Whitewater Fishing’s Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt is tailored like a tuxedo and fishes like your favorite gym shirt.
MUSKEGON, Mich. (June 12, 2024) – Swing a cat in any direction and you’ll hit a fishing shirt. The stylish, fishing-oriented shirts have become a mainstay with the angling crowd. First popularized on the coasts, button-down fishing shirts have become everyday-wear throughout North America.Never one to tender me-too products, Whitewater Fishing’s Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt is an intelligently designed and fairly priced garment that deserves a hanger or two in your closet – no matter how many fishing shirts you own.
BLUE BELL
Snazzy enough for church and comfortable on the water, the Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt is constructed with a lightweight poly-spandex blend with a moisture wicking skillset. Always thinking fabric first, Whitewater selected an elite material with surprising stretch, while also yielding durability. It’s moisture wicking capabilities pull sweat off your skin, urging bodily moisture to evaporate while the material dries quickly.
The same comfortable material is also wrinkle-resistant. So, if you prefer a dresser door over a hanger, you’re in fine shape. To that, Whitewater’s Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt boasts a UPF 50 rating to guard against harmful UV rays, as well as an antimicrobial treatment to maintain freshness over multiple uses.
Vented back with poly mesh
The relaxed fit Rapids Short Sleeve Shirt also sports a caped-back with poly mesh ventilation. The vented back encourages airflow, assisting the wicking material to keep you cool. Feel cool. Look cool. Make the Whitewater Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt the your next piece of fishing gear.
WHITE
GLACIER GREY
DEEP SEA
Rapids Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt FEATURES: Relaxed fit Poly-spandex fabric blend for maximum stretch Vented back with poly mesh UPF 50 sun protection Moisture-wicking and quick drying Antimicrobial Treatment Two low profile buttoned chest pockets Button-up collared design 2-button closure chest pockets Available in White, Blue Bell, Glacier Grey, and Deep Sea Sizes Small through 3XL MSRP $39.99
High School Fishing National Championship to offer millions to student anglers in scholarships and prizes
ANDERSON, S.C. (June 12, 2024) – The 15th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship , the world’s premier high school fishing event, is set to take place at Lake Hartwell and Anderson, South Carolina, next week, June 19-22. Teams from most U.S. States and multiple foreign countries, including Canada and South Africa, are scheduled to compete for a share of the richest prize pool in all of high school bass fishing – the total amount of scholarships and prizes offered up for grabs at this event is an eye-popping $3.2 million dollars, according to The Bass Federation (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF).
Each High School team consists of three people to a boat – two High School Fishing anglers and their adult boat captain or coach. The 2024 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship, hosted by Visit Anderson, are set to bring an estimated 3,000 people to Lake Hartwell and Anderson, South Carolina for the week-long event.
“We’re so excited to be hosting the High School Fishing National Championship in Anderson County, Green Pond Landing and Lake Hartwell, said Neil Paul, Executive Director of Visit Anderson. “The leadership of Anderson County has given us one of the finest facilities in America with Green Pond Landing and the resources to host first-class events such as the High School Fishing National Championship.
“This event will serve as a tremendous economic success for our community, and we look forward to hosting the anglers, their families, and the tremendous folks from The Bass Federation and Major League Fishing in our community.”
Student anglers will launch each day at 6 a.m. (or first safe light) from Green Pond Landing, located at 470 Green Pond Road Anderson. Weigh-ins will also be held at Green Pond Landing and will begin at 1:30 p.m. each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event live online through weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at HighSchoolFishing.org.
The student anglers pay no entry fee to compete in this one-of-a-kind dual event. The World Finals portion is the largest of all national High School events, and where the bulk of the prizes and scholarships are awarded. It is also the most difficult to win. The World Finals is open to any SAF member in the world, so all anglers attending will be competing in the World Finals. At the same time, on the dual-stage, the top 10% of High School teams from all SAF sanctioned events – including MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse – in the last year are qualified to compete in the National Championship event, with its own set of prizes and scholarships that will top $500,000. The National Championship qualified teams are entered into both events and have a chance at both prize pools all in one trip.
In addition to the college scholarships and prizes offered, the High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2024 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, Missouri, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, 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 HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
BENTON, Ky. (June 12, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Wednesday that it is reversing a penalty that was assessed on Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, during Sunday’s final round of Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on the Chowan River. MLF is reinstating the weight of seven bass that were removed from SCORETRACKER®. The weight – 14 pounds, 13 ounces – moves Birge from eighth to seventh place in the final standings.
While it was ruled that Birge violated Bass Pro Tour rule 18 A, which prohibits an angler from leaving his boat to make it more accessible to fishing waters, it was subsequently determined that he did so with the understanding that permission had been granted by the tournament director and assistant tournament director.
Birge asked for permission to remove his drain plug so that his boat would temporarily fill with water, float lower and pass under a bridge to access water that he had not previously fished. The question was asked Sunday morning prior to takeoff, and permission was granted by the tournament director, as this is not a rule violation. Birge was not reminded at the time, however, that he could not exit his boat per rule 18 A to remove the drain plug. The tournament director operated under the incorrect assumption that Birge could reach the plug and remove it without leaving his boat, and Birge understood the ruling to mean that he could enter the water and remove his drain plug so long as he didn’t let go of the boat.
“After investigating the incident, it is clear that MLF tournament officials contributed to the violation,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “As such, it is unfair for us to hold an angler responsible for a violation when our actions and inactions implied express permission. We are therefore reinstating the weight of the bass Birge caught after passing under the low-hanging bridge.”
The assistant tournament director was the official in the boat with Birge at the time of the incident, and he did not immediately inform Birge that exiting his boat to remove his drain plug in this situation constituted a rule violation. If he had, the situation could have been resolved in real time.
“Mistakes were made,” Fennel said. “Our team has learned from them to make sure they do not happen again.”
Updated results from Bass Pro Tour Stage Five are as follows:
1st: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 22 bass, 58-14, $100,000 2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 18 bass, 44-14, $45,000 3rd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 20 bass, 41-14, $38,000 4th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 12 bass, 36-1, $32,000 5th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 31-4, $30,000 6th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 13 bass, 31-0, $26,000 7th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 12 bass, 26-5, $23,000 8th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 25-10, $21,000 9th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 11-8, $19,000 10th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., three bass, 9-15, $16,000
Mosquito Lake is one of the hotter inland bass fisheries in Ohio right now, and it’s stacked with fish. For Quisno, the key was getting dialed in on the right bass to win a tournament against the best anglers in the Buckeye State.
“Catching fish was not a problem, and that’s not a problem most of the time there,” he said. “It’s just catching better quality fish. In practice, I started out marking bluegill beds and crappie beds in grass in 8 to 12 foot of water. And that’s not really my strength.
“I started out (the tournament) fishing shallow around the pads. And if you could find hydrilla and milfoil that was still there, that was like a magic combo. If you could find hydrilla or milfoil the amount of bites you would get would go through the roof.”
Quisno sorted out the right grass combo by throwing a topwater in practice, but in the tournament, he changed it up.
He ran to his starting area and caught a limit within about 45 minutes on a ChatterBait. Quisno then bounced around to areas with sparse grass until ultimately circling back to a key stretch of lily pads – a move that ultimately led to his win.
“It wasn’t until probably the middle of the morning that the sun came out and it actually stayed out; it wasn’t partly cloudy,” Quisno said. “The fish just started munching in the pads. I don’t think those fish were there in the morning.”
The lily pad bite got hot quickly, with Quisno “intercepting” fish that were moving in from scattered grass through the pads to shallower cover.
“There were three pad fields that I would say are probably average size for there, and I know those pad fields were a little clearer,” he said. “There were two of them that had other boats that were fishing them. For some strange reason the one pad field I was catching them in – it was crazy – I don’t think another boat came within 400 yards from noon to the time I came in.”
“It seemed like the bigger fish just wanted something slow and dragging,” said Quisno, who relied on past experience fishing in Florida to know that he’d have to slow way down and occasionally dead-stick his worm on bottom to get bit. “I was fishing it weightless or Texas-rigged. It depended on how thick the pads were. Sometimes the wind would be blowing. Then other times it would be gusting for 20 to 30 minutes to where I would use a small sinker.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Benjamin Quisno, Oakwood, Ohio, five bass, 19-3, $4,244 2nd: Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., five bass, 18-12, $2,122 3rd: Nathan Digiacobbe, Girard, Ohio, five bass, 17-7, $2,013 4th: Donald Sibley, Strasburg, Ohio, five bass, 16-10, $990 5th: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 16-1, $1,149 6th: Tim Snively, Trenton, Ohio, five bass, 15-7, $778 7th: Jeremy Tenwalde, Ft. Jennings, Ohio, five bass, 15-5, $707 8th: Mike Blake, Carrollton, Ohio, five bass, 14-9, $1,137 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus) 9th: Brandon Freer, Youngstown, Ohio, five bass, 14-8, $566 10th: Randy Dustin, Falconer, N.Y., five bass, 14-5, $495
Nathan Digiacobbe of Girard, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $600.
David Prater of Franklin, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,122 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: David Prater, Franklin, Ohio, five bass, 16-11, $2,122 2nd: James Anderson, Valley City, Ohio, five bass, 15-3, $1,061 3rd: Jason Stock, Maineville, Ohio, five bass, 15-0, $707 4th: Brett Warrick, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 13-11, $495 5th: Dan Minor, Norwalk, Ohio, five bass, 12-1, $424 6th: Douglas Shope, Arcanum, Ohio, five bass, 11-10, $389 7th: Ryan Kriegel, Delphos, Ohio, five bass, 10-11, $354 8th: John C. Miller, Washington, Pa., four bass, 10-8, $318 9th: Anthony Bell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 10-7, $283 10th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, four bass, 10-3, $248
Donnie Phillips of Albany, Ohio, and Kenneth Wessel of Fayetteville, Ohio, tied for the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award by each catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. They each took home $150 for their share of the prize.
After two events, Sean Wieda of Alexandria, Kentucky, leads the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 499 points, while Douglas Shope of Arcanum, Ohio, leads the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 491 points.
The next event for BFL Buckeye Division anglers will be held June 29, at Ohio River-Tanners Creek in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. 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. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, 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.
Well we had our 4th Qualifier of the ALTEC Guaranteed $7000.00 Trail last Saturday. We had 50 boats show up and test the stingy Kerr Lake as of lately. We want to start off by saying THANK YOU to everyone that came out and fished with us Saturday!! The old lake fished fairly well for the most part from the consistency of the weights brought in. Weather was even pretty good!
There was alot of big hitters on Kerr Lake show up on Saturday for their chance at the top prize. One of those big hitters teams was the team of Jeff & Clay Ross. I knew when they signed up Saturday they would definitely be a team to contend with. They didn’t disappoint either! They made it 2 for 2 with the 5 Alive Team Trail. They have fished 2 of the our events and Won both of them. Their batting a %1000.
They brought in a 5 fish limit weighing 15.90 pounds. That bag earned them a total of $2195.00 Great job guys!! They are definitely a great team and a great couple of guys also. Well deserved! They were followed by the team of Chrisman and Gilbert. They had a 5 fish limit weighing 15.61 pounds. That earned them a total of $1250.00 First time Mr. Denny Gilbert has fished with us and he made a statement. Good job guys!! Glad to have yall fishing with us! BIG FISH was Won by the team of Kenneth Dixon & Pete Tuck . They had a 4.90 pound fish that earned them $500.00 Big Congratulations to all of the teams that placed in the money! I want to say THANK YOU to all of our 2024 sponsors! Without them this Trail would not happen. BIG THANK YOU to ALTEC for being our title sponsor for 2024. Definitely want to say THANK YOU to my wife Krystal Kirby Sheppard , Jessica Turner Byrd & Chris Byrd for all of thier help. I hope they love it enough to continue because this ol FAT BOY Definitely can’t do it alone.
The Final Qualifier for the ALTEC Trail is on Saturday 6/22/2024 at Kerr Lake – Occoneechee Ramp.
We will determine who the 5 Alive/ ALTEC Trail 2024 Points Champions will be that day.
We will also crown the Daves Tournament Tackle FAT 5 -2024 Champions.
Take a look at the points and standings in both divisions and you will see that it’s going to be a barn burner going into the last event.
The Points Champions will Win $1500.00, Points Champions plaques, Points Champions coats, free entry fee’s to all of the 2025 Qualifiers and the #1 starting spot to all of the 2025 Qualifiers.
2nd Place in the points will Win $1000.00 and the 2nd place starting spot in all of the 2025 Qualifiers.
3rd place will Win $500.00 and the 3rd place starting spot in all of the 2025 Qualifiers.
FAT 5 Champions will Win $1000.00 and the Daves Tournament Tackle FAT 5 Champions Belts.
That’s a total of $4500.00 being give away and we still have the tournament pay out also. BIG DAY that Saturday!
If anyone is interested in pre registering for Qualifer #5 or any other of the tournaments coming up in any of the 5 Alive Team Trails contact me Kevin Sheppard at 336-264-8416 and I will get you the information you need to make it happen. Thanks!
Atmosphere by The Weather Channel curates products and services for all seasons. If you buy something from one of our links, we may earn a commission. This content was created in partnership with RVshare.
Maybe that special guy in your life loves roughing it outdoors — or maybe he wants all the creature comforts of home without the fuss of maintenance, insurance and stress that comes with owning an RV. When it comes to celebrating Father’s Day, if he’s the kind of guy that already has everything he wants, he may just appreciate that special getaway trip instead.
If you’re looking for staycation or long-distance travel adventure, especially in light of the upcoming Father’s Day (June 16th this year), we’re highlighting some of the best fishing spots and RV options available, thanks to our partnership with RVshare. Take a look at our list of fan-favorite fishing destinations here.
To protect the resource, the anglers competing at Watts Bar were held to a three-fish limit. For Moore, catching a 13-plus-pound three-fish bag was a solid showing for this time of year
“I grew up on that lake fishing,” he said. “I ran history. I’ve been catching a few fish off a place cranking. I pulled up there today (Saturday) and I caught a good one and a keeper. Then I ran another spot and caught my third one. And then I went flipping after that. I put a jig in my hand and went flipping the rest of the day. I caught my biggest fish flipping and probably caught two limits flipping.”
Later in the day, Moore pulled up on a key brush pile sunk in about 11 feet of water and, using a worm, landed a 3-pounder that gave him the final boost he needed to lock up the win by just 8 ounces over second place.
It was classic summertime run-and-gun fishing. After he caught his initial limit cranking, Moore was confident that if he could get a quality bite up shallow on a jig, which he did, that he’d have a chance to win it. But he knew he had to mix it up, too. Moore’s final three-fish limit consisted of one caught on a crankbait, one on a worm and one on a jig.
“The lake’s not fishing as good as it used to. Used to this time of year you could stay deep and you could just hit holes. They’d school up. They don’t school up like they used to. You just kind of have to run water.”
While reflecting on his win, Moore thanked Phoenix Boats dealer Bunch Marine in Harriman, Tennessee, for their support.
“They take really good care of me,” he added. “They’ve treated me really well. Super nice people.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Jeffery Moore, Harriman, Tenn., three bass, 13-2, $8,889 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus) 2nd: Jake Gardner, Lenoir City, Tenn., three bass, 12-10, $1,944 3rd: Travis Bowen, Duffield, Va., three bass, 9-11, $1,297 4th: Dustin Dyer, Johnson City, Tenn., three bass, 9-8, $907 5th: Randy Oliver, Johnston City, Tenn., three bass, 9-7, $778 6th: Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., three bass, 9-6, $713 7th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., three bass, 9-5, $583 7th: Blake Wheat, Evensville, Tenn., three bass, 9-5, $583 7th: Dalton Munsey, Washburn, Tenn., three bass, 9-5, $1,108 10th: Chase Henley, Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 9-4, $579
Dalton Munsey of Washburn, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $525.
Travis Malone of Wartburg, Tennessee, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,494 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Travis Malone, Wartburg, Tenn., three bass, 8-13, $2,494 2nd: Matt Burgess, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 8-5, $972 3rd: Konnor Sweet, Abingdon, Va., three bass, 8-4, $649 4th: Don Bible, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 7-5, $454 5th: Conner Hicks, Tazewell, Va., three bass, 7-3, $389 6th: Shaun Godsey, Decatur, Tenn., three bass, 6-15, $356 7th: Tyler Wyrick, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., two bass, 6-8, $308 7th: Corey Smith, Hazard, Ky., three bass, 6-8, $308 9th: Rex Henry, Hixson, Tenn., three bass, 6-7, $259 10th: Harold Addison II, Columbia, S.C., three bass, 6-0, $227
Dewayne Drummonds of Gray, Kentucky, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $262, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Corey Neece of Bristol, Tennessee, leads the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 943 points, while Keith Gunsauls of Dandridge, Tennessee, leads the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 946 points.
The next event for BFL Volunteer Division anglers will be held Sept. 28-29, at Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee. 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 Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. 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.
Looking for kicker-sized largies and multi-species action? Northland has just the thing!
BEMIDJI, Minn. (June 10, 2024) – While its name may summon 10th grade hair fashion for anyone who lived through the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, it’s a lot more than “business in the front, party in the back.” We’re not talking “hockey hair” or David Spade, Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bolton, Hulk Hogan, or Kenny Powers—we’re talking a brand-new bass jig from Northland Fishing Tackle, which should go well with the crowds of young-ish bassers rocking the retro hairdo themselves.Hair jigs have been a bass secret for years, with some companies even offering their own commercial versions of what top-finishers secretly tie on when it’s time for a kicker fish.The problem? Most largemouth-intended bass hair jigs are too stiff, with more feathers than fluff. Northland took the opposite approach, creating a jig that has all the best attributes of a tiny marabou jig for rod-whipping giant bronzebacks (which Northland also makes) and combined it with a classic bucktail hair jig design.
Yes, the new Northland Minnesota Mullet has loft – and lots of it, for fishing everything from shallow water, over summer weed tops, to open water where largemouths go crazy eating young-of-the-year and even larger panfish. The Minnesota Mullet is a big, flowing, hovering, water pushing machine. The big hair features a synthetic fiber material that creates a breathing, lifelike appearance in the water while also providing flotation to the jig. This will allow you to hover the bait over flats, weed beds, and suspended fish while pulsing the hair, and its tantalizing back feathers tease big bass and other predator fish to absolutely annihilate the bait.Northland lure designer, Sam Larsen, offers: “Most of the best fish-catching baits are simple in design. We took that direction with the Minnesota Mullet, which is made of three materials on a premium Northland Elite Series Mimic Jighead with 60-degree upward hookbend and heavy wire for solid hooksets. We utilized a unique, synthetic fiber with a lot of loft, buoyancy, and flow; a couple chicken feathers off the back that undulate like a trailer; and just the right amount of tinsel. Then you have the thread tied farther back on the jig hook shank so it’s really streamlined.”
“Especially in the upper Midwest, tournament bass anglers are going to town fishing big hair jigs for bigger bass. We knew we could create a better jig to use in the same manner in-the-know anglers have been doing for the past several years. There’s really nothing like it, especially given that we added an entire extra step to the jig production process by applying vertical lines to the material to give it an even greater forage-matching appeal. These baits look like the real thing that big bass eat,” continues Larsen.“There is no other bass hair jig that hangs, pauses, breathes, and sheds water so easily, while remaining easy to fish. It gives the right suspending action while having a lot of material to push water—notify big bass of its presence—and really stimulate their lateral lines.”
WHITE
CRAPPIE
PERCH
GREEN BLUEGILL
ABOUT THE NORTHLAND MINNESOTA MULLETBorn in the state of hockey, the Minnesota Mullet is a big, flowing, hovering, water pushing machine. This big hair jig features a synthetic fiber material that creates a breathing, lifelike appearance in the water while also providing flotation to the jig. This will allow you to hover the bait over flats, weed beds and suspended fish while pulsing the hair, and its tantalizing back feather that teases big bass and other predator fish to absolutely swallow it! Currently available in ½- and ¾ ounce with other weights to follow soon. Right now, there are four forage-mimicking colors include Perch, Crappie, White, and Green Bluegill, with a bunch of additional patterns coming down the pipeline. MSRP: $14.99.
“In my opinion, the Northland Minnesota Mullet is a lot more than a midsummer, open water bait,” says winning bass pro, Noah Schultz. “I’ve been fishing ‘em since ice-out throughout the Midwest—everywhere from a foot of water out, through old reeds and cattails, and obviously, out deeper through weed flats and weed edges now. And, of course, it will come into play in open water when those fish move out. Right now, I’m fishing them around bluegill beds during the spawn, and then I’ll be fishing them over coontail and through cattails.”“The way I fish them primarily I call ‘floating’ – I just straight-retrieve the Minnesota Mullet over the weed tips and if I feel a weed tick, rip it a little bit,” adds Schultz.
As far as rock and deeper water, he’ll let the jig drop to the bottom and then swim along the bottom, occasionally twitching it to get hairs moving.“Its success comes from its subtlety and how the Minnesota Mullet breathes, floats, and hovers in the water unlike a lot of bass hair jigs. Then you add the Elite Series Mimic Jig, and it stays level in the water column and the pointed nose gets through the grass like a rubber swim jig.”Schulz has caught lots of tournament bass on it recently – including some top 2 and 3 finishes. “It’s a good kicker bait. The Minnesota Mullet generates some big fish bites when you need ‘em most.”
Whicker was able to secure the win at High Rock by making a key move mid-morning.
“I caught the fish offshore,” he said. “I thought we were going to fish shallow. And that’s how I’d gotten most of the bites (in practice). This morning (Saturday) I didn’t get many bites that way so I went and fished offshore. It very fortunately worked out. There’s really not a lot of fish out in the lake right now. There are more fish shallow than deep, but the right size is out there and that’s what worked out.”
Whicker gave the shallow bite a couple hours in the morning. Thankfully, he’d practiced offshore too, and he has many years of experience on the lake. So he had some spots to fall back on during the tournament. Plus, he found a couple new spots. Once he made the adjustment to fish out, Whicker kept it simple.
“I caught ’em on plastics – a Texas rig and shaky head. Normal stuff,” Whicker added.
“I think most people were fishing shallow, so there weren’t that many people fishing out,” he added. “That left everything pretty open. That probably had as much to do with me being able to catch them as anything.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Ladd Whicker, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 21-3, $9,089 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus) 2nd: Jake Frye, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 19-12, $1,644 3rd: Jonathan Bailey, Peterstown, W.Va., five bass, 17-12, $1,097 4th: Conrad Manuel, Pilot Mountain, N.C., five bass, 17-0, $767 5th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 15-15, $658 6th: Ben Robertson, Walnut Cove, N.C., five bass, 15-14, $603 7th: Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., four bass, 15-13, $548 8th: Ron Rousseau, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 15-9, $465 8th: Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., four bass, 15-9, $465 10th: Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 15-8, $384
Mitch Drew of Gold Hill, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $395.
Dustin Riddle of Hiwassee, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,578 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., five bass, 14-6, $1,578 2nd: Alex Moss, Lambsburg, Va., five bass, 12-5, $889 3rd: Randall Gardner, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 11-8, $526 4th: Les Tate, China Grove, N.C., four bass, 11-5, $368 5th: Jonathan Lowe, Lexington, N.C., three bass, 10-11, $501 6th: Trent McBride, Galax, Va., four bass, 10-8, $289 7th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., four bass, 9-7, $413 8th: Travis Owens, Hurt, Va., three bass, 9-2, $237 9th: Mekye Barnes, Knightdale, N.C., two bass, 8-15, $210 10th: Bryson Giles, Bedford, Va., four bass, 8-8, $184
Jonathan Lowe of Lexington, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $185, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Adam Lester of Huddleston, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 713 points, while Dustin Riddle of Hiwassee, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 733 points.
The next event for BFL Piedmont Division anglers will be held Aug. 3, at the James River in Henrico, Virginia. 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 Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. 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.
