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Schlapper claims first Bassmaster Elite title in wire-to-wire win at Sabine River

Brian Carter
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Schlapper claims first Bassmaster Elite title in wire-to-wire win at Sabine River

Wisconsin’s Pat Schlapper has won the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a four-day total of 38 pounds, 12 ounces. 

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

May 18, 2025

Schlapper claims first Bassmaster Elite title in wire-to-wire win at Sabine River

Elite_eventLogo_2025_SabineRiver_Raster.png

ORANGE, Texas — A marathon, not a sprint. You’d be hard pressed to find a more fitting phrase to describe Pat Schlapper’s wire-to-wire win at the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

Schlapper set the early mark with a Day 1 limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces. The pro from Eleva, Wis., would follow with daily weights of 8-7, 8-9 and 9-10 for a winning total of 38-12.

Edging fellow Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Patrick Walters by a margin of 2-4, Schlapper collected the top prize of $101,000.

“This means a lot to me that my friends and family surprised me and showed up,” said Schlapper, whose brother passed away last year. “This is for my family and my brother.”

A week after 62-11 earned him a 32nd-place finish in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, Schlapper endured the notoriously challenging Sabine River’s stingy ways.

“I caught my fish a few different ways; I had figured out different things and knowing when to do (each one) was the key,” Schlapper said. “I think one of the biggest reasons I out-fished a lot people in the area is that I was fishing a lot faster.

“A lot of people were fishing really slow, but I was just covering as much water as I could. I think that made a big difference.”

With cloudy, windy weather creating classic largemouth feeding conditions, Schlapper enjoyed his best morning of the week. Getting off to a quick start, Schlapper had a limit that went a little more than 9 pounds by 9 a.m.

As soon as he reached his first spot, he experienced an intense flurry that jump started his big morning.

“It was unbelievable the way that happened this morning,” Schlapper said. “That was actually the first spot that I found (in practice). I pulled in and the wind was just perfect to throw a Brazalo clacking buzzbait. It had a big gold blade and a black toad on the back.

“I just got to whompin’ on ’em for about 20 minutes and they were all quality fish. I missed one, but the rest of them choked it.”

Schlapper did all of his Day 1 work on the foundations holding a set of elevated pipes that crossed a canal off Taylor Bayou. On Day 2, he fished the pipe crossing, but also worked open bank.

Days 3 and 4 mostly comprised bank fishing, where he targeted grass, wood and undercut points. The first three days, Schlapper caught fish on a homemade 3/8-ounce Do-it Molds compact finesse jig with a Big Bite Baits chunk trailer, a dropshot and a Texas-rigged creature bait.

“I felt really good going into this tournament for some reason,” Schlapper said. “I was super confident, super calm. I feel like I made all the right moves and all the right decisions.

“I love the Sabine River.”

Walters of Summerville, S.C. finished second with 36-8. With his first three days yielding limits of 7-6, 7-2 and 9-9, respectively, Walters entered Championship Sunday in 10th place. Finishing strong with 12-7 — the event’s second heaviest (behind John Crews’ 12-9) — Walters gained eight spots.

Describing the key to his final-round success, Walters said: “Decision making. The Sabine is all about making decisions. You put some baits in your hand that you feel confident in and covering a lot of water until you find the fish.”

Walters caught most of his fish on a spinnerbait. Given the level of fishing pressure his main area had received, the final round presented an opportunity to make a bold decision that worked out as well as Walters could have ever hoped.

“I had been catching all my fish in Taylor Bayou, but today, I didn’t see it happening,” Walters said. “It wasn’t going to pan out because we had beaten it too much. The second day, there were 78 boats over there.

“That was way too many people over there, so I decided to stay close and fish close. The water had been dropping and clearing up and we just ran into them. I lost one good one, but I can’t complain.”

Japan’s Kyoya Fujita finished third with 36-8. (Ties are broken by heaviest single day weight.) His daily limits went 8-8, 11-3, 8-9 and 8-4.

Fujita, who placed fourth last week at Lake Fork, caught his fish on a Texas-rigged Jackall Pine Shrimp and a Neko-rigged Jackall 4.5 Yammy. Spending most of his time targeting reeds in Taylor Bayou, Fujita kept his foot on the trolling motor.

“I did not catch my fish on forward facing sonar; I caught all of my fish power fishing,” Fujita said. “Speed is important. I made more casts, more casts, more casts to cover water.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors for his Day 2 4-14.

Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat won the $1,000 award for leading the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

Minnesota’s Austin Felix won the $1,000 BassTrakk contingency award. 

Crews also won the $2,000 Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag award for his Day 2 limit of 12-9.

Japan’s Taku Ito took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Alabama’s Kyle Welcher earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

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

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 544 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada is in second with 502, followed by Fujita with 494, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 487, and Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., with 480.

Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga., leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 418 points.

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 5/15-5/18
Sabine River , Orange  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               20  38-12  104 $101,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   08-07     Day 3: 5   08-09     Day 4: 5   09-10   
2.  Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          20  36-08  103  $21,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-06     Day 2: 5   07-02     Day 3: 5   09-09     Day 4: 5   12-07   
3.  Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN      20  36-08  102  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   11-03     Day 3: 5   08-09     Day 4: 5   08-04   
4.  Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN         19  36-02  101  $12,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 4   05-06     Day 3: 5   08-04     Day 4: 5   11-07   
5.  Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL              20  35-03  100  $11,750.00
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   07-00     Day 3: 5   11-03     Day 4: 5   09-05   
6.  Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 20  34-03   99  $11,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   10-03     Day 3: 5   07-05     Day 4: 5   06-09   
7.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              20  31-09   98  $10,500.00
  Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   05-14     Day 3: 5   07-01     Day 4: 5   07-05   
8.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           20  31-09   97  $10,300.00
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   06-15     Day 3: 5   11-00     Day 4: 5   06-13   
9.  Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           19  31-09   96  $10,200.00
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 4   05-12     Day 3: 5   08-06     Day 4: 5   07-02   
10. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               18  30-06   95  $15,000.00
  Day 1: 5   05-07     Day 2: 5   12-09     Day 3: 5   07-01     Day 4: 3   05-05   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Pat Schlapper            Eleva, WI           04-05      $1,000.00
 2   John Crews Jr            Salem, VA           04-14      $1,000.00
 3   Bryan New                Leesville, SC       04-01      $1,000.00
 4   Patrick Walters          Eutawville, SC      04-09      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
     John Crews Jr            Salem, VA           04-14      $2,000.00
RAPALA CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

     John Crews Jr            Salem, VA           12-09      $2,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        69       434       664-15
 2        62       427       623-01
 3        34       215       313-03
 4         9        48        84-03
———————————-
         174      1124      1685-06





Tragic Loss of Angler Ryon Mora at BAM Lake Almanor Kayak Event

Brian Carter
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Tragic Loss of Angler Ryon Mora at BAM Lake Almanor Kayak Event
Ryon Mora Morning Blast Off
ALMANOR, California — It is with profound sorrow that the Bass Angler Magazine (BAM) Tournament Trail confirms the passing of kayak angler Ryon Mora, 38, during the BAM Kayak Series event held at Lake Almanor on May 17, 2025.

The day began like any other tournament morning, under cloudy skies and a light 3–4 mph breeze. At 6:37 a.m., BAM Tournament Director Michael Bray received an urgent call reporting an unmanned kayak on the lake. BAM staff, including CEO Mark Lassagne, immediately responded to the GPS location provided and located Ryon Mora in the water at approximately 6:42 a.m.

Mora, who was wearing his personal flotation device (PFD), was quickly pulled into the BAM media boat and found unresponsive. 911 was called immediately, and CPR was initiated while en route to meet emergency responders. Paramedics were met at a nearby dock at approximately 6:47 a.m. and worked tirelessly for over 45 minutes to revive Ryon. Despite their efforts, he could not be resuscitated.
The cause of death is currently under investigation by the Plumas County Sheriff’s Department.
In response to the tragic loss, the event was immediately canceled. An update regarding the BAM Kayak Series schedule will be shared in the coming days.

Ryon was a respected competitor, fellow sportsman, and beloved friend to many in the kayak fishing community. He took all proper safety precautions and was participating in a sanctioned event. This heartbreaking incident is a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the outdoors.

The entire BAM family extends our deepest condolences to Ryon’s loved ones. We ask that the community join us in keeping his family in their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.
Further updates will be made available pending official release from the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.





Late-day kicker keeps Schlapper in the lead at the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Brian Carter
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0
Late-day kicker keeps Schlapper in the lead at the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Wisconsin’s Pat Schlapper maintains the lead on Day 3 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 29 pounds, 2 ounces. 

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

May 17, 2025

Late-day kicker keeps Schlapper in the lead at the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Elite_eventLogo_2025_SabineRiver_Raster.png

ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper felt the moment slipping away, but he patiently persevered and found a late-day kicker that kept him in the lead of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Eleva, Wis., took the early lead with a Day 1 limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces and then remained in the top spot with a second-round bag that went 8-7. Catching a Semifinal Saturday limit of 8-9, Schlapper made it three days straight with a leading total of 29-2.

Coming off a 32nd-place finish last week in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, Schlapper heads into Championship Sunday with a 14-ounce lead over Kyoya Fujita. Schlapper attributes his Texas success to a rejuvenated perspective.

“It’s been a tough year, but I’ve kinda changed my mindset; I’m trying to have fun and I’m fishing to win,” Schlapper said. “We hear that all the time, but I’m really fishing to win this week.”

Schlapper demonstrated the determination requisite of blue trophy ownership by enduring a lean third day. Round 1 saw him catch all of his fish at a bridge near Taylor Bayou. That structure produced part of his Day 2 limit, with the rest coming from shallow shoreline cover.

Schlapper tried his bridge again on Day 3, but it did not yield any keeper bites.

“I started on some other stuff and then went (to the bridge) and didn’t catch ’em, then I just started fishing the way I did in practice,” Schlapper said. “I’m not counting on the bridge anymore. I’ll fish it tomorrow and think I can still catch some there, but I’m focused on the other way I’m catching them.”

That other pattern simply comprises covering water and flipping shallow habitat features. Schlapper said he’s fishing a mix of natural targets with a Texas-rigged creature bait and a jig.

“It could be grass, it could be wood, it could be a little undercut point,” he said. “I’m just trying to get my bait in front of as many fish as I can.

“It took me all day to get those five keepers,” Schlapper said. “I had six keeper bites and only I caught five of them.”

Grinding through a stingy day, Schlapper found himself with only four fish for a little over 5 pounds at 1 o’clock.

Coming close to missing his Top 10 spot, Schlapper’s day took a dramatic turn when he caught a 3-5 shortly after 1:00. That fish lifted him back into the (unofficial BassTrakk) lead — a point later confirmed at the Day 3 weigh-in.

Confident with his game plan, but aware that his lead is far from safe, Schlapper said Day 4 will mirror his third day’s work.

“I have a good plan for tomorrow,” Schlapper said. “It’s going to be a shootout, but that’s the way I like it; I’m a pretty good shot. I think anyone has a shot to win.

“If you have one of those days like I had the first day, with a couple of those difference makers, that’s all it takes to have a good tournament. I’ve been fortunate to get six quality bites and get them in the boat in this tournament.”

Hailing from Yamanishi, Japan, Fujita is in second place with 28-4. After finding himself in a three-way tie for 18th place with a Day 1 limit of 8-8, Fujita added a second-round bag of 11-3 and rose to third.

Fujita gained one more spot with a Semifinal Saturday limit that went 8-9.

A well-established technology ace, Fujita stressed that he’s not catching his fish off of forward facing sonar. Rather, he’s power fishing with Texas-rigged plastics. He hopes that this strategy will serve him well in the final round.

“I’ll (continue) bank fishing and I hope to catch five big fish tomorrow,” Fujita said.

Cooper Gallant of Bowmanville, Ontario is in third place with 27-10. He placed seventh on Day 1 with 10-2, then added 10-3 a day later and rose to second. Gallant caught 7-5 on Day 3 and slipped to third.

Gallant has been flipping shallow cover with a 3/8-ounce hand-tied flipping jig and a 3/8-ounce Outkast Tackle Cage Feider jig. He fits both with a X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw Jr.

“Coming into this tournament, I wasn’t sitting very good in (Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year) points and I was like, ‘Man, I gotta catch ’em,” Gallant said. “At the same time, I just want to survive to get a Top 50.

“As the week’s gone on, it’s like, ‘Holy smokes, I caught ’em on Day 1. On Day 2, it didn’t look like I was gonna catch ’em and I caught another 10 pounds. Tomorrow, I’ll have a chance to bring a blue trophy back home to Canada and there’s not much more you can ask for.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his Day 2 4-14.

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 544 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada is in second with 502, followed by Fujita with 495, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 487, and Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., with 480.

Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga., leads the Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year standings with 435 points.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be available on FS1  from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before heading over to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. 

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 5/15-5/18
Sabine River , Orange  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               15  29-02  104   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   08-07     Day 3: 5   08-09   
2.  Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN      15  28-04  103
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   11-03     Day 3: 5   08-09   
3.  Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15  27-10  102
  Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   10-03     Day 3: 5   07-05   
4.  Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL              15  25-14  101
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   07-00     Day 3: 5   11-03   
5.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               15  25-01  100   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   05-07     Day 2: 5   12-09     Day 3: 5   07-01   
6.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  24-12   99
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   06-15     Day 3: 5   11-00   
7.  Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN         14  24-11   98
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 4   05-06     Day 3: 5   08-04   
8.  Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           14  24-07   97
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 4   05-12     Day 3: 5   08-06   
9.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  24-04   96
  Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   05-14     Day 3: 5   07-01   
10. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          15  24-01   95
  Day 1: 5   07-06     Day 2: 5   07-02     Day 3: 5   09-09   
11. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            14  24-01   94   $7,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   07-09     Day 3: 4   08-02   
12. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME            15  24-00   93   $7,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   07-05     Day 3: 5   07-11   
13. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15  23-15   92   $7,000.00
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   10-02     Day 3: 5   07-00   
14. Easton Fothergill      Grand Rapids , MN       15  23-14   91   $7,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-02     Day 2: 5   08-01     Day 3: 5   07-11   
15. Bryan New              Leesville, SC           13  23-13   90   $8,000.00
  Day 1: 5   05-13     Day 2: 4   08-12     Day 3: 4   09-04   
16. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              15  23-12   89   $6,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   08-03     Day 3: 5   07-10   
17. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             15  23-02   88   $6,500.00
  Day 1: 5   05-08     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   06-01   
18. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 15  23-02   87   $6,500.00
  Day 1: 5   06-08     Day 2: 5   08-01     Day 3: 5   08-09   
19. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       15  22-15   86   $6,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 5   08-02     Day 3: 5   07-05   
20. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          15  22-11   85   $6,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-07     Day 2: 5   07-03     Day 3: 5   07-01   
21. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           14  22-01   84   $6,000.00
  Day 1: 4   07-07     Day 2: 5   09-08     Day 3: 5   05-02   
22. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        15  22-01   83   $6,000.00
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   07-09     Day 3: 5   06-00   
23. Emil Wagner            Marietta, GA            15  22-00   82   $6,000.00
  Day 1: 5   06-15     Day 2: 5   07-10     Day 3: 5   07-07   
24. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           15  21-12   81   $6,000.00
  Day 1: 5   06-00     Day 2: 5   08-02     Day 3: 5   07-10   
25. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI              14  21-08   80   $6,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 4   05-02     Day 3: 5   05-10   
26. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 15  21-08   79   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 5   08-09     Day 3: 5   05-05   
27. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL              14  21-06   78   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 4   06-13     Day 2: 5   07-06     Day 3: 5   07-03   
28. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               15  21-05   77   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   07-08     Day 3: 5   06-13   
29. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL          13  21-03   76   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   08-15     Day 3: 3   04-05   
30. Beau Browning          Hot Springs National Pa 13  21-01   75   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-04     Day 2: 5   09-15     Day 3: 3   03-14   
31. Cliff Pace             Ovett, MS               14  21-01   74   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 4   07-01     Day 2: 5   05-13     Day 3: 5   08-03   
32. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             14  21-00   73   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 5   07-05     Day 3: 4   04-06   
33. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            15  20-15   72   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-00     Day 2: 5   06-01     Day 3: 5   06-14   
34. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC        13  20-10   71   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   07-14     Day 3: 3   03-10   
35. John Cox               Debary, FL              15  20-07   70   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   06-04     Day 2: 5   08-02     Day 3: 5   06-01   
36. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            15  20-04   69   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 5   06-14     Day 3: 5   06-05   
37. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  20-03   68   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   05-12     Day 3: 5   05-15   
38. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 12  20-02   67   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-04     Day 2: 4   07-15     Day 3: 3   02-15   
39. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN         13  20-02   66   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-03     Day 2: 3   05-02     Day 3: 5   06-13   
40. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT          13  19-13   65   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-09     Day 2: 4   05-08     Day 3: 4   06-12   
41. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        13  19-10   64   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   08-13     Day 2: 5   06-04     Day 3: 3   04-09   
42. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            15  19-10   63   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   06-01     Day 3: 5   05-13   
43. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              12  19-06   62   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   09-07     Day 3: 2   02-15   
44. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           15  19-05   61   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 5   05-12     Day 3: 5   05-15   
45. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           13  18-14   60   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   08-04     Day 3: 3   02-14   
46. Dakota Ebare           Brookeland, TX          10  16-10   59   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   07-08     Day 3: 0   00-00   
47. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          12  16-05   58   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   06-08     Day 2: 5   07-06     Day 3: 2   02-07   
48. Ben Milliken           Omaha, NE               10  16-03   57   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 2   02-13     Day 3: 3   03-03   
49. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN          11  16-03   56   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 4   05-15     Day 2: 5   07-13     Day 3: 2   02-07   
50. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             12  15-08   55   $5,500.00
  Day 1: 5   06-04     Day 2: 5   06-12     Day 3: 2   02-08   
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Pat Schlapper            Eleva, WI           04-05      $1,000.00
 2   John Crews Jr            Salem, VA           04-14      $1,000.00
 3   Bryan New                Leesville, SC       04-01      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        69       434       664-15
 2        62       427       623-01
 3        34       215       313-03
———————————-
         165      1076      1601-03





Michael Neal Takes Early Lead in Group A, Lefebre/Roumbanis Split $10K Big Bass Award on Day 1 of Major League Fishing’s B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters on Smith Mountain Lake

Brian Carter
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Michael Neal Takes Early Lead in Group A, Lefebre/Roumbanis Split $10K Big Bass Award on Day 1 of Major League Fishing’s B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters on Smith Mountain Lake

Tennessee Pro Catches 26 Bass Weighing 75 Pounds, 14 ounces to Pace Group A Qualifying Round on Day 1, 15 Anglers in Group B Set to Compete Sunday

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (May 17, 2025) – Saturday’s opening day of qualifying for Group A at B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops also marked the first time Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake has appeared on the national tournament stage since 2015. Even though the field of 15 pros had to contend with a morning storm that gave way to windy, high-pressure conditions (as well as the boat traffic you’d expect on a sunny Saturday), the fishery produced plenty of chunky largemouth and smallmouth.

No one caught them better than Dayton, Tennessee’s Michael Neal, who spent nearly the entire day winding a spinnerbait around steep banks and hauling in bass. He stacked up 75 pounds, 14 ounces on 26 scorable bass to take a commanding early lead, 28-8 ahead of pro Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Alabama, in second.

Link to Photo Gallery of Day 1 Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights from Day 1 of Heavy Hitters on Smith Mountain Lake

Like many anglers, Neal admitted he doesn’t reach for a spinnerbait too often these days, especially on a clear-water fishery like Smith Mountain. He felt good about a few of the areas up the Roanoke River he’d located during practice, but he started Saturday morning throwing a topwater.

It wasn’t until he saw some baitfish flickering in the area that he picked up a spinnerbait and unleashed a beatdown reminiscent of a past Heavy Hitters performance, when Alton Jones Jr. romped the field with a spinnerbait to win the Championship Round on Bussey Brake in 2023.

“It’s been a while,” Neal said when asked the last time he’d experienced a spinnerbait bite like that. “I really hardly even throw one anymore besides just dirty water. But there’s not much better than a good, hard spinnerbait bite.”

Neal caught all but two of his scorable bass on a shad-colored Spro Blade spinnerbait with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon split-tail trailer. Initially, he figured the bait was working so well because of an ongoing shad spawn – he said he could see and feel baitfish bumping his lure as he retrieved it. However, shad spawns typically wane after the early morning hours. Neal’s bite just kept getting better.

After catching 10 scorable bass for 30-1 in the opening period, which gave him a lead of 3-10 over Jones, he added 12 more bass totaling 34-3 during Period 2. That pushed his advantage all the way to 27-6. Once he crossed the 75-pound mark with about an hour left in the day, he left his area and went searching for a big bass.

Neal admitted he was surprised the spinnerbait continued to produce, but he’s not questioning it.

“I wish I knew if it was a shad or a herring deal, because I feel like if that was just threadfins (spawning) like they do at home, I feel like it would have been done by lines in, or at least halfway through the first period when the sun came out,” he said. “But they bit it on up into the third period, too. So, I don’t know if that’s a blueback thing or what.

“The bass were literally touching the bank. I don’t know if they just sit there and wait until something comes by, if they swim that tight to the bank all day or what they really do, but I’m not going to try and figure it out a whole lot. I’m just going to keep slinging.”

Once Neal identified the right banks, he spent most of the day running water he hadn’t practiced. He’s cautiously optimistic those areas can continue to produce across the six-day event.

“I don’t think it will go away real soon,” he said. “The shad spawn usually lasts a week or two. Of course, I don’t know how long it’s been going on here. I don’t know if we’re just starting, if we’re in the middle, if we’re at the tail end. But I really don’t think the fish are going to move a whole lot based on where they’re at now. So, I feel like it can be a sustainable pattern, shad spawn or not, throughout the tournament.”

Good news for Neal is that, with a cushion of more than 50 pounds over the elimination line, he’ll be free to utilize Group A’s second day of qualifying to search out new water and chase the big bass bonus offered each day during Heavy Hitters. He plans to do a bit of both on Monday.

“I’m going to go explore some stuff,” he said. “I’m going to keep working on expanding that area out as far as I can go each direction. But also, I want to try to catch a big one.”

The first of the big bass prizes up for grabs each day during Heavy Hitters will be split between two anglers. Pros Dave Lefebre and Fred Roumbanis each caught largemouth that weighed 6-7, so both will receive $5,000.

According to SCORETRACKER INSIDER™ Presented by Strike King, Lefebre caught his 6-7 around the midpoint of the second period on a fluke. For three and a half hours, it looked like that fish would be big enough to earn him $10,000, but with 50 minutes left before lines out, Roumbanis boated a 6-7 of his own on a glide bait.

The 15 anglers in Group A will now have the day off Sunday, while the 15 anglers in Group B will begin their Day 1 Qualifying Round. Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Monday.

The standings for the 15 pros from Qualifying Group A after Day 1 on Smith Mountain Lake are:

1st:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 26 bass, 75-14
2nd:       Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 18 bass, 47-6
3rd:       Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 40-12
5th:        Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 12 bass, 33-2
4th:        Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 11 bass, 31-8
6th:        Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 26-7
8th:        Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 25-4
7th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., seven bass, 24-9
9th:        Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., eight bass, 23-2
10th:     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 16-4
11th:     Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., five bass, 15-1
12th:     Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, four bass, 11-9
13th:     Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, four bass, 10-5
14th:     Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., three bass, 8-8
15th:     Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., two bass, 7-8

Full results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 139 bass weighing 397 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 15 pros on Saturday, which included two 6-pounders, two 5-pounders and eight 4-pounders caught from Smith Mountain Lake.

Hosted by Visit Franklin County, Virginia and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge , the B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake Presented by Bass Pro Shops 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. A bass must meet the 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable in the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, but for the final day Championship Round a bass must weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable.

The 15 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the Top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

In addition to overall tournament awards, Berkley Big Bass bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $10,000 for the single biggest bass on each day of Group A & B Qualifying, $30,000 for the biggest bass in the Knockout Round and $100,000 for the biggest bass in the Championship Round.

The Bass Pro Tour trailering policy has been enacted for this event, so anglers will depart Trinity Ecumenical Parish each morning at 6:15 a.m. to one of five launch ramps located around the fishery. Anglers will return to Trinity Ecumenical Parish each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

To qualify for B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2024 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on each day of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app, and Rumble.

Television coverage of B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters 2025 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 26 and running each Saturday through Aug. 30 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.





Mike Toney & Eric Frazier Sit in 2nd at 2025 CATT Championship with 16.04 lbs

Brian Carter
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Mike Toney & Eric Frazier Sit in 2nd at 2025 CATT Championship with 16.04 lbs

Day one of the 2025 CATT championship is in the books, and 16 plus takes the lead. However, there is a heck of a field of anglers chasing them down, hanging right around the 14-lb weight. Day one was filled with high water and winds. Tomorrow will be a different day. Good luck, anglers.

If you would like to re-watch today’s weigh-in, click here to head over to our YOUTUBE channel.

RESULTS ARE BELOW PHOTOS

Paying 27 Places

Team Names# FISH# PENPENBF D1Wt D1Ttl Wt.D1
J.R. Milligan – Richard Griswold  $505004.7816.2316.23
Mike Toney – Eric Frazier  $100-$505004.9616.0416.04
Shane Doughtie – Evan White5005.2715.9715.97
Tom Wilkinson – Brandon Curtis510.254.2816.0915.84
Tyler Trent – Ricky Trent510.25015.2915.04
Todd Sheets – Adam Lester5005.3214.8914.89
Jim Goad – Mark Williams500014.8714.87
Kaden Buckman – Chase Wodzinski500014.8614.86
Adam Haithcock – Mike Cox  $100-$50500014.8314.83
Chuck Murray – Randy Groves5004.2114.7714.77
Sammy Barrow – Spencer Barrow500014.6514.65
Mark Inman – Bryan Welch500014.6214.62
David Farmer – Matt Deese   $505003.7714.614.60
Jonathan Rhew – Mike Rhew5004.0514.5914.59
David Bullock – Jimmy Henderson5004.2914.5614.56
Michael McDonald500014.4514.45
Jerry Bono – Gary DeAngelo5003.714.3814.38
Bryan Cottrell – Brandon Cottrell5004.9914.3114.31
Shane Sharpe – Will Mitchell5004.114.2914.29
Don Gregg – Kurt Hilderbrand500014.1414.14
Terry Amen – Casey Johnson500014.0514.05
Keith Patterson – Zach Smith510.254.914.1713.92
Lucas Murphy500013.913.90
Powell Kemp – Michael Chlomoudis500013.8213.82
Nick Meek – Kyle Verkuilen5004.5313.7913.79
Scooter Lilley – Eric Galasso5003.8313.7613.76
Austin Woody – Adam White500013.6513.65
Greg Skerven – Kyle Joyce   $50500013.5213.52
Jason Dew – Randall Soles5003.9913.5113.51
Randy Waterman – Eddie Fore500013.3613.36
Ray Hogge – Donnie Daniel500013.2213.22
Ronald Jones – Jay Abston500013.1113.11
Aaron Scott – Sean Holland  $50-$25510.25013.3513.10
Michael Riggs – David Farrington500013.0913.09
Jim Dick – Greg Dick510.25013.1712.92
Todd Farris – Steve Postell510.25013.1712.92
Todd Anders – Wendell Ireland500012.8712.87
Ray Griffin – Donnie Yarborough500012.8212.82
Jobie Walker – Chris Napier500012.7912.79
Randy Broughman – Ryan Broughman500012.7712.77
Ronni Britt – Dillon Britt  $1005004.9312.7512.75
Cody Amen – Trace Naylor500012.7312.73
Chris Cox – Mike May500012.712.70
Aaron Falwell – Steven Coleman510.25012.9512.70
Daniel Boseman – Jordan Hughes500012.6912.69
Chris Bowen – Jay Preston510.25012.9112.66
Billy Shelton – Michael Garner500012.5712.57
Tom Elliott – Chandler Dew500012.5612.56
Jim Hipkiss – Dennis Boykin  $50-$25500012.5412.54
Brody Brown – Carl Whittington510.254.3912.6512.40
Will White – Frank White500012.3912.39
Billy Dunn – Eddie Glascock5004.7812.3712.37
Mark Cooper – Steve Roberts  $100-$50500012.3712.37
Al Lancaster – Robbie House  $100510.25012.5812.33
Tod Haynes – Jeremy Talbert500012.2312.23
David Wright – Jeff Coble500012.2212.22
Ryan Drewery – Wayne Drewery500012.212.20
Danny Moss – Zach Davenport500012.1612.16
Rick Plemons – Chris Pike500012.1412.14
Michael Dikun – Jenny Li500012.0912.09
Tyler Jones – Kevin Jones500012.0812.08
Kevin Sutton – Brock Rouse500012.0612.06
Derek Wynkoop500012.0512.05
Jake Robertson – Joe Willard500012.0312.03
Rodney Bell – Tommy Jones500011.9911.99
Heath Britt – Michael Britt510.25012.2411.99
Ben Dalton – Dean Dalton  $50500011.9311.93
Clay Ross – Jeff Ross500011.9211.92
Travis Owen – Mark Hatcher500011.9111.91
Malcolm Rawls – Jerry Staggs510.25012.1611.91
Jeff Taylor – Mike Connelly500011.8911.89
Wesley Cashwell5003.8511.8111.81
Marty Stone – JT Stone500011.7611.76
Billy Bledsoe – Tanner Bledsoe500011.711.70
Jesse Forester – Charles Abels500011.711.70
Mike Marchant – Bradley Laurin5004.3711.6611.66
Clayton Gatewood – Jeff Parish   $100-$50510.25011.8811.63
Eric Massey – Jordan Costa  $50-$25500011.6211.62
Robert Vickers – Brian Huskins500011.4811.48
James Condrey – Jimmy Condrey $50-$25500011.4811.48
Cameron Lineback – Barry Buford500011.4711.47
Michael Stewart – Buck Clark500011.3711.37
Cavin Young – Rob Wells500011.311.30
Chris McDuffie – Greg Creech500011.2411.24
Larry Freeman  $50510.25011.4911.24
Randy Goss – Ethan Goss500011.2311.23
Havey Reece – Anthony Weithers500011.2111.21
Ryan Rigsbee – Hank Briggs    $100-$50500011.2111.21
Byron Brush500011.1911.19
Gene Hall – Scott Taylor5003.4411.1311.13
Eric Schell – Todd Smith500011.0411.04
Bobby Clark – Tommy Hughes510.25011.2811.03
Joshua Lanaville – Timothy Davis500010.9910.99
Keith Johnson – Jason Bowman500010.9710.97
Timmy Sheridan – Caleb Wood500010.9710.97
Justin Rhew – Roger Clary500010.9510.95
Danny Nifong – Dean Robertson500010.8910.89
Brandon Cross500010.8810.88
Jim Britt – Bradley Gooden500010.8710.87
Jason Lloyd – Berkely Duffer500010.8610.86
Anthony Frances – Cody Backus500010.7810.78
Jay Rigney – Josh Barnes500010.7810.78
David Matthews – Kenny Wilson  $50-$25520.5011.2710.77
Eric Buie – Dan McGarry500010.7410.74
Maurice Freeze500010.7110.71
Howard Bohannon – Justin Bohannon500010.7110.71
Joseph Sharpe – Glenn Eskins530.75011.4410.69
Bobby Overby – Tony Milam   $100-$505004.6310.6410.64
Rodney Sorrell – Joel Richardson500010.6310.63
Mark Herndon -Bobby Houser500010.5910.59
Jeff Wolfe – Zach Wolfe500010.5610.56
JT Denton – Stephen Denton500010.5510.55
Austin Guill – Will Nash500010.5310.53
Jay Fogleman – Doug Stallings500010.5310.53
Johnny Wilder – Kevin Cheatham  $100500010.4510.45
Thanos Tsoumbos – Seth Dixon500010.410.40
Reggie Norflett – Craig Johnson   $50-$25500010.3610.36
Wayne Andrews – Tonja Andrews500010.3510.35
Jordan Sanderlin500010.3210.32
Randy Robson – Brian Robson500010.3110.31
Christopher Perkins – Tanner Moore500010.2610.26
Audie Murphy – Ronnie Brewer500010.2510.25
Jeffrey Valentin – Daryl Moody500010.1710.17
Dennis Reedy – Tommy Marrow  $50-$25500010.1710.17
Joe Smith – Raeford Faircloth500010.1510.15
Lloyd Sanderlin – John Sanderlin500010.1210.12
Stewart Adams – John Adams500010.1210.12
Rick Gillespie – Greg Thompson500010.1110.11
Edward Townsend – Dexter Hurley   $100500010.0710.07
Troy Searcy – Mark Lowe   $5050009.979.97
Antwan Morre Jr – Antwan Moore Sr50009.929.92
Todd McCormick – Alex Sayer  $50 – $2550009.749.74
John McClelland – Larry Godfrey520.5010.239.73
Clint Daniels – Tim Wiltfong $5050009.699.69
Steve Lucy – Todd Dorton50009.699.69
Jay Fuhr – Matt Fuhr50009.659.65
Jamei Tapp – Randy Buchanan  $50-$2550009.659.65
Larry Witt – Danny Williams50009.619.61
Tyler Hughes – Niles Bryan50009.549.54
Darrell Wyatt   $5050009.549.54
Ronald Vaughn – Tom Warner  $2550009.489.48
Jerry Dean – Robert Dean   $50-$2550009.469.46
Wayne Deavers – Clyde Cheek50009.379.37
Micah Speights – Chad Coley50009.289.28
Tyler Goss – Tim Goss   $50420.509.739.23
Flash Butts – Shawn Hammock40009.229.22
Damon Brock – Ken Minor50009.219.21
Brian Callaway – Tony Toombs510.2509.419.16
Mike Dinterman – Glenn Long  $5050009.119.11
Lonnie Whitfield – Phillip Smith50009.059.05
Robbie Walser – Mack Lowe50009.029.02
Derrick Currin – Andrew Kerns50008.928.92
Lorne Underwood – Tayrn Underwood40008.748.74
Ricky Meyers – Phil Wolcott50008.628.62
Tony Stanley – Chase Stanley50008.598.59
Shannon Breeding – Ricky Bomar50008.538.53
Matt Harrison50008.318.31
Scott Canady – Glenn Elliott50008.218.21
Jamiel Olive – Kyle Westerman    $5030008.198.19
Michael Pembelton510.2508.438.18
Brandon McCallister – Tanner Combs50008.168.16
Mike Caul – Mike Gunn $50-$25510.2508.48.15
Donald Luther – Mike Kannan50008.078.07
Donald Coleman   $5040007.857.85
Ralph Taylor – Bill Butler40007.797.79
Doug Phillips – Wayne Shaw50007.747.74
Jake Flournoy – Brice Phillips $2530007.427.42
James Davis – Deloris Davis410.2507.627.37
Daniel Jenkins – Travis Owens30007.037.03
Jim Sampson – Jeff Brodeckie   $50-$2540006.916.91
Adrian Moore40006.856.85
Andy Thomas – Ricky Grant  $10040006.656.65
Adam Richardson – Bentley Richardson2004.766.636.63
Devin Page $50-$2540006.36.30
Jordan Brown – Josh Brown  $5040006.056.05
Dennis Allen30005.835.83
Shawn Dunlap – Ken Kipler30005.525.52
Jeff Hayden – Benny Cannon30005.155.15
Jeremy Ives – Tremain Newton20004.834.83
Craig Compton – Glen Boyd1004.464.464.46
John Orchard20003.433.43
Jason Parker – Alex Heatherman10001.661.66
Mitch Garner – Jody Sykes $50-$25000000.00
Hal Blackwelder – Clift Swann   $50000000.00
Bo Adams – Brian Fritts000000.00
Jason Houchins – Mickey Pettrey000000.00
David Leonard – David Hash000000.00
Marty Warren – Clinton Wilson000000.00
Zach Bouren – Joe Edwards000000.00
Walt Goff – Phillip Gibson000000.00
Dustin Guthrie – Chip Woody000000.00
William Samples – Ryan Adkins000000.00
Mark Weaver000000.00
Scott Faulkner – Tony Brewer000000.00





Mud Hole Supports Mighty River Recovery for St. Johns River Restoration

Brian Carter
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Mud Hole Supports Mighty River Recovery for St. Johns River Restoration
  • May 16, 2025

Partnership Aimed at Habitat Replenishment on Florida’s Longest River System.

Oviedo, FL – Mud Hole Custom Tackle, part of Oviedo Florida’s Foundation Outdoor Group, is proud to announce an important partnership with Mighty River Recovery. The collaboration provides for financial support, fund raising, and hands-on volunteerism to support Mighty River Recovery’s mission of restoring the wildlife habitat on Florida’s St. Johns River.

“The important work that Mighty River Recovery is doing is crucial to the future of the St. Johns River. We are thrilled to be supporting such a worthy initiative that’s right in our back yard,” said Hunter McKamey, Foundation Outdoor Group Vice President. “I have enjoyed countless hours fishing the St. Johns River in my youth and have seen the significant decline in the fisheries and wildlife, firsthand. The entire Mud Hole team is excited to roll up our sleeves and help Joe Balog and the Mighty River Recovery organization make a significant impact for the future of this critical habitat.”

Joe Balog spearheaded the non-profit Mighty River Recovery as he witnessed the negative impact that nutrient loading and rapid development have had on the St. Johns River. The St. Johns is Florida’s longest river, traveling north from the St. Johns Marsh in Indian River County, all the way to its mouth northeast of Jacksonville. It is one of the state’s largest freshwater resources and was once the premier bass fishing fishery in Florida. Joe, a Florida fishing advocate, fisheries scientist, and largemouth bass expert, observed the lack of a unified voice to speak for the needs of the declining St. Johns River. 

“Mighty River Recovery is truly focused on the actions that will restore the St. Johns. We’re performing the research, getting in the water, and doing the work to replenish the habitats that will rehabilitate the ecosystem” said Joe Balog, Mighty River Recovery’s Executive Director. “We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm that Hunter and the Mud Hole team are bringing to our organization, and we look forward to doing great things together for the St. Johns River.”

Mighty River Recovery is comprised of outdoor enthusiasts unified to take action in support of the St. Johns River and relies on volunteers and donations to make a difference. Mud Hole Custom Tackle’s financial support is committed to establishing the first five Citizens Enclosure Projects (CEPs) along the shores and riverbeds, providing for transparent, independent research to fully understand the issues affecting the St. Johns River. In addition, Mud Hole will be providing employee volunteers throughout the year to assist with the management and maintenance of the CEP locations and other Mighty River Recovery efforts. Finally, Mud Hole will also be offering Mighty River Recovery merchandise in its Oviedo, Florida retail showroom, with all proceeds going directly to Mighty River Recovery. For more information about the Mud Hole Custom Tackle and Mighty River Recovery partnership, go to:  https://mudhole.com/blogs/news/mud-hole-and-mighty-river-recovery-join-forces.

About Mud Hole Custom Tackle

Mud Hole Custom Tackle, based in Oviedo, Florida, is the world’s largest supplier of rod building & tackle crafting goods and instruction. From rod building and repairing, to fly tying and lure building, Mud Hole is the leading e-retailer and mail order supplier to hobbyists, small manufacturers, and large OEMs, worldwide. Offering a superior shopping experience at mudhole.com, rapid delivery, stellar customer service, and world class online content and instruction, Mud Hole Custom Tackle is the trusted source for the rod building and tackle crafting community.





Tennessee’s Peavyhouse Holds on to Win Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville Presented by Suzuki Marine

Brian Carter
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Tennessee’s Peavyhouse Holds on to Win Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville Presented by Suzuki Marine

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (May 16, 2025) – Blasting off on Championship Friday with a lead of more than 4 pounds over his nearest pursuer, Isaac Peavyhouse could taste his first Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats win. When he returned to Goose Pond eight hours later, he was convinced he’d let it slip away.

Peavyhouse had blasted 28 pounds, 6 ounces of Lake Guntersville largemouth on Day 1, which had him in second place, then moved into the lead with 24-8 on Day 2. On Day 3, he once again topped the 20-pound mark, but with the legendary lake kicking out heavy bags like usual in the Central Division season finale, he didn’t think it would be enough. He got even more nervous when Hayden O’Barr placed a 28-8 mega bag on the scales.

“Coming in, with the weight I had, I thought I gave it away, honestly,” Peavyhouse said.

Turns out, Peavyhouse’s final-day limit of 20-15 was enough to edge O’Barr by 15 ounces. His three-day total of 73-13 earned him $40,000, while O’Barr had to settle for his third runner-up finish in a Toyota Series event in the past three months.

A resident of Jamestown, Tennessee, Peavyhouse has tasted most of his tournament success on nearby Dale Hollow Lake and other highland reservoirs in the area. He’d only competed on Guntersville a few times prior to this event, and never during the postspawn.

Knowing the reputation of the lake’s river channel ledges, Peavyhouse figured fishing offshore would be the way to win, so he committed to idling during practice and searching for schools. He had no trouble locating them, but when he started running those spots on Day 1, he found competitors already sitting on just about all of them.

“All three days of practice, I idled the whole time,” he said. “I had about 30 schools marked, but apparently 28 of them were community holes, because you couldn’t never get on them.”

Peavyhouse eventually found a school that he had to himself. That spot turned out to be all he needed, as he caught all 15 of his keepers there.

“It was a really sneaky spot,” he said. “It was just a little drain on a flat, and the fish were in about 20 foot on the edge of the grass. I was side-scanning a spot that I’ve caught them here in February on a jerkbait and just saw the school on my side scan. In practice, I made one cast in there, caught a 5-pounder and left. I didn’t know it was that good, but it panned out.”

On Day 1, Peavyhouse caught about 25 pounds right away from the school before trying to run new water and eventually returning to cull a couple more times. He found the bite a bit tougher on Day 2, but he still managed a strong limit.

Friday, the lake threw him a curveball. A floating eelgrass mat had settled over the spot, making it impossible for Peavyhouse to get his bait down to the fish. He left and tried to fish elsewhere but didn’t catch a keeper. Finally, he returned and found the mat had moved just enough for him to make the proper presentation.

“I finally got one cast down to them – because that eelgrass would bow it up – and first cast I got down to them, I caught a 5 1/4, and second cast I got a 4.40,” Peavyhouse said. “And then it blew back in there, and I never could get it back to them again.”

Peavyhouse caught those two fish on a Strike King 10XD crankbait, his most productive lure all week. He then used a Yank-Um Custom Tackle structure jig and a jighead minnow to fish around the eelgrass and fill out the rest of his limit. He threw all his baits on Yank-Um Custom Tackle rods.

The win was the first for Peavyhouse outside of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League and by far the most lucrative of his young career.

“It’s awesome, man,” Peavyhouse said. “I’ve won two BFLs and placed high in a bunch of Toyotas and some other tournaments, but I’ve never had a bigger win like this. So, it’s a blessing.”

The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville finished:

1st:        Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., 15 bass, 73-13, $40,000
2nd:       Hayden O’Barr, Scottsboro, Ala., 15 bass, 72-14, $16,500 (includes $1,000 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd:       Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 15 bass, 70-14, $12,250
4th:        Cal Lane, Grant, Ala., 15 bass, 70-13, $10,000
5th:        Carter Nutt, Nashville, Tenn, 15 bass, 68-14, $9,000
6th:        Caz Anderson, Haysville, N.C., 15 bass, 68-10, $8,000
7th:        Broderick Luckey, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 67-13, $7,000
8th:        Clint Knight, Russellville, Ky., 15 bass, 67-12, $6,000
9th:        Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 67-0, $5,000
10th:     Preston Kolisek, Loretto, Tenn., 15 bass, 66-14, $4,000

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces, while pro Kyle Lusk of Scottsboro, Alabama won Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass, weighing in a 7-pound, 5-ouncer to earn the $500 award.

Despite the dominance of pro Dylan Nutt of Nashville, Tennessee, who won both of the first two Central Division events of the season on Pickwick and Chickamauga, the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race remained in doubt entering the finale. With Nutt finishing 26th and barely missing out on Day 3 at Guntersville, it turned into a showdown between himself and two of his teammates at the University of North Alabama: his twin brother, Carter Nutt, and Banks Shaw.

Shaw’s ninth-place finish ultimately earned him the crown and $5,000 payday that comes with it. Combined with finishes of fourth on Pickwick and eighth on Chickamauga, he wound up 4 points ahead of Carter, who finished fifth on Guntersville, and 7 points clear of Dylan.

Shaw will hope that’s not the last AOY check he cashes from Fishing Clash. The 21-year-old continued his breakout season by winning last week’s Tackle Warehouse Invitationals stop on Pickwick Lake and moving into the AOY lead on that circuit.

Ryan Lecompte of Picayune, Mississippi, won the co-angler division at Lake Guntersville Friday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 55 pounds, 1 ounce. Lecompte earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville finished:

1st:        Ryan Lecompte, Picayune, Miss., 15 bass, 55-1, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:       Roger Crain, Louisville, Ky., 15 bass, 53-15, $5,000
3rd:       Finn Taylor, Lake Placid, Fla., 15 bass, 51-10, $4,000
4th:        James Ramsey, Boaz, Ala., 14 bass, 49-0, $3,500
5th:        Alex Moore, Chester, Ill., 15 bass, 48-3, $3,000
6th:        Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., 13 bass, 48-0, $2,575
7th:        Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., 15 bass, 47-15, $2,000
8th:        Alex Roberts, Columbia, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-4, $1,750
9th:        Larry Franks Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., 15 bass, 46-13, $1,700
10th:     Chuck Huggins, Englewood, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-9, $1,250

Co-angler Stanislav Sedletskii of Springfield, Missouri, earned the first Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of the event on Wednesday with a 7-pound, 13-ounce bass to earn the $150 prize, while Thursday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award was split by Stephen Mickle of Eatonton, Georgia, and Todd Mowery of Madison, Alabama, who both weighed in bass totaling 6 pounds, 1 ounce.  

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Guntersville Presented by Suzuki Marine was hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce. It was the third and final regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Central Division. The next event for Toyota Series Central Division anglers will be the Toyota Series Championship, Nov. 6-8, at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.








Adjustments keep Schlapper atop Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Brian Carter
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Adjustments keep Schlapper atop Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Wisconsin’s Pat Schlapper maintains the lead on Day 2 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a two-day total of 20 pounds, 9 ounces. 

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

May 16, 2025

Adjustments keep Schlapper atop Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River

Elite_eventLogo_2025_SabineRiver_Raster.png

ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper knew he had to return to the scene of his first-round success, but knowing when and how to adjust enabled him to maintain his lead on Day 2 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

Schlapper took the top spot on Day 1 with a limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces. Day 2 was less generous and the Progressive Elite Series pro from Eleva, Wis., added a smaller limit that went 8-7. With a two-day total of 20-9, Schlapper heads into Semifinal Saturday 4 ounces ahead of Cooper Gallant.

“It was a tougher day, but I got one good quality bite and five other keeper bites that I landed,” Schlapper said. “The Sabine River is a tough playing field, but it’s kinda cool because you get a couple of those quality bites and that’s what can make your whole tournament.

“It’s easy to have really bad tournament, but it’s also easy to have a good tournament if you get a couple of those good bites.”

Day 1 saw Schlapper spend his entire day fishing a bridge near the Taylor Slough area. He gave that spot first crack again today, but ended up making a few relocations.

“I started there and I caught a small keeper and then I caught a good one and missed a couple more,” Schlapper said. “Then I left, went and flipped a stretch, and caught a keeper. Then, I came back to the bridge and once I switched baits, I caught two keepers immediately.

“After I caught those two, I left the bridge again. I had a limit and I need it for tomorrow. The bridge is definitely running out of fish but I know there are still some more there.”

Along with his location changes, Schlapper also adjusted his bait presentations. Day 1 saw him catch all of his fish on a 3/8-ounce Do-it Molds compact finesse jig with a Big Bite Baits chunk trailer.

Schlapper tried the jig again on Day 2, but the response was less enthusiastic.

“I fished my normal stuff and they didn’t touch it,” Schlapper said. 

When he realized his jig was not happening, Schlapper switched to a finesse presentation and a Texas-rigged creature bait.

Pondering his Day 3 options, Schlapper said he’ll definitely give his bridge another chance to produce, but he’ll likely precede that with a morning stop.

“In practice, I had been getting a good morning bite in other areas, but I haven’t fished them (during the tournament) because I wanted to get right up to that bridge,” Schlapper said. “Now, I’m not super worried about anyone else going there; I think it’s been established. No one else has fished there.

“I’m going to run a couple of things in the morning on the way up and seen if I can pick off a few. Then I’m going to go up to the bridge and see what’s left.”

Despite what he believes is a dwindling bridge opportunity, Schlapper’s optimistic about his overall chances.

“I still have a shot at it; I need to make a little more magic happen,” Schlapper said. “We’re in the game and that’s all you can ask for after two days here.”

Gallant, who lives in Bowmanville, Ontario has turned in the most consistent performance thus far. After placing seventh on Day 1 with 10-2, Gallant added 10-3 on Day 2 and rose to second place with 20-5.

Anchoring his second-round limit with a 4-7, Gallant said his second day’s success came as a pleasant surprise.

“It’s funny, this morning I was saying, I’ve never been sitting in the Top 10 going into Day 2 thinking: ‘Hopefully, I catch a bass,’” Gallant said. “In the morning, I was like, ‘I need 4 pounds; I need to make the cut.’

“To catch 4 pounds out here is not easy, but as the day goes on, I’m like, ‘Holy smokes, I might be on the winning deal, I might be in the winning area. Your mindset goes from making Day 3 to, I want to try and win this thing.’” 

Gallant caught all of his fish flipping shallow cover. He’s alternating between a 3/8-ounce hand-tied flipping jig and a 3/8-ounce Outkast Tackle Cage Feider jig, both with X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw Jr. trailers.

“I feel like every day I’m figuring out more and more and I’m getting more confident in my area and expanding on it,” Gallant said. “Those big bites go a long way in this tournament. If you can figure out how to get one of those big bites a day, that’s probably what’s going to win this tournament.”

Kyoya Fujita of Yamanishi, Japan is in third place with 19-11. A Day 1 limit of 8-8 put him in a three-way tie for 18th place, but Fujita stepped up his performance on Day 2 and added 11-3.

Known for his technological prowess, Fujita made an important clarification: “I didn’t use forward facing sonar today. It was all power fishing.”

Targeting mostly reeds in 1-2 feet of water, Fujita caught his fish by flipping Texas-rigged plastics. With big bites few and far between, he found that fishing fast and covering water was the key to running into the quality fish.

“Speed (was important),” Fujita said. “More casts, more casts, more casts. I caught many little fish, but maybe seven or eight keepers.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-14.

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 544 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada is in second with 505, followed by Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill. with 504, Kyoya Fujita of Yamanashi, Japan with 494, and Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala. with 479.

Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga., leads the Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year standings with 435 points.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be available on FS1 on Days 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET before heading over to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. 

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 5/15-5/18
Sabine River , Orange  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2    

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$ 1.  Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  20-09  104   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   12-02     Day 2: 5   08-07   
2.  Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10  20-05  103
  Day 1: 5   10-02     Day 2: 5   10-03   
3.  Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN      10  19-11  102
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   11-03   
4.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  18-00  101   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 5   05-07     Day 2: 5   12-09   
5.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  17-03  100
  Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   05-14   
6.  Beau Browning          Hot Springs National Pa 10  17-03   99
  Day 1: 5   07-04     Day 2: 5   09-15   
7.  Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  9  17-03   98
  Day 1: 5   09-04     Day 2: 4   07-15   
8.  KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             10  17-01   97
  Day 1: 5   05-08     Day 2: 5   11-09   
9.  JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC        10  17-00   96
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   07-14   
10. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  16-15   95
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   10-02   
11. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            9  16-15   94
  Day 1: 4   07-07     Day 2: 5   09-08   
12. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL          10  16-14   93
  Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   08-15   
13. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             10  16-10   92
  Day 1: 5   09-05     Day 2: 5   07-05   
14. Dakota Ebare           Brookeland, TX          10  16-10   91
  Day 1: 5   09-02     Day 2: 5   07-08   
15. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          9  16-07   90
  Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 4   05-06   
16. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  16-07   89
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   09-07   
17. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME            10  16-05   88
  Day 1: 5   09-00     Day 2: 5   07-05   
18. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10  16-03   87
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 5   08-09   
19. Easton Fothergill      Grand Rapids , MN       10  16-03   86
  Day 1: 5   08-02     Day 2: 5   08-01   
20. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  16-02   85
  Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   08-03   
21. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            9  16-01   84
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 4   05-12   
22. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  16-01   83
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   07-09   
23. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           10  16-00   82
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   08-04   
24. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  15-15   81
  Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   07-09   
25. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI               9  15-14   80
  Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 4   05-02   
26. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  15-10   79
  Day 1: 5   08-07     Day 2: 5   07-03   
27. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       10  15-10   78
  Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 5   08-02   
28. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  15-01   77
  Day 1: 5   08-13     Day 2: 5   06-04   
29. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL              10  14-11   76
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 5   07-00   
30. Bryan New              Leesville, SC            9  14-09   75
  Day 1: 5   05-13     Day 2: 4   08-12   
31. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 10  14-09   74
  Day 1: 5   06-08     Day 2: 5   08-01   
32. Emil Wagner            Marietta, GA            10  14-09   73
  Day 1: 5   06-15     Day 2: 5   07-10   
33. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  14-08   72
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   07-08   
34. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          10  14-08   71
  Day 1: 5   07-06     Day 2: 5   07-02   
35. John Cox               Debary, FL              10  14-06   70
  Day 1: 5   06-04     Day 2: 5   08-02   
36. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  14-04   69
  Day 1: 5   08-08     Day 2: 5   05-12   
37. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               9  14-03   68
  Day 1: 4   06-13     Day 2: 5   07-06   
38. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           10  14-02   67
  Day 1: 5   06-00     Day 2: 5   08-02   
39. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            10  14-01   66
  Day 1: 5   08-00     Day 2: 5   06-01   
40. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            10  13-15   65
  Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 5   06-14   
41. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  13-14   64
  Day 1: 5   06-08     Day 2: 5   07-06   
42. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            10  13-13   63
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   06-01   
43. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           9  13-12   62
  Day 1: 4   05-15     Day 2: 5   07-13   
44. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  13-12   61
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   06-15   
45. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           10  13-06   60
  Day 1: 5   07-10     Day 2: 5   05-12   
46. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          8  13-05   59
  Day 1: 5   08-03     Day 2: 3   05-02   
47. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           9  13-01   58
  Day 1: 5   07-09     Day 2: 4   05-08   
48. Ben Milliken           Omaha, NE                7  13-00   57
  Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 2   02-13   
49. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  13-00   56
  Day 1: 5   06-04     Day 2: 5   06-12   
50. Cliff Pace             Ovett, MS                9  12-14   55
  Day 1: 4   07-01     Day 2: 5   05-13   
51. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  12-12   54
  Day 1: 5   05-11     Day 2: 5   07-01   
52. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             8  12-11   53
  Day 1: 5   07-04     Day 2: 3   05-07   
53. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  12-09   52
  Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   04-13   
54. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               8  12-08   51
  Day 1: 3   03-05     Day 2: 5   09-03   
55. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA            10  12-07   50
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   05-07   
56. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY         10  12-07   49
  Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   05-10   
57. Paul Marks             Cumming, GA              9  12-05   48
  Day 1: 4   05-07     Day 2: 5   06-14   
58. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            8  12-04   47
  Day 1: 3   04-08     Day 2: 5   07-12   
59. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  12-03   46
  Day 1: 5   06-09     Day 2: 5   05-10   
60. Cody Meyer             Eagle, ID                9  12-01   45
  Day 1: 5   06-12     Day 2: 4   05-05   
61. Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              7  12-00   44
  Day 1: 3   06-11     Day 2: 4   05-05   
62. Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA         10  11-15   43
  Day 1: 5   05-12     Day 2: 5   06-03   
63. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            8  11-14   42
  Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 3   03-03   
64. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  11-13   41
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   04-13   
65. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL         8  11-11   40
  Day 1: 5   07-11     Day 2: 3   04-00   
66. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               9  11-06   39
  Day 1: 4   04-14     Day 2: 5   06-08   
67. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  11-05   38
  Day 1: 3   04-02     Day 2: 5   07-03   
68. Andrew Loberg          Guntersville, AL         8  11-05   37
  Day 1: 5   06-07     Day 2: 3   04-14   
69. Chris Zaldain          Boyd, TX                 7  11-02   36
  Day 1: 5   09-01     Day 2: 2   02-01   
70. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          8  11-01   35
  Day 1: 3   04-04     Day 2: 5   06-13   
71. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI             8  10-15   34
  Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 3   03-15   
72. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          7  10-11   33
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 2   01-13   
73. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           8  10-10   32
  Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 3   03-09   
74. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              7  10-06   31
  Day 1: 5   08-03     Day 2: 2   02-03   
75. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               9  10-06   30
  Day 1: 4   05-00     Day 2: 5   05-06   
76. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              8  10-05   29
  Day 1: 5   06-10     Day 2: 3   03-11   
77. Seth Feider            Elko New Market, MN      7  10-04   28
  Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 2   02-12   
78. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  9  10-04   27
  Day 1: 5   05-00     Day 2: 4   05-04   
79. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           7  10-02   26
  Day 1: 3   04-04     Day 2: 4   05-14   
80. Cole Sands             Johnson City, TN         8  10-02   25
  Day 1: 4   04-06     Day 2: 4   05-12   
81. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            6  10-01   24
  Day 1: 5   08-14     Day 2: 1   01-03   
82. Evan Kung              Pickering Ontario CANAD  7  10-00   23
  Day 1: 5   07-08     Day 2: 2   02-08   
83. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  09-09   22
  Day 1: 5   06-01     Day 2: 3   03-08   
84. John Garrett           Union City, TN           7  09-06   21
  Day 1: 4   05-04     Day 2: 3   04-02   
85. Tucker Smith           Birmingham, AL           6  09-05   20
  Day 1: 1   01-11     Day 2: 5   07-10   
86. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            7  09-03   19
  Day 1: 2   02-11     Day 2: 5   06-08   
87. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            7  09-00   18
  Day 1: 2   02-10     Day 2: 5   06-06   
88. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  09-00   17
  Day 1: 2   04-01     Day 2: 3   04-15   
89. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             7  08-15   16
  Day 1: 2   03-00     Day 2: 5   05-15   
90. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             6  08-05   15
  Day 1: 1   01-12     Day 2: 5   06-09   
91. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         7  08-01   14
  Day 1: 3   03-00     Day 2: 4   05-01   
92. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  07-04   13
  Day 1: 2   03-04     Day 2: 3   04-00   
93. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             6  07-00   12
  Day 1: 3   03-07     Day 2: 3   03-09   
94. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL              5  06-11   11
  Day 1: 1   01-03     Day 2: 4   05-08   
95. Blake Capps            Muskogee, OK             4  06-07   10
  Day 1: 2   04-13     Day 2: 2   01-10   
96. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH              4  06-00    9
  Day 1: 1   01-09     Day 2: 3   04-07   
97. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        4  05-15    8
  Day 1: 2   02-13     Day 2: 2   03-02   
98. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            5  05-12    7
  Day 1: 4   04-07     Day 2: 1   01-05   
99. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  05-06    6
  Day 1: 3   03-02     Day 2: 2   02-04   
100. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  05-02    5
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   05-02   
101. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                4  05-02    4
  Day 1: 3   04-02     Day 2: 1   01-00   
102. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          3  04-08    3
  Day 1: 1   01-15     Day 2: 2   02-09   
———————————————————————– PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS 
Day
 1   Pat Schlapper            Eleva, WI           04-05      $1,000.00
 2   John Crews Jr            Salem, VA           04-14      $1,000.00 ———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        69       434       664-15
 2        62       427       623-01
———————————-
         131       861      1288-00





Simms Launches Lightest, Most Packable Wader Ever

Brian Carter
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0
Simms Launches Lightest, Most Packable Wader Ever

Simms Launches Lightest, Most Packable Wader Ever

  • May 16, 2025

While the Flyweight Packable Wader was designed with high-mileage missions in mind, its true value lies in its adaptability.

Bozeman, MT — Simms Fishing Products, the leader in wader design and innovation, proudly announces the release of the all-new Flyweight Packable Wader — the lightest, most packable wader Simms has ever built. Developed over nearly a decade of design, prototyping, and on-the-water testing, this breakthrough product delivers on a singular vision: to create a technical wader that disappears in your pack but shows up when it matters most.

At just 2.45 lbs. (in standard size Medium), the Flyweight Packable Wader is engineered for mobility and minimalism without sacrificing the performance and durability anglers have come to expect from Simms. Originally created for backcountry anglers willing to hike further, travel lighter, and chase fish to the edge of the map, the wader’s versatility quickly expanded its reach. What began as a niche solution for remote pursuits has evolved into a go-anywhere, do-anything wader that thrives across seasons, fisheries, and travel scenarios.

CLICK LINK TO FINISH READING





Darrell Fenton & Tim Horvath Win CATT Wateree with 5 bass weighing 15.12 lbs!

Brian Carter
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0
Darrell Fenton & Tim Horvath Win CATT Wateree with 5 bass weighing 15.12 lbs!

Next Lake Wateree Open is May 31 at Clearwater Cove Marina! May 31st is also the 1st tournament of the CATT Wateree Summer Trail so look for a good crowd!

Get there early and get some hot breakfast sandwiches from Crims Tackle!

As of May 10, this is the Wateree Open Final Fund and Point Fund!

2025 Wateree Open Points$1,000.00
2025 Wateree Open Final Fund$1,120.00

Darrell Fenton & Tim Horvath take 1st place at Wateree with 5 bass weighing 15.12 lbs!

Colden & Bubba Baker earned 2nd with 5 bass weighing 14.17 lbs!

Chanon & Ray Dowey 3rd with 13.80 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinningsPoints
Darrell Fenton & Tim Horvath4.0715.12$500.00110
Bubba Baker & Colden Baker4.5114.17$970.00109
Ray Dowey & Chanon Dowey3.5013.80$290.00108
Dean Benfield3.1413.76107
Johnny Barfield & Justin Barfield4.2413.27106
Mike King & Chris King4.4413.06105
Greg Atkinson & James Brinson4.4312.81104
Kareem White & Jaylin White3.0311.57103
Adam Wells & James Lewis2.5210.82102
Scott Williams & Terry Williams2.949.47101
Paul Wells & Craig Haven2.357.61100
Scott Floyd4.255.8999
Steve Phillips0.000.0089
Mitchell Gordon0.000.0089
Tony Colacurcio & Steve Colacurcio0.000.0089
Jeff Perrone & Tripp Gwin0.000.0089
2025 Wateree Open Points$1,000.00
2025 Wateree Open Final Fund$1,120.00





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