Over the past several days, news has broken of an impending acquisition that should shape the future landscape of the fishing/boating industry. Brunswick, the parent company of such legendary brands as Mercury Marine and MotorGuide, recently announced their intent to purchase Navico, a leader in the marine electronics industry. This acquisition will cost Brunswick a reported sum of $1.05-billion.
While the name “Navico” might not ring a bell to some, most are quite familiar with the company’s staple brand, Lowrance. For more than 60-years, Lowrance has served as a forerunner in the development of fish-finding sonar. Upon merging with Simrad Yachting in 2006, Lowrance became a cornerstone of Navico, which itself was born out of this merger.
Today, Navico stands as the World’s single largest marine electronics company. Therefore, Brunswick’s recent announcement carries a significant amount of weight. Once finalized, this purchase will add substantial depth to Brunswick’s business portfolio, and will provide the company with unparalleled reach in almost every sector of the recreational boating industry.
“The acquisition of Navico and its award-winning brands will immediately accelerate Brunswick’s ACES (Autonomy, Connectivity, Electrification, and Shared-Access) strategy, and support our vision to deliver distinctive new products and technology-enabled experiences,” stated Brunswick Corporation CEO, Dave Foulkes.
After the dust settles, it will be rather interesting to see how Lowrance, as well as Navico’s other house brands, continue to fare. At the moment, Lowrance seems to be trailing both Garmin and Humminbird in the era’s hotly contested sonar wars. Will this change with new management at the helm? At the moment, it appears that only time will tell.
As it stands, this acquisition is set to take place by the end of the calendar year, at which point Brunswick will assume full control of Navico.
Brunswick Announces Intent To Purchase Navico
Gerald Spohrer Tops Knockout Round at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley
| Gonzales, Louisiana Pro Catches 35 Bass Weighing 130-8 to Win Wildest Knockout Round in Bass Pro Tour History, Final 10 Anglers Set for Wednesday’s Final-Day Shootout for $100,000
Link to Photo of Knockout Round Winner Gerald Spohrer MASSENA, N.Y. (June 29, 2021) – Pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana, caught 35 scorable bass Tuesday weighing 130 pounds, 8 ounces to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley in Massena, New York. The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Wednesday morning with the Championship Round. Weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most weight will win the top prize of $100,000. The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena and Fish Massena, featured 80 of 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. The top eight pros from Tuesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Wednesday’s Championship Round on the St. Lawrence River are: 1st: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 35 bass, 130-8 They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round Winners: Group A: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn. “It feels great to finish the Knockout Round in first place, but tomorrow is when it really matters,” said Spohrer, who earned his third Championship Round appearance of the season. “It was a tough second period, but after the storm came through it got slick and sunny and I was able to see everything in my area and there were just 4-pounders everywhere. “I went through and just plucked them off, one at a time,” Spohrer continued. “It was pretty much a mix between a drop-shot rig and a little Ned-style bait. I’ve gotten here this week with a marabou jig, but today I sight-fished because it was calm. “I’m pumped up for tomorrow,” Spohrer went on to say. “This is my third top-10 finish this year in five tournaments and we’re right in the hunt for the Angler of the Year title. To win another round – it’s been a great season and I am so blessed.” Rounding out the top 40 finishers were: 11th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 35 bass, 106-0, $10,000 A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 893 bass weighing 2,841 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the 38 pros competing Tuesday. Berkley pro Justin Lucas won his second $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the week on Tuesday, catching a 6-pound smallmouth on a drop-shot rig in Period 2. 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. Lucas also currently leads for largest bass of the tournament with a 6-pound, 13-ounce smallmouth that he caught on Day 1. The General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement, meaning each bass caught must weigh at least 2 pounds for it 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 MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley is hosted by the Town of Massena and Fish Massena. The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner from each group advanced directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, the weights were zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. The final 10 anglers will take off from the Massena Intake Boat Launch Ramp, located on Route 13, in Massena, at 8:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The General Tire Takeout and Championship Moment will also be held at the Massena Intake, beginning at 5:30 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. 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 from the final day of competition from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley at the St. Lawrence River will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 23 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. |
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Kacy Mims Pulls Off Spectacular Come-From-Behind ABA Victory on Lake Chickamauga
By John N. Felsher
[print_link]
DAYTON, Tenn. – Behind by nearly 16 pounds, Kacy L. Mims needed to make a huge leap during the second day of the American Bass Anglers Top 150 Solo Series event, held June 25-26, 2021, on Lake Chickamauga near Dayton, Tenn.
The Randolph, Ala. angler did it by catching the second heaviest bag of the tournament. Pulling in five bass for 29.55 pounds on the second and last day of the final event in the ABA Top 150 Solo Series inaugural season, Mims won with a 45.17-pound total.
“I was fishing the mid-lake area around submerged hydrilla in water about six to eight feet deep,” the newly crowned champion revealed. “I was slow dragging a Texas-style Senko in green pumpkin with a watermelon stripe.”
Mims held 12th place on Day 1 of the two-day event with a five-bass daily tournament limit weighing 15.62 pounds. He capped that catch with a 7.84-pound kicker. On the second day, he returned to that spot and caught another five-bass limit anchored by his biggest fish of the tournament at 7.90 pounds.
“On the final day, I caught that big bass in the same spot where I caught that 7.84-pounder the day before,” Mims commented. “I caught two six-pounders on consecutive casts. I caught five good fish off that hole, but they quit biting at 8:30 a.m. I was able to cull a 3.15-pounder later in the day.”
Mims will join the other 2021 ABA Top 150 Solo Series divisional winners plus the Southeast and Southwest Division Anglers of the Year at the 2022 Ray Scott Championship. In other Southeast Division events, Shane Powell of Dothan, Ala. qualified by winning at Lake Eufaula, Ala. in February and Jesse Wise of Erwin, N.C. won at Lake Guntersville near Scottsboro, Ala. in May.
In the Southwest Division, Cody Pitt from Hineston, La. won at Toledo Bend Reservoir near Many, La. in February. Zach A. Clark of Center, Texas, won two events, one held in March at Lake Sam Rayburn near Zavalla, Texas, and another at Lake Eufaula near Eufaula, Okla. in May.
Day 1 leader on Lake Chickamauga, Jonathan “Dale” Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn. dropped a notch. After catching the largest sack of the tournament on Day 1 at 31.36 pounds, he brought in 12.66 pounds on the second day to finish a little over a pound behind Mims with 10 bass weighing 44.02 pounds.
“In practice, I graphed some holes with good fish,” Pelfrey advised. “On the first morning, I pulled up to one hole, and saw two really big ones and some other good fish. I caught two nine-pounders on back-to-back casts. I caught seven keepers off that one hole on the first day and left. I caught more fish on several holes the first day. I’d catch one fish and leave it for the second day because I already had a good sack.”
On the first day, Pelfrey caught his biggest bass of the tournament at 9.52-pounds to give him the big sack. His first three fish of the morning weighed more than 21 pounds. He caught most of his fish on ledges by dragging baits and throwing a Strike King 10XD crankbait.
“Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out for me on the second day,” Pelfrey lamented. “I just couldn’t get on a lot of stuff. I caught two of my keepers on a Ned rig and others on a football jig, a worm and a big plug, but I caught most of my fish on a worm.”
Sometimes called the Midwest Finesse Bait, a Ned rig consists of a light jighead with a four- to five-inch plastic stick trailer. With the light jighead, bass anglers can fish it like a wacky worm, just letting it fall as it glides from side to side. Fish it on a slack line and watch for the line to move in an odd direction. Also, crawl it along the bottom around stumps and other cover.
Jeff Knight of Cleveland, Tenn. also dropped one place from Day 1 to finish third among the 90 competitors. He ended with a two-day limit of 10 bass going 43.30 pounds. On the first day, Knight held second with 24.68 pounds. That bag included a 9.90-pounder, the tournament lunker. For the big bass, Knight pocketed a $1,000 bonus.
“A 7:15 a.m. on the first morning, I pulled up to a hump that I had found in a previous tournament and immediately caught a two-pounder,” Knight reported. “A couple casts later, I caught the tournament lunker. On my next cast, I caught a 6.5-pounder and had a limit by 7:30 a.m.”
On the final day, Knight caught a five-bass daily limit weighing 18.62 pounds. He lost a good fish that hurt him in the standings.
“I caught all my bass, including in practice, by fishing ledges with a 3/4-ounce football jig,” Knight said. “I lost about an eight-pounder on a worm on the final day. That cost me the tournament, but third place is better than nothing. I had fun. It was a good tournament.”
Also making a giant leap, Johnathan “Wellman” L. Robeson of Tarheel, N.C., held 22nd place after Day 1 with a five-bass daily tournament limit going 13.88 pounds. He persistently fished the same spot for two days. With only four bass, including a 7.34-pounder, he landed the second largest Day 2 sack weighing 23.48 pounds. That moved him up 18 slots to finish fourth with 37.36 pounds.
“Coming to this tournament, I knew it was going to be tough for me because I don’t have a lot of offshore experience,” Robeson explained. “I followed the creek channels off the main river with my Navionics mapping card. I found a treetop in a bend that was in five to eight feet of water. I caught the fish I weighed on a 1/2-ounce jig. I fished that same tree for two days.”
Jim M. Leary from Guntersville, Ala., wrapped up the Top 5 anglers in the last tournament of the first season for the ABA Top 150 Solo Series. He held third place on Day 1 with five bass and 23.41 pounds. He capped the catch with a 7.54-pound kicker. On the second day, he caught 13.79 pounds. He dropped two places to finish fifth with 10 bass at 37.20 pounds.
“I came up to the lake with the mindset that I was going to stay offshore,” Leary said. “I caught just about everything on a 4×4 football jig with a NetBait Paca Slim trailer. At 11 a.m. on the first day, I already had a limit in the boat. I pulled up to another spot and threw out the jig. I culled four times in five casts with that football jig. I caught the 7.54-pounder, a five-pounder and two four-pounders. On the second day, the only way I could catch fish was with a Ned rig. I lost two good fish.”
Tim P. Wheelon of Bell Buckle, Tenn. finished sixth with 10 bass tallying 35.60 pounds. He held fifth place on the first day with five bass at 18.86 pounds.
Finishing seventh, Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn. landed a two-day 10-bass limit for 35.54 pounds. He held fourth on Day 1 with 20.77 pounds and added 14.77 pounds on the second day.
Already qualified to fish the 2022 Ray Scott Championship because of his win on Lake Guntersville in the second Southeast Division event, Jesse Wise held eighth place throughout the tournament. He finished with 10 bass for 33.90 pounds after landing 17.59 pounds on Day 1 and 16.31 pounds the final day.
Bradley G. Gardner of Molena, Ga. finished ninth with 10 bass weighing 33.62 pounds. He held seventh place on Day 1 with 18.38 pounds and brought in another 15.24 pounds on the final day.
Rounding out the Top 10 finishers, David Parsons of Dothan, Ala. caught a 10-bass two-day limit good for 32.67 pounds. On the first day, he sat in 14th place with 15.31 pounds. He moved up four spots on the final day with a 17.36-pound catch to conclude the ABA Top 150 Solo Series inaugural season.
Top 25 (Final All Results Link)
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kacy L. Mims | 10 | 0.00 | 7.90 | 45.17 | 250 | 14000 |
| 2 | Jonathan Dale D. Pelfrey | 10 | 0.00 | 9.52 | 44.02 | 249 | 5800 |
| 3 | Jeff Knight | 10 | 0.00 | 9.90 | 43.30 | 248 | 5500 |
| 4 | Johnathan Wellman L. Robeson | 9 | 0.00 | 7.34 | 37.36 | 247 | 2900 |
| 5 | James Jim M. Leary | 10 | 0.00 | 7.54 | 37.20 | 246 | 2200 |
| 6 | Tim P. Wheelon | 10 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 35.60 | 245 | 1600 |
| 7 | Seth Davis | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 35.54 | 244 | 1300 |
| 8 | Jesse Wise | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 33.90 | 243 | 1200 |
| 9 | Bradley G. Gardner | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 33.62 | 242 | 1125 |
| 10 | David David W. Parsons | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 32.67 | 241 | 1075 |
| 11 | Mike Corbishley | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 31.96 | 240 | 1000 |
| 12 | Jacob T. Castleberry | 10 | 1.00 | 7.57 | 30.07 | 239 | 900 |
| 13 | Brent Butler | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 30.01 | 238 | 850 |
| 14 | Dale Dale M. Tomazin | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 29.73 | 237 | 800 |
| 15 | Steven Harrison | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 28.95 | 236 | 775 |
| 16 | Russell Russ W. Hazelton | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 28.85 | 235 | 750 |
| 17 | Tony L. ONeal | 9 | 0.00 | 7.01 | 27.74 | 234 | 725 |
| 18 | Jay Hoff | 10 | 0.50 | 7.14 | 27.70 | 233 | 700 |
| 19 | Terry L. Tucker | 10 | 0.00 | 6.20 | 27.66 | 232 | |
| 20 | Paul Tony A. Tidwell | 9 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 27.58 | 231 | |
| 21 | Christopher Cricket A. Keeble | 9 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 27.39 | 230 | |
| 22 | Frank J. Fisher | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 27.22 | 229 | |
| 23 | Frederick S. Daughtry | 10 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 27.19 | 228 | |
| 24 | James Jimmy H. Wilson | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 27.12 | 227 | |
| 25 | Haden Lamb | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 26.99 | 226 |
For more information about American Bass Anglers visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406. For more information on the ABA Top 150 Solo Series, see www.americanbassanglers.com/Top150.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, Triton Boats, Mercury Motors, Motor Guide, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Power Pole, Garmin, Monster Energy, Lucas Oil, Engel Coolers, OPTIMA Batteries, REKS Sunglasses, and HotelPlanner.com.
Charlie Reed & Kirk Wall Win CATT Phantom Outdoors Invitational Chowan River, NC June 26, 2021
42 Teams entered Chowan River Phantom Outdoors Invitational June 26th and the fishing seems to be excellent with the top 5 teams weighing in over 20 lbs! We will definitely be back in 2022 to the Chowan River in June! We have bigger plans for the Phantom Series in 2022!
Tap on the Phantom Outdoors logo and visit their on line store! Check out their great gear and when you check out use PHANTOMCATT15 and earn 15% off your order!
Charlie Reed & Kirk Wall took the win with 5 bass weighing 24.46 lbs! They took home $5,622.00!
2nd Place and $2,820.00 went to Adam Baldwin & Jason Tripp with a limit weighing 22.51 lbs!
David Sasser & Rex Sasser claimed 3rd with 5 bass weighing 20.89 lbs and they took home $1,130.00!
Trey Nanny & Adam Richardson with a nice sack!
| Team | BF | Weight | Winnings |
| Charlie Reed – Kirk Wall | 6.57 | 24.46 | $5,622.00 |
| Adam Baldwin – Jason Tripp | 6.60 | 22.51 | $2,820.00 |
| David Sasser – Rex Sasser | 5.40 | 20.89 | $1,130.00 |
| Bobby Clark – Tommy Hughes | 6.74 | 20.79 | $800.00 |
| Powell Kemp – Michael Chloumoudis | 0.00 | 20.04 | $300.00 |
| Matt Harrell – Scott Harrell | 5.24 | 18.88 | $200.00 |
| Houston Cash – Cory Leonard | 5.51 | 18.80 | |
| Adam Richardson – Trey Nanny | 0.00 | 18.14 | |
| Michael Whitehurst – Donna Wilson | 0.00 | 17.49 | |
| John Lane – Russell Gammon | 0.00 | 17.42 | |
| Mike Evans – Brian Cooper | 0.00 | 16.69 | |
| Gerald Murray – Morgan Murray | 6.43 | 16.68 | |
| Larry Thomas – Gerald Elks | 0.00 | 16.67 | |
| Walker Mishoe – Justin Mizzell | 5.67 | 16.60 | |
| Bobby Lassiter – Jeremy Miller | 0.00 | 15.62 | |
| Dusty Jackson – Dean Pearce | 0.00 | 14.76 | |
| Kevin Jones – Colby Jones | 0.00 | 14.46 | |
| Stacey Light – Mike L | 0.00 | 14.38 | |
| Greg Creech – Chris McDuffie | 5.94 | 13.90 | |
| Sean Robinson – Nate Gilgore | 0.00 | 13.75 | |
| Wayne Stallings | 0.00 | 13.38 | |
| Clark Herrington – Brian Stalls | 0.00 | 13.04 | |
| Walt Godwin – Phillip Gibson | 0.00 | 13.01 | |
| Johnathan Canady – Chris Johnson | 5.76 | 12.05 | |
| Brian Richardson – David Buchanan | 0.00 | 11.96 | |
| Shaun Craftsman – Tommy Craftsman | 0.00 | 11.55 | |
| Josh Powell – Eric Rountrey | 0.00 | 11.47 | |
| Matthew Little – Derrick Bowden | 4.13 | 10.96 | |
| Ray Cobb – Mark Moretz | 0.00 | 10.94 | |
| Jason Law | 0.00 | 10.93 | |
| Brandon Overton – Justin Chamblee | 0.00 | 10.66 | |
| Nicholas Meek – Kyle Verkuilen | 0.00 | 10.22 | |
| Jordan Norris – Clayton Boyette | 0.00 | 8.94 | |
| Adam Britton – Randy Britton | 0.00 | 7.61 | |
| Jim Dick – Greg Dick | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Ricky Mize | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Jefferson Price – Cason Price | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Marshall Williford – Mike Layton | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Brad Stain – Paul King | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Jeff Stoop – Miek Hinson | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Derek Smithson – Chad Pennell | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Mike Day – Scooter Lilley | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Lake Fork Named 2021’s Best Bass Fishery By Bassmaster Magazine
Bassmaster Magazine has released its rankings for the 100 Best Bass Lakes of 2021 and Texas’s Lake Fork has been named the No. 1 fishery in the country.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
June 29, 2021
Lake Fork Named 2021’s Best Bass Fishery By Bassmaster Magazine
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A study by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation shows that in the past year nearly 55 million Americans have gone fishing. Those eager anglers hunting for giants need to look no further than Texas according to Bassmaster Magazine’s annual ranking of 100 Best Bass Lakes. Lake Fork, renowned for producing giant bass, has been named the No. 1 fishery in the U.S. for 2021.
“Creating the rankings takes more than two months as we dig through current tournament data as well as state fishery information on stocking efforts, catch rates and angler access,” explained Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall. “Folks found respite in the outdoors, and many of them fished for the first time. That may have put more pressure on lakes than normal, and some fisheries were impacted. Still, other lakes, which may not have been exposed previously to tournaments, shined brightly.
“These rankings provide a bucket list of destinations for anglers.”
Lake Fork, just 65 miles east of Dallas, is a slice of heaven for anglers hungry for hogs. A whopping 20 ShareLunkers — largemouth bass measuring at least 24 inches in length or 8 pounds — were caught on Fork in the first four months of 2021, with a 15.27-pound giant hooked in March. Those familiar with Fork know it sets the table for some of the biggest catches in the U.S. each year, but look what the Bassmaster Elite Series did in the April 2021 stop on this hallowed spot. Lee Livesay (112 pounds, 5 ounces over four days) joined the Century Club and Patrick Walters (102-5) accomplished the feat on Fork for the second consecutive year. This Lone Star State success story produces giants every year, and since the fishing is hot right now, there’s never been a better chance for avid anglers to mark this one off their bucket list.
Most commonly referred to as the California Delta, the No. 2 spot goes to the massive Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a tidal fishery renowned for producing some of the biggest bass in the country over the past decade. Grass control efforts gone wrong and pillaging sea lions still seem to be keeping this fishery out of the top spot, but monster limits continue to surface here. The Delta’s rivers, tule-lined sloughs and vegetation-filled flooded islands are a wild and beautiful setting boasting largemouth that fit the “personal best” category.
At No. 3 for 2021, Marion and Moultrie — the sister lakes that make up Santee Cooper — have been a juggernaut on the rankings since the inception of the Best Bass Lakes list in 2012. This year, Marion and Moultrie continue to prove they are a must-visit for every angler and the crown jewel of South Carolina bass fishing.
The rankings identify the top lakes in the nation based on head-to-head comparisons, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical regions — Central, Western, Southeastern and Northeastern.
“We divide the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach,” Hall explained.
As for bragging rights on which state has the most fisheries in the Top 100 rankings, there is a tie between Texas and California with 10 lakes each. Florida and Arizona each placed seven lakes on the list.
Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes of 2021
Top 10
1 Lake Fork, Texas
2 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
3 Santee Cooper Lakes (Marion/Moultrie), South Carolina
4 St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands), New York
5 Clear Lake, California
6 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas
7 Lake St. Clair, Michigan
8 Jordan Lake, North Carolina
9 O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
10 Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
John Cox Tops Group B at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley
DeBary, Florida Pro Advances Straight to Championship Round with Two-Day Total of 54 Bass Weighing 175 Pounds Even, Field of 38 Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round
Link to Photo of Qualifying Group B Winner John Cox
Link to Photo Gallery of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 2 at St. Lawrence River, Qualifying Group B
MASSENA, N.Y. (June 28, 2021) – Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, caught 23 scorable bass Monday weighing 75 pounds, 15 ounces to win the two-day Qualifying Group B round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley in Massena, New York. Cox’s two-day total of 54 bass weighing 175 pounds even earned him the victory by a 23-pound, 11-ounce margin and advances him directly into Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round of competition.
Phoenix Boats pro James Elam of Tulsa, Oklahoma caught a two-day total of 51 bass weighing 151-5 to end the round in second place, and Shelby, North Carolina pro Bryan Thrift finished the round in third place with a two-day total of 51 bass weighing 149-11.
The remaining 38 anglers – 19 from Group A and 19 from Group B – will now compete Tuesday in the Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top eight to advance to Championship Wednesday. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Group A winner Jacob Wheeler, Group B winner John Cox, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“Oh my gosh, I feel like I won the tournament, just making it to the Championship Round,” said an excited Cox. “I’ve never won one of these rounds before, so this is a new experience for me. I’m really excited to be able to allow the fish to rest a little before the next round.
“Ten of us are going to compete for $100,000 on Wednesday – I don’t even know what to say. Not sure if I’m having a mild heart attack or if the red bull is just really kicking in,” continued Cox. “I caught a ton of fish today and found some exciting stuff in the third period that should help us out in the next round. On the last cast, there were probably 15 fish that came in when I shook that 4 pounder off. I can’t wait to get back out there – it’s going to be awesome.
“I’ve been using the new 7-foot, medium action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier spinning rod – it bends perfectly and handles the fish on the light line. I’m throwing 8-pound, Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, on the Abu Garcia REVO MGXtreme Spinning Reel. It has a super-smooth drag and allows me to fight the fish really well.”
Cox said his key baits came down to the Berkley Powerbait Maxscent The General Worm and the Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Hit Worm.
“I never even had these smaller Berkley General worms until a couple years ago because I figured the 5 inch was plenty small enough,” continued Cox. “They didn’t want the 5-inch today, but they ate this 4-inch one up really well.
“The Maxscent Hit Worm was an accidental win today. I had no idea it would work that well – I’d never heard of anyone catching smallmouth with it. I put it on to save some Flat Worms and they’ve just been killing it today.”
With a full day off, Cox said he plans to take his kids tubing down below the locks and is looking forward to enjoying the family time prior to Wednesday’s competition.
“This event has been awesome. I can’t wait to get back out there for the Championship Round,” said Cox. “This place is full of fish – it’s just been unreal.”
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group B that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 54 bass, 175-0
2nd: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 51 bass, 151-5
3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 51 bass, 149-11
4th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 49 bass, 149-2
5th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 44 bass, 132-10
6th: Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 41 bass, 127-1
7th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 33 bass, 126-6
8th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 35 bass, 125-9
9th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 42 bass, 125-6
10th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 44 bass, 123-14
11th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 37 bass, 122-14
12th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 41 bass, 116-15
13th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 37 bass, 114-15
14th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 38 bass, 110-11
15th: Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 29 bass, 104-12
16th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 36 bass, 102-12
17th: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 32 bass, 100-0
18th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 31 bass, 96-9
19th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 34 bass, 96-6
20th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 34 bass, 94-14
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 594 bass weighing 1,808 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 39 pros on Monday.
Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Florida won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 6-pound, 6-ounce smallmouth bass on a ned rig 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 General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement, meaning each bass caught must weigh at least 2 pounds for it 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 MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley is hosted by the Town of Massena and Fish Massena.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. With both groups two-day qualifying round now complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 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.
Anglers will take off from the Massena Intake Boat Launch Ramp, located on Route 13, in Massena, at 8:30 a.m. ET each day of competition. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the Launch Ramp, beginning at 5:30 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.
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 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley at the St. Lawrence River will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 23 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.
Oxford’s McCaig Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Neely Henry Presented by Googan Baits
The event was hosted by the City of Gadsden.
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Mark McCaig of Oxford, Ala. | 5 | 16-12 | $12,938 |
| 2nd | Kris Colley of Ragland, Ala. | 5 | 16-2 | $2,469 |
| 3rd | Tommy Hensley of Jackson, Ga. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,646 |
| 4th | Hunter Hays of Gadsden, Ala. | 5 | 14-3 | $1,152 |
| 5th | Robbie Robinson of Mobile, Ala. | 5 | 14-1 | $988 |
| 6th | Blake Lewis of Pace, Fla. | 5 | 12-9 | $905 |
| 7th | Blake Tomlin of Greenville, Ga. | 5 | 12-7 | $1,568 |
| 8th | Roger Shifflett of Hayden, Ala. | 5 | 12-6 | $741 |
| 9th | Jason Berrong of Crossville, Ala. | 5 | 12-3 | $658 |
| 10th | Bradley Jones of Aragon, Ga. | 5 | 11-15 | $576 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Steven Jacques of Addison, Ala. | 5 | 13-5 | $2,655 |
| 2nd | Johnathon Marsh of Graysville, Ala. | 4 | 10-9 | $1,235 |
| 3rd | Steve Burgess of Killen, Ala. | 5 | 9-15 | $1,023 |
| 4th | Richard Bailey of Florence, Ala. | 5 | 9-10 | $576 |
| 5th | Mason Cole of Deatsville, Ala. | 5 | 8-12 | $494 |
| 6th | Charles Davis of Wetumpka, Ala. | 5 | 8-11 | $703 |
| 7th | Hunter Bowden of Terre Haute, Ind. | 4 | 8-10 | $412 |
| 8th | Terry Harper of Ranburne, Ala. | 5 | 8-9 | $370 |
| 9th | Audie Aultman of Knoxville, Tenn. | 4 | 7-15 | $329 |
| 10th | Pauley Pitcher of Huntsville, Ala. | 5 | 7-12 | $288 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Blake Tomlin of Greenville, Ga. | 7-pound, 4-ounce bass | $745 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Gerald Grace of Jasper, Ala. & Steven Jacques of Addison, Ala. | 4-pound, 11-ounce bass | $372 (split) |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Mark McCaig of Oxford, Ala. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $7,000 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Jig and Beaver | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Shaky-head rig | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Bama Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 7-9 | Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala. | Decatur Morgan County Tourism |
| 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 2-4, 2022 | Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. | Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube .
Virginia’s Langford Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on High Rock Lake
SALISBURY, N.C. (June 28, 2021) – Boater Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at High Rock Lake in Salisbury, North Carolina. Langford earned $5,596 for his victory.
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Todd Langford of Great Falls, Va. | 5 | 18-13 | $5,596 |
| 2nd | Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Va. | 5 | 18-10 | $3,703 |
| 3rd | Ron Wolfarth of Oakboro, N.C. | 5 | 18-6 | $1,867 |
| 4th | Bradley Staley of Pleasant Garden, N.C. | 5 | 17-14 | $1,306 |
| 5th | Ben Reynolds of Callands, Va. | 5 | 17-6 | $1,119 |
| 6th | David Wright of Lexington, N.C. | 5 | 16-13 | $1,526 |
| 6th | Bennett Owen of Capron, Va. | 5 | 15-8 | $933 |
| 8th | John Lancaster of Linwood, N.C. | 5 | 15-6 | $839 |
| 9th | Tommy Jones of Salisbury, N.C. | 5 | 15-0 | $746 |
| 10th | Luke Farley of Dover, N.C. | 5 | 14-13 | $653 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Demon Pittman of Timberlake, N.C. | 5 | 15-9 | $2,791 |
| 2nd | Alex Moss of Lambsburg, Va. | 5 | 13-11 | $1,395 |
| 3rd | Brandon McCallister of Wytheville, Va. | 5 | 13-5 | $931 |
| 4th | Nathan Pulley of Chester, Va. | 5 | 13-4 | $651 |
| 5th | Alan Griffin of Polkton, N.C. | 5 | 12-0 | $558 |
| 6th | Jimmy Batts of Raleigh, N.C. | 5 | 11-9 | $512 |
| 7th | Dylan Gray of Gladys, Va. | 5 | 10-14 | $465 |
| 8th | Robert Green of Sedalia, N.C. | 5 | 10-11 | $419 |
| 9th | Cornell Badra of Clarksburg, Md. | 3 | 10-3 | $349 |
| 9th | Joshua Hall of Zion Crossroads, Va. | 3 | 10-3 | $349 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Va. | 5-pound, 13-ounce bass | $905 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Darrell Smith of Winston-Salem, N.C. | 5-pound, 10-ounce bass | $447 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | David Wright of Lexington, N.C. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Jig | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Shaky-head Rig | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Piedmont Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Potomac River, Marbury, Md. | Charles County Board of Commissioners |
| 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 2-4, 2022 | Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. | Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube .
Dayton’s Collins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Grand Lake-St. Mary’s Presented by TINCUP
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Tony Collins of Dayton, Ohio | 5 | 10-9 | $12,271 |
| 2nd | Josh Smith of Hamilton, Ohio | 5 | 8-10 | $2,336 |
| 3rd | Jeremie Barker of Trenton, Ohio | 4 | 8-7 | $1,424 |
| 4th | Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio | 5 | 8-4 | $1,497 |
| 5th | Gary Ginter of Bellefontaine, Ohio | 5 | 7-14 | $854 |
| 6th | Jake Poffenberger of Brookville, Ohio | 5 | 7-11 | $747 |
| 6th | Matt Cash of Fairfield, Ohio | 5 | 7-11 | $747 |
| 8th | Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio | 5 | 7-10 | $641 |
| 9th | Zach Graham of Westerville, Ohio | 4 | 7-8 | $569 |
| 10th | Michael Nesbitt of St. Paris, Ohio | 3 | 7-3 | $498 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio | 5 | 6-9 | $1,802 |
| 1st | Ron Weisenburger of Continental, Ohio | 3 | 6-9 | $1,802 |
| 3rd | Randy Bramos of Winchester, Ohio | 3 | 6-6 | $712 |
| 4th | Ryan Rich of Eaton, Ohio | 5 | 5-11 | $498 |
| 5th | Brent Wilkens of Hamilton, Ohio | 3 | 5-2 | $427 |
| 6th | Ed Mook of McDonald, Ohio | 2 | 4-15 | $392 |
| 7th | Jacob Crapyou of Portsmouth, Ohio | 3 | 4-14 | $358 |
| 8th | Rob Webber of Elyria, Ohio | 2 | 4-4 | $302 |
| 8th | Dan Goforth of Monroe, Ohio | 3 | 4-4 | $302 |
| 10th | Karl Schreiber of Georgetown, Ky. | 3 | 3-14 | $226 |
| 10th | Jeff Moorman of Liberty Township, Ohio | 2 | 3-14 | $226 |
| 10th | Greg Scythes of Marysville, Ohio | 3 | 3-14 | $226 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Jim Vitaro of Wooster, Ohio | 3-pound, 14-ounce bass | $595 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Carrie Strauser of Belle Center, Ohio | 3-pound, 6-ounce bass | $297 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Tony Collins of Dayton, Ohio | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $7,000 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Spinnerbait | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | 8-in Worm (Weisenburger) Yamamoto Senko (Jones) |
N/A N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Buckeye Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Potomac River, Marbury, Md. | Charles County Board of Commissioners |
| 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 2-4, 2022 | Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. | Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube .