   
70. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  25-03   35   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   14-15   
71. Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                10  25-00   34   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   14-06   
72. Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI       10  24-15   33   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   10-15   
73. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL           10  24-12   32   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   08-05   
74. Bradley Hallman        Edmond, OK              10  24-12   31   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   09-12   
75. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  24-12   30   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   10-11   
76. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          10  24-12   29   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   13-05   
77. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI           10  24-07   28   $2,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   10-12   
78. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN         10  24-06   27
  Day 1: 5   09-03     Day 2: 5   15-03   
79. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  24-06   26
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   09-10   
80. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI       10  24-02   25
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   13-00   
81. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              9  23-15   24
  Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 4   10-08   
82. Chad Pipkens           DeWitt, MI              10  23-14   23
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   11-15   
83. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          10  23-12   22
  Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   09-10   
84. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              10  22-11   21
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   11-10   
85. David Williams         Newton, NC              10  22-08   20
  Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   09-00   
86. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI            10  22-02   19
  Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   09-13   
87. Masayuki Matsushita    Tokoname-Shi JAPAN      10  21-08   18
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 5   13-14   
88. Skylar Hamilton        Jefferson, TN           10  21-06   17
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   11-01   
89. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           10  20-07   16
  Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   12-08   
90. Mike Huff              London, KY              10  20-06   15
  Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   10-09   
91. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            10  20-04   14
  Day 1: 5   07-04     Day 2: 5   13-00   
92. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                10  19-07   13
  Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   10-06   
93. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          10  19-05   12
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   07-11   
94. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            8  19-05   11
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 3   10-07   
95. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN          10  18-10   10
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   09-08   
96. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC      10  18-06    9
  Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   07-07   
97. Keith Poche            Cecil, AL                7  18-03    8
  Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 2   05-14   
98. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA             8  18-03    7
  Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 3   06-07   
99. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  18-03    6
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   07-10   
100. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               7  17-05    5
  Day 1: 5   14-10     Day 2: 2   02-11   
101. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             7  17-03    4
  Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 2   03-09   
102. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            7  16-00    3
  Day 1: 2   02-10     Day 2: 5   13-06   
103. Bryan New              Saluda, SC               7  14-06    2
  Day 1: 3   04-14     Day 2: 4   09-08   
104. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  11-00    1
  Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Matt Arey                Shelby, NC          08-01      $1,000.00
 2   Jason Christie           Dry Creek, OK       06-05      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1       102       515      1433-10
 2        96       500      1453-03
———————————-
         198      1015      2886-13

Where are you fishing on this weekend update & more great news

Brian Carter
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Where are you fishing on this weekend update & more great news

Who’s ready for a great weekend of Bass fishing plus check out what we added to the pot for our fantasy fishing contestants & more great Bass Cast News news.

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