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Estes Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Champlain

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Estes Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Champlain
Thirty-Six States and Four Countries Represented at Northern Opener as Anglers Compete for Qualification to the Toyota Series Championship and a Shot at $235,000
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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (July 18, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Stephen Estes of Auburn, New Hampshire, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York. Estes’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 61-3 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 3-ounce margin over second-place angler Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, and earned Estes the top payout of $44,000 in the first tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Northern Division.

Estes fished the dream on Lake Champlain, weighing in all smallmouth and averaging more than 20 pounds per day. Looking hard for the mother lode, Estes said he started his four-day practice period with 90 hours on his motor – by the time he was back at the dock after Day 3 of the event, he had over 126 hours logged.

“I was just doing a lot of looking and trying to find something special,” said Estes. “I don’t like to fish around other people and I felt like that was the deal and I just happened to stumble across it. I was idling around and I saw bait and decided to drop the Lowrance ActiveTarget down. I wouldn’t have known the fish were there without the ActiveTarget.”

Estes said he set his target range out to 120 feet, catching fish anywhere from a long cast away to right under his boat. One of his keys on the first two days when it was windy was an independent pole mount from Cornfield Crappie.

“I bought that mount maybe a year or so ago,” said Estes. “I started with LiveScope on the trolling motor, then I changed trolling motor brands and now I’m running all Lowrance. The Lowrance isn’t quite as easy to line your bait up, because the arrow isn’t perfect, but the whole point of the independent mount is when you’re on Anchor Mode, you can independently control it – that was huge the first two days. I keep a remote in my pocket and it has foot pedals.”

Throwing a drop-shot on a 6-foot-9, medium action Hammer Rods spinning rod with 10-pound Vicious No-Fade Braid and an 8-pound Seaguar Tatsu  leader, Estes went with a ½-ounce  Eco Pro Full Contact Drop Shot Weight and a drop-shot bait from Hawg Pours Hand Made Bass Baits called the Hawg Teaser.

“Every fish was different,” he said. “I caught some fish suspended, I’d watch my drop-shot fall, I’d see it stop falling and set the hook. I would never feel the fish bite. I’ve been doing that for three years and I’ve learned to watch my bait real close.

“Some of the fish I was catching 100 feet out from the boat – I can’t make a cast with a drop-shot further than 100 feet according to ActiveTarget,” continued Estes. “There was no rhyme or reason and I can’t tell you how many fish swam up to my bait and didn’t bite it. I just kept my head down and kept fishing  and put it in front of a lot of fish.”

Though he had to relocate his fish a bit each day, Estes definitely hit the mother lode daily throughout the event. His co-anglers nearly always caught big weights as well, and doubles from the front and the back were common. Given the fish he found and his skill with electronics, it would have been a feat to beat Estes this week.

“I had a feeling [after Day 1] but I chose not to acknowledge it,” said Estes. “This is just an awesome feeling. I never expected this at all, this group of anglers is so good.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Champlain finished:

1st:           Stephen Estes of Auburn, N.H., 15 bass, 61-3, $44,000
2nd:          Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 59-0, $18,000
3rd:          Bryan Labelle of Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 57-13, $12,750
4th:           Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 57-7, $10,750
5th:           Kyle Hall of Cleburne, Texas, 15 bass, 57-7, $9,750
6th:           Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 56-9, $8,625
7th:           Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 55-7, $7,300
8th:           JJ Judd of Saint Albans, Vt., 15 bass, 54-4, $6,300
9th:           Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa, 15 bass, 53-14, $5,300
10th:        Jason Bacon of Nutting Lake, Mass., 15 bass, 53-1, $4,200
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Nick Radtke of Greenwood Lake, N.Y. took home an additional $150 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Kevin Martin of Crown City, Ohio won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale.

Becker 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.

Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 48 pounds, 10 ounces. Gelles 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 Champlain finished:

1st:           Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 14 bass, 48-10, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd:          Ted Kephart of Philipsburg, Pa., 15 bass, 48-3, $5,375
3rd:          Jeff Crowley of Goodrich, Mich., 15 bass, 46-5, $4,300
4th:           Carter Wijangco of Naperville, Ill., 15 bass, 45-10, $3,650
5th:           Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, N.Y., 15 bass, 45-8, $3,350
6th:           Jakob Labelle of Hinesburg, Vt., 13 bass, 37-15, $2,650
7th:           Sakae Ushio of Tonawanda, N.Y., 12 bass, 37-11, $2,150
8th:           John Detweiler of Harleysville, Pa., 11 bass, 35-12, $1,825
9th:           Tommy Sikes of Como, Texas, 12 bass, 35-8, $1,530
10th:        Romano Duncan of Andover, Mass., 11 bass, 33-7, $1,290
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $100 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Geoffrey Montgomery of Seneca Falls, N.Y. with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass, while the $100 Day Two award went to Randy Brown of Lugoff, S.C., with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Champlain was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Northern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on August 3-5 – the Toyota Series at the California Delta in Oakley, California. 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.

Jeff Peak & Jason Irby Win Leesville Lake Tournament Trail July 18th 2021

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Jeff Peak & Jason Irby Win Leesville Lake Tournament Trail July 18th 2021

We had 16 boats competing today in the Leesville Lake Tournament trail.

1st place – Jeff Peak & Jason Irby with 15.83lbs.

2nd place Steve Crist & Larry Rakes with 15.82lbs.

3rd place was Charlie Davis & Scotty Howard with 15.79lbs.

Big fish went to Harold Black & Lacy Burnette with a 5.65lb

Ito’s Mega Bag Earns Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Lawrence River

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Ito’s Mega Bag Earns Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Lawrence River

Taku Ito, of Chiba, Japan, has won the 2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 90 pounds. 

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

July 18, 2021

Ito’s Mega Bag Earns Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Lawrence River

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WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Saving the best for last may not have been his intention, but Taku Ito’s eye-popping 26-pound limit propelled the Japanese sensation to a convincing victory at the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 90 pounds.

Hailing from Chiba, Japan, the second-year Elite placed 38th on Day 1 with 17-15, then improved to 11th with a second-round limit of 22-14. Day 3 saw Ito secure his Championship Sunday berth by adding 23-3 and improving to seventh.

Earning $100,000 for his Elite win, Ito anchored his third and fourth days’ limits with 6-pound smallmouth, both of which earned $1,000 daily awards for Phoenix Boats Big Bass.

“I love Waddington — I’m very, very happy,” Ito said with the engaging sincerity Elite audiences have come to love. “When I was 8 years old, I won the (Bassin’s Black Bass with Hank Parker) video game and now, on the St. Lawrence River, I won the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. Bassmaster!”

Ito, who placed sixth at last year’s St. Lawrence River event, devoted all four days to Lake Ontario. The first two days, he fished rock structures in approximately 20 feet. On Saturday those areas failed to produce, so he relocated to a spot in 26 to 27 feet near Chaumont Bay.

Calling this spot “Taku Disneyland” for its abundance of fish, Ito caught his Day 3 limit there and started on the spot Sunday.

“I was driving about two hours (each way) and I had about two hours and 30 minutes of fishing time,” Ito said.

Arriving at his spot this morning, Ito thought his graph was malfunctioning when he saw what appeared to be a false bottom at 13 to 14 feet. To his delight, it was a massive school of Lake Ontario giants.

“Usually, smallmouth are on the bottom, but today there was a school of big smallmouth suspended,” Ito said.

Ito said he noticed a distinct water clarity difference, and he assumed the fish had followed the clean water into his area. Also, Ito said the gobies he incidentally caught on his drop shot were a couple of inches larger than the 3- to 4-inchers he saw the previous three days.

“My spot had bigger gobies today, so maybe the smallmouth were there for the big gobies,” Ito said.

Ito caught some of his bass on a drop shot with a 4-inch Ecogear Aqua Swim Shrimp rigged on a 1/0 Ryugi Talisman hook with a 1/4-ounce Ryugi TG Delta sinker.

He also caught keepers on a Neko-rigged 5 1/4-inch Nories Latterie straight worm and a Berkley Hit Worm. For this rig, he used a 3/16-ounce Neko weight and a 1/0 Ryugi Talisman hook.

“I was using many Japanese techniques,” Ito said. “I would cast and sometimes the fish would take (the bait) while it was falling. Sometimes, I kept my bait on the bottom for 10 seconds, 15 seconds, with no action.”

Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., finished second with 88-12. Atkins tied Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., for eighth place on Day 1 with 21-6, then added 22-14 and rose to fifth. He caught 23-10 on Day 3 and moved into second before settling at that position with Sunday’s limit of 20-14.

“I caught all of my fish out of the lake,” Atkins said. “I found a flat that had some grass and rock with some sand mixed in 12 to 20 feet. There was big school of fish on it, and I was using my Lowrance Active Target to look for them.”

Atkins caught his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm and a 3/32-ounce Marabou jig with a piece of MaxScent worm on the shank. That adjustment added bulk and scent appeal, which helped convert more bites into hookups.

“I really liked the brown Marabou jig this week,” Atkins said. “I had some followers on black, but the brown, for whatever reason seemed to get them to trigger.”

Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, finished third with 88-10. On Day 1, the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year tied Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., for sixth place with 21-12.

Wendlandt added 23-3 on Day 2 and moved up to fourth. Catching 20-10 on Semifinal Saturday kept him in that spot until his final-round limit of 23-1 advanced Wendlandt one more spot.

“I fished the lake and used a lot of different depths, but the shallowest I caught one was probably 12 feet and the deepest was 28,” Wendlandt said. “The best seemed to be about 20 feet.”

Wendlandt caught his fish on a 3/16-ounce Ned rig and a drop shot with a green pumpkin minnow-style bait.

Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for the week with a 6-5. Walters also claimed the $1,000 daily Big Bass award for Day 2.

Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla., who led Days 1 and 2 and finished eighth, won the $1,000 daily Big Bass award for Day 1.

Schultz took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Chris Groh of Spring Grove, Ill., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Ito also earned $4,000 for winning while Wendlandt claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

The Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River was hosted by the Village of Waddington and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. This tournament is 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 were planned to ensure the safety of anglers, marshals, staff and fans.

2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/15-7/18
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN             20  90-00  100 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   23-03     Day 4: 5   26-00
2.  Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            20  88-12   99  $35,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   23-10     Day 4: 5   20-14
3.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             20  88-10   98  $30,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   23-03     Day 3: 5   20-10     Day 4: 5   23-01
4.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            20  88-00   97  $35,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-02     Day 3: 5   23-01     Day 4: 5   19-06
5.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20  85-00   96  $40,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   19-06     Day 4: 5   19-05
6.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            20  82-07   95  $34,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-11     Day 2: 5   19-08     Day 3: 5   24-04     Day 4: 5   18-00
7.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           20  81-11   94  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   21-15     Day 3: 5   19-06     Day 4: 5   19-09
8.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         20  80-06   93  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-05     Day 2: 5   22-09     Day 3: 5   16-15     Day 4: 5   15-09
9.  Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL        18  69-07   92  $16,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-02     Day 2: 5   17-09     Day 3: 5   24-02     Day 4: 3   08-10
10. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        16  64-00   91  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   21-08     Day 3: 5   19-12     Day 4: 1   02-12
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Bernie Schultz           Gainesville, FL     06-02      $1,000.00
2   Patrick Walters          Summerville, SC     06-05      $1,000.00
3   Taku Ito                 Chiba JAPAN         06-00      $1,000.00
4   Taku Ito                 Chiba JAPAN         06-00      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Patrick Walters          Summerville, SC     06-05      $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        89       460      1573-03
2        89       456      1565-01
3        43       223       799-03
4         8        44       173-02
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229      1183      4110-09

Victor Hendrix Wins the Bass Cast Kayak Bass series on The New River July 17th 2021

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Victor Hendrix Wins the Bass Cast Kayak Bass series on The New River July 17th 2021

The Bass Cast Kayak Bass Series had our Stop #4 on the beautiful New River. We had 26 anglers battle it out for the win and valuable points. 26 anglers also entered the optional Big Bass pot for $130. Local Eric Hawks was able to find a 21 inch Smallmouth to win Big Bass. It is also a Virginia Citation for a trophy sized fish.

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

1st Place Victor Hendrix

2nd place Robert Clements

3rd Place Bruce Deel

Photos from the days event

Mossy Oak Inks New Sponsorship Deal With MLF

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Mossy Oak Inks New Sponsorship Deal With MLF



Over the past year, there has been much talk surrounding the continued viability of MLF, as several top pros have made their departure. However, it appears that one of the nation’s top outdoor apparel brands is not among those harboring doubt. In fact, the company’s continued show of support is set to assist in sustaining MLF action for a number of years to come.

Mossy Oak recently announced a new multi-year expansion of their sponsorship of Major League Fishing. As a result of this renewed partnership, Mossy Oak retains its status as the official camo-manufacturer of MLF. As it stands, this partnership is set to continue through the end of the 2024 season.

Over the past decade, Mossy Oak has delved headlong into the production of activewear specifically geared toward the avid angler. The company, headquartered in West Point, Mississippi, has continually supported various forms of competitive angling during this period.

Mossy Oak’s Chief Sales Officer, Chris Paradise, was quick to express his approval for the company’s continued partnership with MLF. “We are very excited about our expanded partnership with Major League Fishing. Our ultimate goal is to connect with our loyal and growing Mossy Oak fishing consumers and customers via the strongest and most authentic reach possible. Major League Fishing and their leading, broad-based media platform delivers on that expectation greatly.”

Equally as enthusiastic was MLF President and CEO, Jim Wilburn. “Their (Mossy Oak) commitment to our anglers, fans, and the sport of professional bass fishing has been consistent since 2018 and their innovative and realistic camouflage patterns are a huge hit with anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen alike. To partner with an organization that shares the same love and passion for fishing and the outdoors as we do is very special.”

Fox To Ramp Up Coverage Of B.A.S.S. Events

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Fox To Ramp Up Coverage Of B.A.S.S. Events



Competitive bass fishing, at its highest level, is booming in popularity. For validation of this statement, look no further than recently released viewership statistics for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic. Nearly 2-million anglers tuned in to watch, as Hank Cherry locked down his second consecutive Classic win, while duking it out against a myriad of today’s top anglers.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that this level of fanfare is somehow out of the norm. In fact, over 4.5-million viewers have taken in Elite Series coverage via FOX Sports, during the 2021 season. Additionally, more than 358.5 million minutes of Bassmaster Live and weigh-in coverage was streamed worldwide during the first seven events of this year’s Elite Series.

As a result of this increased viewership, FOX Sports has decided to expand upon their future coverage of B.A.S.S. sanctioned tournaments. This will include coverage of three additional Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series tournaments, as well as the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship.

“Participation in fishing is at an all-time high and that’s reflected in the huge appetite we’re seeing for live fishing,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Our partnership with FOX Sports has allowed us to showcase the highest level of bass fishing in the Bassmaster Elite Series. Now we are thrilled to highlight the stars of the future with Opens coverage as well as exciting saltwater fishing!”

So what does this increase in coverage mean for anglers, as well as the sport of competitive bass fishing as a whole? In all likelihood, one will notice a significant increase in the free-spending of sponsorship dollars, from a number of sources. Since brand recognition and visibility are paramount to a successful sponsorship, this impending increase in airtime should net some additional support for top Elite Series pros.

Perkins Captures the Pickwick Crown – NPFL

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Perkins Captures the Pickwick Crown – NPFL

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With his smallest bag of the event on the final day, Counce, Tennessee’s Brandon Perkins takes the win on his hometown Lake Pickwick with a three-day total of 55-pounds, 11-ounces. Adding 16-pounds, 10-ounces to his already 7-pound lead to begin the final day, Perkins managed an 8-pound margin of victory.

Emotional on stage yet again, Perkins had this event circled since the moment the schedule was released, and wanted nothing more to take a win for his hometown crowd.

“Thank you all so much. The money doesn’t even matter, I’m not going to get it anyways,” laughed Perkins (looking at his wife). The trophy, heck, not even the trophy, the support I have been given this week is way better than any trophy I could get. Regardless, the good lord has blessed me this week more than I already deserve.

Fishing offshore ledges all week on Pickwick, Showdown Saturday didn’t go as Brandon Perkins has hoped. Getting off to a semi fast start this morning, things quickly turned south for the local angler.

“I caught a limit early which helped me calm down but after that I did everything I could to make it stressful,” laughed the Counce, Tennesse angler. “I lost fish all day long, I was a wreck.”

Things got better and worse as the day continued. At the last spot of the day, a few casts and a few lost fish added to the stress.

“I saved a pile of brush piles and the weather wasn’t even good for it so I didn’t bother. I made a run to another spot I saved and got there and it was covered with a few boats. I got down to that last stop and pulled in. First cast, I lost a 4.5-pounder at the boat, it was in my hands.”

That wasn’t the worst of it. Three casts later, another 3.5-pounder jumps off. Then, like it was meant to be, Perkins was able to wrangle a 3.75-pounder to the boat and it culled a small fish. Fishing a power technique, Perkins used an unnamed spoon all week and notes the grind it has been.

“I am going to need a week to recoup after this tournament. I have been fishing crazy and violently. I don’t know if it is my rotator cuff or what, but my arms are sore.”

David Gaston

Gaston started his day with a big fish and another decent fish but the bite slowed down drastically after the morning flurry.

“It took me a lot longer to catch a limit than I thought but this afternoon when live went off, I culled a few times and ended up doing okay.”

Fishing a chatterbait shallow, and a jigging spoon deep, Gaston mixed it up all week and has done enough to move the Progressive AOY Standings around a bit. Starting the event in the top five, he will be the highest finisher of those anglers and will look to continue that effort at the next two events.

“I have never been to Winnebago and I’ve been to Grand Lake once, two years back. To be honest, I am not looking forward to either of those events, I think they are going to be tough, and I don’t like fishing in tough tournaments.”

Joel Willert

“Today was better than the last two days weight wise and I started this morning where I caught them yesterday. It took a look longer to catch a limit than I had thought but I could see them out there and I waited them out.”

With 13-pounds in his bag when he abandoned the spot that has been so good to him, Willert made a move which turns out to be the key decision on the final day.

“I pulled up and there were a ton of fish. I ended up catching the biggest fish of the day and culled a few times too. That got me to my weight. I had a great practice and I thought coming in to the event that I had a shot to win. I fished confident and it worked out.”

Although the Prior Lake, Minnesota pro feels confident offshore using his electronics, ledge fishing is actually new. Willert had never ledge fished before this event and he adapted quickly.

“My goal this year was to cash checks, not because of the money, but to stay consistent and be around in the Progressive AOY race. I should move up some after this event and looking ahead, I should be in my wheelhouse at the next one, and although I have some history with Grand Lake, I have never been there in the fall and I don’t quite know about that one yet.”

Timmy Reams

With consistent bags all week, Timmy Reams brought 17-pounds, 3-ounces to the scales on Showdown Saturday to finish the event in 4th place. The Morgantown, West Virginia angler weighed a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass to anchor his bag. Fishing a grass bed all three days, Reams worked a reaction bite to secure his top five finish.

“I was down near the power plant and I found one stretch of grass and I milked it for three days for all it was worth. I don’t know if the fish live there or if they move in and out from the ledges to feed, but I fished a jackhammer for three days.”

On days one and two, a white jackhammer was the ticket, but Reams noted the switch to bruised green pumpkin helped him catch his biggest bag of the event. Using a ½ ounce chatterbait, Reams broke out a wacky work early on the final day to secure a limit.

“I had to get a quick limit and they bit the wacky worm good. Coming into the event, I knew I had found some fish but had no idea it would hold up for three days. I was sharing some water with David Gaston and it worked out for both of us. I want to thank some sponsors – Henny Rods, Deep Creek Docks, High Mountain Off-Road and SPE Motorsports.

Marc Schilling

With a three-day total of 46-pounds, 15-ounces, Marc Schilling add 16-pounds, 8-ounces to his total to end the tournament in the 5th place spot. With bags of 9-pounds, 14-ounces, 20-pounds, 9-ounces, and todays weight, Schilling relied on a 6-pound, 9-ounce kicker on day two to anchor his tournament. Schilling was cranking ledges with a 10XD Strike King Crankbait to catch his fish.

Shawn Murphy

Starting the day in the second spot, Shawn Murphy weighed his lightest bag of the event in on the final day. With 12-pounds, 13-ounces, Murphy had a three-day total of 44-pounds, 8-ounces to finish in the 6th place spot.

“Today was really a grind for me. I have been catching 25 to 30 keepers a day and today I only got 9 bites. I have no idea why other than maybe the little breeze and overcast had them spread out more. I could see them it was just tougher to get bites.”

Sticking with his area for most of the day, rotating in and out all day, finally Murphy was able to get some fish to bite. Stroking a ¾ ounce football jig, the Nicholasville, Kentucky angler got it done and kept himself in contention. Coming into the event, Murphy had anticipated 13.5-pounds a day would get paid and didn’t see the tough event coming.

“I really didn’t think the like would fish this tough. Its going to be around 10-pounds a day to get paid and I guessed a lot more. I thought I had enough schools located where I could catch them but I wasn’t sure because I didn’t fish anything in practice. I am thrilled with a top ten and looking forward to taking the points and getting to the next event. I want to thank my sponsors – Day’s Boat Sales, Central Kentucky Sonar, Vexus Boats, Mercury Marine, Power Pole, Shimano, and Lowrance.

The Rest of the Best:

7. Jesse Millsaps 44-5
8. Pug Clements 43-9
9. Bryant Smith 41-15
10. Michael Brewer 40-6

FINAL RESULTS

Johnston Moves Into Lead Of Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River

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Johnston Moves Into Lead Of Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River

Cory Johnston, of Cavan, Canada, is leading after Day 3 of the 2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a three-day total of 68 pounds, 10 ounces. 

 

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

July 17, 2021

Johnston Moves Into Lead Of Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River

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WADDINGTON, N.Y. — For the past three days, Cory Johnston has mentioned saving certain fish he’d previously located for when he needed a big bite. On Saturday, he started with a trio of those difference-makers and took over the Day 3 lead of the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a three-day total of 68 pounds, 10 ounces.

Hailing from Cavan, Canada, Johnston tied his younger brother Chris for second place on Day 1 with 23-7. He added 22-2 on Friday and slipped to third before moving into the top spot with Saturday’s limit of 23-1. Heading into Championship Sunday, Johnston leads Alabama pro Justin Atkins by 12 ounces.

Johnston said the smallmouth he targeted first were bed fish in about 8 feet. Picking off three solid keepers in short order gave him an early cushion and allowed him to “go fishing.”

“I fished a lot of shallow stuff today — 15 feet or less,” Johnston said. “Every spot was different; some were rock, some were sand, some were weed. It was a mix of everything.

“The strategy was: hit as many spots as you can and hope you get the right ones to bite.”

As he’s done the first two days, Johnston said he fished multiple spots throughout a 90-mile stretch from the take-off area to Chaumont Bay outside the mouth of the St. Lawrence. He caught his fish on a drop shot with an 8- to 10-inch leader.

“I had a limit by the noon hour,” Johnston said. “I upgraded a little bit, but not much. I didn’t want to burn too many fish.”

Essential to his execution was Johnston’s use of a Flogger — a cone-shaped device with a clear, flat screen that sits at the water’s surface and allows him to view details below. Similar to looking through a dive mask, without the submersion, the Flogger provides key perspective that aids in presentation.

“It shows you your bait, it shows you where the fish is and it shows you the sweet spot,” Johnston said. “You’re seeing how the fish reacts to your bait. I can catch them eventually, but it just speeds up the process.”

Looking ahead, Johnston said he’ll follow a game plan similar to the one he employed Saturday.

“I’m excited to get back out there tomorrow; I left a few out there,” Johnston said. “I probably could have culled a few more times, but I’m trying to play the game and save as many fish as I can.

“I should have three good ones saved for tomorrow and then I’m going to have to go fishing. I’m hoping for 23 pounds tomorrow; that’s my goal. I think if I got 23 I’d be hard to beat.”

Hailing from Florence, Ala., Atkins is in second place with 67-14.  After tying Gerald Swindle for eighth place on Day 1 with 21-6, Atkins added 22-14 and rose to fifth. On Saturday, he weighed 23-10 and gained three more spots.

Spending his day in Lake Ontario, Atkins targeted a range of spots he’d previously fished along with a few new areas. One of his new spots yielded a 5-pounder.

Atkins caught his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm and a 1/16-ounce brown Marabou jig. The latter also benefitted from the MaxScent appeal.

“I’m cutting a piece of a MaxScent The General (stick worm) and threading it onto the hook of the jig,” Atkins said. “That adds bulk to the Marabou, but I’m using a piece that’s even with the bottom of the feathers, so the fish can smell it and taste it when they bite.

“Those fish are really bad about just nipping at the Marabou jig and not getting it. I use a really limber rod, so you can tell when they get it. I think with a little bit of MaxScent on that jig, it helps them get it.”

Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Canada, is in third place with 65-11. The first Canadian to win an Elite title at last year’s St. Lawrence River event, Johnston added 19-6 to his first two days’ weights of 23-7 and 22-14.

“I caught four of my five in the river today,” Johnston said. “I lost a big one in the lake and I lost a big one in the river — that hurt.

“I was targeting the transitions of sand patches and grass in 15 feet or less. Sometimes, you’d pull up to a spot and there’d be five or six fish there and sometimes, it would be a ghost town. They move a lot, so you’re just hoping to run into them on that stuff.”

Johnston caught his fish on a drop shot, a wacky-rigged 4-inch Senko and a 1/8-ounce black Marabou jig.

Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass standings with a 6-5 caught on Day 2.

Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., won the Rookie of the Year title with 547 points. Edging fellow Alabama pro Justin Hamner (536), Stracner said he focused on maintaining a strong mental game, even when his chances of winning the ROY title appeared bleak.

“Just keeping my head screwed on right was probably the biggest key,” Stracner said. “I held my own the first part of the season, but at the halfway point, I kind of got behind. Going into (Lake Champlain) last week, I was in fifth place and all I was worried about was making the Classic.

“Today, I did both; I made the Classic and got Rookie of the Year. It’s pretty hard to believe.”

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET from Whittaker Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:15 p.m. The Top 10 remaining anglers will be vying for a $100,000 first-place prize.

Live coverage can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

The Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River is being hosted by the Village of Waddington and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. This tournament is 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 being planned to ensure the safety of anglers, marshals, staff and fans.

2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/15-7/18
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            15  68-10  100
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-02     Day 3: 5   23-01
2.  Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            15  67-14   99
Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   23-10
3.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15  65-11   98
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   19-06
4.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             15  65-09   97
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   23-03     Day 3: 5   20-10
5.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         15  64-13   96   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-05     Day 2: 5   22-09     Day 3: 5   16-15
6.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  64-07   95
Day 1: 5   20-11     Day 2: 5   19-08     Day 3: 5   24-04
7.  Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN             15  64-00   94   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   22-14     Day 3: 5   23-03
8.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  62-02   93
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   21-15     Day 3: 5   19-06
9.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        15  61-04   92
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   21-08     Day 3: 5   19-12
10. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL        15  60-13   91
Day 1: 5   19-02     Day 2: 5   17-09     Day 3: 5   24-02
11. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           15  60-09   90  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   21-05     Day 3: 5   18-03
12. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  59-04   89  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   20-10     Day 3: 5   20-02
13. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          15  58-15   88  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   20-03     Day 3: 5   16-12
14. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          15  58-12   87  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-02     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 5   17-11
15. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              15  57-11   86  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   18-01     Day 3: 5   21-05
16. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            15  57-06   85  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   22-05     Day 3: 5   20-13
17. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL              15  57-02   84  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   19-00     Day 3: 5   19-09
18. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 15  56-10   83  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   21-03
19. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               15  56-10   82  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 5   21-00
20. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI              15  56-05   81  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   18-00     Day 3: 5   19-04
21. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              15  56-03   80  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   20-08     Day 3: 5   18-00
22. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL            15  56-03   79  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   19-01     Day 3: 5   17-13
23. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        15  56-02   78  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   18-08     Day 3: 5   16-04
24. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               15  55-10   77  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   20-06     Day 3: 5   17-04
25. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            15  55-08   76  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   19-13     Day 3: 5   17-04
26. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                15  54-15   75  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-10     Day 2: 5   16-10     Day 3: 5   17-11
27. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              15  54-01   74  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 5   15-14
28. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  53-14   73  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   17-02     Day 3: 5   15-00
29. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  53-04   72  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   16-00     Day 3: 5   18-15
30. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        15  53-01   71  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   17-10     Day 3: 5   17-04
31. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             15  53-00   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   18-02     Day 3: 5   18-01
32. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  52-13   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   18-04     Day 3: 5   19-00
33. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        15  52-13   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 5   17-06
34. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  51-15   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 5   15-01
35. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  51-13   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   17-06     Day 3: 5   15-00
36. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           15  51-02   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 5   13-02
37. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA      15  51-00   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-14     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   16-06
38. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        15  51-00   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   17-12
39. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           15  49-00   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   18-06     Day 3: 5   14-03
40. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            15  48-11   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   19-10     Day 3: 5   14-08
41. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR         14  48-03   60  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   17-03     Day 3: 4   11-13
42. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          15  48-01   59  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   17-09     Day 3: 5   12-12
43. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              15  48-00   58  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   18-12     Day 3: 5   13-01
44. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI              15  47-01   57  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-04     Day 2: 5   16-00     Day 3: 5   11-13
45. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           14  43-11   56  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   16-09     Day 3: 4   07-13
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Bernie Schultz           Gainesville, FL     06-02      $1,000.00
2   Patrick Walters          Summerville, SC     06-05      $1,000.00
3   Taku Ito                 Chiba JAPAN         06-00      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        89       460      1573-03
2        89       456      1565-01
3        43       223       799-03
———————————-
221      1139      3937-07

Feider Secures Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Title At St. Lawrence River Elite

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Feider Secures Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Title At St. Lawrence River Elite

Seth Feider, of New Market, Minn., has won the 2021 Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 792 points. 

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

July 16, 2021

Feider Secures Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Title At St. Lawrence River Elite

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WADDINGTON, NY — Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., wrapped his arms around a lifelong dream as he kissed the Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy on Day 2 of the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

The seventh-year Elite Series pro currently sits in eighth place with a two-day total of 42 pounds, 3 ounces, so he’ll be competing for at least one more day. More importantly, though, his points total of 792 gave him enough of a cushion to secure the coveted AOY title no matter how he finishes the tournament.

“It’s a milestone; it’s a (lifetime of) work,” Feider said. “Ever since I was a little kid, every minute fishing was to get to this, it feels amazing.

“It feels like the weight of the world is off my shoulders now that it’s all over. It’s been a stressful last couple of months.”

While Feider can relax and make plans to spend the $100,000 prize that comes with the AOY title, there is still much to be decided this week.

Leading the event, Gainesville, Fla., pro Bernie Schultz overcame a painful loss Friday to maintain the top spot with a two-day total of 47-14. Schultz added 22-9 to the 25-5 he weighed on Day 1.

How painful? Put it this way: Schultz is one of the coolest heads on the water, but when Bassmaster LIVE showed a big fish that Schultz estimated at 5 pounds come unbuttoned right at the boat, the seasoned pro experienced an understandable moment of obvious exasperation.

Returning to the same 250-yard flat near Chippewa Bay where he caught his Day 1 limit, Schultz found the fish scattered over various sections of broken bottom comprising rock, gravel, sand and grass clumps.

“The composition changes depending on what part of the flat you’re on,” Schultz said. “There’s a secondary channel edge that the flat drops into, and I think that’s what’s bringing the fish to it. They have that deep-water access nearby.”

Schultz said he is catching fish in 8 feet of water, although he’s caught them in 5 or less when he’s fished this spot in previous years. Presuming this to be a postspawn positioning preference, Schultz said he is mostly fishing for unseen fish.

“They prefer open areas,” he said. “They like that other stuff around them, but they like to be on clean bottom.”

Schultz tried to capitalize on the morning’s dim, overcast conditions with a Rapala X-Rap Pop, but to no avail. He ended up catching his fish on a 1/4-ounce VMC Ned Head jig with a 3-inch Yamamato Senko in the green pumpkin/watermelon laminate color.

“I actually use the 4-inch Senko and I cut an inch off the end,” he said. “I do that because the 4-inch Senko has a wider diameter and it fits better against that jighead. It’s a plumper bait and the fish seem to like that look.”

On Thursday, Schultz led the Phoenix Boats Big Bass standings with a 6-2. On Friday, he had two that went 5-1 each.

Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Canada, is in second place with 46-5. Having tied his older brother Cory for second on Day 1, he added 22-14 to Thursday’s bag of 23-7.

Johnston, who became the first Canadian to win an Elite title at last year’s St. Lawrence River event, spent the majority of his day in Lake Ontario, not far from the mouth of the river. He hit about 10 different spots and caught his fish in 5 to 30 feet of water.

“It was nice today; it laid down and I could move around, which was nice,” Johnston said of the day’s calm conditions. “I hit a couple of new spots, and one of them ended up having quite a few fish on it.”

Johnston caught his bass on a mix of reaction and finesse baits. His biggest fish of the day was 5 1/4.

Hailing from Cavan, Canada, Cory Johnston bolstered his first-round effort of 23-7 with Friday’s limit of 22-2 for a third-place total of 45-9. Targeting a mix of main-river rock reefs and isolated boulders, he caught his fish on a drop shot.

Johnston said he fished multiple spots throughout a 90-mile stretch from the takeoff area to Chaumont Bay outside the mouth of the St. Lawrence.

“This place is incredible; I say that every time we get to fish here,” Johnston said. “I left some fish out there for tomorrow and I found a few new ones.

“I ran a lot of the same stuff I ran yesterday and ran some new stuff and found some new groups of fish.”

Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., captured the Day 2 Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-5.

Chris Johnston is in second place in the Angler of the Year standings with 729 points. Former AOY (2017) Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in third with 702 points, followed by Walters with 668 and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 667.

Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 552 points.

The Top 45 remaining anglers will take off at 7 a.m. ET from Whittaker Park. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m.

Live coverage for each day of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.

The Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River is being hosted by the Village of Waddington and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. This tournament is 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 being planned to ensure the safety of anglers, marshals, staff and fans.

2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/15-7/18
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  47-14  100   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-05     Day 2: 5   22-09
2.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  46-05   99
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-14
3.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            10  45-09   98
Day 1: 5   23-07     Day 2: 5   22-02
4.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             10  44-15   97
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   23-03
5.  Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            10  44-04   96
Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   22-14
6.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  42-12   95
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   21-15
7.  Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           10  42-06   94
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   21-05
8.  Seth Feider            New Market, MN          10  42-03   93
Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   20-03
9.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  41-08   92
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   21-08
10. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          10  41-01   91
Day 1: 5   22-02     Day 2: 5   18-15
11. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN             10  40-13   90
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   22-14
12. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  40-03   89
Day 1: 5   20-11     Day 2: 5   19-08
13. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  39-14   88
Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   18-08
14. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  39-02   87
Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   20-10
15. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  38-14   86
Day 1: 5   21-12     Day 2: 5   17-02
16. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  38-06   85
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   20-06
17. Joshua Stracner        Vandiver, AL            10  38-06   84
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   19-01
18. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  38-04   83
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   19-13
19. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              10  38-03   82
Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   20-08
20. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              10  38-03   81
Day 1: 5   20-05     Day 2: 5   17-14
21. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  38-00   80
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   19-15
22. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL              10  37-09   79
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   19-00
23. Darold Gleason         Many, LA                10  37-04   78
Day 1: 5   20-10     Day 2: 5   16-10
24. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI              10  37-01   77
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   18-00
25. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  36-14   76
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   18-11
26. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  36-13   75
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   17-06
27. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL        10  36-11   74
Day 1: 5   19-02     Day 2: 5   17-09
28. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            10  36-09   73
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   22-05
29. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR         10  36-06   72
Day 1: 5   19-03     Day 2: 5   17-03
30. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  36-06   71
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   18-01
31. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           10  35-14   70
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   16-09
32. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  35-13   69
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   17-10
33. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  35-10   68
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   16-03
34. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        10  35-07   67
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   17-01
35. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10  35-07   66
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   17-02
36. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          10  35-05   65
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   17-09
37. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI              10  35-04   64
Day 1: 5   19-04     Day 2: 5   16-00
38. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              10  34-15   63
Day 1: 5   16-03     Day 2: 5   18-12
39. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  34-15   62
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   18-02
40. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           10  34-13   61
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   18-06
41. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA      10  34-10   60
Day 1: 5   18-14     Day 2: 5   15-12
42. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  34-05   59
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   16-00
43. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            10  34-03   58
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   19-10
44. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  33-13   57
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   18-04
45. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  33-04   56
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   16-13
46. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                10  33-03   55   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   15-13
47. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             10  33-01   54   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   15-15
48. Kenta Kimura           Osaka JAPAN              9  32-14   53   $5,000.00
Day 1: 4   10-08     Day 2: 5   22-06
49. Mike Huff              London, KY              10  32-13   52
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   18-15
50. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           10  32-13   51   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   18-01
51. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO        10  32-12   50   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   18-08
52. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL          10  32-12   49   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   16-05
53. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            10  32-11   48   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   18-10
54. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX        10  32-11   47   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   16-07
55. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            10  32-10   46   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-10     Day 2: 5   15-00
56. Wes Logan              Springville, AL         10  32-05   45   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   16-15
57. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  32-02   44   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   17-02
58. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA    10  32-01   43   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   16-04
59. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          10  31-14   42   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   18-03
60. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            10  31-11   41   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   14-13
61. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  31-10   40   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   18-15
62. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI              10  31-08   39   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   11-14
63. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  31-06   38   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-11     Day 2: 5   14-11
64. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  31-05   37   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   15-04
65. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  30-09   36   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   12-09     Day 2: 5   18-00
66. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC          10  30-08   35   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   14-06
67. Bryan New              Belmont, NC             10  30-06   34   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   12-04
68. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  30-05   33   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   16-07
69. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  30-05   32   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   15-06
70. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR           10  30-04   31   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 5   16-10
71. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  30-01   30   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   12-03
72. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         10  29-14   29   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   12-11
73. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA          10  29-14   28   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   14-12
74. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI           10  29-11   27   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   13-15
75. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           10  29-10   26   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   14-14
76. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            9  29-05   25
Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 4   13-14
77. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          8  29-04   24   $1,000.00
Day 1: 3   09-01     Day 2: 5   20-03
78. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA             10  29-02   23
Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   16-01
79. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             10  29-01   22
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   19-03
80. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            10  28-15   21
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   14-01
81. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA        10  28-10   20
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   13-07
82. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL           10  28-09   19
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   15-07
83. Frank Talley           Temple, TX              10  28-08   18
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   13-15
84. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  28-00   17
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   14-03
85. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             10  27-13   16
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   09-15
86. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  27-07   15
Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   12-10
87. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  27-00   14
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   13-07
88. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  26-10   13
Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   11-02
89. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               8  23-03   12
Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 3   05-14
90. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              9  21-01   11
Day 1: 4   09-00     Day 2: 5   12-01
91. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            7  20-03   10
Day 1: 5   15-07     Day 2: 2   04-12
92. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  13-10    9
Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 0   00-00
93. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             5  12-15    8
Day 1: 3   06-15     Day 2: 2   06-00
94. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA              6  11-03    7
Day 1: 1   02-03     Day 2: 5   09-00

———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Bernie Schultz           Gainesville, FL     06-02      $1,000.00
2   Patrick Walters          Summerville, SC     06-05      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        89       460      1573-03
2        89       456      1565-01
———————————-
178       916      3138-04

Perkins Pounds them on Pickwick – NPFL

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Perkins Pounds them on Pickwick – NPFL
Brandon Perkins goes big to take the lead on Pickwick Lake heading to Showdown Saturday.

By Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons and Ben Kennedy

[print_link]

With his biggest bag of the tournament, local angler Brandon Perkins gets it done on day two with 19-pounds, 15-ounces. Perkins showed some emotion as he weighed in and has a total weight of 39-pounds, 1-ounce going into Showdown Saturday with a 7-pound, 6-ounce lead.

“Having my family at take-off and seeing all you guys out here, it’s exciting. I am not usually one to get emotional but this is awesome,” Perkins told the crowd of fans.

Catching them pretty steady all day long, Perkins has figured out a way to catch fish in and around other anglers. Fishing slower today, the Counce, Tennessee angler took day one to sample his schools and figure out which ones he could fish the most effectively and which ones had some bigger fish.

“I literally burned an entire tank yesterday and today I only burned 9 gallons. I slowed way down and fished less spots, but I still moved around a lot. I still did not fish a bunch of stuff either.”

On Showdown Saturday, more of the same can be expected from Perkins.

“I don’t want to run as much, I don’t want to camp, but I will sit and try to get them fired up. I still don’t know, its Pickwick on a weekend, it’s going to be crowded and I don’t know what I will be able to fish or not.”

Obviously, Perkins being with the Progressive AOY race, the question has to be asked.

“I am trying to do what I need to do to win this event. I want to win it. AOY was a goal obviously and I felt like going in, I had a shot if I fished my strengths, but these guys keep catching them, they are so good. I just want to win this one.”

Shawn Murphy

Fishing extremely consistent this week, with bags of 15-pounds, 10-ounces yesterday and 16-pounds, 1-ounce today, Shawn Murphy is executing flawlessly on his offshore ledges. With a two-day total of 31-pounds, 11-ounces, Murphy will go into Showdown Saturday in the 2nd place spot.

“I am fishing offshore ledges like a lot of guys and I am just fishing and trying to find new schools every day. I have two key areas where some of my bigger bites are coming from and one of the areas has not had any pressure, and one has.”

Rotating between ledges in depths between 12 and 20-feet, the Nicholasville, Kentucky pro is fishing swimbaits, jigs, and crankbaits depending on how the fish are acting and noted a couple things he is doing to get his fish to bite even with other anglers rotating through.

“There are definitely some key details and techniques to help me get some bigger bites. I completely missed the afternoon bite today as a big storm blew through and blew my area out. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the afternoon bite going.”

Another detail worth noting. Murphy is using forward facing sonar and gives credit to Central Kentucky Sonar.

“My Lowrance units and all the sonar is flawless. Those guys gave me the cleanest and most phenomenal sonar install.”

Marc Schilling

With the tournaments largest bag, Marc Schilling followed up a day one bag of 9-pounds, 14-ounces with a 20-pound, 9-ounce bag. With a two-day total of 30-pounds, 7-ounces to finish the day in the 3rd place spot. Shilling relied on a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass to anchor his day two weight.

Joel Willert

Joel Willert added 15-pounds, 9-ounces to his day-one bag of 14-pounds, 8-ounces to go into Showdown Saturday with a total weight of 30-pounds, 1-ounce and the 4th place spot.

Committing to offshore ledges coming into practice, Willert spent three days idling and hardly made a cast. Locating lots of schools, the Prior Lake, Minnesota angler knew the potential was there to have a good event.

“Coming into the first day, I know I had some big schools and a lot of schools overall. I have been running and gunning as I planned and have been catching them good. I had a tougher day yesterday but got things a bit more dialed today.”

With an early limit, Willert was able to settle in and kept running the lake until he would find an open school. Noting that there has been pressure, Willert says he has not had any issues so far.

“I have a few areas to myself, but the ones I don’t, everyone’s been good so far. I am going to start on my best spot tomorrow and I saved around 15 schools that I have not looked at, and I have some shallower brush.”

David Gaston

With 13-pounds, 15-ounces, David Gaston once again finds himself inside the top five with a two-day total of 29-pounds, 15-ounces. With slightly less weight than yesterday, Gaston has been consistent, but is once again a bit disappointed with the result.

“Today was worse for me, way worse, less fish and less quality. I lost more again today, a 4 and 3-pounder and both would have helped. I am around fish I just need to get to catching them.

As for the final day, Gaston is going to keep doing more of the same and keep the same mentality he has had all season long.

“I ain’t got a clue (for tomorrow). I have to get out and act like I am not even in a tournament, and I do have a few places I have saved. I can’t get spun out over this, If I keep doing my job and doing what I have been doing, the AOY thing will work itself out.

Gaston is running a mix of baits including a worm, spoon, hair jig, and a chatterbait. With the weather change supposedly coming for Showdown Saturday, the Sylacauga, Alabama angler is hoping to get back to catching them like he was this week in practice.

“Practice was phenomenal. My weights this week compared to practice are way lower. I know the rain will help the offshore grass bite for me which would help. Besides getting wet, I am looking forward to going at them.”

The Rest of the Best!

6. Jesse Millsaps 29-14
7. Timmy Reams29-13
8. John Soukup 29-2
9. Bryan Smith 29-1
10. Pug Clements 27-0

DAY 2 LEADERBOARD
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