We had a great opportunity to spend an evening on Smith Mountain Lake with our long-time friend, Chad Green, and talk with him about his new business: The Last Cast Guide Service. Watch the video below to learn what it takes to become a guide, the experience he brings to the industry, and the services he offers. We had a great time, and we know you will too!
JODY QUEEN REIGNS SUPREME
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JODY QUEEN REIGNS SUPREME |
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Holds off elite field of kayak anglers to retain crown at Hobie B.O.S. Anchored By Power-Pole® Susquehanna River Event |
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OCEANSIDE, Calif. (August 6, 2021) – The Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® rolled into Harrisburg, PA, last weekend with an elite class of kayak bass anglers anxious to engage the Susquehanna River’s world-class smallmouth fishery. It didn’t take long for epic battles to ensue as 139 entrants caught and released a whopping 1,259 fish with the top five finishers all breaking the 180-inch barrier for their two-day combined, catch, photograph and release (C.P.R.) 10-fish limits. When all the drags had stopped screaming, Jody Queen of Bluefield, WV, stood atop the leader board, retaining his crown from last year’s tourney on these fabled bronzeback river waters. “This really was a terrific event,” said tournament director A.J. McWhorter, “and that’s exactly what we were expecting. The Hobie B.O.S. Anchored By Power-Pole® series packs its schedule full of ‘bucket list’ bass waters and the Susquehanna River is a prime example. The smallmouths here are plentiful, thick and generally angry. They provide our competitors the opportunity to experience amazing shallow water action that’s accessible to anyone. It really is tough to beat this place as a kayak bass fishing destination, and our host town of Harrisburg, PA, couldn’t have treated us any better. This really is a special stretch of river.” |
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Queen, 56, tallied 183.5 inches of bass to grab the gold and best his winning total last year by a full foot! Ewing Minor, 19, of Charlottesville VA, took the silver spot with a 182.75-inch total, and Drew Gregory, 42, from Kent, OH, measured 181 inches of smallmouths to grab the bronze. Queen, the 2020 Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.) grand champion, also punched his return ticket to the year-end event at Lake Eufaula, Alabama, November 12 – 14, where a limited field of 50 qualifying anglers will battle it out for payouts totaling $75,000, including a guaranteed $35,000 to the winner. The top three non-qualified finishers at each Hobie B.O.S. event earn automatic entry to the T.O.C. Since Ewing and Drew had already qualified this year, fourth- and fifth-place finishers, Jay Wallen and Jordan Marshall, have earned their tickets, too. All told, Queen came away with $7,350 while Ewing pocketed $4,050 and Gregory pocketed $2,450, as the event paid out to the first 14 finishers. Additionally, Ryan Lambert of Chattanooga, Tennessee, took home the Bassin’ Big Bass $400 prize for a 21.25-inch beast of a smallmouth caught on Day 2, while Chuck Bahan of Metairie, L.A. jumped 41 spots – from 55th place on Day 1 to 14th on Day 2 – to claim the Dakota Lithium Power Move award. He took home a Dakota Power Box with a 10-amp lithium battery for his efforts. The top 100 anglers also received valuable points toward the Angler of the Year (A.O.Y.) award presented by FarWide, the Outdoor Access App. Gregory is the reigning 2020 A.O.Y. |
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After wrapping up his latest victory, Queen said fishing this event was just like coming home. “I’ve done really well here over the years, and it always feels familiar to me” he said. “This river is stacked with 16- to 18-inch smallies and holds a good number of 19- and 20-inch brutes, too. I wasn’t able to squeeze in much pre-fishing, so I took a float approach and simply concentrated on working grass beds. Any bed where I could see baitfish on the edge seemed to hold some nice bass and I was able to work them up with a 3/8–ounce Z-Man Jackhammer tipped with a Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in a gold rush color. Last year the fish were shallow and on wood in clear water. This year, they were in dark, moving water so it paid to be a little flexible as I first searched them out. I’d work the open water between the beds first, then move up and work the current seams along the beds themselves. Most of my fish came from the upstream tips of the beds.” |
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To win the Susquehanna event for the second time was especially gratifying, noted Queen, especially given the stiff competition. “My buddy, Drew Gregory, finished fourth last year and he’s always a threat when it comes to river bassin’,” he stated. “And Ewing Minor has absolutely been on fire this year. It’s young guys like him and Jaxton Orr of Fort Wayne, IN, that are the future of kayak tournament bass fishing. Ewing attends Carson-Newman University in Tennessee and Orr is going to join him there this fall. That place is going to be a powerhouse. It’s amazing to watch the progression of this sport. Colleges are turning out some real solid competitors. I’d like to see more high schools step up and prep these guys, too. Once that happens, the college level will absolutely explode with talent. I think that’s the future of this sport. We need more Ewing Minors and Jackson Orrs.” This was the first time on the Susquehanna for Ewing, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. “I didn’t have a ton of bites,” he said, “but I did catch a lot of big, powerful river smallmouths. They were really chunky, like Lake Erie smallies but even stronger. Everything I had came on a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer with a swimbait trailer tossed along grass edges bordering strong currents. I’m really happy with my showing here. Both Jody and Drew are among top kayak bass anglers in the country. To finish in their company really is pretty cool.” |
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As for Gregory, Day 1 was a little tough as he wasn’t able to pre-fish and spent a bit of time testing the water before hitting full stride and closing the gap on Day 2. “For me, there were two magic windows each day, one around 8:30 a.m. and the other around 1 p.m.,” he explained. “I found a stretch that had bass feeding in the current at the head of an island and just kept working that stretch with a ¾-ounce Z-Man SlingBladeZ spinnerbait and chartreuse matte-finished double-skirt trailer. I was burning it really fast so the blades were spinning on top and that really triggered some vicious strikes. I must have had 15 really nice bass in the 17-inch class but just couldn’t cull upward. Still, that’s some great fishing. I love this place!” Both Queen and Ewing added that their Hobie kayaks played a big role in their success given the strong currents and rocky bottom. “I positioned my Hobie PA14 360 to float downstream along the grass beds so I could fish one side, then pedaled back up and fished the other side,” noted Queen. “Being able to hold my spot with my hands free for casting gave me a huge advantage over guys that couldn’t get as many cast to good water or who might have to drop anchor and make a lot of noise in the process. I don’t think I could have won this event, fishing this way, in any other boat.” |
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Ewing agreed with Queen. Fishing from a PA12 360 he picked up from Dugout Bait and Tackle in Marietta, GA, he lauded the Hobie’s agility and maneuverability that allowed him to dodge boulders, stay on the fish and perfectly position for his next cast all while never having to pick up a paddle. “The Kick-Up Fins were a huge plus, too,” he added. “I never had to pull my drive the entire tournament. Any other pedal drive and I probably would have sheered it completely. My Hobie lets me do what I do best, just go out and fish.” Two more open events remain on the Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® schedule this season. August 28 will see the fleet gather on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI, while the Lake Pickwick event in Counce, TN, kicks off on September 18. “Our B.O.S. events just seem to be getting better and better with each passing month,” concludes McWhorter. “I’m sure these two will be epic as well. Sign-up, ready your gear and come on out. No doubt the bass – and the competition – will be waiting.” |
Loberg Wins Toyota Series Event on California Delta
Rocklin Angler Brings Home First Big MLF Win, Takes Home $21,556
Oakley, Calif. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 23 pounds, 6 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at California Delta in Oakley, California. Loberg’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 55-11 earned him the win by a 6-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Michael Moreno of Salida, California and earned Loberg the top payout of $21,556 in the second tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Western Division.
“I had a really good final day and everything fell into place,” said Loberg. “I’ve been trying to hit new water each day. I pulled up to one spot on Day 3 and they were there. Normally the Delta gets the best of me, but I had a great week. I’m really happy with it.”
Falling water temps, changing tides and short tournament days all forced Loberg to think on his feet to take home the top spot.
“The Delta is always changing, and I was able to adapt with it,” he said. “Going into this week, I just wanted to strictly punch, but I knew as each day of the tournament went on we’d have higher water in the morning. It got a little scarier each day.”
High tide required Loberg to trigger a reaction bite early in the morning before turning to punching vegetation later in the day.
“Each morning I’d start off throwing a ChatterBait, buzzbait or spook of some sort,” Loberg explained. “I focused on a lot of current, just trying to catch a limit. Once that tide dropped out, I’d go punch the rest of the day.”
He put his Powell Endurance Rods to work, punching key vegetation with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver or Missile Baits D-Bomb. Loberg alternated between a 1- and 1 1/2-ounce tungsten weight, depending on the wind and thickness of the vegetation.
While still early in his career, Loberg’s first major MLF victory was a result of many hours on the tournament trail.
“I started fishing the regional high school tournaments, then fished the FLW Collegiate Series and got to travel the country with my buddies,” said Loberg. “Then, once I graduated college, I decided it’s time to step it up and fish out of the front of the boat.”
No stranger to rolling up his sleeves, Loberg was able to put his passion and work ethic to good use this week.
“I’ve worked really hard since I was younger. I just absolutely love tournament bass fishing,” he said. “Winning one of these means so much.”
The top 10 pros on the California Delta finished:
1st: Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 55-11, $21,556
2nd: Michael Moreno of Salida, Calif., 15 bass, 48-15, $9,353
3rd: Jon Strelic of El Cajon, Calif., 15 bass, 47-0, $6,467
4th: Christian Ostrander of Turlock, Calif., 13 bass, 46-10, $5,389
5th: Phillip Dutra of Antioch, Calif., 15 bass, 45-11, $4,850
6th: William Hume of Vacaville, Calif., 15 bass, 42-14, $4,366
7th: Gregg Leonard of Wilton, Calif., 15 bass, 41-7, $3,772
8th: Clayton Eslick of Gilroy, Calif., 14 bass, 36-5, $3,233
9th: Randy McAbee, Jr. of Bakersfield, Calif., 14 bass, 35-15, $2,694
10th: Blake Dyer of Concord, Calif., 14 bass, 34-6, $2,156
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
William Hume of Vacaville, California took home an additional $55 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 7 pounds. Ed Arledge of Valley Center, California won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale.
Pro Michael Moreno of Salida, California 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.
Keith Hurney of Oakley, California won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 37 pounds, 12 ounces. Hurney 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 the California Delta finished:
1st: Keith Hurney of Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 37-12, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Colby Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 35-6, $2,844
3rd: Brandon Gee of Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 33-5, $2,400
4th: Rachel Uribe of Long Beach, Calif., 15 bass, 31-4, $1,991
5th: Rommel Bagay of Concord, Calif., 14 bass, 29-7, $1,743
6th: Jack Farage of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 28-3, $1,422
7th: Scott Bern of San Rafael, Calif., 15 bass, 28-1, $1,138
8th: James McNeely of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 15 bass, 27-3, $995
9th: Aaron Seay of Spring Valley, Calif., 14 bass, 26-2, $853
10th: Camron Diatte of Salinas, Calif., 13 bass, 23-2, $711
2nd: Colby Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 35-6, $2,844
3rd: Brandon Gee of Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 33-5, $2,400
4th: Rachel Uribe of Long Beach, Calif., 15 bass, 31-4, $1,991
5th: Rommel Bagay of Concord, Calif., 14 bass, 29-7, $1,743
6th: Jack Farage of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 28-3, $1,422
7th: Scott Bern of San Rafael, Calif., 15 bass, 28-1, $1,138
8th: James McNeely of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 15 bass, 27-3, $995
9th: Aaron Seay of Spring Valley, Calif., 14 bass, 26-2, $853
10th: Camron Diatte of Salinas, Calif., 13 bass, 23-2, $711
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $37 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Rommel Bagay of Concord, California with a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass, while the $37 Day Two award went to Gabriel Diaz of Nuevo, California with a 2-pound, 11-ounce bass.
The Toyota Series at the California Delta was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Western Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Aug. 26-28 – the Toyota Series at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York. 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.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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.
Justin Lucas Grabs Early Group B Lead at MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits
Guntersville, Alabama Pro Catches 15 Bass Totaling 50 Pounds, 2 Ounces to Lead Group B’s Qualifying Round, Group A to Finish Their Qualifying Round Saturday
Link to Photo Gallery of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 1 at Lake Champlain, Qualifying Group B
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Berkley pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, caught 15 scorable bass Friday weighing 50 pounds, 2 ounces, to grab the early lead in Group B after their Day 1 Qualifying Round at the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits in Plattburgh, New York. Lucas will bring a 5-pound, 15-ounce lead into Group B’s Qualifying Round finale on Sunday.
Right behind Lucas in second place is Knoxville, Tennessee pro Brandon Coulter, who held the lead for most of the day before Lucas overtook him in the third period. Coulter boated 18 bass totaling 47-15. Rounding out the top three was Toro pro Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas, who caught 17 bass for 44-1 to end the day in third.
The 39 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Saturday, while the 34 anglers in Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will conclude their Qualifying Round on Sunday. The six-day event, hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh, features the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
“It was a good day today, especially considering that I didn’t catch anything in the first hour and a half,” Lucas said in his post-game interview. “We’ve got a lot of work left to do, though. We’re only halfway done to win this round. If I can win on Sunday and advance straight to the Championship Round, well, you never know what can happen there.”
Lucas said that he drop-shotted throughout the day, targeting smallmouth in 20 to 35 feet of water.
“It’s no real secret what I’m doing,” Lucas said. “I’m drop-shotting on these big smallmouth with a Berkley (PowerBait) MaxScent Flat Worm, of course. I’m fishing a bunch of different mixture-type spots – some have gravel, some have rock, some have sand, and some even have a little bit of grass. But the key is the bait. And they’re not far from where they spawn.
“When you get in those areas, if you can hit those little windows when they’re in there biting, you can put a bunch of weight up quick, like we did today,” Lucas went on to say. “Hopefully these spots can get some rest, and not get pounded too hard tomorrow. There really wasn’t that many guys fishing them today, so that kind of has me excited. Hopefully the sun will warm that water up and keep moving these fish out. That’d be really, really nice.”
While Lucas gained the lead late in the day with his afternoon smallmouth bite, pro Brandon Coulter had held the lead for most of the day on the strength of largemouth.
“I had a good day, I just came out of the gate really hot,” Coulter said. “I’ve been doing that a lot lately. I think I led early on most of the days at St. Lawrence. I’m just having trouble closing it out and I’m frustrated right now. I had the chance to really put some distance on second place today, and instead I let Justin come in and take the lead. And kudos to Justin. I mean, that kid is phenomenal. But a lot is going to come into play in these next two days.
“The good news is, despite my frustrations I was blessed today, and I love this place. This is my favorite place in the world to fish. I guess we’ll just have to see how things play out on Sunday morning. I had elbow surgery last year, and it ended my season early. To be able to come back and be hammering them now on a 7-foot, 11-inch Savage Gear Black Ops Heavy Flipping Stick, not on a spinning rod, is awesome. The elbow is good, it’s healthy and it sure feels good to set the hook on a few.”
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Lake Champlain are:
1st: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 50-2
2nd: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 17 bass, 44-3
3rd: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 16 bass, 44-1
4th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 38-0
5th: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., 13 bass, 37-9
6th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 13 bass, 37-0
7th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 13 bass, 36-3
8th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 33-11
9th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 32-0
10th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 11 bass, 31-4
11th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-4
12th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., nine bass, 28-11
13th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 28-3
14th: Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla., 10 bass, 27-12
15th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 10 bass, 27-11
16th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., eight bass, 27-7
17th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., eight bass, 26-4
18th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, eight bass, 23-11
19th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, eight bass, 22-14
20th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., seven bass, 21-6
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 320 bass weighing 920 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the 39 pros on Friday.
Shaw Grigsby won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award Friday, weighing in a 5-pound, 14-ounce largemouth bass on a worm during Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler who weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits is hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh.
MLF announced earlier this week that the normal 80-angler Bass Pro Tour field would be reduced to 73 for this event, as seven anglers withdrew from competition for undisclosed reasons. After consulting with the MLF Angler Advisory Board, a slight change was made to the Qualifying Round Toro Cut Lines due to the unbalanced angler groupings.
The 34 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Champlain on Thursday and Saturday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Friday and Sunday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 17th place from Group A (50% of field) and 2nd through 20th place from Group B (50% of field) advance to Monday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Tuesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 35 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will take off from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 2 Dock St., in Plattsburgh, at 8 a.m. ET each day of competition. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the Launch Ramp, beginning at 5 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF officials have divided the lake into two zones in which anglers will compete – Zone A (north end of lake) and Zone B (south end of lake – Ticonderoga area). Anglers choosing to fish in Zone B must go through the normal takeoff procedure at the Plattsburgh Boat Launch and then trailer to a public ramp within Zone B. Anglers will depart the Boat Launch at 8 a.m., and competition will start with “lines in” at 9 a.m.
The Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters 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 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Nov. 6 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bassmaster College National Championship Heads To Smallmouth Heaven
Top college teams from across the country will compete on the St. Lawrence River August 12-14 at the 2021 Carhartt College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
August 6, 2021
Bassmaster College National Championship Heads To Smallmouth Heaven
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WADDINGTON, N.Y. — The best college anglers from across the country will take on one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the United States when the Carhartt College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops arrives at the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., Aug. 12-14.
Teams will take off from Whittaker Park in Waddington at 6:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in starting at 2:30 p.m. Coverage of the event can be found at Bassmaster.com.
More than 100 teams qualified for the tournament, including teams from Auburn University, University of Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson University, Clarkson University and bass-fishing powerhouses like Bethel University, University of Montevallo, Bryan College and McKendree University.
“Obviously, it is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the U.S., I believe,” Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Johnston said. “It has gotten a little tougher over the years. Not necessarily because of the fish population going down, but because they are more educated now. You have to use some more finesse tactics — some smaller baits, smaller profiles and some lighter line. But with that said, on nasty windy days, they are still smallmouth and they are still going to be really aggressive and act like they never saw a bait at times.”
Teams that finished in the top 10% in each of the four regular-season events, as well as the wild card event at Lay Lake, earned a spot in the national championship and will compete for not only a victory, but a chance to qualify for the College Classic Bracket and ultimately a spot in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell.
The College Series last visited the upstate New York fishery in 2019, when the Sam Houston State duo of Jackson Carrell and Bryton Kurtz sacked 72 pounds, 13 ounces over three days to claim the title during a regular-season event, setting a College Series record for a three-day event until 2020, when Cole Sands and Conner DiMauro caught 84-12 at the Harris Chain of Lakes.
B.A.S.S. has hosted 20 major events at the St. Lawrence River, which took the top spot in 2019 on Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 100 Best Bass Lakes list. Johnston took home his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory on the famed fishery in 2020, catching 97-8 over four days to become the first Canadian to win an Elite Series event. In 2021, Japanese pro Taku Ito’s eye-popping final-day 26-pound limit propelled him to a convincing victory at the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 90 pounds.
Located on the border of New York and Canada, the St. Lawrence River is a clear-water fishery with heavy current, Johnston said. On calmer days, you can see down to 20 feet, and in narrower sections of the river, Johnston said the current can be as fast as 3 miles per hour.
While there are always fish to be caught in shallow water, by mid-August the smallmouth are largely postspawn and have moved to deeper water.
“A lot of the fish are going to be set up out deep, which is pretty good because you can get on a big group of them,” Johnston said. “You can drift down with the current vertically jigging them and you might get one or two fish a drift; then you start the big motor up and go back up and do another drift over them. That’s probably going to be the dominant way to catch them.”
Johnston said he likes to target underwater islands and locate subtle differences in bottom composition during this time of the year.
“Really anything that is different on the bottom,” Johnston said. “There might be a whole bunch of rock and then all of a sudden there is a sandy stretch that is 100 yards and they will sit in the sand. Or vice versa. If there is a flat of sand and then some boulders or chunk rock, they will sit on that.”
Drop shots, tubes and Ned rigs have historically produced quantity and quality of smallmouth bass over the years, and Johnston believes that will be the case during this event.
Johnston added that finding smallmouth on the St. Lawrence River can be difficult at times because the current keeps the smallmouth anchored to the bottom, making it harder to see fish on an angler’s unit.
While smallmouth are largely the focus on the St. Lawrence River, Johnston said fishing for largemouth around docks and grass could produce some big bags and vault a team toward the top of the standings if things break a certain way.
“If someone puts in the time to figure out the largemouth, they could very easily come away with 20 to 23 pounds a day as long as there aren’t too many people doing it and you can get away from everyone,” Johnston said. “There is a chance it can be won on largemouth, but more than likely smallmouth.”
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is being hosted by the Village of Waddington, St. Lawrence County Chamber and Clarkson University. This tournament is also supported by a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism awarded as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The tournament and all associated festivities are planned to ensure the safety of anglers, marshals, staff and fans.
Have You Heard the news?
On this episode of weekend update we give you a look at what’s been happening here this week at the Bass Cast. Plus we welcome a new sponsor to Bass Cast Radio River Wise Fishing.
Matt Lee Dominates Opening Day at MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits
Alabama Pro Jumps out to Massive 55-Pound Group A Lead with 40 Bass Weighing 103 Pounds, 5 Ounces – Group B to Compete Friday
Link to Photo Gallery of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 1 at Lake Champlain, Qualifying Group A
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 5, 2021) – Normally on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour when an angler breaks the 100-pound mark in a single day of competition, it’s done with a large school or two of smallmouth bass. Thursday, at the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits in Plattburgh, New York, pro Matt Lee did it with largemouth.
Lee dominated Day 1 of the Group A Qualifying Round, catching 40 bass totaling 103 pounds, 5 ounces to give him a massive 55-pound, 6-ounce lead in Group A – the largest Day 1 lead ever held in Bass Pro Tour history. The six-day event, hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh, features the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
Behind Lee, in second place, is Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, who boated 18 bass totaling 47-15. Rounding out the top three was General Tire pro Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, who caught 18 bass for 45-12 to end the day in third.
The 34 anglers in Group A will now have the day off on Friday, while the 39 anglers in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Saturday.
“We still have a lot of derby ahead of us, but today was sick,” Lee said in his post-game interview. “I have bass hand. Not even bass thumb – bass hand. It was unreal.”
Lee said that he tried to target smallmouth early in the day, but when that plan fizzled he tried some of his largemouth areas and ran into what looks like the potential motherlode.
“I hit like four smallmouth places this morning and I could see them, but I couldn’t get them to bite,” the Cullman, Alabama pro said. “I figured they had to be biting a topwater somewhere, so I ran around to a largemouth place that I had fished before and caught a 3-10, and when I was reeling it in there were like 10 with it. So, I sat right there in that 100- to 150-foot section of grass and flipped up 100 pounds worth of bass.”
Lee said that he used just two setups on the day – his first bass came on a Lucky Craft Gunfish, and the rest came on a Texas-rigged Yamamoto Senko.
“I stayed in that same 75-yard stretch for five hours,” Lee said. “I went through some worms. The color didn’t even matter. I was just flipping hydrilla in 12- to 15-feet, and it was juice money. I had so much fun. I’ve got one more day to go to win the round and I’m just going to put the hammer down and hopefully advance straight into the Championship Round.”
Third-place angler Britt Myers chose another route to catch his 18 bass, mainly targeting smallmouth, although he did catch four largemouth as well.
“To be honest, Champlain was a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Myers said. “I thought I’d have to catch 30 pounds just to be in the hunt for the Knockout Round, but I’ve almost solidified that today. If I can catch a few more fish on Saturday, I’m very confident that I’ll make it in.
“The Duckett Baits swimbait was the key for me today – the 3.5-inch Real Thing Shad. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to use it and today when it was overcast, they really liked that swimbait. At the end of the day I also caught a few on a special little secret bait that I’ve got in my pocket for Day 2. So I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake Champlain are:
1st: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 40 bass, 103-5
2nd: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 47-15
3rd: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 18 bass, 45-12
4th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 12 bass, 44-6
5th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 42-4
6th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 14 bass, 40-8
7th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 13 bass, 39-15
8th: Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 13 bass, 39-11
9th: Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala., 14 bass, 38-10
10th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 12 bass, 37-5
11th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 12 bass, 36-12
12th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-14
13th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 12 bass, 31-13
14th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 10 bass, 30-9
15th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., eight bass, 25-15
16th: Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, eight bass, 24-8
17th: Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., nine bass, 23-14
18th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., seven bass, 22-4
19th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., eight bass, 22-0
20th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., seven bass, 19-13
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 308 bass weighing 884 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 34 pros on Thursday.
DeFoe won Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth bass on a worm during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler who weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits is hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh.
MLF announced Wednesday that the normal 80-angler Bass Pro Tour field would be reduced to 73 for this event, as seven anglers withdrew from competition for undisclosed reasons. After consulting with the MLF Angler Advisory Board, a slight change was made to the Qualifying Round Toro Cut Lines due to the unbalanced angler groupings.
The 34 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Champlain on Thursday and Saturday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Friday and Sunday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 17th place from Group A (50% of field) and 2nd through 20th place from Group B (50% of field) advance to Monday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Tuesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 35 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will take off from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 2 Dock St., in Plattsburgh, at 8 a.m. ET each day of competition. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the Launch Ramp, beginning at 5 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF officials have divided the lake into two zones in which anglers will compete – Zone A (north end of lake) and Zone B (south end of lake – Ticonderoga area). Anglers choosing to fish in Zone B must go through the normal takeoff procedure at the Plattsburgh Boat Launch and then trailer to a public ramp within Zone B. Anglers will depart the Boat Launch at 8 a.m., and competition will start with “lines in” at 9 a.m.
The Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters 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 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Nov. 6 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bassmaster Kayak Series Heads To Chesapeake Bay
The Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX will be held August 7 on the Upper Chesapeake Bay.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
August 5, 2021
Bassmaster Kayak Series Heads To Chesapeake Bay
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CECIL COUNTY, Md. — Talented kayak anglers from around the country take to the waters of the Upper Chesapeake Bay August 7 for the fourth stop of the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX.
Competition Saturday starts at 5:45 a.m. ET with lines out at 2 p.m. An award ceremony will be held at 4 p.m.
Among the competitors vying for the coveted trophy and a spot in the 2022 National Championship will be former Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Bassmaster Classic champion Mike Iaconelli, who finished in the Top 5 at last week’s Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at Oneida Lake.
Instead of a standard weigh-in that requires scales measuring pounds and ounces, anglers will practice “catch, photograph and release” to determine the kayak tournament standings.
When an angler catches a bass, he or she will photograph it lying on an approved measuring board and submit the photo through a special mobile app provided by TourneyX. The boards will measure each bass in inches down to a quarter of an inch, and the angler with the longest five-bass limit will win.
From Maryland, the Bassmaster Kayak Series heads to the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis., Sept. 5 as anglers from around the country attempt to qualify for the 2022 National Championship which will be held in conjunction with the 2022 Bassmaster Classic March 4-6 in Greenville, S.C. Learn more at Bassmaster.com/kayak.
Cecil County, Maryland is hosting the event.
2021 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Partner: Old Town
Georgia’s Clabion Johns Locks Up MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Polaris ROY Title
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TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 5, 2021) – Clabion Johns entered the final MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers event on the St. Lawrence River sitting 11th in Angler of the Year standings and leading the Polaris Rookie of the Year race. After two days of fishing on the St. Lawrence and making his third top-50 cut of the season, Johns clinched his ROY title and the Polaris Ranger 1000 that comes with it.
Though winning ROY is something Johns is more than pleased with, the Social Circle, Georgia, pro admits he had his sights set a bit higher for his first year on the Pro Circuit.
“When the schedule for this year got released, I was completely jacked,” says Johns. “It meant I could fish in the dirt all year, no worries, and I’m not saying I came into this season thinking I was going to win Angler of the Year, but I thought I was going to be in the running. If I could put up a decent season, I thought I’d have a decent shot at making the [Bass Pro Tour] and winning Rookie of the Year.
“One bad tournament this year cost me a top five in points, but I set my goals high and knew if I could get close to them ROY would follow.”
While Johns may come across as a confident angler, the truth is he’s spent years rubbing elbows with pros and local hammers across the Southeast. So, when it came time to step up to the Pro Circuit, he never doubted his skills or abilities to hang with the best.
“What’s funny is I guess I’m a rookie on tour, but I don’t feel like a rookie,” he admits. “I actually fished more MLF tournaments than anybody in the country did last year – I fished 23 events. I’ve always been a road warrior. There’ve been years I’ve fished 100 tournaments. I’m like a cash poker player that does it with fishing. Within four hours of the house, I can put up $100-$500 and fish for between 2 and 10 grand, so I’d just fish whatever. But once [MLF] made it where you had to qualify to fish the Pro Circuit, I was in.”
By in, Johns means he was committed to snagging a top-five points finish in the Toyota Series. He did that with relative ease in the Southeastern Division where he finished 24th, 11th and seventh to land fifth in points and get his bid for the Pro Circuit.
When the Pro Circuit season kicked off on Lake Okeechobee this year, Johns wasted no time getting to work. He finished 20th and quickly got the ball rolling with a good paycheck heading into Stop 2 on Lewis Smith. The issue at Smith, however, is that Johns found the same fish eventual tournament winner John Cox did and he opted to abandon that area to leave it for Cox, who had a better boat draw.
Though it was a noble move, it led Johns to his worst finish of the season in 90th.
Next up was Lake Murray, where Johns again could lean on his shallow-water prowess to make another Day 3 cut and get the train back on the right track for the event he had circled on the calendar since the start – Lake Eufaula.
“Eufaula was the event I was looking forward to the most because I no joke have more hours on Eufaula than the rest of the field combined,” says Johns. “I grew up fishing that lake and since I was 12 years old, I spent no less than 10 days a year on it. I would rent a cabin on it sometimes three times a summer for a week. I’ve spent so much time on that place.
“On Day 1, I got some of my normal juice to myself and caught 14 pounds quick. Day 2, I dropped in my spot and a guy runs past me and sets down on the grass line. I snatched the trolling motor up and ran to another area I had to myself and caught 9 pounds. They just didn’t bite. That one stung.”
Squeaking out one of the last big checks and a 58th place finish wasn’t how Johns saw that event shaking out. Still, he did what he had done throughout the season and rebounded on the Potomac by nearly making the final day and finishing 13th overall, which put him in command for the ROY title.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and YouTube .
Tennessee’s Michael Neal Clinches MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit AOY Title
TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 5, 2021) – Based in Dayton, Tennessee and growing up in a family of anglers, Michael Neal started fishing as a pro on the former FLW Tour at just 20 years old. Since then, he’s finished second in the Forrest Wood Cup and REDCREST, and generally been excellent, consistent … and shy of a win. Though it took all year to make it happen, the 29-year-old pro finally has that win after being crowned Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year on Day 3 of Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia on the St. Lawrence.
Fishing a nearly flawless season, Neal started the year with a 22nd-place showing at Okeechobee and a 33rd-place finish at Lewis Smith. Then, he turned up the heat. In the final four events on Lake Murray, the Potomac River, Lake Eufaula and the St. Lawrence, Neal’s lowest finish was 11th, which surged him past a slipping Cole Floyd and well ahead of Skeet Reese.
Finishing 11th at the St. Lawrence with 55 pounds, 3 ounces of smallmouth, Neal wrapped up the win in style.
“It still really hasn’t set in, I’m excited, but I don’t think I have everything emotionally coming out yet,” Neal said of the AOY title. “It’s just a great year, there are so many things I can look back on that shouldn’t have happened that did. Randy Haynes once told me, ‘When you’re going to win a tournament, stuff like that will happen.’ It’s happened every tournament this year and his words came true.”
Neal said he’s gotten lucky all year, with one good call after another making the season come together. When you do it all year long it stops being luck at some point, but he’s still grateful for the things that have gone right.
“There’s something from every single tournament that I can look at and say ‘Wow, that was lucky’. Either catching a big one or catching a couple off a place, or whatever,” Neal said. “At Murray, for one, I went up the river in practice for about three hours and had one bite and it was a 2-pounder. Then, the first day I had an OK bag skipping docks, the second day I had to find something else to do – I went up the river and started catching them. The fourth day, that’s where I caught almost all my fish.
“At the Potomac, I didn’t fish down south all tournament, then I ran back to Aquia [Creek] the last day and caught some fish that were really key to coming in second. Every tournament, there’s something that happened that just helped things go right.”
Even at the St. Lawrence, on his very last day of fishing, Neal had some things just go right.
“I was re-tying and I had individual rock piles marked, and I set my trolling motor to go towards the next one and it actually put me up on top of a grass flat,” Neal said. “As soon as I got done re-tying, I realized where I was, stood up, picked up a drop-shot, flipped to the edge of the grass and caught a 4-pounder right there. It’s been like that all year.”
A pitcher in his youth, Neal lettered for the varsity team as a freshman in high school, but quickly turned to fishing.
“When I hurt my elbow playing baseball, I had to make a choice, to either completely tear my ligament for Tommy John surgery or quit,” Neal said. “When I quit baseball, fishing was pretty much all I did all summer, and any time I got the opportunity.”
Shepherded along by his father Mike Neal, his grandfather Alan Brown and his uncle Rogne Brown, Neal has been competitive from the get-go.
“My first couple years were pretty rough, ’12 and ’13,” Neal said. “2012 was pretty much a learning experience, my first year being on tour, but since then, everything has kinda clicked. I’ve always went out there and did my own thing, trying not to worry too much about what everybody else is doing or what you’re supposed to do at that lake. Especially now, I just do what I want to do and go fish my way, and it’ll either work out or it won’t.”
Fishing BFL events and as a co-angler on the FLW Tour in 2008 and 2009, Neal worked his way up so quickly that it’s easy to think he’s been around for longer than he has. Starting on the Tour as a pro in 2012, Neal fished five events the first season while still in college to get his feet under him.
Back then, the same low-key and friendly angler was catching fish all over the country and putting up highlight reel finishes when he got in his wheelhouse on the Tennesee River. In 2014 and 2016, Neal banked Top 10 finishes on Pickwick Lake, finishing second both times and absolutely cracking them on the final day in 2014. In 2016, he sat on one schooling spot for the entire event to finish runner-up to John Cox in the Forrest Wood Cup on Wheeler Lake.
This year, fishing both the Bass Pro Tour and the Pro Circuit, Neal put together his best year yet.
“Going into the year I was on the fence of whether I should have signed up for both [tours] or not,” Neal said. “I didn’t know if I would be able to do it stamina-wise, and I wasn’t sure if I would get burnt out. But I really think that’s what has caused me to have the year I have had on both sides. When I’m home I don’t fish, ever. Just spending more time on the water, it doesn’t matter if you’re smallmouth fishing, largemouth fishing, in Florida, New York or Texas, you’re still staying in tune with the fish and making decisions and staying in rhythm.”
Now, with his best smallmouth finish ever under his belt to cap off an AOY season, Neal feels like he’s really accomplished something.
“I consider this a win, it’s not one tournament, but it was the best for the year,” Neal says. “I feel like now I’ve got an accolade I can hold as a career accomplishment that’s better than a win. Now that’s done, maybe some wins will follow.”
With a BPT event this week on Lake Champlain and then the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury on the Mississippi, Neal will have some opportunities to get a win in short order. Then, he’ll finally get to go home to East Tennessee.
“It’ll probably be a party when I get back,” Neal chuckled. “Which will be about a month from now.”
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and YouTube .