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Sunday, October 6, 2024
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April Lake Anna Fishing Report by Captain Tyler Heuple

Brian Carter
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April Lake Anna Fishing Report by Captain Tyler Heuple

Water Temperatures: High 50’s – Low 60’s and rising

Water Clarity: Clear to Clear Stained

Spring fishing is in full swing on Anna and the bass are on the move to their spawning grounds, or already there! 

Throughout April the fish are active and moving shallow. Lake Anna is a power plant lake, and fish have been spawning for quite some time in the warmest parts of the lake. A large portion of bass are in the back halves of major creek arms or moving into spawning flats off of the main lake. There is still a decent amount of fish in pre-spawn mode staged on submerged hard structures, and secondary points in the 15-8 foot range. However, these fish are moving shallower by the day. With a large warming trend in the forecast, I expect the rest of April to be really good fishing and another big spawning event to take place very soon in the mid and upper sections of the lake.

Fish have been eating a jackhammer chatter bait and neko rig pretty good. Those are my two go-to baits at Anna in April. Cover water with the jackhammer, and slow down when you find them with the neko rig. If you aren’t looking at them on a bed, most of your big fish this time of year are going to come off of isolated stumps, hard structures, or suspended in the ditches near or adjacent to spawning areas. 

Website Link: lakeannabassfishing.com

High Pole Guide Service at Lake Anna 



    Rookie Drew Gill Grabs Early Lead at Major League Fishing Stage Three Presented by Mercury at Dale Hollow Lake

    Brian Carter
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    Rookie Drew Gill Grabs Early Lead at Major League Fishing Stage Three Presented by Mercury at Dale Hollow Lake

    Illinois pro weighs in 77 pounds, 15 ounces to lead after Day 1 for Group A – Group B begins competition Wednesday

    BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 9, 2024) – In the months since Major League Fishing announced the Bass Pro Tour would bring its catch-weigh-immediate release model to Dale Hollow Lake for PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury, anglers have anticipated an epic shootout, with some even predicting record weights. However, a chilly three-day practice period brought a trickier bite than many expected, causing some of that excitement to be replaced with trepidation.

    Through one day of competition, at least, the lake is living up to its pre-practice billing.

    Pro Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, stacked 26 scorable bass weighing 77 pounds, 15 ounces onto SCORETRACKER® Tuesday, giving him more than 16 pounds of cushion over pro Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas at the top of Group A. In all, 10 anglers eclipsed 40 pounds on the day.

    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 will now have an off day from competition Wednesday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Thursday.

    Gill said he believes most of Dale Hollow’s bass are currently in the midst of their annual transition from the prespawn feed to spawning mode, but the majority haven’t locked onto beds yet. While the Day 1 results might not show it, that’s made it tough to find a consistent bite.

    “We really hit it just about as perfect as we could have hit it between what I’d call prespawn and the spawn,” Gill said. “If we’d been here just a hair earlier or a hair later, it would have been a lot more consistent.”

    However, in the final hour of the three-day practice period, Gill found a more stable, and totally separate, population of bass to target.

    Gill firmly believes that not every bass spawns every year. He’s chasing those fish on Dale Hollow, targeting them suspended in 20 to 30 feet of water. While they’re not necessarily relating to schools of baitfish, having shad or other forage nearby seems to help.

    “I’m fishing 20 to 30 feet deep – like, the fish are that deep,” he explained. “And I’m trying to stay around the forage if I can. I’m not directly fishing bait, but I’m trying to stay around it. It makes the fish a little bit more agreeable.”

    Gill, whose fishing mind belies his 21 years of age, explained that those fish are more willing to bite because they’re solely focused on feeding, not spawning. As a result, even though there might be greater numbers of bass around the banks, he’s able to catch more offshore.

    “The issue on this lake is I’m fishing for the easiest-to-catch population,” Gill said. “Here, it’s not like I’m trying to get around fish. You’re around fish everywhere on this place. What I’m trying to do is get around the population that’s the easiest to catch.”

    The one thing that surprised Gill Tuesday was that, after he caught mostly smallmouth in practice, 22 of his 26 scorable bass were largemouth. That proportion more or less mirrored the rest of the field, as smallmouth accounted for about 22% of the 406 scorable bass that hit the scales Tuesday.

    However, the quality of those brown bass – which normally wouldn’t be reflected in tournament weights due to Dale Hollow’s strict slot limit that prohibits anglers from possessing smallmouth between 16 and 21 inches – made up for the lack of quantity. The highlight of Gill’s day was a 5-12 smallmouth that earned him $1,000 as the Berkley Big Bass, and the three heaviest fish caught on the day were all smallmouth.

    Gill hopes to continue targeting both species.

    “Today, the largemouth showed up, and they showed up in droves,” he said. “And I’m super cool with it. Largemouth here are a little bit less fickle, they’re a little bit less condition prone – the offshore largemouth, anyways – those largemouth are a little bit more consistent than the smallmouth are. So, I’m tickled that the largemouth showed up. Because my plan was to fish for smallmouth, but if you can fish for both on a lake that has good ones, both smallmouth and largemouth, by all means, fish for both.”

    Gill caught his fish Tuesday using forward-facing sonar and finesse tactics. That’s no surprise; his Garmin LiveScope mastery is a major reason he’s launched himself into the national spotlight this year, racking up a Tackle Warehouse Invitationals win at Sam Rayburn, a third-place finish at Toledo Bend in his Bass Pro Tour debut and three other top-11 finishes in 2024 alone.

    Gill has no plans to change techniques, saying what he’s doing is going to win the event. The key over the coming days will be keeping track of the fish as they move and finding new, unpressured schools. Gill plans to take advantage of his 36-plus-pound cushion over the cut line by using the second day of qualifying to prepare for the Knockout and Championship Rounds.

    “It will be really important for me to look around a lot,” he said. “But it’s not quite what I’d call true – like truly practicing for a tournament, in my opinion, is trying to like reinvent your wheel. I’m not going to be practicing a new ‘what,’ I’m just going to be fishing some new ‘wheres.’ Generally speaking, on this lake, if you’re fishing the right type of stuff, if it’s a deal and not just a spot – like, you’re going to run all over and you’re going to catch them everywhere that sets up that way.

    “It’s going to be really important to me to be able to fish free on Thursday and have an opportunity the whole day to just play the conditions and see what happens. Really, it’s not as much a day of trying to collect spots as much as it is a day for me to try and understand what’s going on a little better.”

    The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Dale Hollow Lake are:

    1st:          Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 26 bass, 77-15
    2nd:        Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 22 bass, 61-11
    3rd:        Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 19 bass, 60-10
    4th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 60-7
    5th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 21 bass, 54-7
    6th:         Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 16 bass, 53-2
    7th:         David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 17 bass, 45-15
    8th:         Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 42-4
    9th:         Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 41-13
    10th:      Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 41-2
    11th:      Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 16 bass, 39-6
    12th:      Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 12 bass, 36-3
    13th:      Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 13 bass, 36-3
    14th:      Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 12 bass, 35-15
    15th:      Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-5
    16th:      John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 11 bass, 31-15
    17th:      Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 12 bass, 31-11
    18th:      Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 11 bass, 30-13
    19th:      Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 25-13
    20th:      Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 24-13

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

    Gill also earned Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award after a 5-pound, 12-ounce smallmouth bit his jig in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

    The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 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.



    Fishing New Lakes in Spring to Catch Bass!

    Brian Carter
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    Fishing New Lakes in Spring to Catch Bass!
    The spawning cycle is a pivotal aspect of spring bass fishing, acting as the natural calendar that dictates bass behavior. In the spring, the magic number is when water temperatures hover around the low 60s (Fahrenheit). This period is not uniform but it consists of pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn phases, each with distinct bass behaviors and habitat preferences. Anglers must recognize these phases to anticipate bass movements accurately. During the pre-spawn, bass begins to move from their winter deep-water haunts towards shallower spawning areas, making stops along the way to feed and prepare for the rigors of spawning. The actual spawn sees bass in the shallowest waters they’ll inhabit all year, often in visible nests or beds. Following the spawn, bass enter the post-spawn phase, recovering from the exertion of spawning and gradually transitioning to their summer patterns. This transitional period is critical as it sets the stage for summer fishing, influencing bass location and feeding habits. Successful anglers adjust their strategies to align with these phases, recognizing that the behavior of bass is deeply intertwined with the cyclical nature of their spawning activities. Understanding and leveraging this cycle can lead to more fruitful fishing expeditions, offering a deeper connection with the rhythms of the natural world.Our newest FreshBaitz Mandingo Trick Worm is the ultimate game-changer for anglers with a passion! Engineered for the angler who knows SIZE does matter, this lure is designed to attract only the BIGGEST bass with a penchant for the larger bait. The Mandingo Trick Worm boasts a solid 7-inch body enhanced with a hyperactive ribbed design, ensuring irresistible mouth-watering action for those trophy bass. Officially available in a vibrant array of 8 colors. Each worm is made from durable, high-grade Non-Salted plastic for lifelike action and unparalleled durability. Perfectly balanced for a variety of rigging options and scented for total and maximum attraction, the Mandingo Trick Worm promises year-round effectiveness in lakes, rivers, and streams. Whether you’re rigging it on a Shakey Head, Drop Shot, Texas Rig, or Carolina Rig, these worms are your ticket to landing the big ones. Proudly made in the USA by real anglers to help elevate your fishing experience and catch more bass year-round!
    As water temperatures rise in spring, bass relocate to different areas of a lake, guided primarily by their spawning needs. Initially, in the early pre-spawn phase when waters are still cool, bass are found in deeper areas adjacent to spawning grounds. These locations often include main lake and secondary points, as well as deeper creek channels that offer a pathway to shallower spawning flats. As temperatures warm into the mid to upper 50s, bass move onto these flats to feed much more aggressively in preparation for spawning. Understanding these temperature-based movements is key for anglers looking to find bass consistently during the spring. This shift not only signals a change in the bass’s physical location but also indicates a significant alteration in their behavior, as they become more aggressive and focused on feeding. Anglers who can accurately interpret and react to these temperature cues will find themselves at a distinct advantage, able to target bass more effectively as they transition through their pre-spawn activities. Additionally, this understanding allows for a more strategic selection of fishing spots and techniques, optimizing the chances of a successful catch as the season progresses and the behavior changes.The new FreshBaitz Lizards deliver a realistic profile that excels in both power and finesse techniques. Act fact, we just released a new 10w30 Syntheic Lizard color! The unique forward-facing leg design creates drag that holds it in the strike zone longer or produces wild flapping action with every pull of the rod. Additionally, its slightly ribbed solid body and large head hold your hook in place and provide much better weedless performance making it the ideal bait to use in any condition. Water clarity always plays a super big role in color selection but in any season year-round, you can’t miss when using colors such as Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, or Green Pumpkin. Its flexible tail design ensures added movement, tempting even the most cautious fish. The superior 5.5-inch profile stretches to a whole 7 inches which is perfect for predatory fish including bass year round. Made from long-lasting durable high-grade non-salted plastic for total and maximum attention-grabbing action underwater.
    A strategic starting point for fishing a new lake in spring is near points close to boat launches or marinas. These areas are often hotspots for bass, especially in lakes that host fishing tournaments. Released fish tend to congregate around the nearest structure, which is often a point extending into the lake. These bass, already accustomed to being caught and released, are more likely to bite again. Starting your fishing day at these points can not only offer immediate action but also provide clues about the depth and type of lure bass might be favoring that day. This tactic is particularly effective in spring when bass are becoming more active and are in various stages of the spawn cycle. Targeting these areas allows anglers to quickly gauge the lake’s productivity and adjust their strategies accordingly. These particular points often serve as transitional zones where bass move between deep and shallow waters, making them ideal for testing different fishing methods. Anglers can capitalize on the unique behaviors of bass during this time, employing a mix of techniques to discover what is most effective. By focusing on these strategic spots early, anglers can maximize their fishing time, enjoying both the thrill of the catch.We use our Fresh Scorpion because it closely imitates a crawfish. Our newest 10w30 Synthetic , Slimer Green, and Barbie Pink Scorpion colors work wonders. The Scorpion is a revolutionary new look to soft plastics. Its intricate detailing and texture mimic the nuances of a real crawfish, making it hard for bass to resist. Of course, water clarity always plays a role in color selection but in any season, you can’t miss using colors such as Green Pumpkin Seed, Brown Bark, Magneto. This bait not only appears natural to fish but gives them something to become curious about. The Scorpion paired with a stand-up jig is deadly because the jig actually sits the bait upright in a defensive stance. The subtle color variations across the bait further enhance its appeal, mimicking the natural color shifts found in live prey. Each Fresh Scorpion has a unique and exclusive 3-axis tail design that is engineered like no other soft plastic bait. Our Scorpions are made by anglers from high-grade non-salt plastic to provide superior life-like action-triggering strikes!
    Weather and water conditions play a significant role in determining bass activity and their feeding patterns. Anglers must consider whether the weather has been stable, if a front has recently passed, or if conditions are in flux. Bass behavior can change dramatically with weather conditions; for example, stable weather tends to make bass more active and predictable, while the passage of a front can make them lethargic and less responsive. Adapting fishing techniques to these conditions, such as slowing down presentations or choosing lures that can provoke a reaction strike, can be key to success. The overall impact of barometric pressure changes is often overlooked and can affect bass feeding habits, with falling pressure typically signaling an upcoming feeding frenzy. Thus, astute anglers will monitor these environmental cues closely, aligning their fishing strategies to be in the right place when conditions prime bass appetites. Changes in water clarity and temperature resulting from weather conditions can dictate lure color and type, making versatility in tackle selection crucial. By understanding these intricate relationships between weather, water conditions, and bass behavior, anglers can significantly enhance their fishing. Our Fresh HellaMite is scented for complete and total attraction underwater along with being made in the USA by real fishermen just like you. Our newest 10w30 Synthetic HellaMite color is a must-have. We also just released new eye-catching colors including the Slimer Green and Barbie Pink HellaMite. Act fast, these colors won’t stay in stock for long. If you’re fast enough you can also grab our seasonal limited-release Pumpkin Spice HellaMite along with the Money HellaMite. We also recently restocked our Ghost, Red Bug, Purple Rain, Brown Bug, Electric Chicken, and Goby Wan colors. The HellaMite’s solid body and hyperactive ribbed tail design produce a life-like quivering action with every twitch of the rod. Additionally, its unique flat underbelly detail enables this bait to be fished as a drop shot, Ned rig, neko rig, and even a small Carolina-rig, making it the ideal bait in any condition. When the water is clear, the fish can see the bait and look like real food, causing strikes. 
    Success in spring bass fishing on new waters hinges on an angler’s versatility and adaptability. Recognizing that bass may occupy various depths and exhibit different levels of activity throughout the spring, anglers should be prepared to adjust their tactics accordingly. This might mean changing lure types, altering retrieval speeds, or fishing different structures as conditions dictate. The ability to read the water and interpret signs of bass behavior is a valuable skill that can lead to more productive outings. Mastery of these skills enables anglers to quickly respond to the dynamic spring environment, where a day can begin with cold, inactive fish and transition to aggressive feeders as the water warms. By anglers understanding the influence of spawning phases on bass location and behavior enriches an angler’s strategy, allowing for targeted approaches that yield better catches. This adaptability extends to choosing the right gear for the prevailing conditions, be it light lines for clear water or heavier tackle for areas dense with cover. Successful anglers also maintain a wide array of baits and techniques at their disposal, ready to switch from power to finesse fishing. Our Fresh Beetle delivers ultimate versatility in a soft plastic bait. Its slim yet wide body design and four claws are engineered to naturally glide and wobble as it moves through the water. This design ensures they remain enticingly active longer than conventional baits. Its unique texture also provides a realistic feel, making bass hold on longer once they bite. Water clarity plays a big role in color selection but year-round you can’t miss when using go-to colors such as Chocolate Mint, Ox Blood, or 10w30 Synthetic beetles. The hyper-active swimming claws are designed thin with long-lasting durable non-salt plastic to make them come alive with the slightest movement. The Fresh Beetle offers an enticing 4-inch profile and is scented for complete and total attraction! You can rig these Beetles as a Jig/ Chatter Trailer, Flippin/ Punching, Texas Rig, Swing Jig, and Carolina Rig. Making the beetle beyond perfect in any weather condition year-round!
    Conservation and ethical fishing practices are paramount, especially during the sensitive spawning season. Anglers are encouraged to practice catch and release, particularly with bass that are spawning or guarding fry. This ensures that bass populations remain healthy and can continue their life cycle undisturbed. Quick, careful handling and minimal time out of water can help ensure that released fish survive to contribute to the ecosystem and future angling opportunities. Beyond these practices, using barbless hooks or crimping the barbs on hooks can further reduce injury to the fish, making the release process less harmful. Educating fellow anglers on the importance of these conservation practices can amplify the positive impact on local fish populations and habitats. Supporting habitat conservation efforts and participating in local clean-up events can aid in preserving the aquatic environments that bass and other species call their home. Engaging in these ethical practices not only benefits the immediate fishing experience but also secures the legacy of fishing for future generations to enjoy. The responsibility lies with each angler to adopt a conservation-minded approach.Using a stick-styled worm is the most tried and true ways to catch fish. We have a wide variety of 5-inch Worms to choose from but released NEW Ghost Worms which are a must-have! You can also experience our new wacky rigging kit while it’s ON SALE! The WACKY Pack offers our most popular colors and essential tools for wacky rigging. If you’re fast enough you might be able to grab the limited-release Pumpkin Spice Worm before it’s completely sold out along with some of our newest colors including the Brown Worm, Electic Chicken Worm, and Goby Wan Worm colors. The high-grade non-salt plastic they’re made from provides positive buoyancy and it even floats underwater! We also released new 6-inch Worms including Charmeleon, Rainbow TRT, Bone, Chocolate Mint, and Fire TGR are all available in 5 and 6-inch. We’ve also recently released new 8-count packs of worms available in Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, and Green Pumpkin. We also offer worms that have the unique ability to shift from one color to another. Scented for total attraction.
    Spring bass fishing in new lakes unfolds as a dynamic challenge that rewards knowledge, adaptability, and respect for nature. By mastering the nuances of the spawn cycle, aligning fishing strategies with water temperature and weather conditions, and starting in proven hotspots, anglers can significantly improve their chances of success. The key lies in versatility and being ready to switch tactics as conditions change and bass move through their patterns. Above all, ethical fishing practices and conservation remain at the heart of sustainable angling, ensuring that these thrilling spring bass adventures can be enjoyed by future generations. Embracing these principles, anglers can look forward to enriching experiences on the water, filled with the anticipation and excitement that spring bass fishing brings. This journey not only deepens an angler’s connection with the natural world but also fosters a profound sense of stewardship for our aquatic ecosystems. As such, the pursuit of bass in the spring becomes more than just a sport. It evolves into a meaningful interaction with nature that shows the balance.We have a wide variety of terminal tackle to choose from. For Scorpions, we love to use the Stand-Up Jig because it sits your bait up-right in a defensive stance! The popular Owner All Purpose Hook is built with an extra-wide gap and is made to accommodate a wide range of soft plastics. The Owner Mosquito Hooks work for drop-shotting and are perfectly designed to better accommodate a wide range of soft plastics. The Block Head Jig is perfect for ned rigging the HellaMite with its mushroom-style head that seamlessly matches a wide variety of soft plastics such as lizards and worms. The Shakey Ultrahead can permanently secure baits by inserting the pin in the center and screwing the twist lock coil spring for perfect rigging every time! The genius Owner Ultrahead Wacky Jig features precise weight positioning and hook orientation for the ultimate wacky presentations. For fast Texas rigging, we use the Bullet-Type Rig which has an attached weight saving you pressure time when fishing cover. The 4x Jungle Flippin Hook is designed for big fish and the toughest conditions. Covering a wide range of soft plastics including worms and other types of creature-styled lures.

    The Life of a Co Angler: The Death of a Way of Life by Bruce Callis Jr

    Brian Carter
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    The Life of a Co Angler: The Death of a Way of Life by Bruce Callis Jr

    The Life of a CoAngler:
    The Death of a Way of Life
    by Bruce Callis Jr

    And the winner is? Right now, it is tough to get enough CoAnglers for tournaments. It has always been a great way to see how being a boater works. But it has always been hit or miss. I have had some great boaters in the BFLs I have fished. Summer on the James River in the heat. Call me a sucker, but it has been fun. But why are so many deciding not to do it?


    Whether you like it or not, unless something changes, FFS (forward-facing sonar) is having a big impact on fishing. For good or bad, it is a tool that a lot of anglers are being forced to use. And this is creating a huge problem.


    As a CoAngler, we take a huge chance when we enter. Will we be paired with an angler who has them dialed in? And will he put the boat in a position for us to be able to fish? Will they be fishing bedding bass where we can only watch them fish? It gets difficult to just sit in the back throwing at nothing all day.
    But FFS is far worse. If the boater is using it to pick off a single fish, where does that leave the CoAngler? Watching the screen to see what they are doing? Making blind casts to open water in hopes of getting lucky and catching one? Or sitting there getting mad?


    No, the CoAngler, the position that so many anglers have used to get into tournament fishing is going to the birds. No one wants to pay to go out and watch someone fish without getting something in return. You may as well become a marshal for B.A.S.S. Elite Anglers. At least you will get something in return.
    Unless a change is made, things like the BFL and the B.A.S.S. Opens are going to become CoAnglerless not because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of fishing time. I had a friend fish an Open and his boater was using FFS all day. He was stuck in a no-win situation. And that is where we are headed. We are about to lose one more fishing opportunity.

    I will not be entering any more tournaments as a co-angler. I can catch bass but when you are sitting there in 20 feet of water and the boater is fishing the only brush pile he can find on FFS, what are you to do?
    We can’t do what we want if it’s a jet ski flying around us! We can’t pick up a jig and hit them with it. We can’t call the tournament director and complain. In other words, we just have to “suck it up buttercup!”
    Look for some big changes to come in 2025, whether we want them or not. B.A.S.S. has not decided on FFS, and if they do, we have no clue what it will be. I look for some limitations to be put in place as to how many transducers and graphs. MLF has not said much either. And they have the most to lose if the CoAnglers walk! Are we seeing the death of the CoAngler?



    Joey Moore Wins Tournament #1- 5 Alive/Foundations Xperts Kerr Trail – 4/7/2024

    Brian Carter
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    Joey Moore Wins Tournament #1- 5 Alive/Foundations Xperts Kerr Trail – 4/7/2024

    We had the 1st Tournament of the 5 tournament series  in the Foundations Xperts Kerr Trail on  Sunday.
    Once again a Cold Front plagues us on tournament day

    🙄

    We had 28 teams show up Sunday. At the end of what was a tough day for most Joey Moore who fished alone pretty much smoked the rest of the feild.
    He had a 5 fish limit weighing16.60 pounds to take the WIN

    🏆

    That bag earned him a total of $1150.00

    💰

    GREAT JOB on a tough day Mr. Moore!!
    He was followed by the team of Reece & Kendrick who had a 5 fish limit weighing 12.90 pounds.That bag earned them $625.00. Good Job Guys!!
    Big fish was won by the team of Gunter & Owen with a 4.80 pound fish earning them $280.00
    BIG CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who placed in the money!!

    Tournament #2 of the Foundations Xperts Kerr Trail is this Sunday 4/14/2024 at Ivy Hill. We will blast off at 7:00 am and weigh in at 3:00pm
    If anyone wants to pre register contact me Kevin Sheppard at 336-264-8416 and I will get you the information you need to make it happen.

    Thanks and hope to see yall on Sunday!!

    Results
    1st. Joey Moore – 16.60 pounds- $1150.00 TWT
    2nd. Reece & Kendrick- 12.90 pounds- $625.00 TWT
    3rd. Hodges & Fox – 12.80 pounds- $300.00
    4th. Welch & Stanbury – 12.65 pounds- $185.00
    5th. Gray & Garber – 12.20 pounds- $110.00
    6th.West & Owen – 12.15 pounds
    7th. Minor & Faust – 12.00 pounds
    8th. Ellis & Fara – 11.80 pounds
    9th. Gunter & Owen – 11.75 pounds
    10th. Guill & Nash – 11.65 pounds

    Big fish
    Gunter & Owen – 4.80 pounds- $ 280.00



    Liberty’s Parrish Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir

    Brian Carter
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    Liberty’s Parrish Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
    Boater winner Jaden Parrish of Liberty, Texas, and Strike-King co-angler winner Neill Beckham of Jacksonville, Texas.
    Jacksonville’s Beckham Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

    BROOKELAND, Texas. (April 8, 2024) – Boater Jaden Parrish of Liberty, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Sam Rayburn Reservoir . Hosted by the Jasper County Development District, the tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Cowboy Division. Parrish earned $11,052, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

    Anytime you catch 27 pounds of bass, you’ve had an incredible day. Interestingly, when reflecting on his win, Parrish felt like he left a little bit out there.

    “I could’ve had more,” he said.

    The biggest culprit was a fog delay that kept Parrish from fully capitalizing on the morning crankbait bite. Regardless, it was still an impressive outing.

    Parrish began the day on a small secondary point; a transition area where fish were moving in and out of a spawning area. This was one of three areas he targeted with a deep-diving crankbait.

    “I caught roughly 16 pounds on a 6th Sense (Crush) 300DD crankbait,” Parrish said. “And then after that I just rotated through like 50 brush piles and just got two big ones to bite throwing a 6th Sense Whale (swimbait).”

    Those “big ones” were giants: a 7-12 and a 9-4 that won Berkley Big Bass for the day.

    Parrish used Garmin LiveScope to check each brush pile before he made a cast. Those two big ones were the only good ones he spied – and the only bass he tried to catch off the brush.

    It’s been an impressively successful spring for Parrish. In addition to this win, he finished in the top 13 at the Toledo Bend Toyota Series event, the January 6 BFL event on Sam Rayburn, the Tackle Warehouse Invitational on Rayburn and the Toyota Series event on Rayburn.

    “It’s going pretty good right now,” said Parrish, who’s in third place in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division standings. “I need to keep it rolling.”

    The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

    1st:        Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, five bass, 27-11, $11,052 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
    2nd:       Bryan McDonough, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 21-2, $1,796
    3rd:       Jerry Mason, Ragley, La., five bass, 19-12, $1,201
    4th:        Red Ballard, Sulphur, La., five bass, 19-11, $838
    5th:        Hayden Heck, Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 19-9, $718
    6th:        Neal Gilmore, Magnolia, Texas, five bass, 17-0, $659
    7th:        Dylan Sorrells, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 14-14, $599
    8th:        Maverick Winford, Humble, Texas, five bass, 13-7, $539
    9th:        Tiffany Hart, Marquez, Texas, five bass, 12-10, $479
    10th:     Jacob Keith, Jefferson, Texas, five bass, 12-3, $419

    Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

    Parrish caught a bass that weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $460.



    Neill Beckham of Jacksonville, Texas, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,796 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 12 ounces.

    The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

    1st:        Neill Beckham, Jacksonville, Texas, five bass, 13-12, $1,796
    2nd:       Tony Irby, Baytown, Texas, five bass, 12-12, $898
    3rd:       Allen Musser, Ada, Okla., five bass, 12-1, $598
    4th:        Michael Glynn, Boerne, Texas, five bass, 11-10, $419
    5th:        Colton Hatzold, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 11-9, $359
    6th:        Adrian Galvan, Deridder, La., five bass, 11-6, $329
    7th:        Zachary Hebert, Lake Charles, La., five bass, 11-0, $299
    8th:        Al Longoria, Pottsboro, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $254
    8th:        Tyrell Harmon, Manor, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $254
    10th:     Velin Sims, Spring, Texas, five bass, 9-12, $210

    Jay Carranza of Houston, Texas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $230, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

    After four events, Tater Reynolds of Florien, Louisiana, leads the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 984 points, while Allen Musser of Ada, Oklahoma, leads the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 963 points.

    The next event for BFL Cowboy Division anglers will be held Sept. 7-8, at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

    The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Wright Patman Lake in Texarkana, Texas. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.

    The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

    Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

    For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



    Murray State’s Drew Morgan Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes

    Brian Carter
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    Murray State’s Drew Morgan Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
    Boater winner Drew Morgan of Noblesville, Indiana, and Strike-King co-angler winner Douglas Salzman of Newburgh, Indiana.
    Indiana’s Salzman Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

    GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 8, 2024) – Boater Drew Morgan of Noblesville, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley . Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL LBL Division. Morgan earned $4,541 for his victory.

    Morgan is a collegiate angler at Murray State University. On Friday, he competed in the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event at Table Rock Lake, then blitzed back home Friday night to get into the BFL event on Kentucky Lake the next morning.

    The engineering major is also a local hammer around Kentucky Lake. Morgan won a major springtime tournament on the lake a week prior with 27 pounds and change.

    While weights were a bit lower in the BFL, Morgan was able to lock up the win and move to fourth place in the LBL Division standings.

    “I was catching them on swimbaits in 8 to 14 feet of water,” he said. “(I was) really just seeing them on (Garmin) LiveScope. I’d try to cover a lot of water because half of them wouldn’t eat.”

    Morgan said he caught about 40 fish for the day, fishing areas from Paris, Tennessee, clear to Kentucky Dam. All five fish in his limit were smallmouth bass.

    Though there was no real pattern to the specific areas he targeted, Morgan said most of the more productive spots were near areas where the fish will eventually spawn. His biggest key was just covering as much water as possible.

    “A lot of fish I’d see roaming, but there’s a lot of bait in the lake, too,” he said. “I caught a couple fish around bait.”

    The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

    1st:        Drew Morgan, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 22-9, $4,541
    2nd:       Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., five bass, 22-8, $2,270
    3rd:       Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., five bass, 22-0, $1,514
    4th:        Clint Knight, Lewisburg, Ky., five bass, 21-13, $1,060
    5th:        Clayton Ellis, Saltillo, Miss., five bass, 21-2, $908
    6th:        Connor DeWeese, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 20-12, $833
    7th:        Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., five bass, 19-9, $1,379
    7th:        BJ Fitzgerald, Whitesville, Ky., five bass, 19-9, $719
    9th:        Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 19-8, $605
    10th:     Harbor Lovin, New Concord, Ky., five bass, 19-0, $530

    Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

    Matteo Turano of Puryear, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $660.



    Douglas Salzman of Newburgh, Indiana, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,236 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 7 ounces.

    The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

    1st:        Douglas Salzman, Newburgh, Ind., five bass, 16-7, $2,236
    2nd:       Joshua Smith, Benton, Ky., five bass, 16-6, $1,118
    3rd:       Daniel Effinger, Springville, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $745
    4th:        Patrick Thomas, Clarksville, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $522
    5th:        John Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $447
    6th:        Dave Maxfield, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 12-8, $410
    7th:        Chris Medlin, Dumas, Miss., five bass, 12-6, $373
    8th:        Dustin Miller, Sparland, Ill., five bass, 11-15, $335
    9th:        Barry Gunter, Trafalger, Ind., four bass, 11-9, $298
    10th:     Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 11-5, $411

    Mark Manley of Bowling Green, Kentucky, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $325, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

    After two events, Clint Knight of Lewisburg, Kentucky, leads the Fishing Clash LBL Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 490 points, while John Lovin of Fayetteville, Ohio, leads the Fishing Clash LBL Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 485 points.

    The next event for BFL LBL Division anglers will be held May 4, at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

    The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.

    The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

    Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

    For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



    School of the Osage Team Wins MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Open on Table Rock Lake

    Brian Carter
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    School of the Osage Team Wins MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Open on Table Rock Lake

    BRANSON, Mo. (April 8, 2024) – The MLF High School Fishing team of Kolton Dauber of Osage Beach, Missouri, and Skyler Hutzler of Kaiser, Missouri, representing Osage Beach, Missouri’s School of the Osage, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces to win the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse Open at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.

    A field of 50 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by ExploreBranson.com. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

    The top five teams that advanced to the 2024 High School Fishing National Championship are:

    1st:        School of the Osage, Osage Beach, Mo. – Kolton Dauber and Skyler Hutzler, five bass, 20-2      
    2nd:      Kick Back Bass Club, Johnson County, Kan. – Myles McDaniel and Will Shepherd, five bass, 17-1          
    3rd:       Camdenton High School, Camdenton, Mo. – Corbin Bailey and Kaden Messina, five bass, 16-6
    4th:        Baldwin High School, Baldwin City, Kan. – Cayden Harmon and Cooper Shannon, five bass, 15-11       
    5th:        Melissa High School, Melissa, Texas – Camden Sarrett and Andrew Waters, five bass, 15-5      

    Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

    6th:        Live Oak High School, Denham Springs, La. – Jaden Lawdermilt and Rowdie Thacker, five bass, 15-0
    7th:        Kaneland High School, Maple Park, Ill. – JD McBroom and Carter Pjesky, five bass, 13-13
    8th:        Salem Community High School, Salem, Ill. – Peyton Bumgardner and Colten Starnes, five bass, 12-2   
    9th:        Circle High School, Towanda, Kan. – Brooks Clevenger and Hal Leep, five bass, 11-5
    10th:     Southwest Iowa Fishing Team, Grant Nore and Evan Powell, four bass, 10-15

    Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

    MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing presented by Tackle Warehouse tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Tournaments held on or before May 6, 2024, advance teams to the 2024 National Championship. Tournaments held after May 6, 2024, advance teams to the 2025 National Championship.

    The 2024 Abu Garcia High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals events will take place June 19-22, at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2024 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

    Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

    For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

    University of Montevallo Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Table Rock Lake

    Brian Carter
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    University of Montevallo Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Table Rock Lake

    BRANSON, Mo. (April 8, 2024) – The University of Montevallo duo of Nicholas Dumke and Easton Fothergill, both of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Table Rock Lake Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned the Falcons’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2025 MLF College Fishing National Championship. Dumke and Fothergill were joined by two other University of Montevallo teams in the top 10.

    Had the weather been more stable in the Missouri Ozarks, this tournament might have gone down much differently. In practice, Fothergill and Dumke found plenty of fish on beds – and good ones, too. But toward the end of the week, the weather cooled, dropping nighttime temps into the mid-30s. The fish they’d found on beds vanished.

    “We started looking out a little bit deeper right outside these bedding areas where we had found them, and sure enough we found them again,” Fothergill said.

    The bass were either roaming or set up around standing timber in 20 to 68 feet of water. The Falcons anglers used Garmin LiveScope and various Damiki rigs (a soft-plastic minnow on a jighead) to catch them.

    “We were hoping to get a good bag deeper then go shallow,” Fothergill said. “It started out pretty slow. We were sitting on 13 pounds for quite a while. About 1 o’clock, we hit a flurry of them in what I would call a prespawn ditch. It was loaded with them. We were just covered in them.”

    The ditch was about 15 feet deep, with the best area being a stretch about 50 yards wide and 100 yards long. The anglers camped on that spot the rest of the day, using LiveScope and a rotation of Damiki-style rigs to pick off new fish filtering through. By tournament’s end, they’d culled out every fish in their initial limit to upgrade to 21-13 for the win.

    It’s been a big spring for the Montevallo duo. Dumke and Fothergill have fished together since their freshman season in high school, back home in Minnesota. They came to the University of Montevallo together to chase their bass fishing dreams, and they’re both set to graduate in May with degrees in marketing. Last month, Fothergill competed in the Bassmaster Classic, a spot he earned by winning the 2023 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket last fall on the heels of a Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year title he won with Dumke. This was their first win and fourth top-10 finish in MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI competition.

    The top 10 teams finished:

    1st:        University of Montevallo – Nicholas Dumkeand Easton Fothergill, both of Grand Rapids, Minn., five bass, 21-13, $2,000
    2nd:      McKendree University – Ryan Foster, Columbia, Ill., and Angelo Malek, Lake Saint Louis, Mo., five bass, 20-2, $1,000
    3rd:       University of Montevallo – James Dubose, Sharpsburg, Ga., and Daylon Milam, Newnan, Ga., five bass, 19-15, $700
    4th:        Arkansas Tech University – Karson Hamilton, Hot Spring, Ark., and Austin Johnston, Mena, Ark., five bass, 18-10, $600
    5th:        Murray State University – Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., and Grant Meisenhelter, Decatur, Ill., five bass, 18-8, $500
    6th:        Southern Arkansas University – Levi Loe and Trace Loe, both of Waldo, Ark., five bass, 18-6  
    7th:        Bethel University – Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, and Dylan Fogarty, Mechanicsburg, Pa., five bass, 18-5     
    8th:        University of Montevallo – Trace Antunes, Henderson, Texas, and Slade Davis, Alexander City, Ala., five bass, 18-3          
    9th:        Tarleton State – Stephenville – Clayton Easter and Trevor Easter, both of Morgan, Texas, five bass, 18-2               
    10th:     Campbellsville University – Evan Fields, Shelbyville, Ky., and Karsten Raney, London, Ky., five bass, 17-13               

    Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

    The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Table Rock Lake was hosted by ExploreBranson.com. The next tournament for MLF College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Guntersville, April 26 in Guntersville, Alabama.

    The 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season features college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.

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

    For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



    Ridgeville’s Austin Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Santee Cooper Lakes

    Brian Carter
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    Ridgeville’s Austin Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Santee Cooper Lakes
    Boater winner Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, South Carolina, and Strike-King co-angler winner Todd Huntley of Inman, South Carolina.
    Inman’s Huntley Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

    SUMMERTON, S.C. (April 8, 2024) – Boater Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Santee Cooper Lakes . Hosted Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, the tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL South Carolina Division. Austin earned $3,632 for his victory.

    You could say it was just another day at the lake for Austin, and as ordinary as that may sound, he’s no ordinary angler. A local bass and catfish guide, Austin spent the week putting his clients on some big cats before jumping in the tournament “kind of for fun.” It turned out to be another fantastic weekend for Austin, as he earned his second big win at Santee Cooper this year – the other being the Bassmaster Open that Austin won in mid-March.

    “That was probably the first wave of spawners that came to the bank was during that event,” he said of the Open. “The weather was perfect, so we had a big wave of fish pull up three weeks ago. Ever since then, it’s just been an up-and-down roller coaster.”

    Changing weather, cold fronts, fluctuating water levels; all the usual springtime changes have challenged local anglers. Those challenges continued in the tournament thanks to strong winds.

    Austin started his morning on an area with some cypress trees where he’d been seeing birds working all week. It was loaded with shad, and he thought there might be an early shad spawn happening. He just couldn’t tell for sure because of the wind crashing into the spot. In fact, the wind was so strong he had to shift how he fished the trees.

    “I went around the backside of the trees. It was like a little island,” he said. “I caught them pretty much every other cast for 10 to 15 minutes early this (Saturday) morning. That was kind of the key to start.”

    The spot was adjacent to a backwater area. Austin described it as a “highway” where bass pass by on their way into the backwater to spawn.

    “I caught them all on a spinnerbait and a bladed jig, and we got right in a hurry,” he added.

    He spent the rest of the day running isolated cypress trees that were in relatively deeper water – about 3 to 4 feet. Though he never got a real big bite, Austin was able to cull up twice to get from 21 pounds to his final weight of 22-14. It turned out, he needed every bit of those final two fish. Austin finished just 1 ounce ahead of runner-up Conrad Manuel.

    Austin said his go-to lures were a Strike King Thunder Cricket vibrating jig with a Strike King ElazTech Z Too trailer and a Treeshaker Tackle Company spinnerbait.

    The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

    1st:        Kyle Austin, Ridgeville, S.C., five bass, 22-14, $3,632
    2nd:       Conrad Manuel, Pilot Mountain, N.C., five bass, 22-13, $1,816
    3rd:       Freddie Gamble Jr., Manning, S.C., five bass, 22-9, $1,675
    4th:        Wade Grooms, Bonneau, S.C., five bass, 19-13, $847
    5th:        Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., five bass, 18-15, $726
    6th:        Derek Schlotterback, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 16-13, $666
    7th:        Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $605
    8th:        Jeff Coble, Manson, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $514
    8th:        Oakley Connor, Travelers Rest, S.C., five bass, 16-0, $514
    10th:     Justin Cromer, Sumter, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $424

    Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

    Freddie Gamble Jr. of Manning, South Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $465.



    Todd Huntley of Inman, South Carolina, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,816 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 10 ounces.

    The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

    1st:        Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., four bass, 11-10, $1,816
    2nd:       Andrew Pitman, Clover, S.C., two bass, 11-9, $908
    3rd:       Brian Tucci, Myrtle Beach, S.C., four bass, 10-9, $606
    4th:        Kyle Nash, Chapin, S.C., four bass, 9-9, $424
    5th:        Brandon Driggers, Timmonsville, S.C., three bass, 9-7, $363
    6th:        Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 9-2, $433
    7th:        Marvin Godard, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 8-7, $303
    8th:        Brennan Gunther, Johns Island, S.C., one bass, 7-9, $504
    9th:        Colby Cotterill, Alpharetta, Ga., one bass, 5-10, $242
    10th:     Austin Stamey, Inman, S.C., two bass, 5-9, $212

    Brennan Gunther of Johns Island, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $232, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

    After two events, Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash South Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 480 points, while Todd Huntley of Inman, South Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash South Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 494 points.

    The next event for BFL South Carolina Division anglers will be held April 27, at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

    The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.

    The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

    Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

    For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



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