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Michael Garner & Bill Shelton Win CATT Kerr Lake, VA Feb 28, 2021
Next Kerr Spring Qualifier is this coming weekend March 7!
Sorry Guys no pictures this time. We were following the Covid guidelines that were in place which was only 10 people could gather. It has changed to 25 so we should be good for this weekends tournament.
Michael Garner & Bill Shelton took 1st Place with 5 bass weighing 14.06 lbs worth $1,280.00!
| Teams | BF | Weight | Winnings | Points |
| Michael Garner / Billy Shelton | 3.93 | 14.06 | $1,280.00 | 110 |
| Emmitt Whitby / Justin Dalton | 2.65 | 12.42 | $815.00 | 109 |
| Evan White / Shane Doughtie | 3.89 | 11.10 | $455.00 | 108 |
| Brandon Gray | 4.49 | 9.87 | $246.00 | 107 |
| Mike Riggs / Chuck Morton | 3.29 | 9.74 | $115.00 | 106 |
| Jay Fogleman / Robert Perkins | 0.00 | 9.40 | $100.00 | 105 |
| Lonnie Whitfield / Phillip Smith | 3.08 | 7.04 | 104 | |
| Marty Williams / Jerry Bono | 2.56 | 6.12 | 103 | |
| Donnie Avant / Randy Waterman | 0.00 | 5.76 | 102 | |
| Mike Maull / Greg Lahr | 5.60 | 5.60 | $224.00 | 101 |
| Brian & Evan Young | 0.00 | 5.44 | 100 | |
| Tommy Marrow / Dennis Reedy | 4.48 | 4.48 | 99 | |
| Charlie Gunter / Derick Bowden | 2.68 | 4.33 | 98 | |
| Michael Stewart / Buck Clark | 2.76 | 4.12 | 97 | |
| Darnel Small / Donald Coleman | 0.00 | 2.86 | 96 | |
| Brandon Slaughter / Brandon Curtis | 1.00 | 2.51 | 95 | |
| Kevin Brown / Chris Wimbish | 1.00 | 1.90 | 94 | |
| Russell Rigsbee / Shane Robbins | 1.00 | 1.33 | 93 | |
| Ryan Roller / Gary Colwell | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Andrew Kerns / Gray Williams | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Kevin Dickens / R J Johnson | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Jenny Li / Michael Dikun | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Paul Rigsbee / Corey Leonard | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Tyler & Ricky Trent | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Eddie Glascock / Billy Dunn | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Jason & Danny Houchins | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Robbie Kennon / Ross Kennon | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Kevin & Joey Dawson | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| David Farrington / Terry Easter | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Cavin Young / Rob Wells | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Arron Falwell / Steven Coleman | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Marty Warren / Daniel Jenkins | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Tyler Calloway / Ben Dalton | 0.00 | 0.00 | 83 | |
| Total Entrys | $2,560.00 | |||
| BONUS $ | $1,200.00 | |||
| Total Paid At Ramp | $3,235.00 | |||
| Kerr 2021 Spring Final Fund | $440.00 | |||
| 2021 CATT Championship/Phantom Fund | $50.00 | |||
| 2021 Kerr Spring Final Fund Total | $440.00 | |||
| 2021 CATT Championship/Phantom Total | $1,110.00 |
Bass Pro Shops Amateur Tournament Kicks-Off Saturday, March 13
Weigh-in events include country music star Chris Janson and legends Bill Dance and Roland Martin
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – The path to the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships – a first-of-its-kind amateur fishing tournament offering the biggest payout in freshwater fishing history – begins at Lake Okeechobee on Saturday, March 13. With proceeds benefiting local fisheries conservation and the future of fishing, the fan-friendly event is a true celebration of bass fishing being held exclusively for amateur anglers with a guaranteed purse value of $4.3 million.
Weigh-in events, which begin at 2:30 p.m. ET, feature Bill Dance and Roland Martin as well as country music star, Chris Janson. Awards ceremony begins 6:30 p.m. ET.
Okeechobee Media credential request, HERE.
Digital Assets, HERE. (credit: Bass Pro Shops).
The next qualifying event is scheduled for April 17, 2021 on Lake Ray Roberts (Grapevine, Texas). Registration is complete for the 250-field, two-person team tournament.
Fantasy Fishing Winner Enjoys Dream Weekend At Bassmaster Elite Event
Joshua Phillips of Knoxville, Tenn., won the 2020 Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing championship title and was invited for a VIP weekend, which included meeting the anglers on his roster.
Photo by Shane Durrance/B.A.S.S.
March 5, 2021
Fantasy Fishing Winner Enjoys Dream Weekend At Bassmaster Elite Event
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An estimated 45.9 million Americans play fantasy sports. But how many of those players ever have the opportunity to meet their league-winning team?
When Joshua Phillips of Knoxville, Tenn., began playing Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing in 2020, he never imagined that he would close out the year as Fantasy Fishing Champion — besting nearly 37,500 other players — or that he would spend a weekend among the world’s best anglers at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River.
“It is crazy knowing I beat so many people in my first season,” said Phillips. “It is an honor and I can say forever that I won Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing in the crazy year of 2020.”
While he has mastered competitive prognostication, the weekend provided Phillips with an opportunity to delve behind-the-scenes of an actual Elite Series event. On Days 2 and 3 of the tournament, Phillips spent time with the contenders before launch, joined a media boat on the water to track the action and even traded Fantasy Fishing tips with B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. While being interviewed on Bassmaster LIVE, Phillips engaged in some good-natured trash talk with Fantasy Fishing guru and Inside Bassmaster LIVE host Ronnie Moore. All of this before being recognized in front of a crowd of enthusiastic fans during weigh-in on Semifinal Saturday.
The most rewarding part of his experience was spending time with his favorite anglers and the pros who helped Phillips secure the 2020 Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing championship.
“Meeting everyone, it was a blessing and made me feel like I was a part of the Bassmaster crew,” Phillips said. “It was awesome going out on the boat and watching John Cox and Steve Kennedy (on Championship Sunday).”
In addition to scoring the bragging rights that came with winning the coveted Fantasy Fishing season points championship title, Phillips also won over $20,000 in gift cards, cash and gear.
Like many champs, Phillips is finding it hard to repeat last season’s success, and his Tennessee River roster wasn’t performing up to his high standards.
“I knew I should have picked up (Brandon) Card for my team, but choosing local anglers came back to bite me some last year,” said Phillips. Brandon Card, the former Knoxville-native, ended the tournament in the Top 4. The highest-placing member of Phillips’ Fantasy Fishing roster finished outside the Top 35.
It isn’t too late to get in on the fun and start playing Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing. Players can register at any point during the season and the Top 20 points leaders in every tournament get their share of prizes, including Rapala Touch Screen Scales and culling kit, Rapala Performance Tool Combos, Rapala baits, clothing, gift cards, cash prizes and more.
Participants select their best five-angler team for each Elite Series event and the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, then compete against other players to score the highest number of points. Points are awarded based on each angler’s final standings at the end of an Elite Series event, and every event will feature $2,500 in prizes from Rapala.
Registration for the 2021 competition, along with full rules and a description of each prize package, can be found at Bassmaster.com/fantasy.
About B.A.S.S.
New Jersey’s Johnson and Potter Take the Lead at 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance
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GROVE, Okla. (March 4, 2021) – Zachary Potter of Haddon Township, New Jersey, and Alex Johnson of Milltown, New Jersey, moved into the lead after Day Two of the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake . The duo brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces, bringing them to the top of the leaderboard after starting the day in ninth place. Their two-day total of 29 pounds, 6 ounces gives them a 2-pound, 3-ounce lead over the second-place team from Murray State University – Zachary Martin of Murray, Kentucky, and Harbor Lovin of Fayetteville, Ohio – who brought a limit to the scale weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces, bringing their total to 27 pounds, 3 ounces.
Fishing down the lake, the New Jersey duo said they have barely caught a limit both days.
“Both days have been a grind – we had five bites on Wednesday and seven bites on Thursday,” said Johnson. “We are fishing slow in one small area and we know it has the right ones in it. We’ve had two bite windows both days – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – so we are just sitting around in the middle of the day, which is a little mentally taxing, but we’re keeping our head in it.”
Johnson said they are fishing a stretch of gravel bank with scattered wood mixed in and have caught fish off both individual targets and the open bank.
The pair, who had never fished on Grand Lake prior to the tournament, said they caught a couple fish on various lures, but most of their damage was done throwing a jerkbait.
“We aren’t getting a ton of bites, so tomorrow might be hit or miss, but we know the right fish are in that area, so if we just keep our head down and work, we should be able to pull it off,” said Johnson. “With so few bites though, it could easily disappear on us.”
“We just have to grind it out tomorrow and hope for the best,” Potter added.
In their final year of college fishing, the anglers said winning the College Fishing National Championship during their senior year would be an amazing end to their journey.
“This is my fourth national championship, and I’ve had a pretty good college career in the qualifiers, but I’ve had a tendency to get my teeth kicked in the national championship,” said Johnson. “I’ve blown a couple chances and I really feel like I need some redemption this week.”
“Alex and I have fished together the past two years and finished the qualifiers this year with three Top 10’s, so we’re hoping to keep the momentum going throughout this event on Grand Lake,” said Potter.
The full field of 150 teams competed on Wednesday and Thursday, with only the top-10 – based on two-day cumulative weight – advancing to Championship Friday. The National Champions will be crowned Friday based on the cumulative three-day weight total.
The top 10 teams that now advance to Championship Friday on Grand Lake are:
1st: Zachary Potter, Haddon Township, N.J. and Alex Johnson, Milltown, N.J., 10 bass, 29-6
2nd: Murray State University – Zachary Martin, Murray, Ky., and Harbor Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, 10 bass, 27-3
3rd: Drury University – Cole Breeden, Eldridge, Mo., and Cameron Smith, Nixa, Mo., 10 bass, 27-0
4th: Josh Kelly, Cortland, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-0
5th: Drury University – Grant Harris, Springfield, Mo., and Beau Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 25-4
6th: University of Montevallo – Grayson Morris, Birmingham, Ala., and Jacob Pfundt, Ball Ground, Ga., 10 bass, 23-0
7th: Murray State University – Blake Albertson, Bloomington, Ind., and Luke Ripple, Mount Vernon, Ind., 10 bass, 22-10
8th: Justin Luetkemeyer and Josh Luetkemeyer, both of Chesterfield, Mo., nine bass, 22-6
9th: McKendree University – Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., and Tyler Christy, Bolingbrook, Ill., seven bass, 21-8
10th: Adrian College – Gunner Wilson, Fenton, Mich., and Zach Manneback, Hartland, Mich., nine bass, 20-3
For a full list of results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 193 bass weighing 439 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 144 teams Thursday. The catch included 17 five-bass limits.
The final 10 teams will launch Championship Friday from Wolf Creek Park, located at 963 N. 16th St. in Grove at 7 a.m. CT. Friday’s championship weigh-in will also be held at the park starting at 3 p.m. and will be livestreamed. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The 12th annual College Fishing Championship is a three-day event featuring the top 150 college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in an internationally televised, no-entry fee tournament for a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team and the runners-up at the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete as pros for a top prize of up to $235,000. Both members of the third-place team will advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for a shot at winning a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake is hosted by the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau.
National television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere Sunday, July 4, from 8-9 a.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel, with re-airs on the Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network in the fall.
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. 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About MLF BIG5
MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers.
Early Bite Puts Walters On Top At Bassmaster Southern Open On Harris Chain
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KAYAK ELITE HOPE FOR BIG BASS AND FAST ACTION AT BROKEN BOW LAKE EVENT
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Hobie BOS competitor Joseph Sanderson caught, photographed and released this 12.5-pound hawg three years ago on Broken Bow Lake, OK. Photo courtesy of Guillermo Gonzalez. |
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KAYAK ELITE HOPE FOR BIG BASS AND FAST ACTION AT BROKEN BOW LAKE EVENT |
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Surrounded by mountain parklands in the southeast corner of the “The Sooner State,” this beautiful highland impoundment could see warming weather light up the bite. |
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OCEANSIDE, Calif. (March 4, 2021) – “With two events completed already this spring, it’s time to push into another region of the country and see what kind of bite awaits our amazing kayak competitors on the third leg of the 2021 Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole®,” says tournament director A.J. McWhorter. “This weekend brings the competition to Broken Bow Lake, a picturesque impoundment on the Mountain Fork River. This location pushes back 22 miles into the base of the Ouachita Mountains in McCurtain County, and it carries a reputation for fast action and some real lunkers. In short, it’s a lake that’s just full of possibilities.” Cold and deep, Broken Bow covers 14,000 acres with an average depth of 62 feet and maximum depth of 185. It features bluffs and rock walls, rock piles and plenty of points with steep drop-offs. In case that isn’t enough to whet your bassin’ appetite, it also sports plenty of islands, standing timber and coves, plus 180 miles of shoreline. That means anglers have options aplenty and should be able to fish to their strengths whether that be finesse fishing along channel banks or hard bottom, working crankbaits or jerkbaits at mid-depths, or digging into the brush for bass that are moving up toward the shoreline should water levels run high. “Last year we set our Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Anchored by Power-Pole® attendance record in this general region at Lake Fork Reservoir,” recalls McWhorter. “I’m curious to see how many elite kayak bassin’ fans show up for this event. It should be a solid turnout.” That’s exactly what Hobie tourney regular Guillermo Gonzalez is expecting. The perennial paycheck contender from Fort Worth, Texas notes that many anglers used to participate in the Beavers Bend Charity Kayak tournament here. “Unfortunately, that competition hasn’t been held for the past two years, so I’m betting there’s a lot of pent-up excitement for this Hobie event. It should draw quite a crowd so get to the ramps early. Despite the pressure, I’m thinking there will be plenty of fish caught – and maybe a few big ones, too. This lake is notorious for giving up some of Oklahoma’s biggest bass each year, a few of which have pushed into the double digits. |
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Another angler to keep your eyes on if you enjoy watching the leader board is Matt Scotch, also from Fort Worth. He has a storied history on these waters – and it’s all good. “I’m not sure exactly why, but I’m always lucky in this casino,” chuckles Scotch. “I’m one of those guys who enjoyed fishing the Beavers Bend charity tournament. It would usually draw about 130 entrants. First-place finisher earned $5,000 and second place received a Hobie kayak. Long story short, I entered six times – and won four Hobie Outbacks. They certainly are outstanding prizes, but go figure…” Scotch says Broken Bow is loaded with 15- to 19-inch largemouths and holds some true hawgs, respectable smallmouths, and numerous but generally smaller spotted bass. It’s the bucketmouths that should be the key to placing in the money, he believes, as he estimates they comprise about 70 percent of the bass population here. Still, some of the smallies will push into the 19- or 20-inch class, so you might see some combined limits with a nice bronzeback kicker or two. “If you are new to this lake, concentrate on working up a limit first, then try to figure out some bigger fish,” advises Scotch. “Keep in mind that you’ll see mostly natural bass habitat here. There are no docks, so come prepared to prospect around standing timber, slate and granite bluffs, or in the deep clear water near the dam. By now, the biological clock should be ticking on the bass, so expect them to be staging near spawning areas. A little wind and cloud cover might make these fish more active, but bluebird skies could have the opposite effect.” |
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Scotch plans on using one of his Hobie Outbacks for this event, noting that having a great kayak can be a big advantage in springtime fishing because it lets anglers ease into waters bass boats can’t reach. That edge might increase if water levels run high and invite bass deeper into the brush. Gonzales, meanwhile, reminds anglers that Broken Bow is a highlands lake. That, he says, is easy to forget if you focus on it being in Oklahoma. “You’ve got extremely clear water on the south end but as you work further north up the Mountain Fork River, it starts to develop more color. Depending on rain, it can get muddy up toward the north end, but you can always expect the south end to be clear. If water temperatures get above 50 degrees this weekend, that pre-spawn pattern should set up pretty strong.” Keep in mind also that rocks play well at Broken Bow. There are a lot of rocky points, and some rock piles worth exploring at mid-lake. Historically, largemouth power the wins here, but don’t be surprised if you see majority largemouth limits with an 18- to 21-inch bronzeback kicker. Typical largemouths run 16 inches, but any tourney can see a fish stretching the tape past 24 inches. “Be sure to leave a little time on your schedule after the tournament to check out the surrounding area,” says Charity O’Donnell, Executive Director of the McCurtain County Tourism Authority. “Broken Bow Lake is a beautiful reservoir with cold, clear water and it’s enjoyed by anglers year-round. We’re excited to have Hobie do a tournament here, and we encourage competitors and their families to also explore our growing tourism community. In addition to an amazing lake and beautiful mountains, you’ll discover wonderful restaurants, attractions and activities to enjoy when you come off the water.” I’m really excited about this one,” sums up Gonzales. “I think the guys that figure it out are going to put up big numbers. I don’t know if they’ll be quite Seminole numbers, but I would be shocked if there weren’t a lot of limits over 90 inches.” |
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Scotch agrees with that assessment, adding that in addition to the fishing, there’s plenty of wildlife and scenic vistas to enjoy. “The bass can be really aggressive given the right conditions, the water is crystal clear and beautiful to look at, the rolling hills provide a scenic backdrop, and there are bald eagles and river otters living here, too. Put all that together and this is one tournament you don’t want to miss.” |
Montgomery ISD High School Fishing Team – ST.Croix
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VOICES OF VICTORY: |
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Montgomery ISD High School Fishing Team |
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For high school athletes competing in a winning program, victory comes in many forms |
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PARK FALLS, Wisc. (March 4, 2021) – Comprised of students attending Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School in the talent-stacked Houston area, the Montgomery ISD Fishing Team competes in the Texas High School Bass Association. The celebrated team – and it’s individual members – “win” regularly, but for these developing young anglers and their coach, Mark Hooker, “victory” doesn’t always mean making the podium. |
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Victory to me means just going out on the water and learning new things and catching that bass that I worked really hard for. – Dallin Turner, senior at Lake Creek High School Even the smallest things count out there on the water. Sometimes victory means having the right rod or the right reel. – Carson Rennell, senior at Lake Creek High School Victory to me is any day on the water when I feel like I learned something new… anything that betters me as an angler. – Cade Lipham, junior at Lake Creek High School Victory is when our plan or our dedication and preparation comes together to form a top-ten finish, because we’re always fishing against a bunch of really good anglers. – Fallon Clepper, sophomore at Lake Creek High School As a team, we won Angler of the Year last year for Montgomery. Victory to me means that we had a great day out on the water and the team as a whole did really well. – Wyatt Ford, sophomore at Lake Creek High School I define victory as getting out there and doing everything you can do to catch fish… or just having a good time on a nice day. – Sofy Hartman, junior at Montgomery High School Montgomery ISD Coach, Mark Hooker, has been part of the St. Croix Family since 1998. “I’m honored to be the fishing coach and sponsor for the most successful fishing team in the Texas High School Bass Association. When we win – which has been more often than not – it’s because of everyone putting in the effort. That’s a victory. We’ve been conference champs six years, runners up once, and regional champs twice. We’ve finished third and fourth in the state, but no matter where we finish, we are always competitive. That’s another victory. But winning the Texas State Championship in 2017? Well, that’s the epitome of victory. It was an awesome feeling.” |
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McClung Takes The ABA Win On Lake Norman
ATHENS, Al. – Phillip McClung of Salisbury NC, won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series season opener on Lake Norman on 2/27/21. Running out of Pinnacle Wildlife Access in Mooresville NC, McClung weighed in a five bass limit weighing 13.53 pounds. McClung took home $2500.00 for the win. Also being in the Triton Gold program he qualified for contingency monies from Triton.
“It was a grind today,” said McClung. “I caught some of my fish on a crankbait in the 4-5 foot depth and some of my fish on the A-rig.”
Taking second for the boaters, Jerry Pruitt of Vale, NC weighed in a five bass limit weighing 12.74 pounds. His limit was anchored by a bass weighing 6.14 pounds which was the largest bass weighed in by a boater. Pruitt took home $1600.00.
“I caught all of my fish today on a crankbait in the 5-6 foot range,” said Pruitt. “I was able to cull out once.”
Taking third for the boaters Scott Beattie of Sherrill’s Ford, NC weighed in five bass weighing 12.63 pounds.
Beattie reported catching his fish on a Queen’s Tackle titanium 3/8-ounce jig with a zoom twin tail with the tail dyed in 1-2 feet around docks.
In fourth place for the boaters, Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, NC weighed in five bass weighing 12.57 pounds and rounding out the top five Scott Hamrick of Denver, NC weighed in five bass weighing 11.66 pounds.
In the co-angler division Steve Cannon of Wilkesboro, NC weighed in three bass weighing 7.51 pounds to take the win. His weight was anchored by a bass weighing 3.24 pounds. Cannon took home $1000.00 for the win.
“I caught six keepers today all on a crankbait in the 6-8 foot range,” said Cannon.
In second place for the co-anglers, Chris Anderson of Mooresville, NC weighed in a three bass limit weighing 6.93 pounds.
Anderson reported catching four keepers all on a jerkbait in the 2-12 foot range.
Taking third for the co-anglers, Anthony Petrella of Charlotte, NC weighed in three bass weighing 5.48 pounds.
“I caught six keepers today on a crankbait fishing the 6-8 foot range,” said Petrella.
In fourth place for the co-anglers, Mark Glende of Raleigh, NC weighed in three bass weighing 5.39 pounds and rounding out the top five, Stanley Jimson of Kings Mountain, NC weighed in three bass weighing 5.03 pounds.
Patrick Cotchen of Johnstown, PA took the co-angler big bass honors with a bass that weighed 4.75 pounds. Cotchen took home $265.00 for his catch.
About American Bass Anglers – American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by: Bass Pro Shops, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats, Tracker boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Monster Energy drinks, Garmin, T-H Marine, ABU Garcia, Berkley, Engle Coolers, REKS Sunglasses, Power Pole and Hotel Planner.com.
Drury University Grabs Early Lead at 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance
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GROVE, Okla. (March 3, 2021) – The Drury University duo of Cole Breeden of Eldridge, Missouri and Cameron Smith of Nixa, Missouri, grabbed the early lead Wednesday after Day One of the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake . The Panthers team brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces, giving them a mere 2-ounce lead over the second-place solo angler Josh Kelly of Cortland, Ohio.
While many teams struggled to even get a bite on Wednesday due to the recent winter weather in the region, the Drury duo said they were culling early.
“The day started off pretty strong and we had a solid 10- or 11-pound limit by about 8:45,” said Smith, a senior majoring in biology. “We just continued to upgrade gradually throughout the day.”
“We replaced little bass with ones that were just a little bit bigger,” said Breeden, a junior marketing major. “We also had two that were about 3 pounds, so that really helped us.”
Breeden and Smith said they were mostly fishing shallow, but they hadn’t come close to running into one of the 5- or 6-pound tanks that roam Grand Lake.
“We were in an area where there are a lot of fish, so I don’t really think numbers will be a problem,” said Breeden. “We saw a lot of bait fish, but there were just so m any little bass. We’re hoping the warm weather Wednesday and Thursday might spur some of the bigger females to move up.”
“We found a lot of little schools of males up shallow,” said Smith. “They’re grouping together, so we’re waiting for the females to follow suit.”
Though the pair said they hadn’t seen a fish over 3 pounds so far, they said they felt pretty good about their situation, with all things considered, and felt like the event was shaping up well for them, even without a lot of Grand Lake experience.
“Grand Lake is very ‘Ozarks’,” said Breeden. “It’s very similar to Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock – our home lakes – so we’re just doing the same thing we would do at home.”
The 12th annual College Fishing Championship is a three-day event featuring the top 150 college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in an internationally televised, no-entry fee tournament for a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team and the runners-up at the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete as pros for a top prize of up to $235,000. Both members of the third-place team will advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for a shot at winning a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The full field of 150 teams compete on Wednesday and Thursday, with only the top-10 – based on two-day cumulative weight – advancing to Championship Friday. The National Champions will be crowned Friday based on the cumulative three-day weight total.
The top 10 teams after Day One on Grand Lake are:
1st: Drury University – Cole Breeden, Eldridge, Mo., and Cameron Smith, Nixa, Mo., five bass, 13-14
2nd: Josh Kelly, Cortland, Ohio, five bass, 13-12
3rd: Drury University – Grant Harris, Springfield, Mo., and Beau Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-5
4th: McKendree University – Tyler Christy, Bolingbrook, Ill., and Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., five bass, 13-4
5th: Murray State University – Zachary Martin, Murray, Ky., and Harbor Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, five bass, 12-11
6th: Bryan College – Mason Cizek, Knoxville, Tenn., and Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., five bass, 12-8
7th: Stephen F. Austin – Hunter Muncrief, Pineland, Texas, and River Lee, Nacogdoches, Texas, four bass, 12-1
8th: Louisiana State University – Jack Thomas, Prairieville, La., and Connor Turner, Albany, La., five bass, 11-9
9th: Zachary Potter, Haddon Township, N.J., and Alex Johnson, Milltown, N.J., five bass, 11-8
10th: Auburn University – Robbie Cruvellier, Alburgh, Vt., and Chase Clarke, Auburn, Ala., four bass, 11-4
For a full list of results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 206 bass weighing 439 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 73 teams Wednesday. The catch included 19 five-bass limits.
Anglers will take off from Wolf Creek Park, located at 963 N. 16th St. in Grove at 7 a.m. CT on Thursday and Friday. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park starting at 3 p.m. and will be livestreamed both days. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake is hosted by the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau.
National television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere Sunday, July 4, from 8-9 a.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel, with re-airs on the Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network in the fall.
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. 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.