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My Favorite Rod Part 1: Bass

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My Favorite Rod Part 1: Bass

My Favorite Rod Part 1: Bass

If you could choose just one fishing rod for bass, what would it be? That’s exactly what we asked our St. Croix pros.

PARK FALLS, Wisc. (May 11, 2021) – Length, power, and action are the holy trinity of fishing-rod selection. Each of three of these variables play distinct and important roles in determining how useful a rod is in any fishing scenario. Together, they define a rod’s basic performance characteristics and make possible an incredible number of choices for the angler.

That’s a good thing. Anglers like choices, and they all have slightly different preferences for rods they use day-in and day-out while employing varying techniques and presentations to catch their favorite species. This is why advanced anglers always have multiple rods rigged and ready to go.

But what if they could only choose one rod? Well, that’s the precise, horrifying question we asked several of our St. Croix pros, with the hope that their answers will help the rest of us make better decisions when shopping for our next fishing rod.

This is the first article in a three-part series covering rod selection for the most-common fishing situations. Ultimately, we’re hoping the answers our pros provide will lead to more success, fun, and satisfaction on the water for all. Let’s start with bass, shall we?

Smallmouth Bass

Joel Nelson of Brainerd, Minnesota is one of fishing’s greatest ambassadors. He’s made his living not by guiding or fishing tournaments, but by educating and promoting the sport of fishing by sharing his vast experiences. As such, he wasn’t put off by the question; he understood exactly where we were going. As a regular on the big-bass waters of Mille Lacs and other trophy bronzeback fisheries, we asked him about his favorite rod for smallmouth bass.

“I’d go with a 6’10” medium power, extra-fast action spinning rod, specifically the Legend X XLS610MXF model,” says Nelson. “It’s one of the most versatile rods for bass and I also use it for walleye. There are all kinds of finesse presentations to catch smallmouth bass, and this rod excels with just about all of them. But I’m a very simple-minded bass angler. Day in and day out, I like a simple jig head with a plastic trailer… usually a curly-tail grub, but sometimes a fluke or Z-Man TRD. With the curly-tail grub I can alternate between bottom hopping and crawling or swimming at any depth. This is a very versatile presentation in both lakes and rivers.”

Nelson says the 6’10” length is ideal for jig fishing and meshes well with other finesse presentations to add versatility. “The length is perfect. I can make long casts with a 3/16 to 5/8-ounce jig on 8-pound line or work vertically next to the boat.”

While the 610MXF is available in other St. Croix series, Nelson gravitates to the Legend X model because of the split grip handle and incredibly sensitive SCV/SCVI carbon blank. “It’s lightweight with great balance, which means it’s comfortable to fish with all day and produces great leverage. The extra-fast action is great for setting the hook and getting into the rod’s power quickly.”

He also likes what he describes as the rod’s perceived weight-to-strength ratio. “For as light as this rod is in the hand, it feels very strong and responsive,” he says. “That’s key for smallmouth bass in rivers and in deep lakes where you want to keep big bass away from rocks and wood. I like the overall beef this rod delivers in an extremely sensitive, lightweight package.”

Bill Schultz of New Berlin, Wisconsin knows plenty about catching smallmouth bass. He’s kept a log on every bronzeback he’s landed since May of 1994, and his tally to date exceeds 24,000. Like Nelson, Schultz primarily employs finesse tactics.

“I have a handful of favorite rods, but I probably use the Avid X 7’ medium power, extra-fast action spinning rod (AXS70MXF) the most. All my bass have come on a relatively few great presentations. Right now, with much of my fishing being done on the big waters of Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan, I am either using the Ned Rig with Z-Man ElasZtec finesse plastics, swimming a Kalin’s Lunker grub or Keitech FAT Swing, or using a Right Bite 2.5″ Tube. This rod works great for any of these presentations.”

Schultz prefers 2000- and 2500-size reels with faster 6.2:1 retrieve ratios and typically employs 10-pound Daiwa J-Braid 8X main line in chartreuse with a 3.5-to-4.5-foot 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. “The split-grip handle and 7-foot length balance well with these reels and allow for longer casts,” Shultz says.” And the combination of SCIII carbon and IPC (Integrated Poly Curve technology) make for an exceptionally smooth and durable package. I’m fishing these presentations slowly, and usually with bottom contact in water that’s relatively deep. This rod has the sensitivity and the length that are helpful in these techniques.”

Shultz offers some key advice to would-be finesse smallie anglers. “The most-common mistake anglers make with all of these presentations is not doing them slowly enough. And if you fish clear water like I do, the fluorocarbon leader is important.”

Largemouth Bass

Bassmaster Elite pro, Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, Louisiana, is a threat in any tournament he enters. And while his vocation demands dozens of distinct rods, he understands that most bass anglers appreciate a versatile rod that can do many things very well.

“Choosing just one rod would be very easy for me,” Hudnall reports. “It’s the Victory 7’3” medium-heavy power, fast action casting rod (VT73MHF).”

Hudnall says, without a doubt, that this rod may very well be the most versatile bass rod in St. Croix’s expansive lineup. “I could bore everyone to death about the multiple techniques that I use this rod for, but I’ll give you my favorite… flipping and pitching. “On tour, when I’m able to find a flipping bite, I get that extra fire in my belly. It’s my comfort zone and one of the techniques I have the most confidence in.”

Hudnall concedes that selecting the correct rod for any application can be a daunting task. “One of the most common mistakes anglers make in choosing a flipping and pitching rod is length,” he says. “Flipping with a rod that’s too short or too long can rob you of accuracy, cause unnecessary fatigue and straight up cause you to lose fish. This industry is full of opinions, so one thing every angler needs to keep in mind is that we are all different. There is only one person on this earth that can swing a golf club like Tiger Woods, so don’t try to mimic him. Similarly, just because your fishing partner, Kevin VanDam, or you dad flips with a 7’11” rod does not mean that’s the best choice for you. Try a variety a lengths and chose the one that makes casts and presentations that seem effortless. Yes, that rod is out there for you, and for me, it’s the Victory VTC73MHF.”

What makes the VTC73MHF so unique and versatile for Hudnall? “This new line offers what I call ‘tweener’ sizes,” he says. “Most casting blanks go up to a 7’0” and then start back again at a 7’4” which leaves a pretty big gap in lengths. That 7’3” length, in my opinion, is the dead center on rod lengths, and I think this rod will more than likely also be ‘that’ rod for a majority of anglers. Combined with medium-heavy power that’s ideal for so many common bass-sized baits and a fast action that helps deliver casting accuracy and dialed-in presentations, that ‘right-sized’ 7’3” length helps make this rod the proper tool and fit in so many applications.”

While Hudnall says anglers can find something close to this rod in several other St. Croix series, he suggests that Victory offers several other distinct advantages. “The SCIII+ blanks and ergonomics of these USA-crafted rods bring true, elite-level performance to any bass angler, because they are priced at a sweet spot almost anyone can afford.”

MLF pro, Jesse Wiggins of Addison, Alabama, echoes Hudnall’s affinity for the Victory VTC73MHF. “It’s a baitcasting rod, but I think it gives most anglers the best flexibility,” he says. “You can fish a worm, jig, chatterbait, spinnerbait… literally almost everything with it.”

Wiggins says anglers looking to rig this rod to maximize its versatility in multiple presentations should consider spooling a comfortable and lightweight 7.3:1 baitcasting reel with 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon line.

“A lot of time anglers have the wrong speed reels for their lures,” he says. “When I’m rigging, I put almost all winding baits on a 6:1 reel. If I’m dragging or fishing the bottom, I use an 8:1. So, having something in the 7:1 range puts anglers in the middle and lets them vary the speed of the retrieve easier, simply by how quickly they turn the handle. That’s an incredibly versatile package on the Victory VTC73MHF rod that’ll allow anglers to have a lot of success with many of the most-popular bass presentations.”

Joe Balog of Deland, Florida is a retired tournament bass angler who, like Nelson, finds great satisfaction in using his extensive experience and knowledge to help promote and expand the sport of fishing. The displaced Michigander fishes in both fresh and salt waters but is above all a big-bass specialist.

“I exclusively fish for big fish and I use a St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass 7’4” medium-heavy power, fast action casting rod (LBC74MHF) more than any other,” says Balog, whose $.02 on the matter (which, given his experience, is probably worth closer to $1.34), is that this particular rod is simply the best all-around choice for targeting large bass around heavy cover with a variety of techniques.

“This rod is my Swiss Army knife for shallow largemouth,” Balog reports. “I use it for swim-jig fishing, fishing a hollow-body frog, swimbaits like a Skinny Dipper, and spinnerbaits around submerged grass. These techniques are effective around shallow, heavy cover year ‘round. The rod balances very strong power for its medium-heavy rating with a fast tip capable of casting sizable lures with accuracy. The most important aspect is the rod’s power and ability to move fish away from heavy cover.”

For swim jig, frog, and swimbait fishing, Balog employs straight 50-pound Sufix braid. For spinnerbaits, he switches to 25-pound Sufix mono.

“The biggest mistake I see in Florida bass fishing is anglers using too light of gear,” Balog says. “Their equipment, while adequate for fishing in the north for fish weighing under four pounds, is simply not capable of controlling a really big fish around heavy cover. For that reason, they may land most of their bites, but frequently lose the best fish of their trip or season.”

Balog says Florida bass anglers need to be prepared – not only with the right gear – but also mentally. “It’s important to constantly be considering what’s going to happen if a really big fish bites,” he says. “If I skip a frog up under that bush around that lay-down tree and an 8-pound bass eats it, what’s likely to happen?” he poses. “Am I going to have enough rod and heavy enough line to move that fish away from that tree – immediately – at the end of a long cast? If the answer is ‘I’m not sure’, or if you aren’t constantly thinking about those possibilities, you’re in trouble. Always consider the big fish, every cast or flip. My head is always in the game, and with a Legend Tournament Bass LBC74MHF in my hands, I’m confident my gear is in the game, too.”

At St. Croix Rod, we make it our mission to serve anglers with an expansive selection of rods across a wide span of prices that give them the upper hand and elevate their experience in any fishing situation. Browse our selection of Triumph, Bass X, Premier, Mojo Bass, Mojo Bass Glass, Victory, Avid, Avid X, Legend Glass, Legend Tournament Bass, Legend X, Legend Elite, and Legend Xtreme for the bass rods that best suit your specific needs. Visit your nearest St. Croix Dealer or our Guide Center for additional help and information.

Next week, we’ll take a detailed look at a few St. Croix rods favored by our panfish, walleye and musky pros and learn how they use them to experience more success on the water.

#CROIXGEAR

Lake Eufaula Set to Host MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E at Lake Eufaula

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Lake Eufaula Set to Host MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E at Lake Eufaula

162 Professional Anglers Descend on Eufaula to Compete for Purse of More than $900,000, including Up to $135,000 to Winner

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EUFAULA, Ala. (May 10, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament organization, is set to visit Eufaula, Alabama, this week, May 13-16, for the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula . This is the third event of the 2021 Pro Circuit season – hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce – and offers competitors the opportunity to compete for a total purse of more than $900,000.

In its 26th season, the circuit (formerly known as the FLW Tour) features a roster of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing across six regular-season events, each with a top award of up to $135,000. The field also competes for valuable points to qualify for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, and the opportunity to compete for up to $235,000.

This event will mark the sixth time the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit has visited Lake Eufaula. The Pro Circuit last visited the Big Bass Capital of the World in May 2015, when North Carolina pro Bryan Thrift played the numbers game, hitting as many solitary objects – stumps, brush piles, rocks, logs – on the bottom of the lake as humanly possible to rack up a four-day total of 69 pounds, 14 ounces and take home $125,000. In 2013, pro Randy Haynes put on an off-shore clinic on Lake Eufaula, winning the event with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 1 ounce – an 11-ounce margin over then runner-up Thrift, who had multiple second-place finishes on Lake Eufaula prior to his 2015 victory.

Pro Clayton Batts of Butler, Georgia, who will be competing in this event, fished his first bass tournament in Eufaula, Alabama, at 10 years of age with fishing legend Tom Mann, and his first big tournament on Lake Eufaula when he was 12.

“This is probably the first big tournament I’ve ever fished on a lake where I’ve grown up fishing,” said Batts. “Lake Eufaula can be a competitive challenge, because the water level and clarity are constantly changing from day to day, so you have to really stay on the fish.

“Guys will have to be versatile during this event – I don’t expect to see one guy fishing one pattern the entire time. Even if they’re on a deep bite, they’re still going to have to find something shallow and have a shad or bluegill spawn or something else to go with it.”

Batts said he anticipates it will take around 20 pounds a day to win the tournament and bringing in consistent weight all four days will be the hardest part of the event.

“This is one of the best times to come to Lake Eufaula because everyone is going to be able to fish their strengths during this tournament,” continued Batts. “If a guy wants to go flip a frog all day he can, or if guys want to fish off-shore or run way up the river – it’s possible to win doing all of it.

“You’re going to have all three phases of pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn, with the majority of the fish being post-spawn. I think we’ll see guys flipping and fishing shallow with swim jigs, frogs and all your basic power fishing stuff, but we’ll also see guys off-shore throwing big crankbaits, swimbaits, big worms, swim jigs and a variety of baits.”

While the fishery is very versatile this time of year, pro Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Georgia, said he believes anglers will still have to dial in on specific patterns and baits if they want to stay relevant in the competition.

“Lake Eufaula fishes so well early in the year because there are always waves of fish coming to the bank, on the bank and leaving the bank,” said the Georgia pro. “However, usually by the end of April, the fish will go out the deepest I’ve seen on any lake I’ve ever been on – out to water more than 30-feet-deep. Once that last spawn wave hits, it gets tough as nails and the off-shore, deep-fishing guys start crushing it.”

Johns said later in May, with bluegill bedding and mayfly hatches, the bite moves up shallow again – so this will be an interesting time on Lake Eufaula to find the fish between those two stages.

“The shallow guys will have to get real specific to be competitive during this event,” said Johns. “It’s easy to catch a limit on Lake Eufaula, but it’s a lot harder to compete at the top of the leaderboard. The guys that know how to dial them in can catch big bags up there, but one bad decision can blow the entire tournament.”

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT Thursday through Sunday from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Due to COVID-19 precautions, attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, where the top 48 pros in the points standings plus, 2020 TITLE Champion Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, and 2020 Angler of the Year Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, will compete for as much as $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and YouTube.

U.S.A. BASSIN Crowns Bass Cat Classic Champions

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U.S.A. BASSIN Crowns Bass Cat Classic Champions

U.S.A. BASSIN Crowns Bass Cat Classic Champions

St. Croix angler Trey McKinney and partner Rick Cheatham come up big on Chickamauga

PARK FALLS, Wisc. (May 10, 2021) – Young-gun Trey McKinney has earned his success in competitive bass fishing. The 16-year-old angler from Goreville, Illinois has already been fishing competitively for seven years and has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. “I’ve been fortunate to win three junior division national championships, and one year I won the Next Generation Championship,” says McKinney, who garnered national acclaim by becoming the first-ever angler to win both the B.A.S.S. and FLW Junior Championships in the same year.

While the popularity of competitive high-school fishing has exploded in recent years, the talented McKinney has never had access to a high-school team, so his primary support has had to come from other sources.

“My family and my faith have always been instrumental in supporting what I do, but over the past few years, Rick has really helped me take my fishing to the next level,” McKinney says, referring to his friend, fishing coach, mentor, and fishing partner, semi-retired bass pro, Rick Cheatham of Carterville, Illinois. “I’m so grateful that Rick has been there for me; he’s given and taught me so much.”

McKinney and Cheatham struck gold again during last weekend’s U.S.A. BASSIN Bass Cat Classic held on the storied big-bass waters of Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga, weighing a two-day bag of 40.81 pounds to win the event, despite boat troubles on Day 1.

“We had some problems with our trim and didn’t actually start fishing until 10:00 on the first day,” says McKinney, who along with his partner, Cheatham, still managed to catch 17.92 pounds, ending the shortened day in the 5th spot on the leaderboard. “We got it working fine the second day and had the whole day to fish,” McKinney reports. With their mechanical troubles in the past, the duo proceeded to catch 22.89 pounds on Day 2 – the heaviest bag of the day – to win the tournament.

Relying on a junk fishing pattern, the pair caught fish on a variety of different baits throughout the two days of competition. With bass in transition, they used their experience fishing events in the days leading up to the event, including the Lucas Oil Tournament of Champions, to dial in the right areas.

“We had a lot of things going on,” McKinney says. “We had some fish shallow, fish on docks, some offshore, and some on the river channel. We dove into our tackle boxes and caught fish on all of those locations.” The pair’s extensive selection of winning baits included frogs, a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater, a NetBait Dagger creature bait, squarebill crankbaits, and a jig with a NetBait Paca Slim. All were fished on Seaguar line.

“We are really fortunate with the win and have to thank the Lord for how it all worked out for us,” says McKinney, who boated a monster 9.2-pound lunker on Day 2. “That was a new personal best for me, and to have a fish like that come during an actual tournament instead of practice was really cool. She was up in a shallow, flat pocket of water, but not locked on a bed,” continues McKinney, who coaxed the giant with a finesse worm on 8-lb. line and a 6’10” medium-light, extra-fast Legend X spinning rod (XLS610MLXF). We couldn’t get close, so I had to let her swim to the bait. She slid out and picked it up, which kicked off about almost five minutes of absolute madness trying to get her to hand,” he relates. “Rick and I were beside ourselves and on top of the world when she finally came into the boat.”

For their efforts, the U.S.A. BASSIN 2021 Bass Cat Classic champions took home a grand prize of a new Bass Cat Caracal with a 225hp Mercury Pro XS motor.

Rounding out the top-five teams were Tristan Wagler and Stan Kemp in 2nd place with ten bass weighing 37.02 pounds, Todd Wilson and Ted Grigsby in 3rd place with ten bass weighing 33.15 pounds, Kevin Meunier and Kenny Heckel in 4th place with nine bass weighing 32.31 pounds, and Larry Hornung and Steve Harvey in 5th with ten bass weighing 32.16 pounds.

In addition to his faith, family, and Cheatham, McKinney credits his valued relationship with St. Croix Rod for helping him foster his talent and seize opportunities.

“Working with St. Croix has been a blessing. They’re all great people and the support has been unreal. In addition to being able to use the Best Rods on Earth•, words can’t express how helpful they’ve been to me, and I know they’ve been a big help to a lot of other scholastic anglers, too. I feel very fortunate to have the support of such a great, American company, that’s for sure,” he says.

“You’ve got all different of levels of rods at St. Croix, but in my opinion, if you want top performance without paying a lot of money, their BassX Series is definitely the way to go,” McKinney continues. “I use BassX rods just as much as I use Legend Tournament Bass or any of the other more expensive models I own. The BassX Series of technique-specific bass rods allows anglers like me to own several high-performance rods to use in multiple presentations for the cost of just one elite-level rod. That’s a big deal and a huge benefit for most anglers.”

Within the expansive BassX lineup, the versatile 7’1” medium power, fast action Bass-X (BXC71MF) is in McKinney’s hands a lot. “It’s a real go-to rod for me and has caught countless fish when the pressure’s been on!” McKinney offers. “It’s perfect for so many plastics presentations and jig fishing, plus it does really well with jerkbaits and topwaters, too,” continues McKinney, who also uses the BXC71MF for much of his crankbait fishing – one of his favorite techniques. “The properties of the SCII blank make the rod a bit more forgiving than some other fast action rods. It’s an ideal crankbait rod in a lot of situations.”

On the heels of his most-recent tournament win, McKinney says he and Cheatham will remain focused on fishing as many high school events as they can. “We’ll enter what we have time for and what we qualify for, plus maybe some BFL, Angler’s Choice, and more U.S.A. BASSIN events, but we don’t want to spread ourselves too thin,” McKinney says. “What’s most important to me is more ‘wisdom time’ with Rick and some more travel under my belt. That can come from a lot of different places, so we want to try and make sure we can commit the time and preparation to whatever we enter.” McKinney also has a continued commitment to his hit television show, Training up the Next Generation on the World Fishing Network, which chronicles his fishing development with the help of well-known anglers, while inspiring others to pick up a fishing rod.

McKinney says he feels blessed to be having such success, doing what he loves and at such a young age. “It takes skill and experience to earn success in competitive fishing,” he says. “And people talk about luck, too, and maybe that helps, but I know that I’m where I’m at because I put my faith in God above everything else, and because of the time, expertise and attention people like Rick, my family, my St. Croix family and others have gifted to me. I’m humbled and extremely grateful.”

If you are an aspiring high school angler and want to learn more about the St. Croix Rod Scholastic Program, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Scholastic”.

Keep up with Trey through his TV show, Facebook, and Instagram.

Smith Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Dardanelle Presented by Fenwick

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Smith Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Dardanelle Presented by Fenwick
Edmond Angler Wins by 6-pound Margin, Earns $36,104

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 10, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Kirk Smith of Edmond, Oklahoma, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Dardanelle Presented by Fenwick in Russellville, Arkansas. Mundy’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 51-3 earned him the win by a 6-pound margin over second-place angler Zach King of Clarksville, Arkansas, and earned Smith the top payout of $36,104 in the third and final tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Plains Division.

Smith said he considers himself an offshore and electronics geek, a combo that helped him blow it out on Lake Dardanelle. While the majority of the field’s success seemed to go up and down throughout the event, Smith had a pattern like no one else that allowed him to lay off early the first two days and still be leading by an ounce.

Saturday, he finally got to show off what that pattern could do, bringing in 19 pounds, 15 ounces – the second-largest bag of the event – to blow away the field by 6 pounds with a 51-3 total.

“I never knew what I had (with my pattern), because I was letting up on on Days 1 and 2,” said Smith. “That final day, I absolutely unleashed the fury on them and just mashed them as hard as I could. Even I’m impressed with what I had.”

In practice, Smith said he was trying to find secret backwaters like many other pros, but it just wasn’t happening. Yet, while idling out of a pocket he inadvertently found something most people came across but simply overlooked.

“I was watching my side-imaging and noticed this little underwater point of grass and that’s when it all started,” said Smith. “I threw a waypoint on it and said, ‘huh, that looks good,’ but I didn’t know exactly where it was. So, I got up on the trolling motor and realized it was 15-20 feet off the bank. That’s when a lightbulb went off. The guys were either on the bank or the guys offshore were way offshore, out too deep. I knew no one else would be fishing that.”

Fishing mainly in the Shoal Bay and Thompson Creek area, Smith found grass points, isolated stumps and isolated stumps with grass that were far off the bank but not deep, and were not getting hit by anyone else. Best of all, Smith said he realized on Day 3 those spots were reloading thanks to the falling water, so it was just a matter of precisely hitting them.

Much like pros do over open water, Smith said he’d get in an area and troll around while watching his electronics for stumps and isolated grass patches. When he saw one, and if he saw a fish on it, he could nearly call his shot tossing a prototype ½-ounce BOOYAH swim jig with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer (both black-and-blue).

“I’m not much of a swim jig guy,” says Smith. “I’m a ¾-ounce, 25-feet of water guy. But getting that bait down there and swimming it, getting kind of aggressive with it was a big, big thing.”
The results spoke for themselves, with Smith catching a limit before 9 a.m. all three days of the tournament.

“It’s been a magical week,” said Smith. “I was talking to a buddy from the Muddy Water Mob before the week. I told him I’m feeling warm and fuzzy about this tournament. I can’t explain it, because when I saw this tournament on the schedule this year … Lake of the Ozarks, I can compete. Grand Lake, I can compete. Dardanelle, I thought I could just survive. So, winning this is just amazing.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Dardanelle finished:
1st:       Kirk Smith of Edmond, Okla., 15 bass, 51-3, $36,104
2nd:      Zach King of Clarksville, Ark., 15 bass, 45-3, $13,409
3rd:       Theron Caldwell of Decatur, Texas, 15 bass, 44-6, $10,381
4th:       Bruce Parsons of Arbela, Mo., 15 bass, 38-7, $10,151
5th:       Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Ark., 15 bass, 37-12, $7,786
6th:       Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla., 15 bass, 37-0, $6,921
7th:       Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark., 15 bass, 35-13, $6,056
8th:       Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., 14 bass, 35-5, $5,191
9th:       Chip Hawkins of Little Rock, Ark., 12 bass, 34-9, $4,445
10th:     BJ Miller of Adams, Neb., 10 bass, 28-12, $3,579

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

Chip Hawkins of Little Rock, Arkansas, took home an additional $119 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. BJ Miller of Adams, Nebraska, won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale.

Bruce Parsons of Arbela, Missouri, 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.

Michael Carter of Raytown, Missouri, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 1 ounce. Carter 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 Dardanelle finished:

1st:       Michael Carter of Raytown, Mo., 10 bass, 26-1, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd:      Todd Brown of Bigelow, Ark., 11 bass, 25-7, $4,394
3rd:       Derrick Damon of Clarksville, Ark., nine bass, 24-5, $3,594
4th:       JP Northcutt of Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 24-5, $3,076
5th:       Dewey Larson of Fayetteville, Ark., 11 bass, 22-15, $2,636
6th:       Tyler Stuart of Manchester, Mo., 10 bass, 20-7, $2,197
7th:       Mark Powers of Platteville, Colo., 11 bass, 19-7, $1,757
8th:       Austin Ware of Willard, Mo., nine bass, 19-3, $1,538
9th:       Roscoe White, III of Rogers, Ark., six bass, 16-8, $1,318
10th:     Micheal Sharp of Calera, Okla., six bass, 14-13, $1,098
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $79 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was David Epema of Jefferson City, Missouri, with a 4-pound bass, 1-ounce bass, while the $79 Day Two award went to Derrick Damon of Clarksville, Arkansas, with a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle was presented by Fenwick and was hosted by the Russellville Advertising and Promotion Commission. It was the third and final regular-season tournament in 2021 for Plains Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on May 13-15 – 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.

Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake

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Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake

Wes Logan, of Springville, Ala., has won the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with a four-day total of 57 pounds, 9 ounces. 

                                                                                                                                                   Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

May 10, 2021

Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake

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GADSDEN, Ala. — Wes Logan said memories came flooding back to him throughout the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

That’s bound to happen when you’ve fished a place since you were 5 years old.

Logan now has countless new reasons to think fondly of his home water after claiming the tournament title here on Championship Monday. The 26-year-old from Springville, only a 30-mile drive from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, caught a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 57 pounds, 9 ounces. He capped the competition with a 14-1 limit Monday, the third-heaviest of the day.

Logan earned $100,000 for the win, his first in 26 B.A.S.S. events.

The second-year Elite Series angler charged into the lead on Day 3 with a 16-15 bag that tied for the heaviest of the tournament. That made him the last man to weigh in Monday and the only one with a chance to knock Connecticut pro Paul Mueller from the hot seat.

Logan peeked silently at the scale while his bass were weighed. When his winning total flashed on screen, he let out a victorious yell and pumped his right fist over his head. Then he hugged Mueller and hoisted his first blue trophy for his home-based fans to see.

“I started tournament fishing with my dad when I was 5,” Logan said. “We’d come here, Logan Martin and Weiss … I went into practice trying to not put pressure on myself. I wanted to fish like I’d never seen the place before. I wanted to figure out a pattern.”

Having an open mind, even on water he knows so well, was critical this week. Neely Henry was a difficult read for most of the 98 anglers who started the tournament on Friday, postponed by a day because of heavy rains earlier in the week. The storms sent the water table rising and shot sediment throughout the lake. The Elites scrambled to find stable water, many relying on junk fishing to see which lures and techniques produced the best bites.

A trio of lures worked best for Logan — a 5/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Herren flipping jig (black/blue skirt) with a Zoom Big Salty sapphire blue Chunk; a Dirty Jigs No Jack swim jig with a Zoom Super Speed Craw trailer; and a frog, which he used to fill his Day 3 limit.

Logan started the tournament strongly, putting 14-1 on the board Friday, good enough for ninth place. He caught 12-8 on Day 2, climbing to eighth and surviving the cut to 48. He made his move on Day 3 with the 16-5 haul, pointing to a pair of unusual catches as the turning point.

“I caught two bass under a bridge right by the Gadsden City Boat Docks on a crankbait,” he said “I’m not a crankbait fisherman. It was about 11:30, and I only had two keepers at the time. But I caught a 2 1/2 there, and then two casts later, I caught a 5 1/4. I only got one more bite that day.

“When you get that kind of bite when you’re not supposed to, that let me know I had a chance to win. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen all the time.”

Logan didn’t divulge specifics on the crankbait, other than to say it’s specially painted, similar to a black/chartreuse combo.

“I keep that one in my hand around here,” he said. “It’s a confidence thing.”

Logan planned to fish down-lake from the start, but low water in that area made him choose otherwise. Each of the 20 bass he weighed was caught between Cove Creek and Minnesota Bend — both only a 10-minute run from the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

Mueller, meanwhile, went straight for the lower end of Neely Henry and found success. He seized the lead after Day 2 and was in second place going into Day 4, trailing Logan by just more than a pound. Mueller caught the heaviest bass of the tournament Monday, a 6-6 largemouth, but his 13-13 closing weight wasn’t enough to overtake Logan.

“My pattern went away today and I knew that would be the deal,” Mueller said. “I had to fish new water. I was able to catch some fish, and I had a good day. I’m glad at the way this turned out. As short as the morning bite was, I could have been sitting in sixth or seventh right now.”

Mueller caught his best bass, including the 6-6, on a Deps Evoke 2.0 squarebill crankbait (chartreuse/brown back). He earned an additional $2,000 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass on Day 4 and overall.

Alabama native Gerald Swindle caught the second-heaviest bag on Day 4 (a 15-0 limit) and finished third with 54-2 overall.

Mueller took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and fourth-place finisher Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

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

Minnesota pro Seth Feider finished 12th in the derby and didn’t qualify for Championship Monday, but he still left Gadsden with a commanding lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. His season total of 525 points gives him a 41-point cushion over Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., (484) with three tournaments remaining.

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is third with 464, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 462 and Christie with 457.

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is leading the Rookie of the Year standings with 372 points.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism hosted the event.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Wes Logan              Springville, AL         20  57-09  100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   12-08     Day 3: 5   16-15     Day 4: 5   14-01
2.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           20  56-03   99  $37,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   12-00     Day 4: 5   13-13
3.  Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        20  54-02   98  $30,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   13-03     Day 3: 5   11-12     Day 4: 5   15-00
4.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           20  52-13   97  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 5   14-14     Day 4: 5   13-13
5.  Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              20  52-01   96  $20,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   10-07     Day 3: 5   11-04     Day 4: 5   15-02
6.  Bryan New              Belmont, NC             20  50-02   95  $19,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   09-11     Day 3: 5   11-07     Day 4: 5   12-09
7.  Bob Downey             Hudson, WI              20  49-10   94  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   13-02     Day 3: 5   13-11     Day 4: 5   08-14
8.  Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        20  47-07   93  $17,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   08-00     Day 4: 5   09-10
9.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        20  46-04   92  $16,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 5   12-14     Day 4: 5   08-05
10. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          17  42-11   91  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 5   08-09     Day 4: 2   04-12
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Clark Wendlandt          Leander, TX         05-04      $1,000.00
2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         05-11      $1,000.00
3   Jay Yelas                Lincoln City, OR    05-06      $1,000.00
4   Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       06-06      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       06-06      $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        68       414       872-06
2        76       454       968-01
3        38       222       458-06
4         9        47       115-15
———————————-
191      1137      2414-12

Local Pro Wes Logan Takes Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Neely Henry Lake

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Local Pro Wes Logan Takes Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Neely Henry Lake

Wes Logan, of Springville, Ala., is leading after Day 3 of the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with a three-day total of 43 pounds, 8 ounces. 

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

May 9, 2021

Local Pro Wes Logan Takes Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Neely Henry Lake

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GADSDEN, Ala. — Wes Logan grew up fishing this 11,200-acre Coosa River fishery, so it’s no surprise his intimate knowledge of the lake helped him climb to the top of the leaderboard on Day 3 of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

But with the Neely Henry bass still adjusting to extremely heavy rains last week, Logan admits he’ll have to lean on every bit of his experience if he’s to win his first B.A.S.S tournament Monday.

Logan has three consecutive limits for a total weight of 43 pounds, 8 ounces. He was in eighth place after Day 2, but a 16-15 bag on Sunday tied for the tournament high and vaulted him into the pole position at Neely Henry.

Despite his know-how on Neely Henry, Logan is leery of all nine of the remaining competitors. That’s mostly because the lake has been a mystery since the extreme storms trained across the area last week. The water level soared, the lake muddied and the bass scattered to some unusual places. It was a combination that tested the Elites from the start, Logan included.

“The only thing that helps me is I know how things act when something changes here,” Logan said.

And there have been plenty of shifts on Neely Henry in the past few days. The north end of the lake had high water following the heavy rain but is now draining into its south end, which had been extremely shallow. As the water pushes through the lake, bass are moving with the heaviest flow, which Logan said convinced him to try for offshore bites on Sunday.

It’s not what he’d normally do, but this week has been different.

“I caught a 3 1/2-pounder in a place I’ve caught fish in the past, but this time it was in bright sunshine and in 6 inches of water,” he said. “That fish shouldn’t have been there. I was running by and wasn’t even going to go in there, but I went with my gut feeling. I’ll have to do that tomorrow because where I thought I could win the tournament, there’s not going to be any water in the grass anymore.”

Logan’s heaviest bass weighed 5-4, which was only 2 ounces shy of the heaviest catch on Sunday. He said he’ll look for more of that caliber bass on Day 4, feeling he’ll need the extra weight to hold off his competitors.

“After that morning flurry, I find if you get an afternoon bite, it’s going to be a good one,” he said. “So, no way I’m fishing for 2-pounders. Like that big one I had today, I don’t like fighting big ones on crankbaits. I like boat flippin’ them on a frog or a swim jig. Getting that bite later in the day was a blessing for sure.”

Logan predicted earlier in the tournament that 55 pounds over four days could win the event. If so, he’d need only about 13 pounds Monday, which he said feels about right.

Still, he’s not going to complicate matters. He may be junk fishing, but he’s using the same lures, just in different places.

“Swim jig, frog, squarebill and a 5/8s big jig,” he said, listing the four baits he is sure to have tied on Monday. “It’s the only rods you need here.”

Connecticut pro Paul Mueller led after Day 2, but he caught 12-0 Sunday and now is second with 42-6.

Mueller, 37, is also junk fishing on Neely Henry, hoping he can find a few quality bites to keep him in the hunt for a tournament title. He knows he’ll have to improve on the 12-0 limit he weighed Sunday.

“I’m gonna have to really think about what I’m doing tomorrow because I only caught five fish today,” he said. “I thought I would drop to seventh or eighth with the weight I had. If I get three solid bites tomorrow, I’ll have a shot.”

Mueller is fishing the lower end of Neely Henry and he’ll likely go back there Sunday because he prefers to fish away from other boats. He’s caught his bass Sunday on a Deps Evoke 2.0 squarebill crankbait (chartreuse/brown back) and an 1/8-ounce custom shaky head with a custom Gamakatsu hook and a Zoom Swamp Crawler (watermelon candy).

Jay Yelas won the daily $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award for the 5-6 he caught Sunday. Cliff Prince’s 5-11 caught Saturday remains the heaviest of the tournament to date.

The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off Monday from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, also known as Coosa Landing, at 6:30 a.m. CT for the fourth and final day of the tournament and the winner will claim a $100,000 first prize. Weigh-in will start back at the Gadsden City Boat Docks at 2:30 p.m.

Minnesota pro Seth Feider missed the Top 10 cut, finishing 12th with 35-13, but he maintained a commanding lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 525 points. Patrick Walters of  Summerville, S.C., is next with 484, followed by Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., with 464, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 462 and Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 456.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism are hosting this week’s Elite Series event.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Wes Logan              Springville, AL         15  43-08  100
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   12-08     Day 3: 5   16-15
2.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           15  42-06   99
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   15-03     Day 3: 5   12-00
3.  Bob Downey             Hudson, WI              15  40-12   98
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   13-02     Day 3: 5   13-11
4.  Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        15  39-02   97
Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   13-03     Day 3: 5   11-12
5.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  39-00   96
Day 1: 5   11-03     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 5   14-14
6.  Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          15  37-15   95
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 5   08-09
7.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        15  37-15   94
Day 1: 5   13-10     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 5   12-14
8.  Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        15  37-13   93
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   08-00
9.  Bryan New              Belmont, NC             15  37-09   92
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   09-11     Day 3: 5   11-07
10. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  36-15   91
Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   10-07     Day 3: 5   11-04
11. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  35-14   90  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   14-14     Day 3: 5   12-00
12. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          15  35-13   89  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   12-07     Day 3: 5   09-15
13. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             15  35-11   88  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   10-01
14. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA             15  35-00   87  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   14-08     Day 3: 5   08-00
15. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX              15  34-13   86  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   13-05     Day 3: 5   11-04
16. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  34-12   85  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 5   11-15
17. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          15  34-08   84  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   12-01     Day 3: 5   07-14
18. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         14  34-06   83  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   09-10     Day 2: 5   13-00     Day 3: 5   11-12
19. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           15  34-06   82  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   11-05     Day 3: 5   11-11
20. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            15  33-14   81  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   13-06     Day 3: 5   10-15
21. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  33-10   80  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   11-04     Day 3: 5   11-06
22. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        14  33-03   79  $11,000.00
Day 1: 4   09-15     Day 2: 5   11-00     Day 3: 5   12-04
23. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX        14  33-00   78  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   09-08     Day 3: 4   09-11
24. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  32-14   77  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   11-02     Day 3: 5   10-04
25. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  32-02   76  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   14-00     Day 3: 5   09-00
26. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               15  32-02   75  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   12-08
27. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              14  31-13   74  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   13-12     Day 3: 4   06-08
28. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI              15  31-05   73  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   07-15
29. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            14  31-03   72  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 4   08-11
30. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  31-02   71  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   10-11     Day 3: 5   06-15
31. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             15  30-12   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-14     Day 2: 5   07-12     Day 3: 5   09-02
32. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             15  30-03   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   09-14     Day 3: 5   10-01
33. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          14  29-12   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   10-05     Day 3: 4   09-02
34. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 13  29-09   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 3   06-08     Day 2: 5   13-08     Day 3: 5   09-09
35. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          13  29-06   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 3   06-13
36. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15  29-06   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   07-05     Day 2: 5   12-03     Day 3: 5   09-14
37. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  29-04   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   10-00     Day 3: 5   09-11
38. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                15  28-15   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   09-04     Day 3: 5   09-04
39. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             15  28-09   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 5   07-04
40. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           11  28-04   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 4   12-10     Day 3: 2   05-11
41. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI           15  27-15   60  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 5   07-04
42. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            13  27-13   59  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   11-01     Day 3: 3   04-07
43. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK            15  27-13   58  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   09-12     Day 3: 5   09-00
44. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 15  27-11   57  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-13     Day 2: 5   09-01     Day 3: 5   07-13
45. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              12  27-07   56  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   14-04     Day 3: 2   03-10
46. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            15  27-07   55  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   09-03     Day 3: 5   08-05
47. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              14  26-13   54  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 5   11-07     Day 3: 4   05-15
48. Frank Talley           Temple, TX              11  24-08   53  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 4   09-07     Day 3: 2   03-10
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Clark Wendlandt          Leander, TX         05-04      $1,000.00
2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         05-11      $1,000.00
3   Jay Yelas                Lincoln City, OR    05-06      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        68       414       872-06
2        76       454       968-01
3        38       222       458-06
———————————-
182      1090      2298-13

Perfect Consistency Gives Mueller The Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Neely Henry Lake

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Perfect Consistency Gives Mueller The Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Neely Henry Lake

Paul Mueller, of Naugatuck, Conn., is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with a two-day total of 30 pounds, 6 ounces. 

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

May 8, 2021

Perfect Consistency Gives Mueller The Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Neely Henry Lake

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GADSDEN, Ala. — Paul Mueller said consistency will decide who wins the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

If that’s the case, the 37-year-old pro from Naugatuck, Conn., is in the perfect position at the halfway point of the tournament.

Mueller caught a five-bass limit on Saturday that weighed 15 pounds, 3 ounces, the same total he boated Friday on this 11,200-acre reservoir of the Coosa River in northeast Alabama. His 30-6 total leads the event, which began a day late due to heavy rains earlier in the week that swelled Neely Henry’s water level in places and stained the water throughout.

Those conditions have made fishing tricky for most anglers through Day 2, but Mueller has stayed steady. Fifty other anglers weren’t so lucky as the 98-angler field was trimmed to 48 following the Day 2 weigh-in at the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

“To win one of these, you can’t have one bad day,” Mueller said. “If you slip, it’ll keep you from winning. I’ve been in that position more times than winning. You have that bad day, you finish fifth or whatever.”

Mueller weighed three largemouth and a pair of spotted bass on Saturday. He said he didn’t cover nearly as much water as he did a day earlier, but he’s pounding the areas he is fishing.

“I’m doing what I like to do, chunking and winding a crankbait,” he said. “I’d rather do that than eat. I like to do my own thing and not fish next to anyone. It’s important for me to fish my own stuff. And if you can do what you like to do, you’re better off. You don’t play someone else’s ball game.”

Mueller’s heavy on Saturday was a 4-pound largemouth. He added a spotted bass that weighed about 3 1/4 pounds, another quality bite here this week, but he lamented missing two spots he said were heavier than the couple of 2 1/2-pounders that rounded out his Day 2 bag.

“You really need one big bite here to go with four 2 1/2-pounders,” he said. “If you get that, you’ll have the right weight.”

Brock Mosley, a 32-year old Elite from Collinsville, Miss., caught 12-14 Saturday. Coupled with his Day 1 weight of 16-15, he’s in second place with 29-13.

Mosely said he continued the “junk fishing” that vaulted him to the top of the standings Friday.

“I’m just trying to not get into a bad rotation,” Mosley said. “I’m fishing a lot of new water and I don’t know where my good bites are going to come from. I’m just trying to keep my head down and fish as hard as I can.”

Mosley said Neely Henry was draining Saturday, which produced different conditions and made more water available to him.

“I caught a couple on topwater today after not catching anything in practice on that,” he said. “I’m just fishing what’s in front of me and trying to survive each day.”

Mosley said the pleasant weather on Saturday (mid- to high 60s, sunny) attracted many local anglers, which made Neely Henry fish smaller than it would with just 98 pros on the water. He was able to fend off the crowd, though, and knows he’s in a power position with the derby halfway home.

“There’s so much still that can happen,” he said. “My goal today was a 13- or 14-pound bag and one big bite could make it 15 pounds. There’s a chance to catch a 5- to 7-pound fish, too. There are some in here, I just have to make them open their mouths. It’ll be interesting.”

Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., is in third with 29-6. He caught 14-4 Saturday to go with the 15-2 that had him in sixth place after Day 1.

“I’m just moving around the lake, trying to fish a pattern and key on some things when the weather’s right,” the 55-year-old pro said. “I really need the sunshine to help my bite.”

Sunday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a continued warming trend, with temperatures peaking above 80 degrees. There’s a 60% chance of rain on Monday, though.

That forecast didn’t dampen Auten’s spirit. He’s won a tournament on Neely Henry previously and finished third in another.

“This lake has been good to me,” he said.

The next five anglers are all within 13 ounces of one another, though at least 2 pounds behind Auten and 3 behind Mueller.

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., is fourth with 27-6, followed by Bob Downey of Hudson, Wis., with 27-1 and Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., with 27-0. Alabamians Clent Davis of Montevallo and Wes Logan of Springville are seventh and eighth, with 26-10 and 26-9, respectively.

Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., won the daily $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award for the 5-11 he caught Saturday. That’s the heaviest bass caught through two days of competition.

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in 10th place at Neely Henry with 25-14. He’s still clinging to the lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 527 points, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 484, Mosley with 470 and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 456.

The remaining 48 Elites will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, also known as Coosa Landing, with weigh-in back at the docks at 2:30 p.m. The Top 10 following Sunday’s weigh-in will compete on Championship Monday with $100,000 on the line.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast the action live with the leaders beginning at 7 a.m.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism are hosting this week’s Elite Series event.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

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

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Clark Wendlandt          Leander, TX         05-04      $1,000.00
2   Cliff Prince             Palatka, FL         05-11      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        68       414       872-06
2        76       454       968-01
———————————-
144       868      1840-07

Mosley Junk Fishes His Way To Early Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Muddy Neely Henry Lake

wpalert
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Mosley Junk Fishes His Way To Early Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Muddy Neely Henry Lake

Brock Mosley, of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with 16 pounds, 15 ounces. 

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

May 7, 2021

Mosley Junk Fishes His Way To Early Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Muddy Neely Henry Lake

GADSDEN, Ala. — After a few forgettable practice rounds, Brock Mosley polished his junk fishing repertoire to produce a shining start at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

Mosley, a 32-year-old pro from Collinsville, Miss., weighed a limit of five bass on Friday that totaled 16 pounds, 15 ounces, putting him at the top of the pack in the tournament that was due to start Thursday but was postponed because of extremely heavy rain in the region earlier this week.

All that rain swelled Neely Henry’s water level and sent sediment shooting through the north end of the fishery. Anglers struggled to find clean water, if they could at all, and a muddy Neely Henry made fishing tough on those heading uplake. Others heading down the 11,250-acre impoundment found many of their spots inaccessible thanks to the flow of water choked at the natural bottleneck on the lake known as Minnesota Bend.

The varied conditions led Mosley to “junk fishing,” or using a variety of techniques and lures in numerous places to see what worked.

Something certainly did for him, with 5-pound and 4 1/2-pound kickers anchoring the limit he brought to the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

“It was a special day, especially after my practice,” Mosley said. “The biggest one I had in practice was only 2 1/4. I was hoping to just catch a limit today and they just bit better than they have all week. I’m fishing upriver, downriver, anything I can. It was just one of those days where everything bounced my way.”

Because he struggled to find anything consistent during practice, Mosley had no idea where he wanted to begin fishing Friday morning. He settled on a place, he said, mostly “because no one else was in there.”

“I was Boat 92 (of 98 taking off) this morning, and this being a small lake, I figured it might be the only place all day I wouldn’t fish behind somebody,” he said. “That’s where I caught the 4 1/2-pounder and I just started fishing new stuff from there. I had all my weight by 11 a.m., but I didn’t lay off anything because I didn’t have anything to lay off.”

Mosley noted that Friday’s weather (mid-60s, partly cloudy skies) was the best it’s been all week, which could have contributed to the better catches most anglers had.

“The fish also got a break yesterday (with the tournament postponed),” he said. “They got the chance to adjust to the high water, the low water. But it’s not easy. It’s a real grind out there.”

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is in second place with 16-7. Like Mosley, the 31-year-old pro was surprised by the heft of his bag, considering the struggles he endured in practice.

“I had a little place where I thought I could get some bites, but I couldn’t get to it,” New said. “The water was too low. So, I wound up messing around, practicing, junk fishing. I caught a 4 1/2-pounder and a 3-plus … I think I ruled some stuff out today, maybe added a few things. I think we can make something happen tomorrow.”

Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third place with 15-13. He was another in the long line of anglers who didn’t figure much out in practice but struck some Alabama gold when competition began.

“I caught four in practice doing the same thing I did today when I caught 15 or 20,” he said. “The water’s dirty still, but I think it’s making the fishing better. Nothing has been easy this week.”

Wendlandt won $1,000 for the 5-4 he caught that was the day’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass.

“I kind of ran into that 5-4,” he said. “I’d love for that to happen again tomorrow.”

Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., is fourth with 15-4, followed by Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., with 15-3 and Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., with 15-2.

A cluster of Alabama anglers is just behind that group — Clent Davis of Montevallo with 14-9, Gerald Swindle of Guntersville with 14-3 and Wes Logan of Springville with 14-1.

The full field of 98 Elites will take off again at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, also known as Coosa Landing, with weigh-in back at the docks at 2:30 p.m. The Top 48 after Day 2 will advance to the semifinal round on Sunday.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast the action live with the leaders beginning at 7 a.m.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism are hosting this week’s Elite Series event.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden  AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

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

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Clark Wendlandt          Leander, TX         05-04      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        68       414       872-06
———————————-
68       414       872-06

MLF Announces Updated Schedule for 2021 Western Events

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MLF Announces Updated Schedule for 2021 Western Events
New Dates and Locations Confirmed for Toyota Series, Abu Garcia College Fishing and U.S. Army High School Fishing Events on California Delta and Lake Havasu

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TULSA, Okla. (May 7, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today an updated schedule for the 2021 Toyota Series Western Division, along with the accompanying Abu Garcia College Fishing and U.S. Army High School Fishing Open events.

The first Western event of the season, the Toyota Series at the California Delta, will run as scheduled next week, May 13-15, with the accompanying Abu Garcia College Fishing Open taking place on May 15 and the U.S. Army High School Fishing Open Presented by Googan Baits taking place on May 16.

The second Toyota Series Western Division event of the season, originally set for earlier this year at Lake Shasta, has been rescheduled to August 3-5, and will now take place on the California Delta in Oakley, California. The coinciding College Fishing event will take place on Aug. 5 and the High School Fishing Open Presented by Googan Baits is set for Aug. 6.

The third and final Toyota Series Western Division event in 2021, originally set to take place on Clear Lake, Sept. 23-25, has been moved due to low water conditions on Clear Lake. The event, and the accompanying College Fishing and High School Fishing events will now take place at Lake Havasu, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

UPDATED 2021 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Western Division Schedule:

  • May 13-15          California Delta                Oakley, Calif.
  • Aug. 3-5               California Delta                Oakley, Calif.
  • Sept. 23-25        Lake Havasu                      Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

UPDATED 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Western Conference Schedule:

  • May 15                 California Delta                Oakley, Calif.
  • Aug. 5                   California Delta                Oakley, Calif.
  • Sept. 25               Lake Havasu                      Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

UPDATED 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Schedule:

  • May 16                 California Delta Presented by Googan Baits       Oakley, Calif.
  • Aug. 6                   California Delta Presented by Googan Baits       Oakley, Calif.
  • Sept. 26               Lake Havasu Presented by Googan Baits             Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

The 2021 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – the Central Division Presented by Neat Companies, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Tournament winners and anglers who finish in the top 25 after three events in any of the six divisions qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $245,000 cash. Anglers may also qualify for the championship as one of the top 12 in the new virtual Wild Card division where anglers who fish four or more Toyota Series tournaments are ranked on their top three finishes.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. Registration is accepted from any eligible college team from across the United States. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.

U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school team in the United States. The top 10-percent of each High School Open, held prior to June 14, 2021, will qualify to compete at the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship, held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals June 30-July 3 on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, and  YouTube.
About Major League Fishing

Jeff Brann and Steven Bailey Win 5 Alive Team Trail Qualifier #4  Mayo Lake  5/1/2021

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Jeff Brann and Steven Bailey Win 5 Alive Team Trail Qualifier #4  Mayo Lake  5/1/2021

5 Alive Team Trail Qualifier #4
Mayo Lake.   5/1/2021

We had our 4th Qualifier for the 2021 season on Saturday at Mayo Lake. Once again a cold front sits rite down on top of us for tournament day.? The count is still going and as of rite now I’m 4 for 4 on the cold fronts. I sure know how to pick em.?‍♂️ We had 69 boats come out and battle it out on what was actually a stingy Mayo Lake. The fishing was tough but the Team of Jeff Brann  & Steven Bailey was able to put it all together and bring home the WIN. It was a well deserved win as they have had more 2nd place finishes than any other team that has fished the last 3 years with us. They brought in a 5 fish limit weighing 19.71 pounds.They also won Big Fish with a 5.87 pound fish. They took home everything you could win. Tournament ,TWT and Big Fish earning them a total of $2940.00. Coming in 2nd with another good bag was the Team of Craig Hall  & Bobby Carter. They brought in a 5 fish limit weighing 18.82 pounds earning them 2nd place and 2nd place TWT worth $1080.00.
Our Bobcats Bait and Tackle kids tournament  was won by Mr. Logan Revels. Earning him another $50.00 gift card to Bobcats. Mr. David Gentry has come in this year and sponsored our kids tournament also. Mr. Logan Revels also won the $30.00 bonus money from Mr. Gentry. 2nd place in the kids tournament was Ethan Larabee. He got the $20.00 bonus money donated by Mr Gentry. Our $ 50.00 Bass Pro Shops gift card giveaway was won by  non other than Mr Logan Revels. That young man had a good day! Our Daves Tournament Tackle giveaway was won by Daniel Mise . We want to give a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners last Saturday. We also want to say THANK YOU to everyone that has come out and fished with us this year. Yall are a great group of guys and gal’s and we really enjoy having yall!

We have one more Qualifier left for the year and we will crown the 2021 Points Champions . It’s going to be a good one to watch. There are several teams in contention.

The 5th and final Qualifier is on 6/5/2021 at Kerr Lake, Occoneechee Ramp.
Thank y’all again and we will see y’all in June.

Results
1st. Brann & Bailey-  19.71 – $ 2940.00
2nd. Hall & Carter-  18.82-  $ 1080.00
3rd. Moser & Beal-  17.73 – $ 800.00
4th. Morton & Riggs-  17.27-  $ 530.00
5th. Yeatts & Yeatts-  16.68 – $ 310.00
6th. Zeb Barnette –  16.39 –  $275.00
7th. Kevin Brown –  16.18-  $ 260.00
8th. Farman & Farman-  16.09 –  $175.00
9th. Sharpe & Sharpe – 15.85 –  $ 100.00

Big fish Brann & Bailey- 5.87 – $690.0

 

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