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Sunday, October 6, 2024
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Garrett fishes the familiar to retain lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes

Brian Carter
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Garrett fishes the familiar to retain lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes

Tennessee’s John Garrett added a Day 2 limit of 19 pounds, 13 ounces and maintained his lead at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes with a two-day total of 43-15.

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

April 13, 2024

Garrett fishes the familiar to retain lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Harris Chain of Lakes 

LEESBURG, Fla. — More than 800 miles separate John Garrett’s home in Union City, Tenn., from Leesburg, Fla., but the Elite rookie said he feels like he’s fishing at home.

Leveraging the confidence and comfort born of such familiarity, Garrett sacked a Day 2 limit of 19 pounds, 13 ounces to retain the lead in the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain of Lakes with a two-day total of 43-15.

Building on his Day 1 limit of 24-2 — the event’s heaviest bag — Garrett heads into Semifinal Sunday with a lead of 5-2 over Brad Whatley of Bivins, Texas.

“The good Lord has absolutely blessed me the past two days,” Garrett said. “I got some good bites and I really didn’t expect this whatsoever. I’m fishing the way that I grew up fishing and the way I love to fish.

“I hope I can get five, maybe 10 more of the right ones.”

Drawing on his lifetime of fishing Tennessee River shellbars, Garrett focused most of his effort on a 75-yard stretch of Harris Chain mussels in about 12 feet of water. On the same spot that yielded his first-round weight, postspawn bass were mixing with tilapia and running up and down the bar.

“Like yesterday, from 10 to 1 is the sweet time,” Garrett said. “Today, at 1 o’clock, the wind slicked off and I did not get another bite. Today, the fish were there better — I could see them on my Humminbird 360 — I just could not catch them.

“I’m just covering as much water as I can in that zone and making as many casts as I can.”

Garrett started his day on a limit spot to settle his nerves by putting five small keepers in the boat. After that, he hunkered down on his main area and diligently picked it apart with crankbaits, including a Strike King 5XD.

“Once I knew I’d made the Day 3 cut (on the limit spot), I spent all day on my big-fish area,” Garrett said. “I got six big bites and I caught two of them. I had the bites to maybe have a little more weight today, I just couldn’t get them in the boat.

“There’s not a lot of fish there and when I get them to bite, it’s a reaction. I’m getting most of them on the bait’s back hook.”

Garrett said he’s committed to his game plan for at least one more day. He might show his big fish a broader selection of baits, including single-hook plastics, but he believes his best shot at winning awaits on that shellbar.

“I don’t know how Sunday’s going to play out,” Garrett said. “I’ll probably start on my limit hole, fish for an hour and then head over to my big-fish place and stay all day.”

Whatley placed second with 38-13. After placing third on Day 1 with 22 pounds, he added 16-13.

On Day 1, Whatley found a 7-14 and a 7-12 on the same spot. He tried that area again, but found no second-round additions. Changing areas, he fished multiple spots and found his bites in a consistent shallow water scenario.

“I know what I’m looking for now, so when I’m running down the lake and I see what I like, I’ll shut it down and go over there,” Whatley said. “It’s just where the fish are setting up — and it changes.

“In the morning time, they’re in certain areas and, as the day goes on, they change up a little bit. I think the bait has a lot to do with it. The bait’s moving around and they’re just following that bait.”

Reflecting on his second-round experience, Whatley said he’s optimistic that he’s even more dialed in than he was on Day 1. He’ll pursue the same general game plan, in hopes of earning a spot in Championship Monday’s Top 10 field.

“I figured some stuff out late in the day and I’m pretty excited about it,” Whatley said. “I feel like everything I’m doing is the right move and that doesn’t come around very often.”

Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., placed third with 37-12. After placing 15th on Day 1 with 17-3, Loughran added 20-9 — the second day’s only bag over 20 pounds.

Loughran anchored his Day 2 limit with a late-day kicker — a 7-15 that bit just minutes before 3 o’clock.

“I had a good bag before, but that fish bumped me up to a different level,” Loughran said. “I caught that fish on a brushpile in 12 feet of water that I had found (during a previous visit to the Harris Chain).”

Describing the course that led him to his biggest bass in two days, Loughran attributed his success to a change of game plan.

“It was a strange day; I had plans to do one thing and I ended up doing the exact opposite,” he said. “I had a late boat number today and after going to Lake Apopka yesterday and flipping with 65-pound braid, I stayed in Harris, Eustis and Dora and fished brushpiles with a drop shot with a Missile Baits Magic Worm.”

As Loughran explained, when he reached the 14-pound mark, he had intended to return to Apopka. However, catching a 5-pounder around 10 o’clock convinced him to stay.

“I knew I was going to make the Top 50 cut at that point,” Loughran said. “Without that 5-pounder, I would not have caught that (7-15).”

Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with an 8-7.

Rookie Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings with 294 points. Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is in second with 282, followed by Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., with 271, Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., with 268, and JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., with 265.

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

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET from Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach). The weigh-in will be held at the Ski Beach at 3 p.m.

Follow all the action on FS1from 8-11 a.m. and on Bassmaster.com from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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 2    Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$ 1.  John Garrett           Union City, TN          10  43-15  103
  Day 1: 5   24-02     Day 2: 5   19-13   
2.  Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              10  38-13  102
  Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   16-13   
3.  Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            10  37-12  101
  Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   20-09   
4.  JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC        10  36-12  100
  Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   17-01   
5.  Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL          10  35-00   99
  Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   17-02   
6.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  34-13   98
  Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   17-00   
7.  Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME            10  34-11   97
  Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   17-09   
8.  KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             10  34-07   96
  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   15-07   
9.  Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI       10  33-03   95
  Day 1: 5   17-06     Day 2: 5   15-13   
10. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  32-15   94
  Day 1: 5   21-13     Day 2: 5   11-02   
11. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           10  32-13   93
  Day 1: 5   14-06     Day 2: 5   18-07   
12. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  32-11   92
  Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   13-00   
13. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL            10  31-14   91
  Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   10-15   
14. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  31-14   90
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   19-07   
15. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  31-13   89
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   17-01   
16. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           10  31-08   88
  Day 1: 5   20-03     Day 2: 5   11-05   
17. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL             10  30-10   87
  Day 1: 5   21-06     Day 2: 5   09-04   
18. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            10  29-13   86
  Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   15-09   
19. John Cox               Debary, FL              10  29-12   85
  Day 1: 5   22-05     Day 2: 5   07-07   
20. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  29-12   84
  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   16-07   
21. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC      10  28-14   83
  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   14-09   
22. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  28-13   82
  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   15-12   
23. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10  28-08   81
  Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   14-03   
24. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           10  28-03   80
  Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   17-12   
25. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH             10  27-15   79
  Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   09-13   
26. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA            10  27-13   78
  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   13-00   
27. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           10  27-08   77
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   14-10   
28. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 10  27-01   76
  Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   09-14   
29. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            10  26-10   75
  Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   15-10   
30. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           10  26-10   74
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   12-11   
31. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                10  26-07   73
  Day 1: 5   06-09     Day 2: 5   19-14   
32. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  26-06   72
  Day 1: 5   13-00     Day 2: 5   13-06   
33. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  26-04   71
  Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   10-08   
34. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  26-02   70
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   15-00   
35. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY         10  25-15   69
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   13-09   
36. Mike Huff              London, KY              10  25-10   68
  Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   10-01   
37. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  25-09   67
  Day 1: 5   11-08     Day 2: 5   14-01   
38. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  25-05   66
  Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   11-03   
39. Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA         10  25-03   65
  Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   12-13   
40. Todd Auten             Clover, SC              10  25-02   64
  Day 1: 5   12-11     Day 2: 5   12-07   
41. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           10  24-14   63
  Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   10-06   
42. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           10  24-08   62
  Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   09-11   
43. Wes Logan              Springville, AL         10  24-01   61
  Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   08-04   
44. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN          10  23-15   60
  Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   14-02   
45. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10  23-13   59
  Day 1: 5   10-08     Day 2: 5   13-05   
46. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  23-08   58
  Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 5   14-03   
47. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             10  23-05   57
  Day 1: 5   06-14     Day 2: 5   16-07   
48. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               9  23-05   56
  Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 4   07-12   
49. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT          10  23-01   55
  Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   12-01   
50. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            9  23-00   54
  Day 1: 4   12-08     Day 2: 5   10-08   
51. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  22-15   53
  Day 1: 5   12-03     Day 2: 5   10-12   
52. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          10  22-13   52
  Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   12-06   
53. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              10  22-12   51
  Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 5   11-01   
54. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  22-10   50
  Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   10-08   
55. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  22-06   49
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   09-02   
56. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  22-05   48
  Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   13-06   
57. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK             10  22-00   47
  Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   13-01   
58. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  22-00   46
  Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   10-12   
59. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            10  22-00   45
  Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   11-01   
60. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI              10  21-15   44
  Day 1: 5   13-00     Day 2: 5   08-15   
61. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI              10  21-12   43
  Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   08-01   
62. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          10  21-11   42
  Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   07-03   
63. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL              10  21-10   41
  Day 1: 5   10-00     Day 2: 5   11-10   
64. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN          10  21-09   40
  Day 1: 5   08-04     Day 2: 5   13-05   
65. Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN      10  21-09   39
  Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   11-06   
66. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           10  21-06   38
  Day 1: 5   11-14     Day 2: 5   09-08   
67. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  20-07   37
  Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   07-13   
68. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  20-07   36
  Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   08-02   
69. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI            10  20-06   35
  Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 5   07-07   
70. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL           10  20-06   34
  Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   07-14   
71. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  20-06   33
  Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 5   09-04   
72. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL              10  20-06   32
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   09-05   
73. Frank Talley           Belton, TX              10  19-15   31
  Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   12-01   
74. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  19-15   30
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   08-05   
75. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            8  19-12   29
  Day 1: 3   04-08     Day 2: 5   15-04   
76. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  19-09   28
  Day 1: 5   10-04     Day 2: 5   09-05   
77. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  19-07   27
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   10-15   
78. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  19-05   26
  Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   10-05   
79. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  19-00   25
  Day 1: 5   06-14     Day 2: 5   12-02   
80. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            10  18-12   24
  Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   08-11   
81. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          10  18-07   23
  Day 1: 5   06-10     Day 2: 5   11-13   
82. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  18-02   22
  Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 5   10-10   
83. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10  17-13   21
  Day 1: 5   08-13     Day 2: 5   09-00   
84. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  17-12   20
  Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   05-13   
85. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           9  17-05   19
  Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 4   05-11   
86. Bryan New              Leesville, SC           10  17-03   18
  Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   08-03   
87. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           10  16-15   17
  Day 1: 5   10-09     Day 2: 5   06-06   
88. Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL             10  16-14   16
  Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   07-05   
89. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            10  16-14   15
  Day 1: 5   08-05     Day 2: 5   08-09   
90. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  16-13   14
  Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   07-12   
91. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          10  16-13   13
  Day 1: 5   08-13     Day 2: 5   08-00   
92. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN            10  16-11   12
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   08-00   
93. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          9  16-09   11
  Day 1: 4   04-09     Day 2: 5   12-00   
94. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN         10  16-04   10
  Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   05-05   
95. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  15-11    9
  Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 5   06-10   
96. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                9  14-14    8
  Day 1: 4   04-12     Day 2: 5   10-02   
97. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              7  14-09    7
  Day 1: 2   03-07     Day 2: 5   11-02   
98. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  14-00    6
  Day 1: 5   04-14     Day 2: 5   09-02   
99. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA             10  12-13    5
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   05-13   
100. Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX            8  10-09    4
  Day 1: 4   05-11     Day 2: 4   04-14   
101. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            7  09-05    3
  Day 1: 5   06-10     Day 2: 2   02-11   
102. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              3  04-15    2
  Day 1: 3   04-15     Day 2: 0   00-00   
103. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
———————————————————————– PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       07-14          $0.00
 1   Brad Whatley             Bivins, TX          07-14          $0.00
 2   Austin Felix             Eden Prairie, MN    08-07          $0.00 ———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        95       499      1248-05
 2        97       499      1168-05
———————————-
         192       998      2416-10



Jacob Wheeler Leads Top Ten to Championship Round at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

Brian Carter
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Jacob Wheeler Leads Top Ten to Championship Round at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

Tennessee pro catches 25 bass weighing 79-13 to lead Knockout Round, final 10 anglers set for Championship Sunday in final-day shootout for top prize of $100,000

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 13, 2024) – Each of the 10 anglers who qualified for the Championship Round on Dale Hollow Lake will start Sunday morning with zero pounds, but it sure feels like two have separated from the rest of the pack in the chase for the trophy at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury.

On a day during which many of the 20 anglers on the water struggled to generate consistent bites, two-time Angler of the Year (AOY) winner Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and rookie Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois , seemingly stacked weight on SCORETRACKER® at will. While it took 31 pounds, 2 ounces on the day to earn a spot in the Top 10 and a berth to the Championship Round, both Wheeler and Gill surpassed that mark within the first 90 minutes. Each eclipsed 50 pounds in Period 1 before easing off the throttle, saving as many fish as possible for what’s looking like a final-day prize fight.

Wheeler ultimately finished atop the leaderboard with 25 scorable bass for 79-13. That put him 3-7 ahead of Gill, with a sizable gap to Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, in third place at 54-7.

Still, with several of the best anglers in the game at using forward-facing sonar to find and catch schools of bass (Jones Jr., Dustin Connell, Michael Neal, Spencer Shuffield) among the Top 10, the only sure thing entering Championship Sunday is that whoever prevails will have to earn it.

Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of Knockout Round on Dale Hollow Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of Knockout Round Highlights on Dale Hollow Lake

The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition resumes Sunday morning with the Championship Round. In the Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

When Wheeler won his seventh Bass Pro Tour trophy at Stage Two on Santee Cooper, he quipped that he had to keep pace with Connell, his travel roommate and close friend who had won the prior event on Toledo Bend. So, after Connell prevailed again at last month’s REDCREST championship, there was some semi-serious speculation that Wheeler would have no choice but to win at Dale Hollow.

Suddenly, the possibility appears very real. While Wheeler is more focused on trying to add to his record BPT victory tally and consolidate his lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year competition, he’d be happy to continue the trend.

“It would be cool, obviously,” he said. “(Connell) won the first one, I won the second one, he won the third one. It’d be nice to win this one, for sure. Right now, the house is undefeated.”

Usually an ironclad lock to make the Championship Round (he’s now up to an astounding 31 Top 10s in 45 career BPT events), Wheeler admitted that it took him a bit longer than he expected to figure out the bass on Dale Hollow this week, especially considering that he visits the lake regularly. He started competition fishing around the bank, but by Saturday morning, he’d realized that the offshore, forward-facing sonar pattern that has dominated tournament fishing all year would once again be the way to win.

“I really anticipated this tournament to be a shallow-water tournament,” he said. “It’s April, the trees are blooming. Now, this lake right here is well known for forward-facing sonar, and half my fish have come that way this week; the other half didn’t, I wasn’t looking at my screen. But I fully believe that it’ll be won doing that.”

That’s fine by Wheeler, who’s proven himself as effective as anyone with the technology. He started Saturday morning on an offshore school of largemouth. Using a jighead minnow, he put together a furious flurry that saw him boat 17 scorable bass totaling 53-13 in less than two hours.

“I thought it was going to take 50 pounds to probably make it, and I was able to catch that pretty quickly this morning,” Wheeler said. “And so, I was able to practice the rest of the day and look around and ultimately come up with a pretty solid game plan.”

Despite the fact that smallmouth accounted for the majority of the scorable bass caught by the field Saturday for the first time, 22 of Wheeler’s 25 fish were largemouth. That was by design.

“I was targeting largemouth for the most part,” Wheeler said. “I’ve spent a lot of time here in the wintertime, and I know the typical zones those bass live in.”

As good as Wheeler’s opening period was, he’s not committed to revisiting that spot to start Sunday’s action. In typical Wheeler fashion, once he amassed enough weight that he didn’t have to worry about the cut line, he spent the final five or so hours scouting new water. He found a few new areas that piqued his interest, and as the first boat to launch, he’ll have his pick of real estate on the 28,000-acre reservoir.

“I was able to eliminate a lot of stuff,” Wheeler said of his afternoon. “Now, I still have some stuff that I need to go look at. I found some stuff late; I realized what was transpiring late. So, I’m going to have to practice tomorrow as well.”

While he might practice in the sense that he’ll continue searching for the winning fish, there will be no easing off his efforts to catch them during the Championship Round. Wheeler believes it will take at least 100 pounds to claim the trophy, maybe more.

“I think 100 pounds will probably win,” Wheeler said. “I mean, it could take even as much as 120 or more. Heck, I don’t know. Obviously, a lot of guys put some pressure on their fish, but a lot of guys are sandbagging, too.”

The top 10 pros from Saturday’s Knockout Round that now advance to Sunday’s Championship Round on Dale Hollow Lake are:

1st:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 25 bass, 79-13
2nd:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 25 bass, 76-6
3rd:        Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 17 bass, 54-7
4th:         Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 17 bass, 49-6
5th:         Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 18 bass, 49-0
6th:         Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 16 bass, 43-15
7th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 14 bass, 43-0
8th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 39-3
9th:         Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 11 bass, 31-9
10th:      Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 11 bass, 31-2

Finishing in 11th through 20th place are:

11th:      Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, seven bass, 26-5
12th:      Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., eight bass, 26-2
13th:      Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., nine bass, 23-6
14th:      David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., eight bass, 23-3
15th:      Grae Buck, Green Lane, Penn., six bass, 19-15
16th:      Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., seven bass, 17-11
17th:      Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., six bass, 15-14
18th:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 12-5
19th:      Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., four bass, 12-1
20th:      Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., four bass, 9-6

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

Overall, there were 232 scorable bass weighing 684 pounds, 1 ounce caught by the 20 pros Saturday, which included two 5-pounders, 14 4-pounders and 91 3-pounders.

General Tire pro Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth on a jig in the first period to claim Saturday’s Berkley Big Bass Award. 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.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce & Bill Dance Signature Lakes, showcases 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.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Rounds were complete, the anglers that finished first through 10th from both groups advanced to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights were zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

The final 10 anglers competing in Sunday’s Championship Round will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT from Sunset Marina and Resort, located at 2040 Sunset Dock Road in Monroe. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the marina, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard and event coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Sunday, April 14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Sunset Marina and Resort for the MLF Watch Party, Kids Fishing Derby and Trophy Celebration. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

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 PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features 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 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.

Wheeler will have a chance to not only hoist his second trophy of the young season but further build his lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race, where the winner of the season-long competition will take home an additional $100,000 check. Wheeler, who won AOY in 2021 and 2022 before finishing second last year, entered Stage Three with a lead of seven points over Jesse Wiggins. Wiggins narrowly missed out on the Championship Round, finishing 13th, while reigning Angler of the Year Matt Becker failed to qualify for the Knockout Round after arriving at Dale Hollow in third place.

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.

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.



Marty & JT Stone Win Anglers Choice Stop#2 on Kerr Lake with 19.24lbs

Brian Carter
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Marty & JT Stone Win Anglers Choice Stop#2 on Kerr Lake with 19.24lbs

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

Photos Take by Danielle Englud & Video by Brian Carter

The second stop of the 2024 Anglers Choice Tourney series on Kerr lake was a tough event for all the anglers. With the wind blowing throughout the day and gusts up to 35 mph, a lot of the anglers were not able to fish the spots they had wanted, and the bites were sporadic throughout the day. The anglers we spoke to would find fish schooled together but then go for an hour without a bite. The main bait of choice was a white spinner bait with each angler’s special sauce for a trailer. Congratulations to everyone that earned a check today, and to the winners, who are on a good tourney roll – the father/son team of Marty & JT Stone.



Rookie Marshall Robinson Wins Group B Qualifying Round at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

Brian Carter
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Rookie Marshall Robinson Wins Group B Qualifying Round at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake

South Carolina pro catches two-day total of 115-11 to win Group B Qualifying Round, field of 20 set for Saturday’s Knockout Round

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 12, 2024) – Maintaining his spot atop SCORETRACKER® wasn’t Marshall Robinson of Landrum, South Carolina’s primary focus during a windy, cold second day of qualifying for Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury. But the 20-year-old still managed to catch enough Dale Hollow Lake bass while exploring new water Friday that he stayed ahead of Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama , and the rest of his pursuers. Robinson boated eight scorable bass that combined to weigh 23 pounds, 3 ounces, bringing his two-day total to 115-11.

While Jones and Connell both finished within 3-2 of Robinson’s total, the primary drama didn’t come from the top of the leaderboard but the cut line. Seven anglers finished within 10 pounds of 10th place, all of them holding a spot within the Top 10 at some point during Friday’s action. Ultimately, it was Alton Jones Sr. of Lorena, Texas, who claimed the final spot with a two-day total of 71-15.

The remaining 20 anglers – the top 10 from each group – now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round on Sunday. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Link to Hi-Res Photo of Qualifying Group B Winner Marshall Robinson
Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of Group B Qualifying Round Day 2 on Dale Hollow Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of Group B’s Day 2 Qualifying Round Highlights on Dale Hollow Lake

A cold north wind howled across Dale Hollow throughout the competition day, increasing until it culminated in a storm that dumped rain and even some hail. Given those conditions, which made it difficult for anglers fishing away from the bank to position their boats and present baits accurately, Robinson was grateful for his 90-plus-pound effort on Wednesday, still the best day of anyone in the field so far. As a result, he didn’t have to catch a scorable bass Friday to qualify for the Knockout Round.

“I told my boat official and my camera guy — we were looking around, there’s like 4-footers crashing around us — and I’m like, ‘Man, it’s a good day to not have to catch them,’” Robinson said. “I definitely enjoyed that. That was super relaxing.”

Robinson didn’t visit any of the areas he’d explored during practice or the first day of competition, instead searching for new spots that fit the pattern he’s discovered. Targeting mostly smallmouth, which accounted for seven of his eight scorable bass Friday, he’s hitting areas that contain gravel, shelf rock and deep-water access in close proximity.

“If you can find that mix on a bank that has good, deep water close by, it’s like a light switch,” he said.
While he’s using forward-facing sonar to locate fish, Robinson said they’re not chasing shad. He believes the smallmouth have mostly been spawners. He’s used a few different finesse techniques to catch them, primarily leaning on a 3-inch Yamamoto Scope Shad in either Tennessee shad or sexy shad on a homemade, ¼-ounce ball head.

“I think they’re on beds, but I’m making them come up and eat,” Robinson explained. “I’ll see a lot of them on bottom, and I’ll throw over top of them, they come flying up and eat it out of anger.”

Robinson thinks the bite will improve as Saturday brings more mild weather. But in his case, his lower weight Friday had more to do with his approach than the conditions. Every time he caught a fish, Robinson said, he saw others with it, but he purposely avoided catching more than one from any group, hoping to save them for the Knockout and Championship Rounds.

“When I would catch one, a lot of times there’d be more, eight or 10 more, and I wouldn’t throw back in there,” he said. “So, I feel good that I found some new stuff.”

Looking to make his first Championship Round appearance in just his third Bass Pro Tour event, Robinson already has a goal in mind for the Knockout Round: 55 to 60 pounds. If he can hit that mark, he thinks he’ll be comfortably clear of the cut line, and he might even give himself more time to practice for a shot at his first professional win.

“I feel good about tomorrow,” Robinson said. “I feel like I need to catch 55 or 60 pounds. … So, I’m going to go out there and try and hit that mark, and if I reach it earlier than expected, I may do some more practicing, try to find some new stuff then.”

While Mother Nature prevented the cut weight from climbing as high as many might have expected given that 11 anglers topped 40 pounds during Group B’s first day on the water, Friday’s brawl to finish among the Top 10 proved to be especially crowded. Eleven anglers wound up finishing within 13-2 of one another, ranging from Shin Fukae in seventh place to Keith Carson in 17th.

Carson started the day in 10th place, but a slow morning caused him to tumble out of the Top 10. Wesley Strader, Luke Clausen, Dean Rojas and Dave Lefebre all hovered around the cut line for most of the day but wound up just short. Mark Davis and Nick LeBrun both made spirited comebacks to put themselves in contention. Davis started the day in 18th place and stacked more than 36 pounds on SCORETRACKER® using a Carolina rig but ultimately finished 8 pounds shy. LeBrun started all the way back in 32nd and climbed as high as 10th with the biggest total of anyone in the field (53-10), but he found himself one spot out of the Top 10 at lines out.

Anthony Gagliardi and Grae Buck, meanwhile, pulled off successful rallies. Starting the day in 14th, Gagliardi started slow with just one scorable bass in the first 3 ½ hours before catching fire and climbing to ninth. Buck totaled 41-3 to vault from 16th to eighth and make his first Bass Pro Tour Knockout Round.

Jones Sr. and Fukae did just enough to keep their spots among the Top 10 after strong Day 1 performances. Jones Sr. came through in the clutch, catching a pair of scorable bass in the final 30 minutes to cement his spot in the Knockout Round.

The top 10 pros from Group B that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Dale Hollow Lake are:

1st:          Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 37 bass, 115-11
2nd:        Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 38 bass, 112-14
3rd:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 39 bass, 112-9
4th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 34 bass, 99-1
5th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 32 bass, 93-5
6th:         Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 30 bass, 83-6
7th:         Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 23 bass, 75-8
8th:         Grae Buck, Green Lane, Penn., 26 bass, 75-3
9th:         Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 27 bass, 74-15
10th:      Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 26 bass, 71-15

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:      Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 21 bass, 67-4
12th:      Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 25 bass, 67-2
13th:      Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 24 bass, 64-7
14th:      Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., 26 bass, 64-6
15th:      Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 23 bass, 63-15
16th:      Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 23 bass, 63-5
17th:      Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 24 bass, 62-6
18th:      Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 51-1
19th:      Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 18 bass, 47-6
20th:      Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 17 bass, 46-11
21st:      Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 18 bass, 45-10
22nd:     Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 16 bass, 44-15
23rd:     Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 43-14
24th:      Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 17 bass, 43-14
25th:      Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 14 bass, 43-14
26th:      Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 16 bass, 43-1
27th:      Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 14 bass, 42-6
28th:      Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 14 bass, 38-11
29th:      Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 13 bass, 37-7
30th:      Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 14 bass, 35-11
31st:      Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 13 bass, 34-8
32nd:     Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 11 bass, 30-7
33rd:     Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 10 bass, 29-6
34th:      Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 10 bass, 28-14
35th:      Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., nine bass, 26-5
36th:      Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., seven bass, 25-2
37th:      Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., eight bass, 22-9
38th:      Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., seven bass, 21-10
39th:      Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 10-9

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

Overall, there were 315 scorable bass weighing 892 pounds, 4 ounces caught by 39 pros Friday, which included 108 3-pounders, 11 4-pounders and one 5-pounder.

Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was awarded to Fukae, who weighed in a 5-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth that bit his drop-shot rig in Period 2. 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.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce & Bill Dance Signature Lakes, showcases 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.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. Now that each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT each day from Sunset Marina and Resort, located at 2040 Sunset Dock Road in Monroe. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard and event coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Sunset Marina and Resort for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features 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 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.

The 79 anglers taking on Dale Hollow this week aren’t just battling for a first-place trophy and $100,000 payday. Valuable points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race are also up for grabs. The winner of the season-long competition will take home an additional $100,000 check.

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.

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.

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.



Garrett’s gamble delivers Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Harris Chain of Lakes 

Brian Carter
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Garrett’s gamble delivers Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Harris Chain of Lakes 

Tennessee’s John Garrett has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes with a total of 24 pounds, 2 ounces.

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

April 12, 2024

LEESBURG, Fla. — The combination of quantity and quality define bass tournament success, and John Garrett gladly sacrificed the former for the latter’s potential.

The Tennessee angler’s decision paid big dividends with a five-bass limit of 24 pounds, 2 ounces, which leads Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Harris Chain of Lakes.

“I only got seven bites today, but they were the right ones,” Garrett said. “This was a totally blessed day.”

After extreme weather postponed Thursday’s scheduled start, anglers fished under clear, sunny postfrontal conditions. Thankfully the front did not significantly drop air and water temperatures.

More importantly, the fish Garrett found in practice held their ground.

“I kinda gambled today; I went to an area that I knew had the right size fish in it,” he said. “There aren’t many fish there and they’re extremely hard to catch.”

Garrett said he made a long run from the take-off site on Lake Harris’ northwestern corner. The round-trip journey burned a big chunk of his day, but he said it was a calculated risk.

“It was so tough everywhere else, I knew if I caught one fish there, it would equal two or three of the fish I was catching (elsewhere in practice),” he said. “I knew if I could catch two or three fish on the spot I ran to, I’d have the right ones.

“The size is there. I know the winning caliber of fish are there; it’s just getting some of them in the boat.”

The bass Garrett targeted were patrolling shell bottom, often running with tilapia. A mix of reaction baits earned his bites.

“There was a lot of clear water in this area,” Garrett said. “Those fish were just cruising and when they’d swim through, you might catch one, you might not.”

Garrett said he believes he was catching fish that had spawned several months ago.

“These fish have had a lot of time to recover,” he said. “They’re the healthiest fish I’ve seen on the chain.”

Garrett said he committed to his game plan fully expecting a tedious day. The pace, however, became more stressful than he’d anticipated.

“I didn’t have a fish at 10 o’clock today,” Garrett said. “I caught all of my fish between 10 and 1. I had a bite about every hour.”

As for Round 2, Garrett said he’ll return to his sweet spot in hopes of grinding out another good bag.

John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second place with 22-5. Sampling several lakes, he settled into one location and channeled lessons from his early instructor to sack up three big bass in a 20-foot section of Kissimmee grass.

“I grew up here fishing with (the late) Joe Kremer and he pretty much taught me how to fish the Harris Chain,” Cox said. “It was unreal today, I pulled into an area and I was like, ‘Joe always used to catch a couple here.’

“I caught a good one and for some reason, in my head, it was where I remember seeing him make a flip. I ended up catching two more big ones on that spot.”

Cox caught all of his bass on a Texas-rigged Berkley MaxScent The General in the tilapia color.

Brad Whatley of Bivins, Texas, is in third place with 22 pounds. His day started with a big bite, but he then endured a painfully slow morning, before returning to the scene of his early success for a second helping.

“I caught a big one that weighed 7-14 at 8:30 and I did not catch another fish until probably 11,” Whatley said. “I swapped lakes and filled out my limit. Then I came back to where I caught that first big one and caught a 7-12.”

Using a mix of reaction baits and slow presentations, Whatley said he was catching postspawn fish that were holding in grass that was 4 to 7 feet deep. During practice, he caught a 5-pounder on his main spot, but he said catching two nearly 8-pounders in competition was a pleasant surprise.

“That’s typical Florida fishing — a big fish goes a long way,” Whatley said. “I was just fortunate enough to get two good ones.

“I know there are some more there. I had one more giant (hooked) and I didn’t get him.”

Whatley and Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., share the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors, each with a 7-14.

Rookie Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 287 points. Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., is in second with 283, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 273, Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, with 272, and J.T. Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., with 261.

Saturday’s takeoff 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.

Follow all the action on FS1 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. and on Bassmaster.com from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET. On Semifinal Sunday, watch live coverage on FS1from 8-11 a.m. and on Bassmaster.com from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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 1

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

1.  John Garrett           Union City, TN           5  24-02  103
  Day 1: 5   24-02   
2.  John Cox               Debary, FL               5  22-05  102
  Day 1: 5   22-05   
3.  Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  22-00  101
  Day 1: 5   22-00   
4.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  21-13  100
  Day 1: 5   21-13   
5.  Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL              5  21-06   99
  Day 1: 5   21-06   
6.  Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL             5  20-15   98
  Day 1: 5   20-15   
7.  David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  20-03   97
  Day 1: 5   20-03   
8.  Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  19-11   96
  Day 1: 5   19-11   
8.  JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC         5  19-11   96
  Day 1: 5   19-11   
10. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  19-00   94
  Day 1: 5   19-00   
11. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH              5  18-02   93
  Day 1: 5   18-02   
12. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL           5  17-14   92
  Day 1: 5   17-14   
13. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  17-13   91
  Day 1: 5   17-13   
14. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        5  17-06   90
  Day 1: 5   17-06   
15. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                  5  17-03   89
  Day 1: 5   17-03   
15. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  17-03   89
  Day 1: 5   17-03   
17. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME             5  17-02   87
  Day 1: 5   17-02   
18. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  15-13   86
  Day 1: 5   15-13   
19. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  15-12   85
  Day 1: 5   15-12   
20. Mike Huff              London, KY               5  15-09   84
  Day 1: 5   15-09   
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  15-09   84
  Day 1: 5   15-09   
22. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA             5  14-13   82
  Day 1: 5   14-13   
22. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            5  14-13   82
  Day 1: 5   14-13   
24. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  14-12   80
  Day 1: 5   14-12   
25. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN            5  14-08   79
  Day 1: 5   14-08   
25. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC           5  14-08   79
  Day 1: 5   14-08   
27. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            5  14-06   77
  Day 1: 5   14-06   
28. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA  5  14-05   76
  Day 1: 5   14-05   
28. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  14-05   76
  Day 1: 5   14-05   
30. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  14-04   74
  Day 1: 5   14-04   
31. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  14-02   73
  Day 1: 5   14-02   
32. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  13-15   72
  Day 1: 5   13-15   
33. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI               5  13-11   71
  Day 1: 5   13-11   
34. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  13-05   70
  Day 1: 5   13-05   
35. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  13-04   69
  Day 1: 5   13-04   
36. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  13-01   68
  Day 1: 5   13-01   
37. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  13-00   67
  Day 1: 5   13-00   
37. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  13-00   67
  Day 1: 5   13-00   
39. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI             5  12-15   65
  Day 1: 5   12-15   
40. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  12-14   64
  Day 1: 5   12-14   
41. Todd Auten             Clover, SC               5  12-11   63
  Day 1: 5   12-11   
42. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  12-10   62
  Day 1: 5   12-10   
43. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  12-08   61
  Day 1: 5   12-08   
44. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            4  12-08   60
  Day 1: 4   12-08   
45. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  12-07   59
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
46. Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA          5  12-06   58
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
46. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY          5  12-06   58
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
48. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  12-05   56
  Day 1: 5   12-05   
49. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  12-03   55
  Day 1: 5   12-03   
50. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  12-02   54
  Day 1: 5   12-02   
51. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  11-15   53
  Day 1: 5   11-15   
52. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  11-14   52
  Day 1: 5   11-14   
53. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  11-11   51
  Day 1: 5   11-11   
54. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  11-10   50
  Day 1: 5   11-10   
54. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  11-10   50
  Day 1: 5   11-10   
56. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  11-08   48
  Day 1: 5   11-08   
57. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  11-04   47
  Day 1: 5   11-04   
58. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  11-02   46
  Day 1: 5   11-02   
58. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             5  11-02   46
  Day 1: 5   11-02   
60. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               5  11-01   44
  Day 1: 5   11-01   
61. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH             5  11-00   43
  Day 1: 5   11-00   
61. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  11-00   43
  Day 1: 5   11-00   
63. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          5  10-15   41
  Day 1: 5   10-15   
63. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  10-15   41
  Day 1: 5   10-15   
65. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  10-09   39
  Day 1: 5   10-09   
66. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  10-08   38
  Day 1: 5   10-08   
67. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL            5  10-07   37
  Day 1: 5   10-07   
67. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  10-07   37
  Day 1: 5   10-07   
69. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  10-04   35
  Day 1: 5   10-04   
70. Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN       5  10-03   34
  Day 1: 5   10-03   
71. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  10-01   33
  Day 1: 5   10-01   
72. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL               5  10-00   32
  Day 1: 5   10-00   
73. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           5  09-13   31
  Day 1: 5   09-13   
74. Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              5  09-09   30
  Day 1: 5   09-09   
75. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  09-05   29
  Day 1: 5   09-05   
76. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  09-01   28
  Day 1: 5   09-01   
76. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  09-01   28
  Day 1: 5   09-01   
78. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  09-00   26
  Day 1: 5   09-00   
78. Bryan New              Leesville, SC            5  09-00   26
  Day 1: 5   09-00   
80. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  08-15   24
  Day 1: 5   08-15   
80. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              5  08-15   24
  Day 1: 5   08-15   
82. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           5  08-13   22
  Day 1: 5   08-13   
82. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN  5  08-13   22
  Day 1: 5   08-13   
84. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN             5  08-11   20
  Day 1: 5   08-11   
85. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  08-08   19
  Day 1: 5   08-08   
86. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  08-05   18
  Day 1: 5   08-05   
87. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           5  08-04   17
  Day 1: 5   08-04   
88. Frank Talley           Belton, TX               5  07-14   16
  Day 1: 5   07-14   
89. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  07-08   15
  Day 1: 5   07-08   
90. Derek Hudnall          Zachary, LA              5  07-00   14
  Day 1: 5   07-00   
91. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  06-14   13
  Day 1: 5   06-14   
91. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  06-14   13
  Day 1: 5   06-14   
93. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  06-10   11
  Day 1: 5   06-10   
93. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  06-10   11
  Day 1: 5   06-10   
95. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  06-09    9
  Day 1: 5   06-09   
96. Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX            4  05-11    8
  Day 1: 4   05-11   
97. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              3  04-15    7
  Day 1: 3   04-15   
98. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  04-14    6
  Day 1: 5   04-14   
99. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                4  04-12    5
  Day 1: 4   04-12   
100. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          4  04-09    4
  Day 1: 4   04-09   
101. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            3  04-08    3
  Day 1: 3   04-08   
102. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              2  03-07    2
  Day 1: 2   03-07   
103. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       07-14          $0.00
 1   Brad Whatley             Bivins, TX          07-14          $0.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        95       499      1248-05
———————————-
          95       499      1248-05
 



Anglers may broaden the search during MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River

Brian Carter
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0
Anglers may broaden the search during MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River

While 2022’s Bassmaster Elite at the St. John’s River was a prespawn/spawn event, this year’s event could present a variety of scenarios for anglers.

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

April 12, 2024

Anglers may broaden the search during MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River

Elite_eventLogo_2024_StJohnsRiver_ForDarkLightBackgrounds_HighRes.png

PALATKA, Fla. — John Cox grew up on Florida’s east coast, so he is intimately familiar with nearly every section of the St. Johns. He believes the upcoming MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River will unveil aspects of the river that previous events haven’t fully showcased.

Competition days will be April 18-21 with daily takeoffs from Palatka City Dock & Boat Ramp at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at the dock at 3 p.m.

The past three Elite events at the St. Johns (2020, 2021 and 2022) were held the second week of February, so prespawn patterns and bed fishing dominated the show. This year’s tournament will take on more of a postspawn flavor — and probably compel more anglers to turn left from takeoff.

“I think with us fishing in mid-April, that will open up the north part of the river and we’ll see more stuff (in) play with the tide,” Cox said. “I think we’ll see something different this year. I think we’ll see people spread out more than we normally do. We’ll see people get on something off-the-wall and unexpected.”

For clarity, the St. Johns stretches 310 miles from its marshy headwaters in lower Indian River County to its Atlantic Ocean exit through Jacksonville’s Mayport Inlet. Florida’s longest and only north-flowing river receives its inflow mostly from stormwater and natural springs, which results in a low flow rate of 0.3 mph and qualifies the St. Johns as a “lazy” river.

The difference-maker comes via the fishery’s coastal connection. Tidal influence is strongest near the Atlantic, but daily ebb and flow is felt throughout the fishery.

As Cox points out, daily fluctuations diminish the farther south you go. Therefore, anyone fishing north of Palatka will experience greater tidal influence by way of water-level variance and feeding windows.

As Cox explained, the areas from south of Palatka — Crescent Lake, Rodman Reservoir, Lake George, Salt Springs and countless main-river subtleties — offer the majority of prespawn/spawn habitat. This year, he expects to see more of the field exploring the tributaries, offshoots and docks downriver (north).

Though southern areas are certainly not devoid of potential, they may offer lower seasonal appeal than they would have a month or two ago. Without the traditional expectations, anglers may have to explore different areas this time.

“A lot of fish have spawned already,” Cox said. “Normally we get (to the St. Johns) and 5% of the fish have spawned, and we’re trying to hit it just right. But now, I think 80% to 90% of the fish will have spawned. The one thing to consider is that farther north, the water is cooler. So, there may be more spawning left (downriver).”

Also, with an approaching full moon on April 24, any late spawners will start to feel the lunar prompting. A slight dip in air temperature is expected during the tournament, but we’re past the dramatic weather shifts of late winter/early spring, so conditions could certainly favor a few straggling spawners.

For historical reference, when the Elites last visited the St. Johns in 2022, veteran pro John Crews won that event by focusing on the prespawn patterns in Rodman and its lock canal. Similarly, Bryan New won the first event of his rookie season by topping the 2021 Elite at the St. Johns by targeting spawners amid lily pads in Lake George and prespawners on main-river shellbars near Dunn’s Creek, which links to Crescent Lake.

Notably, 2020 offered a preview of 2024’s possible storyline when tournament winner Paul Mueller ran about 25 miles downriver from Palatka and caught prespawners out of pads in two different creeks. With severe weather shortening the event to three days instead of the usual four, the blown-out southern waters played a role in anglers’ strategies. Nevertheless, Mueller’s winning fish certainly hinted at the potential north of takeoff.

“I think the exception could be Rodman,” Cox said. “The (native eelgrass) still hasn’t come back yet in the river, but Rodman still has vegetation and clean water. That’s where a lot of the fishing will go on.”

Benefiting from the state’s regular drawdown and maintenance, this 9,500-acre Ocklawaha River impoundment comprises flooded timber and significant amounts of vegetation. A deep-water channel plus shallow habitat and a reputation for quality and quantity make Rodman a year-round option.

“I’m going to look for some spawners, but it’s mostly going to be a postspawn event,” Cox said. “I think the shad spawn thing will happen if it warms up. The shad like to spawn on docks, pads, laydowns and seawalls.

“When someone finds the right area, it can happen quick. You might see someone on BassTrakk (post a sudden rally) — that’s the morning shad spawn.”

Spinnerbaits, topwaters, swim jigs, Fluke-style baits and jerkbaits are the common selections for this morning mayhem. Elsewhere, anglers will target postspawners with topwaters, swimbaits, bladed jigs, crankbaits and Texas-rigged plastics.

Another scenario that plays on both sides of the spawn is the assortment of St. Johns River shellbars. Existing north and south of Palatka, these freshwater mussel mounds create centers of life that attract largemouth bass.

“Someone’s gonna blast them on the shad spawn and maybe a few spawners, but I think the winning stuff will come off a shellbar,” Cox said. “If you have one good bar where the fish are coming to you, maybe you can ride that out and end up with 15 of your 20 fish coming from that pattern.”

Ultimately, Cox believes the typically moody postspawn fish will make consistency an elusive target. On the other hand, the recovering females will definitely be feeding, so a diverse game plan — or one anchored by the coveted honey hole — could produce impressive bags. Cox believes 18 to 19 pounds a day will earn a Top 10 spot, and a total in the low to mid-80s will win the blue trophy.

Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days, and coverage will also be available on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday.

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



Britt Myers Earns Group A Qualifying Round Win at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury

Brian Carter
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0
Britt Myers Earns Group A Qualifying Round Win at Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury

General Tire pro boats two-day total of 140-8 to win Group A Qualifying Round, Top 10 pros advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 11, 2024) – At one point Thursday afternoon, General Tire pro Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, felt a bass bite his bait, but he didn’t set the hook. Not wanting to educate too many of the fish he’s found prior to the Knockout Round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury on Dale Hollow Lake, the South Carolina native waited, hoping the bass would spit out his jighead minnow, then tried to shake it off. Somehow, he still hooked the 3-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth and added it to his rapidly ballooning weight total.

The second day of qualifying was “one of those days” for Myers — in the best way possible. With everything seemingly going his way, Myers boated 24 scorable bass for nearly 80 pounds, bringing his two-day total to 140 pounds, 8 ounces and topping the leaderboard in Group A.

“It was just one of those days where you couldn’t do anything wrong,” Myers said. “I’ve had those days before in practice, but never during a major event. It was just super fun


Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of Group A Qualifying Round Day 2 on Dale Hollow Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of Group A’s Day 2 Qualifying Round Afternoon Highlights on Dale Hollow Lake

The top 10 anglers advancing from Group A will now have an off day from competition Friday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The top 10 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Myers, who entered the day more than 17 pounds behind Day 1 leader pro Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, wasted little time chipping away at the deficit. He stacked a whopping 42-5 onto SCORETRACKER® during the first period. Even after Myers started running new water, he barely slowed down, adding 12 more scorable bass for 37-9 to his tally.

Myers took the lead in the final minutes of the second period and finished the day 16-4 ahead of Gill. Those two, plus the rest of the Top 10 finishers in Group A, earned spots in Saturday’s Knockout Round, where they will face off with the Top 10 anglers from Group B.

In the months prior to the start of the 2024 Bass Pro Tour season, Myers worked with his son, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals angler Britt Myers Jr. , to learn the intricacies of chasing offshore fish with forward-facing sonar. The elder Myers was excited to show off his new skillset at the first two events, but they didn’t quite go as planned. Myers finished 71st at Toledo Bend and 65th at Santee Cooper.

As a result, the fact that he leaned on Garmin LiveScope to amass more than 80 pounds made Thursday even sweeter.

“I went to Toledo, I was so excited, because I wanted to use that technique, and even Santee Cooper,” Myers said. “But fish just moved, and things didn’t work out. So, I desperately needed this tournament.”

Myers caught his Day 1 total using the same technique — a jighead minnow and forward-facing sonar — but did so much shallower, due in large part to gusting winds that forced him to stay in protected pockets and coves. But something he noticed Tuesday gave him a clue about a pattern he thought he might be able to replicate around the lake given the right conditions.

It didn’t take long for him to be proven right. Myers started Thursday morning in an area he’d caught bass during practice, then ran 10 to 15 more areas that set up similarly. He caught fish from all of them. Not wanting to divulge too many of the details, Myers said depth hasn’t seemed to matter — he caught fish anywhere from 4 feet to 30 feet Thursday — but the key is “how the bass are positioned.”

“Literally, I never fished anywhere today that I fished the first day,” Myers said. “I think those fish are just roaming anywhere from 4 foot to 30 foot. And I know it sounds crazy. I don’t understand that. It’s against everything in the bass fishing handbook. But that’s what’s going on.”

Myers didn’t just find schools of bass at each of the spots he visited, but big ones. He landed five 4-plus-pounders Thursday. Through three days at Dale Hollow, it’s become clear that finding groups of those bigger-than-average bass will be key to outdueling other anglers in an event where getting bites isn’t an issue.

“The crazy thing is, I caught two 4-pound smallmouth, and then I caught two 4-pound largemouth,” Myers said. “It’s just a day you won’t forget.”

Looking to make his first ever Championship Round appearance on the Bass Pro Tour, the most important question Myers will have to answer prior to Saturday is which of the myriad areas he found Thursday to focus on. He’ll give that plenty of thought during his day off the water. In the meantime, he’ll be basking in the excitement of his magical day.

“I guess you start where you had the most bites, and where the highest concentration of fish is,” Myers said. “I just can’t even explain the day, to be honest with you. I’m still kind of puzzled.”

Entering the event, one of the primary subplots to the action on Dale Hollow figured to be whether the lake’s smallmouth or largemouth would comprise the winning catch. In most past tournaments on the Kentucky-Tennessee border reservoir, largemouth have dominated, but that’s resulted in part from the lake’s slot limit, which prohibits anglers from possessing smallmouth between 16 and 21 inches in length. With the Bass Pro Tour’s catch-weigh-immediate release format, anglers don’t have to worry about the slot, freeing them up to show off the smallmouth population Dale Hollow is best known for.

So far, most anglers have caught a mixture of species, and it doesn’t seem to matter. Largemouth have accounted for about two-thirds of the scorable bass caught through the first three days of competition, but the average size has been similar, with a scorable largemouth weighing 2.8 pounds on average compared to 2.9 pounds for smallmouth.

Interestingly, Myers caught mostly smallmouth for the second day in a row, with 15 of his 24 fish being brown ones. Gill, on the other hand, predicted prior to the event that the winning total would consist of 75 percent smallmouth, yet he’s caught 29 largemouth to 11 smallmouth across the first two days.

“Before the tournament started, I thought if you fished for smallmouth, you would occasionally catch a decent largemouth, but you wouldn’t catch many largemouth,” Myers said. “And actually, it’s just been the opposite of that. So, I’m really fishing for smallmouth, but the largemouth are sharing the same areas.”

Rather than which species will win, the bigger question seems to be whether anglers fishing around the bank can keep up with those using forward-facing sonar to target offshore schools of fish. The offshore game has dominated so far, with each of the top four finishers in Group A eclipsing 100 pounds that way. But with shallow specialists like Ott DeFoe, Jeff Sprague and David Dudley all making the Top 10 and the weather forecast to warm this weekend, it’s possible we could see a wave of bass hit the banks and give one of those anglers a chance to spoil the forward-facing sonar party.

The top 10 pros from Group A that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Dale Hollow Lake are:

1st:         Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 43 bass, 140-8
2nd:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 42 bass, 125-2
3rd:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 37 bass, 104-15
4th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 34 bass, 101-4
5th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 34 bass, 85-14
6th:         Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 31 bass, 85-7
7th:         David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 33 bass, 85-0
8th:         Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 30 bass, 82-10
9th:         Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 30 bass, 79-12
10th:      Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 28 bass, 76-0

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:      Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 28 bass, 75-2
12th:      Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 24 bass, 72-5
13th:      Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 23 bass, 70-13
14th:      Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 21 bass, 63-11
15th:      Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 22 bass, 58-8
16th:      Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 21 bass, 56-14
17th:      Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 19 bass, 53-9
18th:      David Walker, Huntingdon, Tenn., 16 bass, 51-11
19th:      Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 18 bass, 49-7
20th:      James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 49-1
21st:      Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 18 bass, 48-9
22nd:     Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 18 bass, 48-6
23rd:     Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-4
24th:      John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 17 bass, 47-14
25th:      Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 18 bass, 46-10
26th:      Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 18 bass, 46-1
27th:      Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 16 bass, 45-4
28th:      Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 16 bass, 44-4
29th:      Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 18 bass, 43-8
30th:      Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 13 bass, 40-13
31st:      Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 12 bass, 38-4
32nd:     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 13 bass, 36-6
33rd:     John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 34-0
34th:      Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 12 bass, 33-7
35th:      Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 12 bass, 32-13
36th:      Greg Vinson, Wetumka, Ala., eight bass, 21-12
37th:      Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., seven bass, 20-0
38th:      Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, five bass, 14-13
39th:      Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 13-12
40th:      Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, three bass, 7-7

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

Overall, there were 400 scorable bass weighing 1,126 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the 40 pros Thursday, which included 26 4-pounders, 110 3-pounders and 264 2-pounders.

Pro Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, earned Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with an 4-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bass that he caught on a jig during Period 1. 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.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce & Bill Dance Signature Lakes, showcases 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.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT each day from Sunset Marina and Resort, located at 2040 Sunset Dock Road in Monroe. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard and event coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Sunset Marina and Resort for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features 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 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.

The 79 anglers taking on Dale Hollow this week aren’t just battling for a first-place trophy and $100,000 payday. Valuable points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race are also up for grabs. The winner of the season-long competition will take home an additional $100,000 check.

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.

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.

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.



The Legend of Mason Cummings and the Monumental Largemouth Bass of Lake Marion

Brian Carter
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0
The Legend of Mason Cummings and the Monumental Largemouth Bass of Lake Marion

The Legend of Mason Cummings and the Monumental Largemouth Bass of Lake Marion

Photo Courtesy of Game & Fish

In the serene waters of Lake Marion, South Carolina, lies a tale as old as time – a tale of a record-breaking catch that would etch its name into the annals of fishing history. The year was 1949, a time when fishing was not just a hobby but a way of life for many. It was during this era that one man, Mason Cummings, would embark on a fishing excursion that would change his life forever.

Mason Cummings, a seasoned angler with a passion for the sport, set out on a fateful day with his eyes set on one goal – to reel in the catch of a lifetime. Little did he know that his determination and skill would lead him to an encounter with a largemouth bass so monumental that it would become the stuff of legends.

As Mason patiently cast his line into the tranquil waters of Lake Marion, he felt a tug unlike any other. The water rippled, the air became electrified with anticipation, and before he knew it, the battle between man and fish had begun. The largemouth bass put up a fierce fight, showcasing its raw power and determination. But Mason, with years of experience under his belt, gritted his teeth and held on, refusing to let go of his prize.

After what seemed like an eternity of struggle, Mason finally managed to bring the colossal bass to the surface. As he hoisted the behemoth out of the water, he knew that he had just accomplished something truly extraordinary. The largemouth bass on his line weighed a staggering 16 pounds and 2 ounces, setting a new record not just for Lake Marion but for all of South Carolina.

The news of Mason Cummings’ legendary catch spread like wildfire, captivating the hearts and minds of anglers far and wide. The record-breaking largemouth bass became a symbol of perseverance, skill, and the sheer thrill of the hunt. But what many may not know are the hidden facts and intriguing details that surround this monumental catch.

For starters, Lake Marion, where Mason Cummings reeled in his historic bass, is known for its rich biodiversity and abundance of fish species. The lake, located along South Carolina’s central coastal plain, has long been a favorite spot for anglers seeking a challenging and rewarding fishing experience. Its waters are teeming with bass, catfish, crappie, and other game fish, making it a paradise for fishing enthusiasts of all kinds.

Moreover, the year 1949 marked a significant period in fishing history, characterized by advancements in fishing techniques, equipment, and conservation efforts. Mason Cummings’ record-breaking catch not only highlighted the potential of Lake Marion as a premier fishing destination but also inspired a new generation of anglers to test their skills and chase their own fishing dreams.

It is also worth noting that largemouth bass, known for their voracious appetites and impressive size, are a highly sought-after game fish in the United States. Reeling in a largemouth bass of such monumental proportions requires not just luck but also skill, patience, and a deep understanding of the fish’s behavior and habitat.



Matt Stanley & Mike Kiser Win CATT Yadkin High Rock, NC April 7, 2024

Brian Carter
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0
Matt Stanley & Mike Kiser Win CATT Yadkin High Rock, NC April 7, 2024

Next Yadkin Spring Qualifier is at Tuckertown – Flat Creek April 28th!

Matt Stanley & Mike Kiser weighed in 5 bass at 23.32 lbs to take 1st Place plus they brought in the BF at 7.21 lb and took home a total of $2,285.00!

Phillip Hedrick & Tyler Valley 2nd Place with 20.65 lbs!

3rd Austin Garland 20.38 lbs!

4th went to Shawn Knight 19.71 lbs!

Jason Smith 5th 19.47 lbs!

Walker & James Blankenship 6th Place 18.63 lbs!

Hunter & Randy Johnson 7th 18.20 lbs!

Orlando Giles & Mike Ray 8th 17.92 lbs!

Last money spot Lee Endicott & Travis Donaldson 17.34 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinningsPoints
Mike Kiser – Matt Stanley7.2123.32$2,285.00110
Phillip Hedrick – Tyler Valley6.7120.65$730.00109
Austin Garland5.7420.38$515.00108
Shawn Knight0.0019.71$275.00107
Jason Smith0.0019.47$175.00106
James Blankinship – Walker Blankenship6.9118.63$130.00105
Hunter Johnson – Randy Johnson6.7718.20$120.00104
Mike Ray – Orlando Giles4.5117.92$115.00103
Lee Endicott – Travis Donaldson0.0017.34$90.00102
Jarrett Freeze – Chayd Freeze0.0016.00101
Jacob Bridges – Brady Weisner5.0815.74100
Chris Brown – Sam Cole0.0015.6999
Curt Lare – Devin Kennedy0.0015.5698
Chris Coleman – Tommy Coleman0.0015.2297
Josh Stafford – Tony Stafford5.9015.1296
Cody Thompson – Brian Robbins6.6414.7295
Ladd Whicker – Landon Whicker6.0414.5294
Keaton Hawks – Alan Hawks0.0014.1893
Bart Hill – Wyatt Hill0.0014.0592
Dillon Simpson – Nathan Sparks0.0013.6791
Todd Butler – Jeffrey Furr0.0013.6690
Zac Ridenhour – Clay Ridenhour0.0013.3589
Mark Mohler – Graeme Cisch0.0012.6088
Ralph Hollifield0.0011.4687
Tom Coleman – Tate Coleman0.0011.3586
Zach Scelsi – Kris Scelsi0.0011.0885
Brad Cooper – Daniel Dority0.008.2984
Dusty Taylor – Kolton Hawks0.008.2683
Ben Robertson – Conrad Maniel0.007.4082
Robert Mixon – Robert Lambert0.006.1881
Randy Robson – Brian Robson0.004.2980
Chris Mote – Gary Phillips0.000.0079
Kevin J Stowell Sr – Dakota Harvey0.000.0079
Jason Riggs – Steve Sink0.000.0079
Chris Elrod – Chris Hall0.000.0079
Chris Passmore – Mike Gauldin0.000.0079
David Cheek – Josh Young0.000.0079
Scott Henley – John Ray0.000.0079
Ricky Moore – Corey Moore0.000.0079
Hayden Strickland – Nick Williams0.000.0079
Justin Goodyear – Tony Waterhouse0.000.0079
Jack Vanderford – Terry Wise0.000.0079
Josh Presley – Gabe kluttz0.000.0079
Lee Williams – Gavin Williams0.000.0079
Jeremy Talbert – Tod Haynes0.000.0079
Robert Branson0.000.0079
Mark Lowe – Robbie Walser0.000.0079
Thomas Ludwick – Tom File0.000.0079
Total Entrys$3,840.00
BONUS $$1,150.00
Total Paid At Ramp$4,435.00
CATT$50.00
2024 Yadkin Spring Final Fund$455.00
2024 CATT Championship Fund$50.00
2024 Yadkin Spring Final Fund Total$1,455.00



Christopher Thrush & Timothy Tyson Win CATT Cooper River, SC April 6, 2024

Brian Carter
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0
Christopher Thrush & Timothy Tyson Win CATT Cooper River, SC April 6, 2024

Next Cooper River Spring Qualifier is April 20th! This will be your last chance to qualify for the Final!

Christopher Thrush & Timothy Tyson win the Cooper River with 5 bass weighing 18.45 lbs!

Jeff Parsons & Michael Ard 2nd with 17.50 lbs!

Grant Powell & Travis Gatlin 3rd with 12.92 lbs!

5th Place Jarod Boles 11.25 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinningsPoints
Christopher Thrush – Timothy Tyson6.5118.45$1,160.00110
Michael Ard – Jeff Parsons4.9817.50$250.00109
Grant Powell – Travis Gatlin0.0012.92$150.00108
Matt Baker – Andrew Baker3.7611.91$110.00107
Jarod Boles3.6911.25$85.00106
Greg Benton – Logan Benton0.0010.86105
Sean McElhaney – Chad Huber4.0610.82104
Drew Brown – Brandon McMillian4.1010.36103
Bubba Dennis – Kevin Brock4.4210.33102
David Driggers4.9510.16101
Scott McClellan – Vince Locklear0.0010.16100
Brian Surowiec – Walter Cumbee0.009.9099
Scotty Mixon – Daphine Mixon0.008.6698
Michael Dibelo – Edward Punchak0.008.4997
Willie Weatherford -Willie Weatherford0.008.4196
James Skelton0.008.1295
Joseph Giampa – Justin Giampa0.007.8994
Glenn Varner – Vic Varner0.007.8793
Kyle Welch – James Fender0.007.0992
Troy Hutt – Ben Newman0.006.7591
Thomas Hepstall – Grayson Cagle0.000.0081
David Padgett0.000.0081
Kyle Howard- Joey Howard0.000.0081
Collin Newton – Legrand Newton0.000.0081
Derrick Nixon0.000.0081
Jimmy King – Todd Thompson0.000.0081
Jimmy McCants – Bob Watford0.000.0081
Total Entrys$1,350.00
BONUS $$525.00
Total Paid At Ramp$1,755.00
Cooper River 2024 Spring Final Fund$100.00
2024 CATT Championship Fund$20.00
Cooper River 2024 Spring Final Fund Total$510.00



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