Here are the results from the CATT Open on Lake Norman for Saturday June 8th.
We had a total of 30 boats in the field with 56 anglers on board. Of those, just 19 boats weighed in. We paid out 6 places and two places in both the $25 and $50 side pots.
Our 6th place winner came to the scales with a total weight of 12.87 LBS on five fish. This was accomplished by the team of Steve Addington and Matt Stout who won their pay-in money back and a six-pack with a check for $75.00.
In 5th place, with a five fish limit weighing in at 13.10 LBS was soloist Brandon Conner who walked away with a check for $100.00 for his efforts.
The 4th place winner was the team of Garrett Smith and Jason Jones. They brought a bag of 5 fish weighing in a 13.65 LBS for a check in the amount of $125.00.
Starting our top three, in 3rd place was team Lassiter with Corey Lassiter and Colby Lassiter combining for a day catching 5 fish at a total weight of 14.15 LBS. This earned them a check for $165.00 for the day.
Our 2nd place team delivered to the scales five fish with a total combined weight of 14.77 LBS to include a 5.87 LB BIG FISH winning them that title for the day. They were also fortunate enough to get into both side pots where the won second place for both. In total, the won checks in the amount of $275.00 for 2nd place tourney finish, $250.00 for the second place $50 side pot entry and $200.00 more for the second place $25 side pot. But wait, there is more…they also won an additional $150.00 for their BIG FISH for a grand total winning for the day in the amount of $875.00. Who? Lee Hoyle and Robbie Morgan is who I addressed all four checks to. Congratulations gentlemen on a great day on the water!
In 1st place was the dynamic duo you might know as Kj Queen and Jeffrey Queen who, out of the 29 hole, came back to the ramp and delivered me a bag of five fish, very alive, with a total weight of 15.85 LBS! This bag of fish earned these gentlemen a check for their efforts in winning the tourney for $500.00. They also participated in both of the side pots which earned them the first-place checks for each in the amount of $600.00 for the $50 side pot and $400.00 more for the $25 side pot. The total earnings for Mr. and Mr. Queen (plus Pete) for the day was a cool $1,500.00 in total. A big congratulations to you both for a solid day on Norman.
Have to give an honorable mention to Mark Long and Andrew Long who was just squeaked out of the big fish by 0.04 LBS – they had a 5.83 LB hog.
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us on Saturday. We appreciate each of you for choosing to come fish with us.
If you would like to come out and play, we will be back at it next Saturday at Pinnacle Landing on beautiful Lake Norman. Blast off will be at 5:45 AM and we will bring you back at 2 PM. We will be there at 4:30 AM to start registration. Hope to see you then! Carl Holt Bonnie Holt
Next James River CATT Qualifier is July 2oth at Hopewell!
Must fish 3 of 7 Qualifiers to Fish Final Fishing solo or with a sub will count towards teams qualification! Fishing solo once & with sub once counts toward teams Qualification
James River Final is October 5-6 at Hopewell! $5,000 MINIMUM 1st Place!
Duane Hodge & Brad Colgin with the James Rier with 5 bass weighing 19.45 lbs worth $2,000.00!
Chuck Comer & Don Warren took 2nd Place with 5 bass weighing 18.55 lbs! They earned $1,900.00!
Audi Murphy & Monte Aleman 3rd Place with a limit weighing 17.29 lbs! They collected $1,420.00!
Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., takes the lead on Day 2 at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake with 10 bass for 39 pounds, 11 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 14, 2024
Prince powers to Day 2 lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Wheeler Lake
DECATUR, Ala. — When he arrived for practice for the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake, Cliff Prince hadn’t studied a map or done any research on the lake. He wanted as clear of a head as possible, and so far, it has paid off in a big way.
With a 20-pound, 7-ounce Day 2 performance, “The Prince of Palatka” jumped into the lead at Wheeler Lake with a two-day total of 39-11. Opening the tournament in fourth with a 19-4 limit, Prince now holds a 2-8 advantage over Alabama’s Justin Hamner, while Day 1 leader John Cox is third with 34-13.
The last time the Elites visited this Tennessee River reservoir in 2016, Prince suffered a dismal 105th-place finish. This time around, he didn’t think about Wheeler Lake until he put the boat in the water to start practice.
“I had someone ask me before this tournament, ‘Did you go practice?’ And I said no,’” the three-time Classic qualifier from Palatka, Fla., said. “I didn’t look at a map. I didn’t read anything. I wanted to come here with an open mind and just practice. I didn’t want to have any preconceived notions.”
That practice strategy proved productive as Prince has maximized and guarded one key spot he found on the main lake just a short distance from the takeoff spot at Ingalls Park. He has been throwing two baits around a patch of grass that surrounds a hard spot with shell in about 4 feet of water. While he’s caught mostly largemouth, he has hooked into several big smallmouth as well.
“It is not an obvious spot,” Prince said. “If you don’t throw it in that exact spot, you don’t get bit. You’ll catch three and they’ll quit. Then you’ll fish around for a while, catch three or four, and they’ll quit again.
“If they don’t leave there, we’ll be alright.”
Similar to Day 1, Prince filled his limit early, picking up a few key bass later in the morning to cull up to his final weight. His tally included several 4-pounders and a 5-pounder.
“I’m going to guess I caught between 15 and 20 bass,” he said. “The good thing is I landed the ones I needed. The first fish I flipped off, I thought it was going to hurt me, but I probably would have culled it anyway.”
While the bass seemed to be in one big group on Day 1, Prince noticed they had split into two groups, 2- and 3-pounders on one side and 4- and 5-pounders on the other. Two of his bigger bites came on a Texas Rig today, but one other bait has produced the bulk of the weight.
Once he felt comfortable with his bag Friday, Prince hung around and guarded the spot. While hot and sunny conditions are expected to continue, with temperatures in the mid-90s expected, the wind has not blown hard. That has helped Prince keep tabs on the school of bass he has located.
Meanwhile, Justin Hamner’s magical season continued as he jumped into second place with a two-day limit weighing 37-3. The Northport, Ala., pro caught 20-8 on Day 2, adding to his 16-11 performance from Day 1.
The winner of the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, Hamner is running all the way up to the Guntersville Dam tailrace and casting at one rockpile that is holding over 100 bass, he estimated. The pile sits in 10 feet of water and rises to 2 or 3 feet, and Hamner said he’s caught most of his weight on “basically topwater.”
“I’m shocked (no one is there). It is a very popular spot,” Hamner said. “It is a long way away and I guess no one wanted to make that run. I love that type of fishing. I like tailraces and I like current. I’m not a ledge-fishing guy. The first time I was here, I found that rockpile and never got to fish it in the tournament because there was a line of boats waiting to get on it.”
While he didn’t start there on Day 1, he made key upgrades there late in the afternoon and focused all of his time there on Friday. He also lost two big bass there Thursday, one over 7 and one over 5. A traditional smallmouth area, all of the bass he has caught so far have been largemouth.
Cox, who holds the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 22-2 Day 1 limit, caught just 12-11 on Day 2 and fell to third. He returned to the backwater pond where he caught all of his weight in on Day 1, and received five bites on a Berkley Swamp Lord.
Unfortunately, he landed just three of those bass and could only scrounge up two more keepers.
“The first two this morning annihilated it and just didn’t get it,” Cox said. “There are a lot of weeds that seem to get on your line. It’s like dying milfoil. I think both of those bites, the hooks had weeds on them. But they were nice ones.”
While he received bites in the morning hours, Cox said the activity in the pond slowed tremendously and there weren’t nearly as many gizzard shad in the area as there were on Day 1. He left to check some other areas around midday and those didn’t pan out, so he feels the pond still provides his best chance at winning.
“Now, after running around and not catching anything anywhere else, I think if I would have stayed and let the wind start moving and let some things change, I probably could have gotten another quality bite or two,” he explained. “Now I know. I think there are a lot of fish deep in there somewhere. I didn’t realize there were so many shallow spots and humps.”
Alabama’s Wesley Gore landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day, a 5-13 largemouth, but Louisiana’s Greg Hackney still holds the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament with a 7-9 largemouth from Day 1.
The Top 50 remaining pros will launch from Ingalls Harbor at 6 a.m. CT Saturday and return for weigh-in at 2 p.m. Top 10 anglers will then compete on Championship Sunday for the top prize of $100,000 and a blue trophy.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage begins at 8 a.m. ET Saturday on FS1 until 1 p.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com from 1 p.m. until weigh-in at 3 p.m.
2024 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake 6/13-6/16 Wheeler Lake, Decatur AL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 39-11 103 Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 20-07 2. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 37-03 102 Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 20-08 3. John Cox Debary, FL 10 34-13 101 Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 12-11 4. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 34-08 100 Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 16-06 5. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 33-13 99 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 14-06 6. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 33-04 98 Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 17-12 7. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 33-03 97 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 19-08 8. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 32-11 96 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 15-02 9. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 31-10 95 Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-07 10. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 10 31-09 94 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 18-01 11. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 31-01 93 Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 15-03 12. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 10 30-05 92 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 16-03 13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 30-04 91 $1,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 11-15 14. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 29-15 90 Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 10-09 15. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 29-14 89 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 15-13 16. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 29-11 88 Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 15-05 17. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 29-10 87 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 15-11 18. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 29-08 86 Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 14-12 19. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 29-07 85 Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 16-05 20. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 29-00 84 Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 13-12 21. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 28-14 83 Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-14 22. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 28-14 82 Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 13-02 23. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 28-12 81 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 16-11 24. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 28-09 80 Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 14-05 25. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 28-06 79 Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 11-13 26. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 28-01 78 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 15-07 27. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 28-01 77 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-03 28. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 28-00 76 Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-09 29. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 27-14 75 Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 12-05 29. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 27-14 75 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 15-09 31. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 27-12 73 Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 09-12 32. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 27-07 72 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 14-09 33. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 27-02 71 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 15-10 34. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 27-02 70 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 35. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 26-15 69 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 12-10 36. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 26-14 68 Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-14 37. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 10 26-11 67 Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 11-05 38. Frank Talley Belton, TX 10 26-11 66 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-13 39. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 26-07 65 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 13-11 40. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 26-04 64 Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 12-00 41. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 25-15 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 13-03 42. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 25-01 62 Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 15-04 43. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 9 25-01 61 Day 1: 4 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-14 44. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 25-00 60 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-02 45. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 24-14 59 Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 13-14 46. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 24-12 58 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 14-12 47. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 24-11 57 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-04 48. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 24-04 56 Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 07-10 49. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 24-03 55 Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 16-00 50. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 24-02 54 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 09-08 51. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 24-01 53 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-12 52. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 24-01 52 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-07 53. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 24-00 51 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 09-15 54. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 23-15 50 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 12-02 55. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 23-14 49 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-09 56. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 23-13 48 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-10 57. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 23-13 47 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 12-02 58. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 23-11 46 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-05 59. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 23-10 45 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 10-08 60. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 23-09 44 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 10-14 61. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 9 22-13 43 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 4 06-00 62. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 22-13 42 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 15-09 63. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 22-12 41 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-02 64. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 22-10 40 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-13 65. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 22-09 39 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-14 66. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 22-08 38 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-12 67. Bryan New Leesville, SC 10 21-13 37 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-06 68. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 20-15 36 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 12-15 69. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 20-14 35 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 08-13 70. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 20-08 34 Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 07-02 71. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 20-08 33 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 07-03 72. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 20-08 32 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 07-08 73. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 20-02 31 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 07-13 74. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 20-01 30 Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 13-11 75. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 19-14 29 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 09-14 76. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 19-11 28 Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 13-13 77. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 19-09 27 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-00 78. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 9 19-04 26 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 4 06-13 79. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 19-00 25 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 09-00 80. Todd Auten Clover, SC 10 18-11 24 Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 10-03 81. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 6 18-10 23 Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 1 02-01 82. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 18-07 22 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 08-12 83. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 9 18-03 21 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 4 10-03 84. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 18-00 20 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 05-15 85. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 17-11 19 Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 09-13 86. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 17-07 18 Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 09-12 87. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 17-06 17 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 05-09 88. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 9 17-06 16 Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 4 07-13 89. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 17-04 15 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-10 90. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 10 16-07 14 Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 5 09-00 91. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 9 16-02 13 Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 4 06-03 92. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 8 15-07 12 Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 3 03-11 93. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 9 15-01 11 Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 4 06-15 94. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 9 14-13 10 Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 5 07-05 95. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 8 14-04 9 Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 3 05-02 96. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 8 12-04 8 Day 1: 3 02-13 Day 2: 5 09-07 97. Mike Huff London, KY 7 12-04 7 Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 5 07-09 98. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 7 11-10 6 Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 2 04-11 99. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 3 02-14 5 Day 1: 2 00-13 Day 2: 1 02-01 ———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS Day 1 Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 07-09 $1,000.00 2 Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 05-13 $1,000.00
In 1997, angler Jarrett Edwards accomplished an extraordinary feat by catching the largest largemouth bass ever recorded in the state of Colorado. This massive fish, weighing an incredible 11 pounds and 6 ounces, was caught at Echo Canyon Reservoir in Archuleta County.
The Record Catch
Landing a bass of this size is a rare and impressive accomplishment. Largemouth bass are a popular sportfish found in many lakes and rivers across North America, but they seldom reach weights over 10 pounds. The average size is typically between 2-5 pounds.
Edwards’ 11-pound 6-ounce largemouth bass shattered the previous Colorado state record, which stood at 10 pounds 8 ounces for nearly two decades prior. His catch was officially certified as the new state record by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency.
Holding a State Record
When an angler catches a fish that exceeds the existing state record for that species, they can submit an application to have their catch officially recognized. State wildlife agencies maintain databases of record fish catches as a way to promote recreational fishing and track the health of fish populations.
Having your name inscribed in the state record books for a particular species is considered a major accomplishment for any angler. It requires a combination of skill, knowledge of the fish’s behavior and habitat, proper equipment, and a little bit of luck on the day of the catch.
About Jarrett Edwards
Little is publicly known about Jarrett Edwards outside of his record largemouth bass caught at Echo Canyon Reservoir. He appears to be a dedicated and experienced angler from Colorado who fishes the lakes and reservoirs around the state. Landing an 11+ pound largemouth is the dream for any bass fisherman.
How the Record Was Caught
The specifics of how Edwards caught his record fish are unclear from available information. However, some key factors that likely contributed include:
Location – Echo Canyon Reservoir provided excellent bass habitat with vegetation, structure, and ample forage for large bass to thrive.
Timing – Largemouth spawn in late spring, so this catch may have come during the spawning season when big females move shallow and are more active.
Tackle – Heavy line, robust rod and reel were necessary to land such a large bass. Live bait like crayfish or frogs are common baits for trophy bass.
Skill – Hooking and landing a double-digit bass requires excellent angling abilities like properly setting the hook, patient fighting, and careful handling of the fish.
While the story behind this specific catch is limited, Jarrett Edwards’ 11-pound 6-ounce largemouth bass cemented his name in Colorado’s fishing record books and inspired anglers hoping to catch their own dream bass. It serves as a testament to the excellent bass fishing available in the state.
Competition days will be June 20-22, with daily takeoffs from Nichols Point at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day back at Nichols Point at 2 p.m.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Soukup lives about an hour and a half from this 102,000-acre Canadian River reservoir — a lake he’s fished since his childhood. Water level’s his key metric, and about two weeks out from the tournament’s commencement, Eufaula had risen well past normal pool.
“It’s a massive body of water and it kinda spreads out really far,” Soukoup said. “Probably the biggest thing that can be a factor right now is we’ve had a lot of rain in Oklahoma and the lake’s (4 1/2 feet) high.
“It’s Oklahoma fishing; if the water’s high, it will be a bush-flipping, old-school, shallow-water derby. When the water’s up 2 feet, there’s a lot of shallow (habitat) like willows and buckbrush, but when it’s up 4 to 5 feet, there’s a lot more water the fish can be in.”
As Soukup said, Oklahoma fish like to live shallow this time of year, but should the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decide to start pulling water out of Eufaula, the result will make the lake fish smaller. Falling water panics fish, as their diminishing habitat prompts mass movement to safer depths. Moreover, a sudden increase in moving water creates productive feeding areas.
“It’s not a current lake like a TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) lake, but if they suck the water out of the bottom end, there’ll be some funnel current spots for guys to hit,” Soukup said. “But it’s not a ton of places, so guys could potentially be stacked on each other.”
Conversely, should the region see more significant rain prior to the tournament, that could create a too-much-of-a-good-thing scenario. As Soukup explained, water in bushes means fish in bushes, however, when that water extends significantly farther, navigational access can become limited for most tournament boats.
“If we get more rain and the water gets too much higher, then it’s gonna be a difficult derby,” Soukup said of the lake’s mostly flat composition. “The fish will spread out everywhere.
“The perfect scenario would be where the water’s about 4 to 5 feet high now and it drops about a foot a week until the tournament (so that) when we get there, it’s only a couple feet high. That will allow time for a lot of fish to move into the shallows and get comfortable up there, without the water flying out of there.”
As Soukup pointed out, Lake Eufaula is fed by the Deep Fork, North Canadian and South Canadian rivers, along with several creeks. This complements the lake’s rocky parts with a lot of sandy, silted-in flat areas. The lake also holds a broad spectrum of water clarity, from good visibility to Oklahoma red mud.
“There’s a lot of dead water, and the key thing for guys to figure out is where that is,” Soukup said. “The crazy thing about the dead areas is that you might catch a couple 5-pounders in practice and you’ll think you have something found, but it’s not something that’s going to produce in a tournament.”
Soukup, who finished sixth at the 2023 Open at Lake Eufaula, said that event was more of an offshore game in brushpiles and rockpiles. He’s betting on the shallow stuff this time around, with the tried-and-true Oklahoma stalwarts — flipping and spinnerbaits — doing much of the heavy lifting.
“If the water comes down, there’ll be some brush in play,” Soukup said. “I don’t think it will be extremely deep brush; more the shallow- to mid-depth brush, along with rock. Drop shots, jigs and shaky heads will work (in this scenario).
“The spawn will be 99% done, but we could have a little bit of shad spawn. I think the major factor will be figuring out what the water will be doing. It’ll be a postspawn-summer time frame, but that high water could interrupt the pattern of the fish going out deep.”
Understandably, the water level storyline will bear significant impact on weight expectations. Soukup said that ideal scenario of a steady decline leading up to the event would likely see strong catches throughout the field. Dramatic changes, up or down, will impose broad limitations.
“This tournament’s really going to be hit or miss because of water fluctuation,” Soukup said. “If we show up and they’re all stacked up shallow, it’ll take 18 to 20 pounds a day to win. The miss part is that, if we show up and the water is 9 feet high or they suck the bottom out overnight, it will be pretty tough.”
This tournament marks the halfway point of the nine-event Opens season. Anglers fishing all nine events in the Tackle Warehouse Elite Qualifiers Division are vying for one of nine available spots on the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series.
John Cox of DeBary, Fla., takes the lead on Day 1 at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake with five bass for 22 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Seito/B.A.S.S.
June 13, 2024
Magical day 1 guides Cox to lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Wheeler Lake
DECATUR, Ala. — Butterflies and heatwaves are seemingly important ingredients to success for John Cox when he shows up at Wheeler Lake. The DeBary, Fla., pro caught 22 pounds, 2 ounces to claim the Day 1 lead at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake, nearly eight years after winning a Forrest Wood Cup on this fishery.
Cox holds a 2-11 advantage over second-place John Garrett while Hawaii’s Matty Wong follows in third with 19-6 and Florida’s Cliff Prince is fourth with 19-4.
“It was just one of those days,” said Cox, a six-time Classic qualifier. “It was awesome and I just caught big ones. I hope there are a few more in there. The water is falling quickly and it might be an issue even getting in there. It was really cool.”
During his Forrest Wood Cup victory in August of 2016 at Wheeler, a butterfly floated around Cox’s boat nearly the entire tournament, even landing on his nose at one point. After landing his final bass this afternoon, he noticed a butterfly flying around his marshal.
In search of his first Elite Series victory, Cox is hoping it’s a sign of things to come.
“It is nuts. I catch the last big one and this butterfly lands on my marshal’s head,” Cox explained. “And when I won the Cup, that butterfly was landing on me the entire tournament. I got the chills thinking about that. It is so weird.”
Temperatures have been on the rise across northern Alabama this week, reaching the 90-degree mark on Thursday. With no rain in the forecast either, current generation at the Wheeler Dam has slowed down and made the fishing across the lake a little tougher than many anglers anticipated.
Cox landed just one limit during his three days of practice and said he would have been happy if he caught 10 pounds on Day 1.
“Today was a miracle, honestly,” he said. “I only caught a couple fish the other days of practice and I was just hoping I could get five somehow so I didn’t finish dead last. It was so incredible. As incredible as the Cup.”
After trying to find a vacant area first thing in the morning, Cox settled in and caught the majority of his weight in one small area featuring shallow grass. He caught most of his bag early in the day, but made two key culls in the afternoon hours.
The biggest key to his area was the presence of gizzard shad. A Berkley Swamp Lord produced his best bites, including a 6-12 largemouth that anchored his bag.
“I think they were eating the gizzard shad and then all of a sudden the gizzards pushed up into this area. I smoked them on the Swamp Lord,” Cox said. “They don’t look like shallow fish. I think they came out of deep water.
“You go in this area and think, ‘How can they be in this tiny, narrow creek and how can there be enough to keep catching them?’ They just kept showing up.”
There is one particular issue with Cox’s area. The water is dropping out, and if it falls any more, he is concerned he won’t be able to get to his spot.
“It has fallen a foot (since practice started), maybe a little more,” he said. “I’ll just start running if I can’t get in there.”
Garrett, a veteran of Kentucky Lake on the same Tennessee River system as Wheeler Lake, landed a 19-7 mixed-bag limit to land in second place after Day 1. The Elite Series rookie and winner of the Elite at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes earlier this year anchored his bag with a 4 1/2-pound largemouth as well as a 4 1/2-pound smallmouth.
“It was a perfect day today,” Garrett said. “I was able to pull up on a couple places early that I wanted to get on, which is kind of rare here. I got bigger-than-average bites today.”
The Union City, Tenn., pro opened the day by catching those two big bass on a topwater lure. After searching for another place to fish that wasn’t occupied by other boats, he pulled into a spot and filled a limit weighing about 18 pounds. A key cull late in the day lifted Garrett to his final tally.
“I didn’t think it was that good and I caught them really well on it. I caught a dozen within a 30-minute timespan probably,” Garrett said. “My timing was really good this morning. Open spots don’t come around. I have two places that not everybody knows about.”
Garrett is fishing shellbeds and hard-bottom spots in 6 to 12 feet of water. The majority of the bass he is catching are largemouth, but there are smallmouth mixed in. The brown fish, however, are more difficult to catch.
In his first trip to Wheeler Lake, Wong caught an early limit before making key upgrades late in the day to reach his Day 1 weight of 19-6.
“This is my third season on tour and I have learned to settle in and take my little tips that I get from the fish and try to implement them on gameday,” Wong said. “I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.”
While the quality bass did not show during practice, the 2022 B.A.S.S. Nation Champion found several key areas that produced big bites on Day 1. Three baits played a role in his success. On his best stretch, Wong landed a 5-pounder, a 3-pounder and a 2-pounder.
Stumps in about 5 feet of water have been the most productive pieces of cover. He has found those using his forward-facing sonar.
“The lake is fishing unlike people thought it would. The way I figured out my bite is fitting to my style and I’m glad it all came together,” Wong said. “The afternoon heat helps the bite.”
Louisiana pro Greg Hackney landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day, a 7-9 largemouth that anchored his 18-5 fifth-place limit.
McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings, followed by Garrett in second with 462 points and Alabama’s Wesley Gore in third with 459.
The full field will launch from Ingalls Harbor beginning at 6 a.m. CT Friday and return for weigh-in at 2 p.m. The Top 50 after the Day 2 weigh-in will advance to Day 3 before the Top 10 anglers compete on Championship Sunday.
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Working to Become the Best: A Day on the River By Bruce Callis Jr
Dawn, breaking through the darkness, filling the sky with the brilliant colors of morning and filling us with the hope of a day of happiness. That is what every angler sees as they back the boat down the ramp, ready to go in search of that one magical spot that may hold the winning bass during the tournament. Practice time can be so hectic, but it can often lead to clues that enables the angler to make those decisions that can make or break the day. Kyle Cortiana, former FLW Pro and current MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Pro was finally getting some practice time on the Potomac River, a place he really has struggled at, invited me to come join him for a day of practice. I knew this meant a long day on the water and was prepared for a sunup to sundown day. It is not for the faint of heart for sure. It can take a toll on you if you aren’t prepared for it.
Hitting the Water
We met up at the boat ramp, loaded up my gear, and after a quick pit stop headed out to explore the creek we were in. We were on the outgoing tide and near low, so the back was the place to go to see what it offered. One thing is for sure, you need to prepare for what the tournament offers, not what we think is the best time to be out there. We hit up a nice stretch and Kyle had a quick miss on his bait. A second throw produced a solid 2 pound bass. A keeper for sure, but if you want to win, you will need bigger. We continued down the stretch, Kyle throwing his secret lure while I threw something slow, a Missile Baits 6.5” Quiver. Once again something slams his bait but misses. A second throw and the same results. Frustrating, but nothing new for an angler. Kyle throws a different bait but nothing. Quickly picking up his go to choice, he continues fishing ahead leaving it to me to see if I can pick it up. I pitched my bait in and felt the thump and set the hook on another solid 2 pound bass, my first of the day.
Talking About Life
We are moving along, talking and fishing. It is amazing what you can learn about someone on the water. From how they started to how they got to where they are. The Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native got his itch fishing in local tournaments. He and his dad went in on their first bass boat and set the story of his career in motion. He did the normal things we do, went to college and got his degree and became a civil engineer. He was good too, but the fishing bug never left him. He won Angler of the Year in 2016, his first season fishing the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. This qualified him for the Pro Circuit in 2017. He wasn’t prepared to do it, but put his trust in God and was able to secure his finical backing for 2017. He still had a full time job, which he was able to work around and still fish. For 5 years he did both, working and fishing, building a home on 5 acres, living the life and dream. In 2021, he qualified to fish the Bass Pro Tour Event on the Harris Chain, that his wife Miranda was able to attend. They stayed in a small space above somebody’s garage and the idea of selling the home and living in a RV was born. That August he had a really bad time, falling seriously ill with COVID. He actually thought he was going to die. Once he recovered, it was a lot easier to make the decision of both of them quitting their jobs, selling the home, and buying a fifth-wheel to live in full time.
Moving the Search
We continued to fish, making adjustments, changing baits, searching for that top bite. While we mixed in some topwater frogging with some nice bass and explosions, we never found those big girls we wanted. Finally we worked our way to the mouth of the creek and found some good potential spots on the river. But still no giants. Another ride in the river and into another creek. We hit it hard again, but nothing really stood out, so once again, we fire up the engine and head back out into the river to check some more areas. We hit some spots that should have been holding bass, but did not even get nibbled on. Another move, a few more bass and then another move. We ended the day with Kyle finding a nice older bass, long with a big head, but no belly. And then back to the ramp.
Learning All I Can
It was a long 14 hour day that crossed off another few areas of the river. But more importantly, we were able to find the bass. I also learned a lot about what it takes to practice. Not allowing them to take the bait is difficult. Everything inside of us says to slam the hook home. But we developed a pattern that may hold up on other areas as well. Only Kyle will know, since I only got the one day in. I helped Kyle clean out the fishing line from his trolling before heading back home. He headed back to the campground for dinner with his wife, some more tackle prep and some more study. What an incredible day that ended too soon. Only time will tell how Kyle does, hopefully he finds the big girls. Will this make me an expert on the Potomac, not at all. But it did help me understand tidal fisheries a little more. Given the crash course of knowledge will never make me an expert. But everything is stored away for the next adventure. I’m ready, bring it on!
(Kyle managed to have his best tournament on the Potomac River. He had a total of 39-01 pounds to finish up in 19th place. He just never found the big ones on the last day. He was happy to finally get a good Top 25 finish on the mighty Potomac River before he heads north and Lake Champlain for the next Tackle Warehouse Invitational June 15-17, 2024.)
General Tire pro Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, will be among the 79 anglers competing in the General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
The six-day tournament, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, will feature a field of 79 professional anglers, including Ott DeFoe , back-to-back Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler, two-time reigning REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell, and Virginia pros like David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia. They’ll be competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
“We’re excited to welcome Major League Fishing organizers, anglers and fans to the Richmond Region,” said Jerrine Lee, Vice President of Sales at Richmond Region Tourism. “The James River is known for its world-class fishing and exciting outdoor activities. We know anglers will experience some incredible bass fishing during the tournament and we can’t wait to cheer them all on.”
The tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on Discovery.
While the James River has hosted numerous bass tournaments over the years, this will be the Bass Pro Tour’s maiden voyage on the fishery. The majority of MLF experience is limited to a few Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournaments, several Toyota Series events, the 2003 Forrest Wood Cup and a Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event in 2022.
Charlottesville, Virginia’s Martin Villa will be competing in the tournament and said he’s looking forward to an excellent event on one of Virginia’s big bass factories.
“The James River is an exceptional tidal fishery,” said Villa. “It’s very versatile, so anglers will definitely be able to play to their strengths and catch them in a variety of ways, anywhere from cranking to ‘scoping. The river has a lot of vegetation around it with a pretty heavy tide and is very fertile.”
Although fish typically spawn later on a tidal fishery, Villa said the spawning season should be wrapped up by the time the tournament hits the river, making for a great postspawn event.
“I expect to see a lot of shallow-water angling, with guys flipping, throwing topwater baits and squarebills,” said Villa. “I think we will see guys doing really good flipping creature baits and soft plastics and throwing a frog. It really could be won multiple ways. It’s a known spinnerbait hole and a known jig hole, but it really just depends on the mood of the fish.”
The James River is Virginia’s largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay and Villa said viewers can expect to see bass caught all across the river.
“It’s massive, with a lot of nooks and crannies, so the competition will really go down all over the river,” said Villa. “I think it will take 45 to 50 pounds to make the cut into the Knockout Round, and we’ll definitely see some big fish caught throughout the event – there’s potential for some good Heavy Hitters fish opportunities.”
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Osborne Landing, located at 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Richmond. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the landing, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Osborne Landing for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.
The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at James River Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and WIX Filters.
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, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Pieper caught his fish the way every bass angler wants to catch them in early summer – on a frog.
“I was fishing shallow-water weeds, probably anywhere from 2 1/2 feet or less,” he said. “All my fish that hit the scales were on a frog. I had to have current. It had to be around current-based weeds where there was a little bit of flow through the weeds.”
A Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog was Pieper’s go-to. He said he spent the tournament in “what you would call the river part” of Lake Dardanelle.
“It was either just on the main river or just off the main river, in the heavier flow of current,” he said.
The fish came from a mix of grass. It really didn’t matter the type, just as long as it was close to the bank and being hit by current.
“I probably caught 50 or 60 fish today,” Pieper said. “I would probably say 75 percent of those fish were on a frog. I fished the same pattern all day. A lot of them (that he weighed in) came on probably a 300-yard stretch. I had eight different areas I caught fish on, but three of the big ones came on that stretch.
“My last cull was probably in the last hour and a half of the day. I caught another one over 4 (pounds). It was one of those days I couldn’t do anything wrong.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Richard Pieper, Batesville, Ark., five bass, 18-15, $4,009 2nd: Mike Rhinehart, Pottsville, Ark., five bass, 18-1, $2,005 3rd: Kirk Smith, Edmond, Okla., five bass, 17-4, $1,336 4th: Blake Anschultz, Newport, Ark., five bass, 17-2, $1,485 5th: Cloys Warren, Tuckerman, Ark., five bass, 16-11, $802 6th: Sawyer Grace, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 15-15, $1,035 7th: Matt Hamby, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-14, $668 8th: Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 15-8, $601 9th: Reid Prescott, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-4, $535 10th: Ethan Stokes, Dover, Ark., five bass, 14-10, $468
Blake Anschultz of Newport, Arkansas, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $550.
Stephen Vanourny of Mountainburg, Arkansas, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,005 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Stephen Vanourny, Mountainburg, Ark., five bass, 14-1, $2,005 2nd: Kelly Shamlin Jr., Benton, Ark., five bass, 12-15, $1,002 3rd: Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., five bass, 12-11, $668 4th: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., four bass, 12-0, $993 5th: Stephen Simms, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 11-12, $401 6th: Mike Flory, London, Ark., five bass, 11-1, $368 7th: Kelvin Trotter, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-6, $334 8th: Clayton Self, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 10-3, $301 9th: Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 10-1, $267 10th: Isaiah Vickers, Sherwood, Ark., five bass, 9-9, $234
Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $275, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 952 points, while Jonathan Dotson of Dover, Arkansas, leads the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 946 points.
The next event for BFL Arkie Division anglers will be held Sept. 21-22, at Bull Shoals Lake in Bull Shoals, Arkansas. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Wright Patman Lake in Texarkana, Texas. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
