Unique ways anglers are using SRD20 products to keep their boats in tip-top shape
Lafayette, LA (March 27, 2024) – Another very exciting Bassmaster Classic is behind us, hopefully pulling anglers off the couch and onto the water for springtime bass bites. Farther south—and along both coasts—inshore and blue water anglers are doing what they do the entire calendar year, whether that means reds and seatrout or pelagics offshore. No matter where or what you fish for, boating anglers all have one thing in common: How best to keep their investment looking good for the long haul. There are countless cleaning products on store shelves, but only a handful specifically designed for marine use. That’s where SRD20 comes in – a complete “system” of cleaning and protective formulas designed to meet the boat care needs of anglers wherever they fish. Besides use as a complete system to clean and protect your boat stem-to-stern, some anglers have found unique applications for SRD20 products that the innovators didn’t even intend.
A Typical Bass BoatWith several top finishes under his belt, collegiate bass angler, Evan Waggener, will be fishing the MLF Toyota Series this summer with plans to pursue professional bass fishing. “I run an older 2008 Nitro Z9, which I’ve taken care of to make it neat, tidy, and looking new,” says Waggener. “Before every tournament I’ll do a deep clean with SRD20 Pink Soap followed by spraying SRD20 Graphene on the exterior to protect it while I’m on the road. Then, when I get off the water after a practice or tournament day, I’ll use their Waterless Wash & Wax to remove any grime from the day.”Besides spraying Graphene on his boat exterior, he also uses it on his outboard to get rid of and prevent water spots.
“A lot of times when you’re tournament fishing and you set the boat down quickly, you get splashes on the back of the outboard. The Graphene keeps those water spots from showing up at the end of the day.”Waggener adds: “But for my trolling motor, I use SRD20’s Vinyl Protectant. I run a Minn Kota Ultrex and I like to treat the side plates, foot pedal, and motor head to keep everything looking brand new. I’ve also started treating the motor shaft with it, which makes it nice and slick and keeps it from fading in the sun, especially the area around my forward-facing sonar. I also use the Vinyl Protectant on my boat seats and the plastic trim pieces that you’ll find on most bass boats, which will fade over time.”
Inshore & Offshore UseDestin, Florida Fishing Captain of the Year 2020, Capt. Mark Hotze, runs both near shore and offshore trips via 30A Light Tackle Fishing Charters.Prior to settling down in Florida, Hotze fished around the world—from Japan to Puerto Rico—amassing a vast angling skillset that focuses on fishing saltwater with light tackle. “Seems like the fishing changes every six weeks or so, and we concentrate on whatever the best bite is. I’m out every day in my Everglades 243 center console, and the water down here is very tannic, so most boats develop a solid brown line on them at the water level. I like to pull up to the gas station with a big, shiny white boat.”
Prior to discovering SRD20, Capt. Hotze said he used “a lot of other waxes and a big rotary buffer and really went at it to the point it was hard holding on to the buffer.”“With SRD20 Graphene, you just spray it on and wipe it off. In a matter of minutes, I was impressed how even the rough, beat-up spots came out looking good. Then I’ll follow up with the Waterless Wash & Wax. It might take a month for it to get really dirty now, so it protects, too. Like a lot of anglers, I used to stand at the boat ramp every day with a big bucket of soap and really brush the whole boat down. I hardly ever give it a freshwater rinse now.”“And if I’m really lazy,” adds Hotze, “when I’m waiting to fill the boat up with 50 to 60 gallons of gas, I’ll go around looking for that little brown line and clean it with the Waterless Wash and Wax as I’m filling up.”
A Vinyl Protectant application to Capt. Hotze’s trolling motor shaft makes for a silky deployment.
Besides the Graphene and Waterless Wash & Wax, Hotze’s also a fan of the Vinyl Protectant—not only for his cushions—but to keep his Minn Kota Riptide trolling motor looking and deploying at its best. “Besides treating every square inch of the trolling motor, the application to the shaft keeps it looking new and makes it much easier to deploy, it really shoots out after application”Capt. Hotze concludes: “The Vinyl Protectant is great for cleaning stuff around the boat like where the vinyl and rubber meets the glass of my console, which can get squeaky and fade over time. I coat the track of the windshield with the Vinyl Protectant and I’m good.”
NO OFF LIMITS! Normal CATT Rules Apply! Pre Pay on Line or at Ramp Morning of!
Entry Fee: $225 per team Online or at ramp
Enter 1 or more side pots or none! Optional! Platinum BONUS $100 (Paying 3 Places) Gold BONUS $50 (Paying up to 3 Places) Silver BONUS $25 (Paying up to 2 Places) Blastoff # Determined by Order of Payment! Paying 2 Big Fish Places and 1 Place for Every 7 Teams Entered!
Next Santee Cooper Catt Spring Qualifier is April 27 at Blacks Camp!
Brian Crosby & Michael Craven win Santee Cooper with 5 bass weighing 25.81 lbs earning $1,910.00!
Brian & Elvis Peagler 2nd Place with 22.68 and the BF at 7.22 lbs!
Mack Altman & Randall Miller 3rd with 21.31 lbs!
Justin Cromer & Mark Barnes claimed 4th with 18.22 lbs!
The Ultimate Guide to Catching Giant Bass This Spring: Beyond Junk Fishing
As the remnants of winter’s chill give way to the budding warmth of early spring, the anticipation among anglers begins to bubble with excitement. Early April heralds a prime time for those seeking the thrill of battling giant bass. It’s a season often associated with “junk fishing,” a term that encapsulates the unpredictable, yet exhilarating, pursuit of bass in rapidly changing conditions. However, to truly harness the potential of this period, a deep dive into the methodologies and strategies for locating these elusive giants is essential. So, let us embark on an insightful journey, navigating through the nuances of spring bass fishing, and unlock the secrets to a successful haul.
Understanding the Quarry: The Behavior of Spring Bass
Spring sets the stage for significant behavior changes in bass as they transition through pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn phases. Each stage presents unique challenges and opportunities for the angler:
Pre-Spawn: As the water temperature creeps into the 50s (degrees Fahrenheit), bass begin to migrate from their winter haunts in deeper water to shallower areas in preparation for spawning. This is a period of increased feeding as the fish build energy reserves, making it an ideal time for anglers to target them.
Spawn: When water temperatures reach the low to mid-60s, bass start spawning, focusing more on the reproductive process than on feeding. During this time, they can be found guarding their nests in shallow waters, making them more predictable, yet sometimes less eager to bite.
Post-Spawn: Following the spawn, bass often experience a period of rest and recovery. However, they eventually resume feeding aggressively to replenish their depleted energy reserves. This post-spawn phase can offer exhilarating fishing opportunities as bass are willing to strike at various baits with renewed vigor.
Strategies for Success: Beyond Junk Fishing
While “junk fishing” – the practice of using a variety of techniques and baits to find what works – can be effective, refining your approach based on the bass’ seasonal behaviors can yield even better results. Here’s how to adapt your tactics to each phase:
Pre-Spawn Tactics:
Focus on areas where bass are likely to migrate, such as mouths of creeks, channels, or the edges of flats. These transitional zones offer prime feeding grounds.
Utilize lures that can cover a lot of water quickly, such as spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits, to locate active feeders. Slow-rolling a spinnerbait or varying the retrieval speed of a crankbait can trigger strikes from larger, more aggressive bass.
Spawn Strategies:
Sight fishing becomes a possibility as bass move into shallow, clear water to spawn. Look for bass on nests, which appear as circular cleared areas on the bottom.
Use soft plastics, like a Texas-rigged worm or a creature bait, to entice protective bass guarding their nests. Presenting the lure directly in or near the nest can provoke a strike, as the bass aim to remove the perceived threat to their eggs.
Post-Spawn Approach:
Target areas offering recovery and feeding opportunities for post-spawn bass, such as nearby deeper water or cover like submerged logs, vegetation, or docks.
Topwater lures can be highly effective in eliciting explosive strikes during early morning or late evening. Additionally, jigs and soft plastics worked slowly around cover can appeal to the bass’ recuperative instincts.
Junk Fishing With Purpose: The Art of Adaptation
Embracing the concept of “junk fishing” doesn’t mean fishing without direction. It’s about being observant, adaptive, and willing to experiment methodically with lures and locations based on the conditions and observed bass behavior. Key considerations include:
Water Temperature: Monitor temperature changes closely, as even a few degrees can significantly impact bass activity and location.
Weather Patterns: Adjust your approach based on weather conditions. For example, overcast skies or a slight breeze can increase bass activity, making moving baits more effective.
Water Clarity: Tailor your bait selection to the clarity of the water. In murky water, opt for lures that create vibration or noise, while in clear water, choose more natural, subtle presentations.
Tackling the Challenge: Gear and Preparation
Success in spring bass fishing also hinges on your gear and preparation. Ensure you have a variety of rods and reels suited for different techniques, from heavy-action setups for flipping heavy cover to medium-action for finesse presentations. A well-organized tackle box, stocked with a wide range of lures – crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and topwaters – allows you to swiftly change tactics as needed.
The Ethical Angler: Conservation Mindset
As we pursue the excitement of landing giant bass, it’s crucial to practice responsible fishing. Adhering to catch and release, especially during the spawn, ensures the health and sustainability of bass populations for future generations. Additionally, being mindful of our impact on aquatic habitats fosters a conservation ethic that benefits the entire ecosystem.
In Conclusion: The Path to Mastery
Spring bass fishing, characterized by the notion of “junk fishing,” offers a dynamic and rewarding arena for anglers. As we’ve uncovered, success lies not in a haphazard approach, but in a strategic, informed methodology that respects and responds to the natural behaviors and needs of the bass. So gear up, embrace the challenge, and enjoy the thrill of connecting with nature in the pursuit of those elusive giant bass. Happy fishing!
The three-day tournament is the second event of the year for Central Division anglers and is hosted by Visit Cullman. The event will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.
Local pro Jesse Wiggins of Addison, Alabama, said he’s looking forward to a fantastic event with phenomenal fishing, as well as the opportunity to sleep in his own bed while competing for big money.
“This event is hitting at an awesome time for Smith Lake,” said Wiggins. “It’s my favorite time of year there because the fish will be all over the fishery, in all stages of the spawn.
“There was a Toyota Series event on Smith Lake about the same time last year and my brother [Jordan Wiggins] actually won that one, but I told him I wasn’t going to let him win it two years in a row.”
Wiggins said there will be a ton of fish caught, so catching a limit isn’t going to be a problem, but finding the right size of fish for the winning bag will be key.
“Guys are really going to be able to fish to their strengths,” explained Wiggins. “If they want to fish out deep with [Garmin] LiveScope, there will be fish out there on bait and you could probably catch 40 to 50 bass each day doing that, but if you want to fish the bank or sight-fish, there will be some fish on beds as well.”
The Alabama native said he expects to see anything from a 2.8-inch swimbaits up to 6-inch swimbaits, jerkbaits, topwater baits and shaky-head rigs come into play.
“You’re likely to catch a fish under a dock, then another one out in front of the dock on forward-facing sonar, then another one behind the dock on a bed,” Wiggins went on to say. “The fish are that spread out, and that’s going to keep the guys spread out a lot as well.”
As for the winning bag, Wiggins said he expects to see a combination of spotted bass and largemouth bass take home the trophy.
“Most of the checks will be cashed with just spotted bass, but to win the event, I think guys will have to mix it up and have a couple big largemouth as well,” said Wiggins. “I think 15 pounds per day in this event will be really good. This time of year, some of the bass have already spawned, so the fish tend to weigh a lot less, but I think 15 pounds consistently will put anglers in the top 10 for sure.”
Wiggins said despite hosting a lot of bass-fishing tournaments, the fishery is a bit of a “well-known secret”.
“I don’t think a lot of people really realize just how many fish are in Smith Lake,” said Wiggins. “It really gets to show out in March and April, so I think we can expect to see guys pulling in a pile of fish during this event.”
Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT each day from Smith Lake Park, located at 403 County Road 386 in Cullman. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Norsk Lithium’s 14.8V 50Ah “orange” battery co-opted by countless anglers to power single forward-facing units and graph
New Hope, Minn. (March 26, 2024) – Originally designed as “the” battery to offer extensive power to portable, ice fishing forward facing sonar units, Norsk Lithium’s “orange” line of 14.8v batteries” continues to sell in “completely unprecedented numbers” across the country, especially in the south… where there is no ice.So, what’s going on?“We’ve talked to a lot of the customers outside the Ice Belt buying our 14.8v batteries and it comes down to a couple of things: they want to keep their forward-facing sonar unit power system compact and cost-effective, and they want a power supply that will allow them to get the most performance possible out of their investment in forward-facing sonar,” reports Norsk VP, Product Development, James Holst. Holst says many of these customers are just entering the world of forward-facing sonar, whether it’s Garmin LiveScope, Humminbird MEGA Live, or Lowrance Active Target.“The typical customer is not the angler running a 21- or 22-foot bass boat with extensive rigging and multiple lithium batteries,” continues Holst.“This crowd is running 14- to 19-foot boats with one large screen and one FF sonar unit, where if they were forced to add another marine battery, they simply wouldn’t have the physical space. The FF sonar transducer/pole/trolling motor bracket, black box, cables, and screen are typically mounted in the bow and space is limited in these smaller boats. Many of the anglers we’ve talked to have told us finding space for a full-sized marine battery and charger simply was not possible given how little extra storage room is offered in smaller boats.”The Norsk team says these anglers have no plans to power three or four graphs on their boat. They’re recent adopters of forward-facing sonar and looking for something—again, compact and cost-effective—to power a single FF sonar unit, large screen, and run the system all-day long with full screen brightness, imaging quality, and zero power issues.
Common-Sense, Third-Party Battery BoxJust like any other marine battery, proper installation is important and what’s interesting is these customers have found small, lawn tractor-like battery boxes at nearby farm stores and Amazon for around ten dollars that make installing a Norsk Lithium 14.8V 32AH or 50Ah battery super easy and secure. These easily sourced, third-party boxes safely and securely enclose the battery and come with a top strap to pull tight to secure the battery within the box, and some anglers are putting a little closed cell foam in it to make sure it doesn’t wiggle at all.“By the time you’re all said and done, the whole contraption costs a heck of a lot less than putting in a dedicated, larger marine house battery just for one graph and FF sonar unit, and provides the runtime and performance the user is looking for,” adds Holst.
Norsk Lithium technical support comments: “Using our 14.8v 50Ah orange battery and third-party tray combination ends up being a fraction of the size of full-sized marine battery when installed, so finding space for the battery is much easier.”Then we’re finding out that they’re upgrading the Norsk 3 Amp plug-in charger that ships with the battery to our 7 Amp 12.6V Rapid Battery Charger, which fully charges the battery in 4.5 hours for the 32Ah and a little over 7 hours for the 50Ah at the end of a fishing day or two. Note – neither of these chargers are waterproof so best practice is to connect the charger when you need a charge and remove the charger from the boat when you’re out on the water.”
High Amps For All-Day Power, High Voltage for Brighter ImagingThis system also prevents the introduction of interference often experienced on graph screens when tapping into a dual-purpose AGM starting battery, which often also runs accessories in smaller fishing boats. “It’s a dedicated power supply. It’s easy to find space for, it’s simple to install, and it’s clean, dedicated power,” adds Holst. “These guys will power FF sonar and graph solely from our 14.8V 50Ah orange battery, no other accessories like lights, radios, bilge pumps, livewell, etc. That’s a recipe for getting the absolute best performance out of an investment in forward-facing sonar.”
Battery Stats & Run-Times for FF Sonar Units As mentioned, the 14.8V 50Ah orange battery is ultra-compact, coming in at 7 pounds. The 32Ah version weighs 4.85 pounds. You can literally hold either battery in the palm of your hand. However, despite their sized-down footprint, the nominal voltage is 14.8V, although when you first turn it on, it may read up to 16.9 volts.
What’s that mean? The higher voltage allows for longer runtimes without the need to turn down screen brightness to squeak out a few extra hours on the water. This means you get to take advantage of brighter imaging, making it easier to see fish and your bait on your 8-inch or bigger graph screen and FF Sonar investment. The Norsk technical team reports: “A 12-inch Garmin GPS mapping unit pulls about 2.2 Amps just to run the screen, then you add ¾ Amp for Live Scope, so that amounts to approximately 3 Amps in combination. If you do the math, 50 Amps divided by 3 gives you just under 17 hours of runtime, which is two long days on the water for most anglers. But we’re finding a lot of these customers are running 9-inch screens since that’s what’s offered in most portable FF Sonar & graph combo systems. Those runtimes are incredible for pretty much every brand.”
Is This System For You?“You might be fishing a smaller boat but want to use today’s FF sonar technology for ‘anything that bites’. You might be a bass fisherman fishing from a smaller boat. Or you might be a crappie angler in a flat bottom boat, looking to spot fish in trees from the bow and pluck them out. Really, this system is for any angler looking to get into forward facing sonar who expects all-day power, a bright screen, and doesn’t want to carve out space for another giant marine battery and dedicated charger—while saving some money in the process,” concludes Holst.
WHAT: A boating accident occurred Tuesday, March 19, during Day 1 of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series on the Harris Chain of Lakes. No serious injuries were reported, but upon investigation of the circumstances surrounding the accident, MLF determined that both boaters intentionally violated a no-wake zone, which resulted in a collision between the boats.
WHERE: Ski Beach at Venetian Gardens 201 E. Lake Harris Drive Leesburg, Fla.
NOTES: Boater Mark Succi of Cataula, Georgia, and his co-angler Jeff Cox of Saline, Michigan, along with boater Douglas Reed of Bridgeton, New Jersey, and his co-angler Mitch Hayes of Chipley, Florida, were involved in the accident. Both boaters were in violation of MLF Toyota Series Rule No. 9. Specifically, Succi and Reed operated their boats in an unsafe manner and violated a posted no-wake area. Succi and Reed have been suspended from all MLF tournaments for at least one year.
About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
The Feeling of catching a giant Bass will never go away for any angler. But Charlie Davis caught his PB on Smith Mountain Lake that weighed 9.43lbs. Take a listen as charlie gives us a look at the moment it all went down & how he caught this giant.
It was a solid weekend of BFL competition all around for Nash. He finished fourth in Saturday’s BFL Mountain Division event on Dale Hollow, then came back Sunday to get the win in the Music City event on the same lake.
“I had two pretty good, solid days. I can’t complain,” Nash said.
A key adjustment proved to make the difference in locking up Sunday’s win. On Saturday, Nash tried to stay out of the wind to make it easier to cast his Damiki rig to fish he spied with his Lowrance ActiveTarget. Sunday, he purposely sought out windblown areas area where baitfish were being pushed in by the wind.
His winning limit included four largemouth bass and one smallmouth.
“I caught them all on a Zorro Booza Zonar jighead that I actually designed,” he said. “It’s a ‘scoping’ jighead.”
The Booza Zonar is a Damiki-style jighead designed to stay level in the water column. According to Nash, a common trick anglers use to achieve the same presentation is to use a loop knot to tie on the jighead. He wanted a jighead that would stay level with a more standard Palomar knot. The Booza Zonar is it. He also made sure it had a quality Gamakatsu hook – he carries jigs with 2/0 and 3/0 hook sizes.
“When you’re reeling it over one’s head, it stays horizontal. You don’t want it leaning down,” he explained. “If you get a lethargic fish, you want it looking more natural.”
In addition to staying in the wind, another adjustment from Saturday to Sunday was the type of bank Nash fished. He fished bluff banks on Saturday. On Sunday, he targeted flatter gravelly banks where prespawn bass were feeding on balls of bait.
He caught about 15 pounds first thing in the morning while fishing in the back of a creek with his boat in less than 30 feet of water. From there, he upgraded throughout the day by moving to slightly deeper stretches.
“I was sitting in about 50 feet, but the fish were anywhere from 10 to 25 to 30 feet deep,” he said. “You just had to look around the bait and you’d fine one here or there. The fish were coming off the bottom from these flats, and you’d just catch them as they’d come up to eat the bait.
“It (the spot) had to have a little bit of bait. If you weren’t around bait, you weren’t catching any fish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Christian Nash, Allons, Tenn., five bass, 22-8, $10,842 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus) 2nd: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 21-15, $1,921 3rd: Lee Sinclair, Albany, Ky., five bass, 21-12, $1,282 4th: Blake Smith, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 21-6, $896 5th: Tanner Rich, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 21-2, $1,703 6th: Chris Halfacre, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 19-14, $704 7th: Dylan Wright, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 19-13, $640 8th: Gavin Cloutier, Jonesboro, Tenn., five bass, 19-8, $576 9th: Jacob Woods, Loudon, Tenn., five bass, 19-5, $512 10th: Grant Adams, Campbellsville, Ky., five bass, 19-4, $448
Tanner Rich caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.
Caleb Edgerton of Dayton, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,990 Sunday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Caleb Edgerton, Dayton, Ohio, five bass, 14-15, $1,990 2nd: David Dickson, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 13-10, $920 3rd: Kevin Jones, Fort Campbell, Ky., five bass, 13-2, $612 4th: Wayne Crouch, Jamestown, Tenn., four bass, 11-2, $529 5th: Kevin Barton, Portland, Tenn., three bass, 10-4, $368 6th: Ethan Elliott, East Point, Ky., three bass, 9-15, $337 7th: John Riddle, Erwin, Tenn., four bass, 9-12, $307 8th: James Proffitt, Celina, Tenn., three bass, 9-7, $276 9th: Nathan Nester, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 9-0, $245 10th: Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn, four bass, 8-12, $215
Strike King co-angler Steve Greene of Lebanon, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $240, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
The next event for BFL Music City Division anglers will be held April 20, at Tims Ford in Winchester, Tennessee. 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 Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. 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.
