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Midday kicker seals Garrett’s wire-to-wire win in Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain

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April 15, 2024

Midday kicker seals Garrett’s wire-to-wire win in Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain

Tennessee’s John Garrett goes wire to wire for the win at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes with a four-day total of 84-5.

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

April 15, 2024

Midday kicker seals Garrett’s wire-to-wire win in Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain

LEESBURG, Fla. — Sometimes, you close the door.

Other times, you slam it shut.

John Garrett did the latter and tallied a four-day total of 84 pounds, 5 ounces to claim his first Bassmaster win with a wire-to-wire victory at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes.

The rookie from Union City, Tenn., endured a final-round emotional roller coaster that started with unexpected bonuses, followed by a desert of disappointment. Thankfully, the ride ended with a fist-pumping, “Let’s go!” kinda moment that sent a blue trophy to Garrett’s mantle and a $103,000 top prize to his bank account.

“I used to watch the Bassmaster Elites on the weekends with my grandad (former St. Croix Bassmaster Opens co-angler Johnnie Garrett),” said a clearly emotional Garrett. “It was a hard choice whether to watch the Elite weigh-in or go fishing all weekend.

“I never thought that I would be on this stage, let alone win one of these trophies. The Lord had His hand above me all this week.”

After taking the lead with a Day 1 limit of 24-2 — the event’s heaviest bag — Garrett added limits of 19-13, 19-3 and 21-3. Garrett edged rookie JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., by 10-9. This is only the 14th time in Elite Series history a competitor has recorded a double-digit winning margin.

The only angler to break 20 pounds twice, Garrett is the second rookie to win an Elite event this season. Fellow rookie, sixth-place finisher Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., won the year’s second event at Lake Fork.

Lamenting a lean practice that left him with minimal options, Garrett devoted the majority of his tournament to a 75-yard stretch of shellbar on Lake Carlton’s northwest side. With quality bass rubbing fins with tilapia and catfish, he methodically worked up and down the hard-bottom zone in hopes of triggering bites.

Garrett caught his bass on a Strike King 5XD, a deep-diving crankbait, a Strike King 1.5 squarebill, a white hair jig and a Carolina-rigged Strike King Ocho.

Earlier in the week, Garrett said he settled into this pattern largely because he had nothing else going. Having grown up on the Tennessee River, Garrett is very familiar with fishing bars, so committing to a familiar pattern helped keep his head in the game.

“During the off day (Thursday’s scheduled start was postponed by extreme weather), something told me to take a chance on this tournament,” Garrett said. “I was about to go to Lake Griffin and play it safe. But I heard this little voice in my head that said, ‘Go for those big ones.’

“Since I made that decision, the Lord was with me all week. Whether it was a bait change or location change, I could not do anything wrong.”

Each day, Garrett started on what he called a “limit spot,” where he would put five keepers in livewell to settle his nerves before proceeding to his big-fish spot. The first three days, he ended up culling all of those small bass, but Day 4 delivered 3 1/4- and 4-pound surprises that put him ahead of schedule when he transitioned to his big-fish spot.

Unbeknownst to Garrett, Thompkins was craftily mounting the heartbreak campaign, by picking off solid fish with a Clutch Boss glidebait. Notably, Garrett finished second to Thompkins in the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings.

Fortunately for Garrett, his school of big fish saved the best for last. Leading Thompkins by about 1 1/2 pounds (according to BassTrakk’s unofficial standings), Garrett overcame a temporary impediment and connected with his biggest catch of the tournament — a 7-4 that effectively put the event out of reach.

“I’d been waiting all week for that fish,” Garrett said. “My shellbar had gotten overrun by gar, but I scanned around for about 30 minutes and relocated the school. When I caught that big fish, I didn’t necessarily think I had won, but I knew I had a good chance.”

Garrett would make one more cull about 20 minutes later. Confident he had done all he could likely do, he headed in early to ensure no complications could doom his efforts.

Thompkins kept himself in the hunt all week. Starting with a Day 1 limit of 19-11, he tied Mississippi pro Brock Mosley for eighth place. Adding 17-1 in the second round moved him up to fourth.

With a third-round limit of 19-13, Thompkins improved his position to second before a Championship Monday bag of 17-3 settled him in the No. 2 spot with a tournament total of 73-12.

“I gave it everything I had and that’s all I can ask for,” Thompkins said. “I just tried to get my bait in front of as many fish as I could. I’m pleased with what I have.”

Thompkins split his time between lake Dora and Beauclair. He said he found the most promising conditions in those two lakes.

KJ Queen of Catawba, N.C., placed third with 72 pounds. His daily weights were 19-0, 15-7, 18-15 and 18-10.

Queen spent his tournament in a small canal off Lake Harris where he targeted a mix of cypress trees and lily pads. He amassed his weight by catching postspawn “floaters” — recuperating fish holding high in the water column — and late spawners.

Queen caught his fish on a wacky-rigged Zoom Zlinky and a Queen Tackle Tungsten Switchblade (bladed jig).

“I kept the same thing going every day and then I got into a little area that had a lot of big fish,” Queen said. “I was catching some off bed and some cruising down the bank. It’s a fun way to catch them.”

Garrett won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for Day 4 with his 7-4. He also won the $2,000 Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag Award.

Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 10-8.

Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, won the $1,000 BassTrakk contingency award.

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., won the $1,000 award for leading the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 293 points. Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is in second with 285, followed Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., with 283, reigning Bassmaster Classic Champion Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., with 269, and Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., with 267.

McKinney and Williams also lead the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings.

Illinois pro McKinney also took home an additional $4,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Jason Christie of Dry Creek, Okla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

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

This event was hosted by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

2024 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain 4/12-4/15
Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. John Garrett Union City, TN 20 84-05 103 $103,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 19-03 Day 4: 5 21-03
2. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 20 73-12 102 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 19-13 Day 4: 5 17-03
3. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 20 72-00 101 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 18-15 Day 4: 5 18-10
4. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 20 66-03 100 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 16-14 Day 4: 5 14-10
5. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 20 66-00 99 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 09-04 Day 3: 5 17-10 Day 4: 5 17-12
6. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 20 65-07 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 15-02 Day 4: 5 15-05
7. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 20 61-07 97 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 16-00 Day 4: 5 13-09
8. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 20 60-11 96 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 12-05 Day 4: 5 10-10
9. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 20 60-10 95 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 17-15 Day 4: 5 09-14
10. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 19 56-00 94 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 11-04 Day 4: 4 05-15
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 07-14 $500.00
1 Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 07-14 $500.00
2 Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 08-07 $1,000.00
3 Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA10-08 $1,000.00
4 John Garrett Union City, TN 07-04 $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA10-08 $2,000.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

John Garrett Union City, TN 24-02 $2,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 95 499 1248-05
2 97 499 1168-05
3 47 247 609-04
4 9 49 144-11
———————————-
248 1294 3170-09

South Carolina’s Tidwell Targets the Spawn to Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Hartwell

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Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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South Carolina’s Tidwell Targets the Spawn to Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Hartwell

Boater winner Brian Tidwell of Seneca, South Carolina, and Strike-King co-angler winner Chris Wilson of Easley, South Carolina.

Townsville’s Purcell Throws Spinnerbait to Post First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kerr Lake

Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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Townsville’s Purcell Throws Spinnerbait to Post First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kerr Lake

Boater winner Tyler Purcell of Townsville, North Carolina, and Strike-King co-angler winner Jason Hinger of Timberlake, North Carolina.

Dial-In Prespawn Bass Now

Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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Dial-In Prespawn Bass Now

2024 Classic 4^th place finisher, Jay Przekurat, shares tips for more early spring bass

MUSKEGON, Mich. (April 15, 2024) – 24-year-old Wisconsin-based tournament bass pro, Jay Przekurat, finished fourth at the recent 2024 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees near Tulsa, Oklahoma.“Even though it was getting chilly, I was finding fish on pea gravel that were probably getting ready or already on the spawn,” recalls Przekurat.But waters north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, have seen weather shift from cold to warm, warm to cold, meaning largemouth bass are probably in pre-pre to prespawn in a lot of other lakes and reservoirs right now. That being the case, we pinged the top-finishing pro to ask his advice for locating and catching prespawn fish (where legal).

Water Temperature“To catch prespawn bass, the first thing you want to look for the water to hit the mid- to upper-50s. Anything below 50 degrees is a bit different. But 55-degree water is typically full-on prespawn,” says Przekurat. Lake Topography The second factor Przekurat pays close attention to on his mapping are the “flatter parts” of the lake; “areas that aren’t super steep.” “I’m looking for places where points come way out and there’s a lot of flat bottoms, which is less water to work with, but the water warms up on these spots quicker. There’s not as much bottom and water, so the water temps can be ideal earlier for staging, prespawn bass,” notes Przekurat.

Isolated StructurePrzekurat also keeps his eyes open for isolated structure, his second tip for locating prespawn bass. “I’m looking for an isolated brush pile, grass clump, dock, boulder—anything that stands out in an area with flat bottom—which could be a large area or flat of the same depth range.” He says it can really depend on what lake or reservoir you’re on, but prespawn bass will pull up on isolated structure as ambush feeding spots and probably because the cover can warm up the water a little bit around it. “Let’s say the over is in that 5- to 12-foot range,” says Przekurat. “before the bass push up into the super shallow water and spawn, they’re looking for warmer water, whether that’s a small flat off a point or isolated structure along a larger flat. They need three things: warm water, flatter areas and pockets, and sometimes cover.”And he says sometimes it can be on the main lake, too, not necessarily in a pocket, bay, or cove—as long as it’s flat. Also, he says the cover can be stuff underwater you can’t always see with the naked eye—structure just off the bank of the main lake, too – or backwaters.

The Right Prespawn PresentationsSpeaking to avid (but serious) bass anglers not necessarily fishing tournaments where it’s common to have a dozen or more rods rigged, he distills his presentations down to three rods and reels (in his case, Lew’s gear), each with a must-have prespawn bait.“If I was going out fun fishing with just three rods on deck, I’d have a jig; a jerkbait; and some kind of moving bait, either a spinnerbait of ChatterBait,” shares Przekurat.“I generally have those three baits tied on. The first step would be using the jerkbait just to see what kind of mood the bass are in. Once I know how aggressively they’re reacting, I can dial in my presentation to their mood.”He adds that if it’s super windy he’s generally throwing the jerkbait, spinnerbait, or ChatterBait. But if it’s calm, he’ll pick up a jig and work it slowly around isolated cover if current and wave action isn’t at play.Jay is known for his prowess with a jig, so we had to ask what kind and color he recommends.“I like the Strike King Structure Jig, either in 3/8- or ½-ounce, paired with a Strike King trailer. Color-wise, my confidence is in green pumpkin jig/trailer combos, but if the water’s dirty, I’ll fish black/blue. Really, though, I like the duller colors in spring. I’m more of a green pumpkin guy,” concludes Przekurat.You heard it from one of the top bass tournament anglers in the world – four factors for more prespawn bass that coincide with his recent 4^th Place at the BASSMASTER Classic on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees. If that advice isn’t worth something, best just to stay home…

JAY’S EARLY SPRING ARMOR

Whitewater Great Lakes Pro Jacket

Whitewater Great Lakes Pro Bib

Section’s Atkins Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Guntersville

Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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Section’s Atkins Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Guntersville

Boater winner Jason Atkins of Section, Alabama, and Strike-King co-angler winner James Ramsey of Boaz, Alabama.

Isaacs targets docks to win Bassmaster Kayak Series event at Possum Kingdom

Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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Isaacs targets docks to win Bassmaster Kayak Series event at Possum Kingdom

Ohio’s Jason Isaacs has won the 2024 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Possum Kingdom Lake scored by TourneyX with a total of 101.25 inches.

Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.

April 15, 2024

Isaacs targets docks to win Bassmaster Kayak Series event at Possum Kingdom

GRAFORD, Texas — Jason Isaacs hates fishing docks. But during the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Possum Kingdom powered by TourneyX, Isaacs decided to target his least favorite piece of structure and it paid off in a big way.

With a five-bass limit measuring 101.25 inches, the angler from Columbus, Ohio, claimed the victory on Possum Kingdom, earning the first-place prize of $10,000 in the weather-shortened event. Missouri’s Brandon Prince finished second with 96.75 inches and Mississippi’s Clint Pippen was third with 95.25.

“Once I caught that last 21-incher, I thought I had a shot here,” he said. “Then I was worried sick because half the field may not have had service and put their fish in yet. Some people sandbag and wait until the standings are turned off.”

Isaacs had never been to Possum Kingdom prior to this week, and after having “the worst practice of my life,” he did not anticipate catching a single bass on Day 1.

Heavy winds and the threat of severe weather forced a Saturday cancellation, which allowed him to make an adjustment to his game plan and follow a lead from his father Tim.

“I decided I was going to put in and fish where my dad was fishing, so I was fishing around him. There were probably 55 docks in the area I fished and I pounded those docks,” Isaacs said. “He only caught two bass in this area in practice, but that’s what we went with during the tournament.”

Isaacs pitched a 5-inch Z-Man FattyZ on a 1/8-ounce shaky head to the walkways of floating docks, catching mostly postspawn largemouth. The majority of the bass he caught were in about 6 feet of stained water.

“I fished a number of ways between the docks,” Isaacs said. “If there was 3 or 4 feet of water I would throw a spinnerbait, just trying to pick a fish up in between and there was nothing. I threw the shaky head on some big rocks, and there was nothing. They were all on the walkways of the docks.”

One particular dock yielded three of his bigger bass.

“I casted to the same spot three times because I knew there were fish there,” he explained. “The third cast I caught a 19, and then the fifth cast I caught a 21.75 and the sixth cast I caught a 21. All on the same dock post. It was insane.”

His biggest bass of the day was a 23.25 behemoth largemouth, which weighed in at over 9 pounds on his personal scale.

“I thought it was a catfish,” Isaacs said. “I set the hook and it just started digging. It just kept digging and digging and swam all the way around the boat. I was playing with it thinking it was a catfish and then it came up beside me and I was like, ‘Oh my god.’”

Prince, meanwhile, caught a mix of pre- and postspawn largemouth that were staging in standing timber leading into a spawning area. With the base of the timber in 15 to 20 feet of water, Prince used his forward-facing sonar to locate bass suspended in 10 to 12 feet of water under the branches.

“My last day of practice I switched ends of the lake and found some cruisers around standing timber. I pulled out a little with my LiveScope and found some bigger bass in the trees,” he said. “So today, I found those bass still sitting on the trees and threw everything I could at them.”

In practice, he used a glidebait to coax the bass out to see the size. When the tournament began, he could only get the bass to eat a weightless wacky rig.

“I caught all three of my 20-inchers in a 20-minute stretch,” he said. “It was pretty wild.”

All of his bass came in the first couple hours of the day, and with about four hours to go, Prince stumbled onto a spawning female he estimated to be close to 9-pounds. He spent the rest of the day trying to catch that bass, but came up just short.

“She was a giant,” Prince said. “She kept making smaller and smaller circles and I knew she would eventually lock on. With 30 minutes left, she started nosing down on my bait. Then with 5 minutes left, she picked it up and took off with it. I set the hook and she took the bait. She never had the hook in her mouth.

“I knew it was probably going to take that fish to win it.”

Pippen fished around shallow grass and brush around dirty water in one of the more popular areas of Possum Kingdom to claim his third-place finish.

“I found the fish I fished for today on Monday. The rest of practice I never found anything else. I came back today and they were still there,” Pippen said. “My first fish came 10 minutes into the day and I don’t think I caught anything after 10 a.m. I caught them quickly and then it slowed down.”

His top bait was a Snag Proof Zoo Pop, a newer frog-style popping bait. Pippen caught mostly postspawners, but his biggest bite of the day (a 22.75) was a largemouth he believed was likely still on bed.

“A lot of the schools of fry were in that grass and I think that’s what was holding a lot of those bass in there,” he said.

New Mexico’s Matt Ramey caught a 24.25-inch largemouth, claiming Big Bass of the Tournament honors and a $500 prize.

The final results from the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Possum Kingdom powered by TourneyX can be found here.

The Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce hosted the tournament.

Jacob Wheeler Clinches Eighth MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

Brian Carter

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April 15, 2024

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Jacob Wheeler Clinches Eighth MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

Tennessee pro catches 39 bass totaling 116-6 on final day to earn top award of $100,000

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 14, 2024) – Before making a cast in the Championship Round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury, Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee , knew he was about to send Dale Hollow Lake’s bass into a feeding frenzy. He even warned MLFNOW!viewers not to expect much commentary from him, as he planned to be too busy boating bass.

It took less than two minutes for Wheeler to make good on his promise with a 3-pound, 7-ounce largemouth. That sparked a bass barrage for the ages.

Wheeler followed that fish with another 3-pounder, then a 2-3 and a 2-8 — all in the first 10 minutes. In the opening hour, he stacked 14 scorable bass for 43 pounds, 3 ounces on SCORETRACKER®. By the end of the first period, he’d amassed 70-6, all but burying the other nine anglers on the water.

Wheeler would cruise to a 116-6 total on 39 scorable bass – more than 30 pounds clear of Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, in second place. This marks the second victory of the season for Wheeler, who also took home the title at Stage Two on Santee Cooper . It also adds to his Bass Pro Tour-best win total, hoisting his eighth trophy since the inception of the league in 2019 and doing so on one of his favorite lakes in the country.

Link to Hi-Res Photo of PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury Winner Jacob Wheeler
Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of Championship Round on Dale Hollow Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of Jacob Wheeler Trophy Presentation
Link to Photo Gallery of Championship Round On-The-Water Highlights on Dale Hollow Lake

“This is like my lake; this is my home away from home,” the Harrison, Tennessee, native said of Dale Hollow. “My wife literally jokes that we should have moved to Dale Hollow, you like it so much, like giving me crap about it. And I just love it, man. … First big, national tournament on the lake, to get that win, it means a lot.”

Wheeler sowed the seeds for his Sunday morning blitzkrieg days earlier. As noted above, he spends quite a bit of time fun-fishing on Dale Hollow, so he knew to check the area during practice — which he described as a flat, main-lake drain protected by an island cluster. The islands act like a funnel, concentrating baitfish, and the flatter topography serves as fruitful spawning territory, making it a bass magnet.

“Basically, you had a cut-through between an island, and there’s current flow that comes out of the Wolf (River) that goes through there,” Wheeler said. “So, water comes through there; there’s current flow that funnels through there. It’s a great prespawn, postspawn place for these fish to set up.

“It’s a shallow, flat drain. There’s not a lot of flat drains on Dale Hollow, and that place is like one of five main flat drains. And what I mean by that is they’re literally creek channels, but they’re flatter. There’s more room for the fish to spread out. There’s a lot of spawning habitat right there around that area.”

Wheeler caught a handful of fish from the area during the two-day Qualifying Round. At that point, he saw a few small groups of bass roaming offshore. But, showcasing the strategic acumen that separates him from his touring peers, he spent as much time as possible during his first two days on the water in practice mode, scouting new areas and keeping tabs on where the fish were moving. When he saw baitfish, and thus bass, concentrating in windblown, offshore areas, he knew he needed to return to the spot.

“The wind blew on (Friday), and it tightened up, and there was literally groups of 100 bass schooled up,” Wheeler said. “It was absolutely insane. The wind congregated the bait in there, and they went crazy.”

Wheeler planned to start there during the Knockout Round. However, when he arrived Saturday morning, he found Drew Gill already in the area. Undeterred, Wheeler turned to Plan B, heading to a school of largemouth he figured could produce enough weight for him to make the Top 10, but likely not enough to win the Championship Round shootout. He caught more than 50 pounds out of that school in the opening period, keeping pace with Gill’s torrid start, then eventually nipped Gill by 3 pounds for the Knockout Round win.

With first pick of starting spots, Wheeler made a beeline for the pocket where he’d found Gill the day prior. Gill, by far his closest competition during the Knockout Round, fished within sight.

In the bass fishing version of a drag race, Wheeler proved that he could outduel the hottest young angler on tour at his own game, using forward-facing sonar and a yet-to-be-released Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow to catch bass at will. The highlight of his heater was a 5-pound largemouth that earned him an extra $1,000 as the day’s Berkley Big Bass. Gill stacked up 35-15 during the opening period — nothing to sneeze at but only about half of Wheeler’s weight.

Airtight efficiency, another Wheeler hallmark, was key to taking advantage of the calm, low-light morning conditions and amassing his gaudy weight early.

“I’m big on throwing heavier line for my leader,” he said. “I throw 10-pound fluorocarbon leader so I can really reel those fish in. If I’m throwing 8 or 6, I’m going to have to retie a lot. And so, I’m more about generating a lot of bites and doing it as fast as I possibly can and getting those fish to the boat. Also, I didn’t spend a lot of time on (MLFNOW!) explaining things early on because I knew how important that first period was. I just went straight to work, and I put my head down and I caught them as fast as I possibly could.”

As incredible as his opening flurry was, Wheeler truly separated himself from his nearest competition once the bite slowed. Neal started nearly as strong, racking up 56-7 in the opening stanza. At one point late in Period 1, he climbed within 6 pounds of Wheeler’s total.

But when the action ground to a halt for Neal (and just about everyone else), Wheeler steadily added to his total. He caught 10 scorable bass for 28-5 during the second period. While modest compared to his morning, that expanded his cushion beyond 30 pounds.

Wheeler pointed to his precise jighead selection as one reason he was able to generate bites even when the bass weren’t actively feeding. He kept an array of spinning rods on deck rigged with “a hodgepodge of heads” ranging from 1/8 to 5/8 ounce, opting for the lighter options to entice finnicky fish or heavier ones when he needed to get his bait in front of a group moving quickly.

“I slowly learned what was the right jighead weight for the right scenario,” he said. “Obviously, when they were moving really fast, I might throw a 1/2-ounce out there and get it to them. If there’s 50 of them there and I throw a 1/2-ounce, I get it to them; otherwise, if you throw a 1/4, you’re missing them. It’s all about efficiency. But then I might throw a 1/8 on a single fish that’s 10 feet down, because he’s not going to bite a 1/2 — it doesn’t have the best action.”

By the start of the third period, everyone else on the water knew they were fishing for second place. Wheeler spent the final few hours basking in his win, his wife, Alicia, among a flotilla of friends and supporters cheering him on from the water. His final tally marked not only the best single-day weight caught by any angler on Dale Hollow this week, but the biggest day all year in Bass Pro Tour competition.

Wheeler has grown accustomed to lifting Bass Pro Tour trophies. In addition to his eight wins, he’s now up to an absurd 31 Top 10s in 45 events, earning more than $1.6 million from Bass Pro Tour competition. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down — if anything, he’s accelerating. Since the start of the 2021 campaign, he’s racked up 24 Top 10s and six wins in 32 events. He’s made all four Championship Rounds in 2024 and technically won back-to-back Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, with a sixth-place finish at REDCREST between his triumphs on Santee Cooper and Dale Hollow.

All that success hasn’t made him numb to winning, though. Instead, it’s taught him to appreciate the moment. Wheeler assured he’s not taking this one for granted.

“I told Dustin (Connell) this when we talked about it last night: When you’re on this streak of just winning, you don’t have the opportunity to really celebrate those moments,” he said. “You go, and then you go onto the next one, you think about the next one. You have about a 6-hour period where you’re celebrating, you’re pumped up, and you’re like, alright, what’s going on next? What are we going to do in Oklahoma? What’s going to happen at Eufaula? But this one, to me, is super, super meaningful.”

The top 10 pros from the PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury finished:

1st:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 39 bass, 116-6, $100,000
2nd:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 28 bass, 85-10, $45,000
3rd:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 29 bass, 85-5, $38,000
4th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 27 bass, 78-8, $32,000
5th:         Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 23 bass, 74-0, $30,000
6th:         Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 21 bass, 61-14, $26,000
7th:         Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 20 bass, 60-14, $23,000
8th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 13 bass, 38-4, $21,000
9th:         Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 14 bass, 36-12, $19,000
10th:      Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, seven bass, 20-7, $16,000

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

Overall, there were 221 scorable bass weighing 658 pounds even caught by the 10 pros Sunday, which included one 5-pounder, 14 4-pounders and 70 3-pounders.

Wheeler also won Championship Sunday’s Berkley Big Bass Award, with a largemouth totaling 5 pounds even in the first period. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament. Gill earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event with his 5-pound, 12-ounce smallmouth that was weighed on Day 1 of competition.

Wheeler not only added to his prodigious trophy collection and winnings total at Dale Hollow; he padded his lead in the chase for another trophy and $100,000 payday. Wheeler now leads the season-long Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race by 17 points.

Overcoming that deficit will be a tall task for his pursuers. Wheeler, who won AOY in 2021 and 2022 before finishing second in 2023, has been an exceptional closer in recent years, never finishing worse than 11^th and notching three wins in stages four through seven across the last three seasons. Connell now sits second with 222 points, closely followed by Alton Jones Jr. (219) and Jesse Wiggins (218).

Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

The PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury featured the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers caught as much weight as they could each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament featured anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce & Bill Dance Signature Lakes, showcased 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Television coverage of the PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 5 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Oct. 6. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.

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

Missouri Angler Cole Breeden Wins MLF Toyota Series at Grand Lake

Brian Carter

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April 14, 2024

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Missouri Angler Cole Breeden Wins MLF Toyota Series at Grand Lake

GROVE, Okla. (April 14, 2024) – After taking over the lead on Day 2, pro Cole Breeden of Lebanon, Missouri, closed out the win in style with 19 pounds, 14 ounces on the final day of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Plains Division event on Grand Lake. With a 62-15 total, Breeden surpassed runner-up Jake Lawrence of Buchanana, Tennessee, by more than 6 pounds to earn his first win at the Toyota Series level. The win qualified Breeden for this fall’s Toyota Series Championship, and earned him $37,965 in cash and contingency money.

With an Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship win to his credit on Grand, Breeden is no stranger to the lake or Ozark-style fisheries. This week, he dropped the trolling motor and was pretty much dialed from the get-go.

“Literally in practice, I put my trolling motor down on a good one,” he said. “It went well the whole time. I expected (fish) to be in that transition area, around spawning stuff, and I started there, and that’s where they were. I just went with it all week, and it was good the whole time.

“In practice, I had a ton of bites,” he added. “The first day of practice, I had 19 ½ pounds, and I shook off a lot of them, or, I tried to. Every day, I’d find a couple areas. In the tournament even, I found some new areas. It just seemed like it was rolling for me, and the stuff that looked right, was.”

Catching most of his fish on a Texas-rigged Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg, Breeden also applied a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm Magnum on a Neko rig. For his Texas rig, he used a 7-foot, 6-inch, heavy Abu Garcia Fantasista X paired with an Abu Garcia Zenon X, 17-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, a 4/0 hook and a ¼-ounce Picasso weight.

Roaming from the Horse Creek area as far down as Drowning and Duck creeks, Breeden ‘Scoped up nearly all of his fish fairly shallow, targeting a specific mix of features.

“It was similar everywhere I had fish,” he explained. “A little flatter bank, if it was a creek, the flatter side of the creek. Or, just a flat pocket close to the main lake. It was all pea gravel, or pea gravel that had tennis ball-sized rock mixed in. It was spawning areas, spawning flats or pockets. I’d catch them either on the way to the backs, or if it was a main lake pocket, I’d catch them in the back. The first day, I caught 22 pounds in the back of a couple pockets, but it was closer to deeper water. The stuff that was further from deep water, I’d catch them closer to the secondary points and stuff.

“Typically, they were on something,” he added. “There’s a lot of trash fish in Grand, it seems like every lake I go to with a lot of trash fish, fish always hold to something. I think on the chunkier rock, they will sit in the rock. But, on the pea gravel banks, you need a bigger rock, or a piece of metal, or a little brush, or a stump. Just something there that they’re holding to. I think they make beds next to that as well, I could tell some of them were spawning, because the fish would just be making little circles around a little spot.”

While most of his fish came from smaller pieces of cover, Breeden caught a few out of significant brush piles, with some as big as 9 feet tall holding fish. One brush fish stymied him on Day 2, and then escaped him and Strike King co-angler Matt Krekovich on Day 3.

“I went back to that fish I missed, and the wind was blowing on that stretch pretty good,” he said. “There was another brush pile just down the bank from it, and I pulled up, on the pile I saw her on, and she wasn’t there. About 2 minutes later, my co-angler in the back of the boat says ‘Oh I’ve got one.’ I look back, and about a 7-pounder jumps out of the water. He broke the hook on his jerkbait, it came off, and she was sitting on that brush pile just down the bank.”

Still, missed lunker aside, Breeden had a special week.

“It’s freakin’ awesome,” he said of the win. “It feels like so many times you’re not even close. Then, you have a week where it goes your way the whole time. I just caught big fish everywhere I went. When it’s going your way, it’s just going your way.”

The top 10 pros on Grand Lake finished:

1st:         Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 15 bass, 62-15, $37,965
2nd:        Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-5, $15,595 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
3rd:        Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 55-3, $11,299
4th:         Jackson Ryley, Clinton, Ind., 15 bass, 54-15, $9,416
5th:         Ethan Fields, Breese, Ill., 15 bass, 54-5, $8,475
6th:         Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-14, $7,533
7th:         Kyle Kitts, Joplin, Mo., 15 bass, 53-12, $6,591
8th:         Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, 15 bass, 53-7, $5,650
9th:         Casey Scanlon, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 53-7, $4,708
10th:      Tate Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., 15 bass, 51-2, $3,766

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Joshua Teply of Harrah, Oklahoma won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces. On Friday, pro Troy O’Rourke of Bentonville, Arkansas, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a bass weighing 6 pounds even to the scale.

Larence took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF 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 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49 pounds, 6 ounces. Krekovich took home the top prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Grand Lake finished:

1st:         Matt Krekovich, Granite City, Ill., 15 bass, 49-6, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:        Fred Fielder, Fort Gibson, Okla., 14 bass, 39-14, $4,734
3rd:        Oliver Siebert, Fenton, Mo., 15 bass, 39-10, $3,787
4th:         Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 37-9, $3,314
5th:         Justin Layton, Kirbyville, Mo., 12 bass, 37-4, $2,990
6th:         Todd Adamitis, Glen Carbon, Ill., 14 bass, 36-15, $2,367
7th:         Terry Duffel, Cave Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 35-5, $1,894
8th:         Dan Bowman, Osage Beach, Mo., 12 bass, 34-12, $$1,657
9th:         Mark Talley, Grove, Okla., 12 bass, 34-0, $1,420
10th:      Lee Roberts, Shattuck, Okla., 10 bass, 33-14, $1,184

Justin Layton of Kirbyville, Missouri, was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, with a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Mark King of Gurdon, Arkansas, with a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.

With two regular-season events in the Toyota Series Plains Division now complete, pro Jake Lawrence of Buchanana, Tennessee, leads the Plains Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 519 points, while Todd Adamitis of Glen Carbon, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 515 points.

The Toyota Series at Grand Lake, hosted by the City of Grove was the second of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Plains Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga, May 2-4, in Dayton, Tennessee. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville Sports Commission.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Toyota Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook , Instagram and YouTube.

Scott Hamrick & Roger Hoover Win Anglers Choice Stop #3 on Kerr Lake with 16.62lbs

Brian Carter

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April 14, 2024

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Scott Hamrick & Roger Hoover Win Anglers Choice Stop #3 on Kerr Lake with 16.62lbs

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

Well It was another tough Anglers Choice event on Kerr lake. The wind stopped the temperatures rose & the weights stayed the same (10Lbs). The spinner bait ruled again for most of the anglers. Congratulations to everyone that cashed a checl & the Bass Cast Looks forward to seeing everyone really soon.

Special thanks to Danielle for taking all of the photos this weekend.

Bait change keeps Garrett atop Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes

Brian Carter

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April 14, 2024

0

Bait change keeps Garrett atop Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes

Tennessee’s John Garrett added a Day 3 limit of 19 pounds, 3 ounces and extended his lead at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes with a three-day total of 63-2.

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

April 14, 2024

Bait change keeps Garrett atop Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. — Things got a little hairy for John Garrett, but that transitional period helped the Tennessee pro amass a five-bass limit of 19 pounds, 3 ounces and extend his lead at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes.

In the best performance of his rookie season, Garrett took the Day 1 lead with a limit of 24-2 — the event’s heaviest bag — and held the top position with a second-round bag that went 19-13.

Heading into Championship Monday (the event’s scheduled start was delayed one day by Thursday’s severe weather) with a three-day total of 63-2, Garrett holds a margin of 6-9 over fellow rookie JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Facing the potential for a wire-to-wire Elite win, Garrett said: “I’m just going to try my best to sleep well tonight and fish calm tomorrow. Last night, I didn’t sleep very well and today, before I got my big bites, I started thinking, ‘Alright, something needs to happen.

“Tomorrow, I just really want to be calm, do my thing and fish hard. If it’s meant to happen, I’ll get those bites.”

Returning to Lake Carlton, where he has spent the majority of his time focusing on a 75-yard shellbar, Garrett followed his standing strategy of boxing an early limit and then hunting big bites.

The past two days, his window of opportunity has come later in the morning, but when the big fish he was watching on his forward-facing sonar refused to engage, Garrett made a game-changing adjustment.

“I went through my area while the fish were there at the right time with a crankbait; I only stuck one or two and never caught one,” Garrett said. “I left the fish alone for 45 minutes and I picked up a 5/8-ounce white hair jig, stayed way off of them and bomb cast it up there.

“It’s just something they hadn’t seen yet. They’ve seen it now because I wore out my welcome quickly. I got four good bites on it and caught three of them.”

The hair jig produced Garrett’s three best bass. He caught his other two limit fish on a deep-diving crankbait.

After a windy Day 2, Semifinal Sunday brought mostly flat conditions. Garrett said this created a challenging scenario that made it even tougher to wait out the big fish, which have been most active between approximately 11 and 1.

“It was super sunny and slick and they just were not biting (as well),” Garrett said. “I threw at more fish than I’ve seen all week.

“It’s pretty scary, because I’ll fish and fish and fish and never catch anything. It takes a lot of patience and trust.”

Earlier, Garrett had briefly yielded the top spot to Joseph Webster of Hamilton, Ala., who capitalized on the morning shad spawn for a quick limit of approximately 14 1/2 pounds. Once his big fish started chewing, Garrett put a 5-pounder in the boat at 10:47 a.m. and added a 4-11 about 10 minutes later.

From there, Garrett continued to pick off big bites and held off Thompkins’ persistent charge.

Looking ahead, Garrett said he’s sticking with his spot, if for no other reason than a lack of options.

“I don’t know if I’ll get another bite there tomorrow, but that’s about all I’ve got,” he said. “I’ll just pray that I have another decent day.”

After looking for a big glidebait bite all week, Thompkins got a chunky bass to eat his Clutch Boss Sunday and that 5-pounder helped him gain two notches to second place with 56-9. Thompkins has turned in daily limits of 19-11, 17-1 and 19-13.

“I said going into this event, ‘If I get one bite a day on a glidebait, I’ll win,’” Thompkins said. “This was the first day I’ve produced one on a glidebait. I’m looking at a ton of giants on (Garmin) LiveScope, but it’s too hard to get them to bite. They’re super smart, super educated.

“If I can get one or more of those bites tomorrow, I could step into dangerous territory and maybe take a run at the win.”

Fishing lakes Dora and Beauclair, Thompkins filled the rest of his limit with a jerkbait, a jig and a Neko rig.

KJ Queen of Catawba, N.C., placed third with 53-6. After posting limits of 19-0 and 15-7, Queen added a third-round bag that weighed 18-15.

Devoting his day to a small canal off Lake Harris, Queen fished a mix of cypress trees and lily pads. He saw plenty of bass, but the key to his success was targeting the right ones.

“I was looking for floaters; the fish that had spawned out and were cruising high in the water column,” Queen said. “I saw a lot of big, fat fish, but I could not get them to bite.

“Every time I saw a skinny one, I said, ‘There’s one that will bite.’ If it was fat, pretty and healthy, I couldn’t get them to bite.”

Queen caught his bass on a wacky-rigged Zoom Zlinky.

Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a monster 10-8 he landed Sunday.

Rookie Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 293 points. Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is in second with 285, followed by Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., with 279, Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., with 269, and JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., with 267.

McKinney and Williams also lead the race for Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year.

Monday’s final takeoff, featuring the Top 10 remaining anglers, is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach). The weigh-in will be held at the Ski Beach at 3 p.m., with the winner receiving $100,000.

The event is being hosted by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

2024 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain 4/12-4/15
Harris Chain Of Lakes, Leesburg FL.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 63-02 103
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 19-03
2. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 56-09 102
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 19-13
3. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 15 53-06 101
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 18-15
4. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 51-09 100
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 16-14
5. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 50-12 99
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 17-15
6. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 50-02 98
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 15-02
7. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 50-01 97 $500.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 11-04
8. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 50-01 96
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 12-05
9. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 15 48-04 95
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 09-04 Day 3: 5 17-10
10. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 15 47-14 94
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 10-15 Day 3: 5 16-00
11. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 46-14 93 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 21-05
12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 45-14 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 5 12-15
13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 45-08 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 19-02
14. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 45-07 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 15-11
15. John Cox Debary, FL 15 45-00 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 15-04
16. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 44-14 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 11-11
17. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 15 43-09 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 11-05 Day 3: 5 12-01
18. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 42-06 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 16-07
19. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 42-04 85 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 10-06
20. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 42-04 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 13-07
21. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 41-01 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 08-06
22. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 40-09 82 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 05-12
23. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 40-07 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 09-14 Day 3: 5 13-06
24. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 40-04 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 08-07
25. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 40-04 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 12-07
26. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 40-03 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 12-11
27. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 39-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 09-15
28. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 15 39-11 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 5 11-12
29. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 14 39-02 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 4 07-12 Day 3: 5 15-13
30. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 39-00 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 12-12
31. Mike Huff London, KY 15 38-08 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 10-01 Day 3: 5 12-14
32. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 15 38-01 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 09-09
33. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 37-00 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 08-13
34. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 15 36-15 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 08-01
35. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 15 36-11 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 09-11 Day 3: 5 12-03
36. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 36-06 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 09-12
37. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 14 35-15 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 4 12-02
38. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 35-12 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 11-13
39. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 35-01 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 08-15
40. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 34-13 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 10-06 Day 3: 5 09-15
41. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 34-12 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 11-04
42. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 34-10 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 5 19-14 Day 3: 5 08-03
43. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 34-10 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 5 09-07
44. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 15 34-03 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 11-02
45. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 33-10 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 07-00
46. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 32-03 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-14 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 08-14
47. Todd Auten Clover, SC 15 32-03 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 07-01
48. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 14 30-05 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 11-03 Day 3: 4 05-00
49. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 14 30-02 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-08 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 07-02
50. Wes Logan Springville, AL 14 29-08 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 08-04 Day 3: 4 05-07
———————————————————————– PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 07-14 $500.00
1 Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 07-14 $500.00
2 Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 08-07 $1,000.00
3 Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA10-08 $1,000.00 ———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 95 499 1248-05
2 97 499 1168-05
3 47 247 609-04
———————————-
239 1245 3025-14

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