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Alhambra High School Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Open at Lake Havasu Presented by Googan Baits

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Alhambra High School Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Open at Lake Havasu Presented by Googan Baits

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Sept. 27, 2021) – The Alhambra High School duo of Luke Beaty and Emmett Gargaro, both of Martinez, California, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Lake Havasu Presented by Googan Baits on Sunday in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The event was hosted by Go Lake Havasu and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2022 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY ANGLER NAME BASS WEIGHT
1st Alhambra High School, Martinez, Calif.* Luke Beaty & Emmett Gargaro, Martinez, Calif. 5 13-3
2nd Paso Robles High School, Paso Robles, Calif.* Kyle Goldstein, Paso Robles, Calif.
Jayden Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.		 5 10-14
3rd Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Zachary Verbrugge & Brandon Verbrugge, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 4 10-8
4th Alhambra High School, Martinez, Calif. Alex Perez & Anthony Trapani, both of Martinez, Calif. 5 9-10
5th Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. Troy Cox & Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, Calif. 3 8-6
6th Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif Tristan Pruitt & Aiden Saso, both of Oakdale, Calif. 3 8-3
7th Green Valley High School, Henderson, Nev. Carter Doren, Las Vegas, Nev.
Logan Maltese, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.		 5 7-11
8th Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz Steven Brady & Daniel McCoy, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 1 5-14
9th Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif John Vierra & Richard Whitesel, both of Oakdale, Calif. 3 5-13
10th Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz Carson Balboni & Corbin Horvath, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 2 4-15

*National Championship Qualifier. The top 10% of teams advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

2022 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT DATE LOCATION HOST
2022 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals June 22-25, 2022 Pickwick Lake & Wilson Lake Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. The U.S. Army High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments are also hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.

In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2022 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2021 World Finals.

Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles  are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.

GONZALEZ AVOIDS CROWDS, HAMMERS BASS IN PICKWICK LAKE WIN

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GONZALEZ AVOIDS CROWDS, HAMMERS BASS IN PICKWICK LAKE WIN

GONZALEZ AVOIDS CROWDS, HAMMERS BASS IN PICKWICK LAKE WIN

Fishes slow and alone to nail first Hobie BOS Anchored by Power-Pole® title

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (September 27, 2021) – The Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® rolled into Counce, Tennessee, at the end of September for its final open event of the 2021 season. At stake for 82 elite kayak bass anglers was not only the Pickwick Lake event championship, but a final chance to qualify for the prestigious Hobie Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.) to be held at Lake Eufaula, Alabama, November 12 – 14 and improve their standing in the Angler of the Year (A.O.Y.) presented by FarWide, the Outdoor Access App, competition. While most expected to see fast action at the 43,000-acre bucket-list bass-fishing destination, many also realized they would have to compete not only with the Hobie fleet, but with some intense fishing pressure from other bass tournaments and private boat anglers that would converge on the famed waters for the last weekend of summer.

“There sure was a serious fishing presence here,” chuckled Guillermo Gonzalez, “but I guess that was a blessing in disguise. It made me determined to get away from the crowds and find some overlooked water. I didn’t know all that much about the lake other than most of the tournaments are won from the middle on up towards Wheeler Dam, but I had heard that there were big fish scattered throughout the lake so I decided to run far downstream and see what I could put together. Lucky for me it turned out to be a solid strategy.”

Indeed it did as Gonzalez, recognized in kayak bass-fishing circles as a serious threat to finish in the money in any kayak bassin’ tourney, tallied 181.25” of bigmouth bass in the two-day catch, photograph and release (CPR) tournament to win his first Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® event and cash the $4,633 first-place prize. Kristine Fischer, 33, of Nebraska, finished in second place with 179.75” to earn $2,645, while Matt Scotch, 31, of Weatherford, Texas, grabbed the bronze with 177” worth $1,912.

Additional prize winners included Garrett Ward who took home $400 for the Bassin’ Big Bass Award, which goes to the angler catching the largest bass of the two-day event. He drilled a monstrous 22.75”, 7-pound 2-ounce largemouth on Day 1. Meanwhile, Jesse Halverson went home with the Dakota Lithium Power Move award, which recognizes the angler with the greatest leap up the leader board from Day 1 to Day 2. He jumped from 34th. place on Day 1 to 12th. place on Day 2, earning a Dakota Power Box with a 10-amp lithium battery. Both Fischer and Scotch also qualified for the Hobie Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.), as did Jaxon Orr, who advanced since Gonzalez, 31, from Fort Worth, Texas, had previously qualified for the 50-angler limited-field championship event.

Determined to fish alone, if possible, Gonzalez set his sights on the lower end of the lake, pre-fishing three ramp areas where he didn’t expect to encounter too many anglers. Aggressively probing grass flats on one practice session, he had little success but decided to slow down his approach before moving on to new water. As soon as he made the change in tactics, he began to connect and realized there were a ton of fish in the area – and he had them all to himself. Applying the same approach to other nearby flats, he realized almost immediately that he might be on a winning pattern.

“You can bet I headed straight back to those flats once the competition started, and I was excited to find the fish were still stacked along the grass edges,” said Gonzalez. “I must have drilled 50 bass on Day 1 with my top fish measuring 21, 19.5 and 17.5 inches. That put me in second place and boosted my confidence for Day 2. When I went back out, I found similar action but with slightly smaller fish after the water depth dropped a bit overnight. On Day 1, I think the higher water moved some of the bigger fish up shallower. On both days, most of my bass came from less than 3-foot depths.”

Photo by Garrett Ward

Shunning large, loud and flashy lures, Gonzalez dragged Texas-rigged Senkos and cut-tail worms slowly through grass on a St. Croix Victory 7’3” medium-heavy power, fast-action casting rod to patiently tease his quarry into striking. “I started with a 5-inch, black and blue Senko but went through about eight bags of worms, using all that I had in the boat since I was hooking-up at such a furious rate,” he said.

Fischer took a similar approach, moving away from a crowd of over 30 kayaks and vessels that were plowing an area where she won this tournament in 2019. “I stuck it out on the mid-lake flats for Day 1 and actually finished atop the leader board with 95.5” inches of largemouths and my top two fish at 21.5 and 21 inches,” she said. “Still, I couldn’t see the fishing here holding up with so much pressure, so I decided to do something totally different on Day 2. While looking on Google Earth for small areas that others might have skipped, I found a subtle flat where the smallmouths had moved up to feed in the current.”

Realizing that most of the other anglers she had seen were power fishing, Fischer opted to go small and alternated between a weedless Ned Head, Z-Man CRD Baby Frog, a weightless Dixie Wacky Rig, and a little baby finesse jig with a Z-Man CRD trailer on it. “I went super small and that was the ticket,” she revealed. “I absolutely hammered the fish but came up a little short from Guillermo’s total. I fished well, so did he, so I’m really thrilled with the results.”

As for Scotch, he decided to meet the “hornet’s nest of fishing pressure” head-on and jumped right into the frey at mid-lake. “Those fish were pretty much shut down from all the attention early on Day 1,” he noted. “In fact, it took me six hours to catch my first keeper. A lot of other anglers seemed to be having a tough go, too, and by early afternoon most had cleared out.”

That’s when the bass began busting on top back in the grass and Scotch discovered he could get a lot of them to bite on a white fluke. By the end of Day 1, he was in 5th place overall. Day 2 saw a decent bite throughout, he related, but he just couldn’t make up the deficit with Guillermo and Kristine fishing so well. “I’m pleased with the results,” continued Scotch. “It shows that some days you need to grind it out. I’ll tell you one thing, though, my Hobie Outback really helped me stay in the game. It’s an awesome boat for bass fishing. It’s super maneuverable – and if you need to paddle through thick grass, you can easily take out the drive and just glide over the top to reach fish anglers in bigger kayaks can’t get to. It certainly was a difference-maker for me in this event.”

Fischer also credited her Hobie with an exceptional performance at Pickwick Lake. “There’s no better boat on the market than my Hobie Pro Angler 14 360 for fishing in current,” she stated. “I was able to hold myself in position and make the casts I had to make time and again. Fighting big smallmouths in those conditions are a logistical nightmare. If you can’t turn you boat in time to follow those fish when they get angry, its total chaos. My Hobie Pro Angler 14 360 was exactly what I needed to put myself in the best situation to land those fish and stay in contention through the final minutes of competition.”

And speaking of competition, Gonzalez offered his appreciation for the overall skill level of anglers you’ll find at any Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® event. “This is the most competitive bass-fishing series in kayak fishing so to finally win one, after winning events in so many other series over the years, really means a lot to me. If you want to fish against the highest level of competition, this is where you need to be. This one was really special. I don’t think I’ve had a win that means more.”

“Congratulations to all our competitors on a fine season,” summed up tournament director, A.J. McWhorter. “We thank you all so much for your participation, your competitiveness, your camaraderie and support of everyone who enters these competitions. That’s what it’s all about in these events. It’s more than fishing; it’s a sense of community and we couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. Thanks also, of course, to our sponsors, hosts, and the terrific Hobie staff that puts each event together. This wraps up our open season, but there’s still the Hobie Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.) to be held at Lake Eufaula, Alabama, November 12 – 14 for those of you who have qualified – and we can’t wait to crown our grand champion this year. Be sure to check the Angler of the Year (A.O.Y.) presented by FarWide, the Outdoor Access App, standings, too. The top 19 anglers in the standings among those who have not already qualified with a top three finish at a previous 2021 B.O.S. event have also punched their ticket to the big show.”

ichmond’s Drury Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super-Tournament on Lake Cumberland Presented by Googan Baits

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Boater Bryan Drury of Richmond, Kentucky and Strike-King co-angler Ronnie Gill of Indianapolis, Indiana
MONTICELLO, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2021) – Boater Bryan Drury of Richmond, Kentucky, won the two-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super-Tournament Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Cumberland Presented by Googan Baits  Sunday in Monticello, Kentucky. Marks earned $14,468 for his victory in the event, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 contingency bonus.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN BASS WEIGHT AWARD
1st Bryan Drury of Richmond, Ky. 7 18-10 $14,468
2nd Dakota Bell of Monticello, Ky. 10 17-2 $3,234
3rd Sean Wieda of Walton, Ky. 9 15-12 $2,158
4th Kyle Christopher of Danville, Ky. 6 13-7 $1,509
5th Russ Simpson of Given, W. Va. 6 13-0 $1,294
6th Jarrod Conn of Burgin, Ky. 5 12-8 $1,186
7th Nick Uebelhor of Jasper, Ind. 7 12-4 $1,328
8th Jesse Horseman of Junction City, Ky. 7 12-1 $970
9th Talmadge Marcum of McKee, Ky. 6 11-15 $862
10th Laine Bull of Cincinnati, Ohio 5 10-5 $755

 

RANK STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN BASS WEIGHT AWARD
1st Ronnie Gill of Indianapolis, Ind. 4 8-9 $3,631
2nd Jake Mattingly of Stanford, Ky. 4 8-0 $1,591
3rd Joshua Mounce of Somerset, Ky. 4 6-14 $1,061
4th Brent Clark of Bowling Green, Ky. 4 6-1 $742
5th Buyrl Shirly of Sparta, Tenn. 5 5-15 $636
6th Bryan Whittaker of Richmond, Ky. 2 5-9 $583
7th Gary Slaughter of Waddy, Ky. 3 5-7 $530
8th Brian Dillard of Bowling Green, Ky. 2 5-1 $477
9th Walter Smith of Hardy, Ky. 1 4-10 $874
10th Travis Lloyd of Jamestown, Tenn. 2 4-5 $371

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD NAME CONTINGENCY PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass Grant Kelly of Milledgeville, Ga. 4-pound, 13-ounce bass $915
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass Walter Smith of Hardy, Ky. 4-pound, 10-ounce bass $450
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus Bryan Drury of Richmond, Ky. Eligible Phoenix Boat* $7,000

* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER BAIT COLOR
Boater Spinnerbait White & Chartreuse
Strike King Co-Angler Spinnerbait with Double Willow Blades N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT DATE LOCATION HOST
Mountain Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Oct. 7-9 Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala. Decatur Morgan County Tourism
2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American June 2-4, 2022 Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs

The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and  YouTube.

About MLF BIG5

Cumming’s Marks Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super-Tournament on Lake Lanier

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Boater Paul Marks of Cumming, Georgia, and Strike-King co-angler Joe Morgan of Woodstock, Georgia
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Sept. 27, 2021) – Boater Paul Marks of Cumming, Georgia, won the two-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super-Tournament Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Lanier Sunday in Gainesville, Georgia. Marks earned $15,678 for his victory in the event, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 contingency bonus.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN BASS WEIGHT AWARD
1st Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga. 10 34-9 $15,678
2nd Drew Harbin of Winder, Ga. 10 32-5 $3,839
3rd Michael Anders of Anderson, S.C. 10 32-1 $2,558
4th J.R. McCay of Robertstown, Ga. 10 31-10 $1,792
5th Brock Turner of Jasper, Ga. 10 30-10 $1,536
6th Brad Wiley of Alto, Ga. 10 30-8 $1,408
7th Matthew O’Connell of Brooks, Ga. 10 29-14 $1,530
8th Elijah Benson of Dawsonville, Ga. 10 29-4 $1,152
9th David Lowery of Milledgeville, Ga. 10 29-3 $1,024
10th Emil Wagner of Marietta, Ga. 10 29-2 $896

 

RANK STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN BASS WEIGHT AWARD
1st Joe Morgan of Woodstock, Ga. 9 24-0 $3,733
2nd Jeff Walker of Cumming, Ga. 10 21-3 $1,867
3rd Chandler White of Covington, Ga. 10 21-1 $1,244
4th Colby Elliott of Blairsville, Ga. 9 19-1 $871
5th Donald Peppers of Good Hope, Ga. 8 18-0 $747
6th Cody Cantrell of Fairmount, Ga. 8 17-13 $684
7th Joshua Boyd of Gainesville, Ga. 9 17-13 $622
8th Theron Asbery of Longwood, Fla. 7 16-13 $810
9th Thomas Pierce of Calhoun, Ga. 9 16-13 $498
10th J.B. Banks of Gainesville, Ga. 7 15-8 $436

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD NAME CONTINGENCY PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass Grant Kelly of Milledgeville, Ga. 5-pound, 12-ounce bass $1,185
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass Stephen Waldon of Ellenwood, Ga. 5-pound, 4-ounce bass $570
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga. Eligible Phoenix Boat* $7,000

* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER BAIT COLOR
Boater Sebile Magic Swimmer Swimbait N/A
Strike King Co-Angler Sebile Magic Swimmer Swimbait N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT DATE LOCATION HOST
Bulldog Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Oct. 21-23 St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla. Putnam County Tourist Development Council
2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American June 2-4, 2022 Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs

The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and  YouTube.

Andrew Loberg Earns Second-Straight Western Division Win at MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. on Lake Havasu

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Two Months after Claiming Victory at California Delta, California Pro Boats 59-14 to Win at Lake Havasu and Earn Second Pro Victory of Career
 
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Sept. 26, 2021) – Toyota Series pro Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California, crossed the stage with a five-bass limit Saturday totaling 21 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest limit weighed throughout the three-day event – to win the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Havasu in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Loberg’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59-14 earned him the win by a 3-pound, 7-ounce margin over second-place pro Mike Williams of Lake Havasu City and earned Loberg the top payout of $24,119 in the third and final tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Western Division.

Nearly two months after winning the Toyota Series event earlier this season on the California Delta, the young Californian bested some of the top talents on Lake Havasu to close out his second win of the season in style.

“I’m still soaking in the win from the Delta,” said Loberg. “So, this one… I don’t even know.”

One thing everyone knows now is he’s one to watch in any tournament he enters going forward. This event solidified that.

Whether it was the time of year, fluctuating water, 100-degree heat or whatever, Havasu’s bass were stingy, regardless of species or where an angler tried to fish. So Loberg decided he wasn’t going to give them the option to bite. Like many of the top finishers, he was going to make them bite.

That meant cranking and ripping deep grass.

Fishing a ¼-mile stretch of the north end of the basin, Loberg had a pair of sweet spots on deeper points loaded with grass. But it wasn’t just grass they were loaded with, as he noticed more bait there than anywhere else he’d seen in practice, and even more importantly, more bass showing up on his forward-facing sonar.

“I found that area the first day of practice,” said Loberg. “I caught a big one and one other one, and I just thought it’d be a spot in my rotation. It ended up being the winning area.”

Yet just because the fish were there didn’t mean they wanted to bite. In fact, Loberg said it was often frustrating seeing so many fish down there simply unwilling to bite.

“I just had to keep winding that crankbait through the grass until I made one react,” says Loberg.

That often meant snapping his Rapala DT 16 when it hit the grass so hard he snapped his line a few times and even broke the lip off one bait. But it took that level of aggression to surprise a bass enough to open its mouth.

That worked out perfect the first two days, as he said he had the ideal conditions of sun and little wind, and the bass were choking his crankbait when they bit. That wasn’t the case Saturday, though. With intermittent rain and wind throughout the morning, Loberg struggled to get bit early, and when he did they were barely hooked. A perfect example was a 5-pound kicker that sprung loose right as it hit the net.

Still, he put eight keepers in the boat Saturday, and they were the right ones to take home the win.

The top 10 pros on Lake Havasu finished:

1st:          Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 59-14, $24,119
2nd:         Mike Williams, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 56-7, $9,346
3rd:         Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 54-0, $8,736
4th:         Mark Williams, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 43-2, $6,030
5th:         Frankie Mueller, Kingman, Ariz., 15 bass, 41-8, $5,427
6th:         Phillip Dutra, Antioch, Calif., 15 bass, 39-12, $4,824
7th:         Chris Kinley, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 39-3, $4,221
8th:         Kazuki Kodama, Torrance, Calif., 15 bass, 39-3, $3,618
9th:         Randy McAbee Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., 12 bass, 34-14, $3,015
10th:       Logan Huntze, Discovery Bay, Calif., 12 bass, 33-2, $2,412

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Ty Faber of Pagosa Springs, Colorado won the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces. Robert Faaborg of Lake Havasu City won Friday’s Berkley Big Bass award, bringing a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale.

Pro Roy Hawk took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Kevin Gross of Redding, California, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 33 pounds, 5 ounces. Williams took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

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

1st:          Kevin Gross, Redding, Calif., 12 bass, 33-5, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:         Jason Akins, Apple Valley, Calif., 12 bass, 33-4, $3,155
3rd:         Paul Buccola, Reno, Nev., 14 bass, 31-12, $2,524
4th:         Blaine Christiansen, San Jose, Calif., 13 bass, 30-10, $2,208
5th:         Rachel Uribe, Long Beach, Calif., 12 bass, 22-2, $1,893
6th:         J.D. Blackamore, Yorba Linda, Calif., 10 bass, 21-12, $1,577
7th:         Terry Devincenzi, Brentwood, Calif., nine bass, 20-11, $1,262
8th:         Jeff Stewart, Lakeport, Calif., eight bass, 19-9, $1,104
9th:         Mike Walsh, El Cajon, Calif., eight bass, 19-9, $1,071
10th:       Andrew Benedict, Fort Knox, Ky., six bass, 15-1, $789

In the Strike King co-angler division, the Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Ralph Wells of Lake Havasu City, with a 5-pound even bass, while the Day Two award went to Steve Amata of Norco, California with a 6-pound even bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Havasu was hosted by Go Lake Havasu. It was the third and final regular-season tournament in 2021 for Western Division anglers and the last regular-season Toyota Series event of the year. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Oct. 28-30 – the 2021 Toyota Series Championship Presented by A.R.E on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and  YouTube.

Bruce Deel Wins the Bass Cast Kayak Bass Series Championship on SML Sept 25,2021

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Bruce Deel Wins the Bass Cast Kayak Bass Series Championship on SML Sept 25,2021

The 2021 season has come to an end. We had our year end Championship where 20 anglers qualified and 16 of those competed. Our Championship was held on Smith Mountain Lake out of Magnum Point Marina.

Bruce Deel finished in 1st place with 72 inches. Bruce won $625 and some nice hardware.

Dennis Toms finished in 2nd place with 71.5 inches. This earned him $375.

Brandon Overstreet finished in 3rd place with 70.75 inches for $250 aswell as the BigBass for the tournament (17.5 inches) for an additional $160.

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 was Chris Gibson in 4th, James Stanley in 5th, Robert Clements in 6th, Chris Poe in 7th, Jonathan Graham in 8th, Yoan Lopez in 9th, and Ryan Murphy in 10th.

A look Back at the 2021 Bass Cast Kayak Bass Series AOY Race

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A look Back at the 2021 Bass Cast Kayak Bass Series AOY Race

The 2021 Angler Of the Year points race was one for the ages. Robert Clements would win the first tournament of the year and carry the points lead throughout the regular season. Brandon Overstreet stayed in 2nd half way through the year but fell out of the top 3 with a bad finish on the New River. He would get a 2nd place and a win to get him back in position. Rookie Yoan Lopez would fill the final fish off slot with a very consistent season and his first win at the Amherst Rumble. These 3 Anglers fished off at Smith Mountain Lake for a winner take all format.

All 3 anglers showed why they were in this position by turning in full limits. 2 inches separated the top 2 anglers. Brandon Overstreet was able to pull it off for back to back Angler Of the Year titles. A feat that does not happen often in the sport of fishing. Brandon said ” I would not be here if it was not for the bad tournament, it lit a fire in me”. Brandon won a Crescent CK1 from Journey Outdoors and some nice hardware for the trophy room.

Robert Clements is the 2021 Reserve Angler Of the Year. Robert said ” I have been extremely blessed all year”. Robert took home a Bixpy battery and solar panel and some hardware.

Yoan Lopez took home 3rd in the AOY race. Yoan said “this has been an amazing year”. Yoan took home a $100 in gift cards for Yak-Attack and Fishing Online.

James Stanley finished in 4th, Bruce Deel 5th, Buster Spencer 6th, Hunter Spencer 7th, Chris Gibson 8th, Dennis Toms 9th, and Ryan Murphy 10th.

Randy & Tommy Butcher Win Brett & Boomer’s Big Ol’ Bass on Claytor Lake Sept 25th 2021

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Randy & Tommy Butcher Win Brett & Boomer’s Big Ol’ Bass on Claytor Lake Sept 25th 2021

Big Ol’ Bass Tournament

On Saturday, September 25th, 130 teams competed in the 4th Annual Brett & Boomer’s Big Ol’ Bass Tournament. This tournament, which is put on by 94.9 Star Country and Conrad Brothers Marine, promises a $10,000 prize to the winners.

When the final flopping fish was weighed, many of the top finishers looked like family affairs. In addition to good friends, it included fishing partners consisting of two brothers, fathers and sons and two husband and wife pairs – quite fitting, considering how Brett and Boomer, along with the 94.9 Star Country and Conrad Brothers Marine staff, made everyone at this tournament feel like family. The humor that one would expect from these famed morning show hosts was contagious, and a good time was had by all.

The best time was certainly had by brothers Randy and Tommy Butcher, who, just one day after Tommy’s 78th birthday, took home the $10,000 prize. Their five fish limit bag of 13.96# was massive by Claytor Lake standards. The nine remaining winning places were bags that were 10.79# or less, which just magnifies how big the Butcher brothers’ bag really was.

The full results and an interview with Randy and Tommy are included below, along with photos from the event.

Special thanks to the following sponsors and supporters of this event:

Cundiff Heating and Air
Dominos NRV
Claytor Lake State Park
New River Water Trail
New River Engraving
Claytor Lake Water Sports
Virginia Conservation Police
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

CLICK HERE TO Go TO 94.9 Star Country

Jim Davis Takes B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Victory On The Mississippi River

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Jim Davis Takes B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Victory On The Mississippi River

September 25, 2021

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Jim Davis Takes B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Victory On The Mississippi River

LA CROSSE, Wis. — With his five biggest bass measuring 85.50 inches, Jim Davis won the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX at the Mississippi River.

Fishing in Pool 7, Davis made a short paddle in the morning and got off to a nice start.

“It actually started out quick with a fish that was 17.25 inches and then they got small on me,” Davis said. “There were around 30 local boats, mostly bluegill and crappie guys and it got tough — I don’t think I had another good fish until around 10 am.”

After making a bait change, the Dandridge, Tenn., angler got two more good bites with 16.25- and 17-inch bass. Once again, the small fish started biting and they were not what Davis was looking for.

“The one key was the spinnerbait color. I was using white/chartreuse all day, but I started with silver blades and changed to a bait the exact same color, but it had gold blades. That was the key to getting those two bigger bites.”

With a small limit when the leaderboard went out before 2 p.m., Davis put the spinnerbait down and made yet again another important change.

“The bite slowed, and I had noticed that nobody was fishing supershallow around me, so I picked up the Senko, rigged it weightless Texas rig and went to work around the lily pads. It was less than a foot.”

Catching his two biggest bass with less than 30 minutes left — 18.75- and 17.75-inch fish — he made a move from 19th place at 1:45 pm to the eventual victory. Davis has been fishing from a kayak for over 15 years and fishing competitively since 2015, but a shoulder surgery has put a damper on his 2021 season.

“This was my first competitive event since that shoulder reconstructive surgery, and it feels good,” he said. “I was finally able to even paddle. I tried to do a couple of other events and one I had to drop out and the other was tough — I just couldn’t do it. It feels really satisfying to be out and come back. I just want to thank Old Town Kayaks and Frontier Outdoors for the help.”

With 84.50 inches, Anthony Winkleman took the second-place spot finishing just 1-inch behind Davis. Launching on Pool 9, Winkleman relied on bass he had located in a previous event and used that confidence to adapt to changes in his main areas.

“There was nobody at the launch I used, and I saw one guy (on the water) but he came in from another ramp,” Winkleman said. “I was confident in the stuff I had but I didn’t know I would do this well. I had a slow start to the morning throwing a swimbait and was catching a lot of little fish.”

When he was forced to make a move, the Paducah, Ky., angler paddled down the bank further to flip timber but noticed some bass busting bait close by.

“My first fish when I picked up that Spook was a 16.5-inch and then I had a really good smallmouth blow it up and miss it. There was lots of floating debris and it made it hard to throw the Spook or the swimbait.”

Utilizing Spot-Lock, Winkleman was able to take advantage of schooling bass in small areas 3 to 4 feet deep where main-river current from three sides was pushing in. After catching more than 30 bass without moving and tossing back several fish over 15 inches, it was a decision to fish an area from practice that helped him later in the day.

“In practice we had a wind that pushed debris around and it made it hard to fish,” he said. “I noticed the wind had changed slightly, and I went to that spot and threw that Spook in — and on back-to-back casts, I caught two 17-inch fish. The next cast I doubled up with a 17-inch and 12-inch fish. Then right after doubled again with a 16.5- and 15-inch.

Sticking it out until almost the end, Winkleman was met with stronger currents than expected and had to work hard to get back to get his fish entered in time with a spotty cell phone signal.

“I literally got back, jumped out in 4 feet of water and almost didn’t make it in time,” he said. “That current was tough. I threw the rods in the truck, loaded the kayak on the trailer and hauled to get signal to submit my fish. It was crazy.”

Todd Martens rounded out the Top 3 with 83.75 inches. Spending his day in an area where he’d found a school of smallmouth during the recent TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional, he was able to do his damage on a current seam near the bottom of Pool 8.

“I checked that area this week and they were still there,” he said. “I started on them, and first thing stuck three fish in the 18- to 19-inch range and somehow managed to lose them all — I thought my event was over.”

Throwing a Rapala DT-4 in a perch color, the Rockton, Ill., angler backed off, took a breather, regrouped and was able to get to work.

“I got back up there, and it was like every third cast until 11 a.m., then it shut off. The ones I lost were footballs, the same as the 18-inch fish I ended up measuring and it was a close one, losing by less than 2 inches total.”

When the bite died, Martens worked over a shallow pattern with 2K Jigs and Get Bit Baits soft plastics but was unable to upgrade his smallmouth.

Matt Hines took the Big Bass award with a 19.25-inch bass.

The top nine anglers from the event punched their tickets to the 2022 Kayak Series National Championship, which will be held in conjunction with the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk at Lake Hartwell.

 

Explore La Crosse hosted the event.

Hoyle Notches First B.A.S.S. Win At Bassmaster Southern Open On Norman

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Hoyle Notches First B.A.S.S. Win At Bassmaster Southern Open On Norman

Cody Hoyle, of Rutherfordton, N.C., has won the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Norman with a three-day total of 40 pounds, 4 ounces. 

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 25, 2021

Hoyle Notches First B.A.S.S. Win At Bassmaster Southern Open On Norman

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cody Hoyle called it on Day 2, but it took the North Carolina pro nearly all of Championship Saturday to catch the 9-pound, 2-ounce bag that completed a winning three-day total of 40-4 at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Norman.

“I thought 8 to 10 pounds today was going to do it,” Hoyle said after establishing a sizable lead in Friday’s Semifinal round.

On Day 1, Hoyle was in second place, trailing Blake Smith by 14 ounces. A day later, he owned a 6-7 lead over Joey Nania of Cropwell, Ala. Then on Championship Saturday, Hoyle edged Nania with a winning margin of 3-9.

“This is pretty amazing; I really wasn’t expecting to win,” said Hoyle, who earned $43,533. “I entered this tournament thinking I’d get 11 pounds a day. I was actually surprised that I caught what I caught. This is probably the best I’ve done on this lake.”

Because Hoyle did not fish all three of the Southern Opens, he is not eligible for the automatic berth into the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. That spot now goes back to the Bassmaster Elite Series where Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., the first man out of the cut, will receive a Classic invitation.

After spending the first two days in Mountain Creek where he targeted docks in 10 to 20 feet, Hoyle made a switch for Day 3 and fished docks and marinas in Davidson and Ramsey creeks. Concerned he had fished out his area’s potential, Hoyle decided a change of scenery was due.

A painfully slow day unfolded for Hoyle on Bassmaster LIVE, as the local pro found himself with one keeper at 1 o’clock. Hoyle admitted this was a stressful scenario, but knowing his better Day 2 bites came in the afternoon, he embraced a statement he made after each of the first two days: “You just have to keep moving and keep your bait wet.”

At 1:15, Hoyle came tight on the first of two big fish, an estimated 3 1/2-pounder. Fifteen minutes later, he boat-flipped a 3-pounder that sealed the deal.

“I thought I was just going to have that one, to be honest,” Hoyle said. “I just started running stuff that I’ve caught them on in the past. That marina where I caught those fish, I’ve fished it for 10 years. It’s always been good to me.”

While a drop shot with a 6-inch Roboworm in morning dawn produced a couple of keepers on Days 1 and 2, Hoyle caught most of his fish on a homemade 1/2-ounce Arkie-style jig with a Zoom Twin trailer. Using green pumpkin and orange for the head and skirt allowed him to leverage two common forage items.

“I tied that jig to look like a bream or a crawfish,” Hoyle said. “The crawfish on this lake have a green back and their bellies are orange. That’s what the jig looked like.”

Nania, who notched his first Bassmaster win at the Bassmaster Central Open on Pickwick Lake on May 1, placed 14th on Day 1 with 11-4. He added 12-13 on Day 2 and improved to second. Today, Nania caught 12 pounds and ended with 36-11.

After spending a relatively slow morning on a main-lake shoal in 30 to 35 feet, Nania made a late-day transition that accounted for most of his weight.

“I was struggling out there, but my wife had written me this awesome note with a Bible verse about staying steadfast,” Nania said. “I only had 8 pounds at that point and after I fished some docks, I was looking around with my Garmin LiveScope and I saw a tree out in 40 feet of water. I threw out there and caught a (3.8-pound spotted bass).

“After that, I said ‘I’m going to run more trees,’ so I went and caught another 2.6 off a tree I’d fished three times in the tournament and never got a bite. It just worked out.”

Nania caught most of his fish on a Nedmiki rig — Z-Man’s version of the Damiki or “moping” rig. Comprising a Z-Man Finesse EyeZ jig with a 3.75 StreakZ trailer, Nania’s rig proved effective at teasing fish out of brushpiles and tempting the bites he needed.

Cole Huskins of Gastonia, N.C., finished third with 34-7. On Day 1, Huskins tied Rick Hawkins of Roanoke, Va., for 12th place with 11-15. Catching 10-3 in the second round moved him into sixth. Huskins closed Day 3 with 12-5 — the day’s heaviest catch.

“The past two days have been a grind, but today I got on a little deal doing something I love — I put a homemade 1/4-ounce buzzbait with a white Zoom Horny Toad in my hand and I locked it. I was covering flats and they were all over it.

“I found a wolf pack of fish running the shoreline. It was exciting; some of them would hit it right at the boat.”

Shane Lineberger of Lincolnton, N.C., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a 5-7.

Hoyle won the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards.

David Williams of Newton, N.C., won the Southern Open standings with 577 points. Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., finished second with 568, followed by Josh Douglas of Isle, Minn., with 545, Blake Smith of Lakeland, Fla., with 541 and Sam George of Athens, Ala., with 528. Williams, Foutz and Douglas will receive invitations to fish the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., leads the overall Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year standings with 1,171 points.

Visit Lake Norman hosted the event.

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at Lake Norman 9/23-9/25
Lake Norman, Charlotte  NC.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Cody Hoyle             Rutherfordton, NC       13  40-04  200  $45,533.00
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   16-09     Day 3: 3   09-02
2.  Joey Nania             Cropwell, AL            15  36-11  199  $21,873.00
Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   12-13     Day 3: 5   12-00
3.  Cole Huskins           Gastonia, NC            15  34-07  198  $15,440.00
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   10-03     Day 3: 5   12-05
4.  David Williams         Newton, NC              15  34-02  197  $12,867.00
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   10-15     Day 3: 5   12-02
5.  Masayuki Matsushita    Tokoname-Shi JAPAN      15  33-06  196  $11,194.00
Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 5   10-05
6.  Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN            15  32-04  195  $10,293.00
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   10-06     Day 3: 5   09-14
7.  Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                15  32-02  194   $9,650.00
Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   09-01     Day 3: 5   10-02
8.  Christian Shoda        Homosassa, FL           15  31-03  193   $9,007.00
Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   08-02
9.  Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH          15  31-01  192   $7,077.00
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   08-04     Day 3: 5   09-05
10. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC          12  26-04  191   $6,540.00
Day 1: 5   08-04     Day 2: 5   13-05     Day 3: 2   04-11
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Shane Lineberger         Lincolnton, NC      05-07        $750.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       102       706      1321-07
2        85       645      1096-06
3         8        45        98-00
———————————-
195      1396      2515-13

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