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CAMPBELL AND KALEN TIE FOR WIN T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OPENER ON ROUGH RIVER LAKE

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May 6, 2019

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CAMPBELL AND KALEN TIE FOR WIN T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OPENER ON ROUGH RIVER LAKE

Oxford’s Thome Takes Co-Angler Division

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FALLS OF ROUGH, Ky. (May 6, 2019) – Boaters Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, and Bryce Kalen of Greenwood, Indiana, each caught five bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces, to tie for the win at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Hoosier Division opener on Rough River Lake. After contingency awards, Kalen earned $2,328, while Campbell took home $2,128.

“I spent a lot of time bed-fishing, so I went and caught two I had right away – one cast each,” said Campbell, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I stayed toward the dam because the water was a little bit clearer. I was only focusing on small pockets on the dam side of the lake and would stop once I got to the halfway back of them because of how flooded they were. I ran maybe 10 different pockets all day and caught around 20 keepers.”

Campbell said he caught his fish using a wacky-rigged, green-pumpkin-colored Yamamoto Custom Baits Senko. He preferred a 7-foot, 2-inch St. Croix Mojo Bass Spinning Rod with a Lew’s Speed Spin Mach 2 reel and 10-pound-test PowerPro braided line with a 10-pound-test Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon leader.

“I threw the Senko weightless around the front and sides of bushes,” said Campbell. “I let it sink and caught a few here and there. It seemed like the biggest ones I caught were out in front of the bushes.”

“I spent all of my time in the North Fork area of the lake and fished two spawning bays side by side,” said Kalen, who also earned his first win in FLW competition. “I targeted shallow water bushes and flat spawning banks. The water had come up 2 feet from practice, so I couldn’t see the spawning fish I’d marked. I had to fish for them only knowing they were there. Fishing the old bank line was key for me.”

Kalen said he caught six keepers, weighing three from a 4-inch green-pumpkin-colored Secret Lures Stupid Tube and two on a Texas-rigged, green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Bug. He used a 7-foot, medium-heavy Powell Max rod and Lew’s Tournament Pro reel with 15-pound-test Seaguar InvisX fluorocarbon line for the tube, and a 7-foot, 6-inch heavy-action Powell Endurance rod with 25-pound-test Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon line to flip the Rage Bug.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Bryce Kalen, Greenwood, Ind., five bass, 12-3, $2,328

1^st: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 12-3, $2,128

3^rd: Danny Abrams, Greens Fork, Ind., five bass, 12-0, $1,048

4^th: John Melton, Corydon, Ind., five bass, 11-15, $662

5^th: Billy Doyle, Somerville, Tenn., five bass, 11-14, $568

6^th: Frank McClain, Scottsburg, Ind., three bass, 11-5, $835

7^th: Matt McCoy, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 11-2, $773

8^th: William Briere, Mooresville, Ind., five bass, 10-11, $426

9^th: Scott Bateman, Jasper, Ind., four bass, 10-7, $628

10^th: Richard Ison, New Washington, Ind., five bass, 9-7, $481

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

McClain caught a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $315.

Austin Thome of Oxford, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $1,419 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Austin Thome, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 9-8, $1,419

2^nd: Robert Trey Lenear, Bedford, Ky., five bass, 8-0, $710

3^rd: Dyllan Grace, Scottsburg, Ind., three bass, 7-13, $473

4^th: Bo Bivins, Evansville, Ind., four bass, 7-8, $331

5^th: Dale Walton, Greenwood, Ind., two bass, 6-13, $362

6^th: Mark Redman, Pendleton, Ky., three bass, 6-12, $260

7^th: Thorne Martin, Franklin, Ind., two bass, 6-9, $465

8^th: Brian Short, Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 6-4, $313

9^th: Michael Pruitt, Martinsville, Ind., three bass, 6-3, $189

10^th: Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-7, $316

Walton and Martin both caught the bass weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces – the largest of the day in the Co-angler Division – and split the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $156.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six 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. The 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30-June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Cobb Tops Century Mark, Wins Big At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

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May 6, 2019

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Cobb Tops Century Mark, Wins Big At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

randon Cobb takes home the title at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork after catching an impressive four-day total of 114 pounds. This is his second win of the 2019 Elite Series season and earns him a spot in the famed Bassmaster Century Club for amassing more than 100 pounds, a spot in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic as well as a brand new Toyota Tundra.

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

May 6, 2019

Cobb Tops Century Mark, Wins Big At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

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LAKE FORK, Texas — Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.

It’s the inspiring mantra B.A.S.S. unveiled before the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season, and it perfectly sums up the last two months for Brandon Cobb.

After earning his first Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell in his home state of South Carolina, Cobb caught one big bass after another at Texas’ Lake Fork to amass a four-day total of 114 pounds. It earned him his second six-figure first-place prize of the season on one of the biggest stages in bass fishing — the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

He’s living his dream — big time.

“It’s absolutely been an amazing season for me,” said Cobb, who also earned an automatic berth into the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with the victory. “I had a lot of success on the FLW Tour, but I never could quite put together a win.

“For so many things to go right this season, it’s just been a dream come true.”

Cobb went into the day with nearly an 8-pound advantage over his closest competitor. But after a slow start, he actually lost the lead for a while to Georgia pro Micah Frazier.

Then Cobb, a 29-year-old former college angler at Clemson University, started working the magic that helped him grab the lead during Sunday’s semifinal round with a catch of 37-15.

Cobb put a three-pounder in his livewell at 8:23 a.m. and then added a 4-13 and a 6-5 in the span of six minutes between 9:07 a.m. and 9:13. He added a 3-15 at 9:38 and a 6-2 at 9:43. At that point, he had 24-13 and the tournament seemed to be over.

He kept culling until his five biggest fish weighed 6-5, 6-2, 6-2, 5-10 and 5-12 for total weight of 29-15. All fish were weighed on the water and immediately released.

“It was really boring until you’d run into them,” he said. “Then when you’d hit them, it was amazing.”

Cobb caught the bulk of his weight all week fishing around shallow shellbeds where bass were feeding on spawning shad. His primary bait was a Dual Hardcore Minnow Flat 110 SP jerkbait in ghost pro blue.

“I was basically running points and flats, and the areas I was fishing might be 6 feet deep for 200 yards,” he said. “But the fish, when they were eating, were in 1 to 2 1/2 feet of water up on the tops of the shellbeds.

“I’ve got mud all over me because I had to pick mud off my jerkbait bill just about every cast. I was literally jerking it into the bottom.”

Surface activity always signaled Cobb that the fishing was about to get good.

“When you hit a big school of shad up on one of those shellbeds, I think you pushed the bait up with your boat,” he said. “When that happened, bass would start blowing up everywhere on the surface.

“I hooked two or three doubles (two fish on one cast) today and actually caught one double.”

During the rare moments when Cobb wasn’t fishing the offshore shellbeds, he fished some shallow shoreline structure hoping to catch a few spawning fish. While doing that during Sunday’s semifinal round, he managed to boat an 11-1 monster that ranked as the Toyota Tundra Big Bass of the Week.

Cobb earned a new Toyota for that fish to add to the $247,500 cash he’s already won this year.

During ceremonies at the 50th Classic, to be held next March in Birmingham, Ala., Cobb will also receive one of the most exclusive awards presented by B.A.S.S. — the Century Belt. The belt is only given to anglers who catch at least 100 pounds of bass during an Elite Series event.

Second-place angler Garrett Paquette of Michigan, who caught 101-15, will also receive a Century Belt.

Prior to Texas Fest, no angler had earned one of the belts since the 2013 Elite Series event on Falcon Lake when Keith Combs (111-5), Rick Clunn (105-6) and John Crews (103-13) all topped the 100-pound mark.

Cobb has seemed cool and calm all season long. But now, with all of that hardware — and a Classic berth — already secured, he said he can be even more relaxed the rest of the way.

“I’ve been in position to win these kinds of events so many times,” he said. “But something would always go wrong, whether it was a bad last day or whatever.

“This has been the best year I could dream of. Aside from winning the Classic, how could it get any better than this?”

The fishing was as good as expected on Lake Fork with 63 five-bass limits of 20 pounds or more caught in four days. Of those 63, five topped the 30-pound mark.

South Carolina rookie Patrick Walters remained in the lead in both the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and the DICK`S Sporting Goods Rookie of Year race, after five events, earning $1,000 for AOY and $500 for ROY.

2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 5/2-5/6
                                Lake Fork, Emory  TX.
                           (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           20 114-00  100 $125,000.00
  Day 1: 5   31-11     Day 2: 5   14-07     Day 3: 5   37-15     Day 4: 5   29-15
2.  Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI              20 101-15   99  $40,000.00
  Day 1: 5   28-12     Day 2: 5   19-01     Day 3: 5   28-15     Day 4: 5   25-03
3.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              20  96-12   98  $30,000.00
  Day 1: 5   22-13     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 5   28-01     Day 4: 5   25-15
4.  Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           20  95-10   97  $25,000.00
  Day 1: 5   25-11     Day 2: 5   21-04     Day 3: 5   26-07     Day 4: 5   22-04
5.  Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 19  94-05   96  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 4   18-08     Day 2: 5   26-05     Day 3: 5   22-01     Day 4: 5   27-07
6.  Drew Cook              Midway, FL              20  94-01   95  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   25-12     Day 2: 5   25-14     Day 3: 5   19-12     Day 4: 5   22-11
7.  Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          20  93-07   94  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   27-01     Day 2: 5   13-01     Day 3: 5   29-08     Day 4: 5   23-13
8.  Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             19  90-12   93  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   31-15     Day 2: 5   30-15     Day 3: 4   05-08     Day 4: 5   22-06
9.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            20  85-07   92  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   20-06     Day 3: 5   24-14     Day 4: 5   19-03
10. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         20  83-08   91  $20,000.00
  Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   24-13     Day 3: 5   20-12     Day 4: 5   16-07
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
     Brandon Cobb             Greenwood, SC       11-01          $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        62       354      1221-03
 2        57       345      1157-00
 3        32       172       732-13
 4        10        50       235-04
----------------------------------
         161       921      3346-04

CARBON HILL’S WRIGHT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON NEELY HENRY LAKE

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May 6, 2019

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CARBON HILL’S WRIGHT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON NEELY HENRY LAKE

Suwanee’s Young Takes Co-Angler Division

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GADSDEN, Ala. (May 6, 2019) – Boater Scott Wright of Carbon Hill, Alabama, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division tournament on Neely Henry Lake Saturday with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. Wright earned $3,313 for his day on the water.

“I ran downriver and made a couple of quick stops before heading to an area in Canoe Creek. I’d caught them there with a swimjig in practice,” said Wright, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I figured the water must’ve dropped some because the grass line I was fishing had scum up on top. I started throwing a frog, and by 8 a.m. I was culling – it was on fire.

“Around 9:30 [a.m.], the frog bite slowed down, so I started throwing a weightless green-pumpkin [Yamamoto Custom Baits] Senko in 5 to 8 feet of water outside the same grass line and caught several more fish. Every fish I weighed, though, ended up coming from the frog.”

Wright said he used a white H2O XPRESS™ Hollow-Body Poppin’ Frog to catch his fish.

“I started working my way back to check-in around 1:30 [p.m.], but had one spot I wanted to stop at,” said Wright. “It was a small patch of grass in a pocket about a mile downriver from where we took off, and with 10 mins left to fish, I caught my biggest fish of the day.”

Wright went on to say that it was likely the way he worked his frog that had the biggest impact on his win.

“I think the way I was working did more to help me than the bait itself – I’ve never fished a frog that way,” said Wright. “I’d jerk it once or twice, and then let it sit absolutely for about 10 or 20 seconds. It was a technique I discovered during a pause to grab a bottle of water from my cooler. I never got a bite moving the frog – it had to be sitting dead still.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st: Scott Wright, Carbon Hill, Ala., five bass, 18-14, $3,313

2^nd: Trey Gamble, Helena, Ala., five bass, 18-0, $1,557

3^rd: Casey O’Donnell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 17-8, $1,137

4^th: Dax Ewart, Humboldt, Tenn., five bass, 16-9, $726

5^th: Daniel Whitaker, Phil Campbell, Ala., five bass, 16-8, $623

6^th: Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 15-10, $571

7^th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., five bass, 15-7, $769

8^th: Kenneth Grover, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 15-4, $467

9^th: Andy Kilgore, Kingston, Ga., five bass, 15-1, $415

10^th: Greg Lamb, Birchwood, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $363

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

John Polly of Nauvoo, Alabama, caught a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $365.

Mike Young of Suwanee, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,589 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st: Mike Young, Suwanee, Ga., five bass, 15-9, $1,589

2^nd: Tom Bowker, Terre Haute, Ind., five bass, 13-2, $794

3^rd: Keith Youngblood, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 12-12, $497

4^th: Kyron Jones, Gardendale, Ala., five bass, 12-8, $347

5^th: Jerry Cornwell, Cleveland, Tenn., four bass, 12-2, $298

6^th: Mark Whitten, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $273

7^th: Bryant Davis, Madison, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $418

8^th: David Haraway, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 11-8, $223

9^th: Robby Griffith, Ashville, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $198

10^th: Larry McNeil, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 11-4, $165

10^th: Randall Kramer, Signal Mountain, Tenn., five bass, 11-4, $165

Davis caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $170.

The tournament was hosted by the City of Gadsden.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six 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. The 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30-June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Greg Blair and Billy Moore Win Red Devil Bass T T On SML May 4th 2019

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May 6, 2019

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Greg Blair and Billy Moore Win Red Devil Bass T T On SML May 4th 2019

Following are the results from the Red Devil Bass Tournament on Smith Mountain Lake Saturday, May 4^th.

1^st Place Greg Blair and Billy Moore with 10.15 Lbs.

2^nd Place Reggie Mayhew and Tommy Dalton with 7.35 Lbs.

Our next tournament will be on Leesville Lake June 1^st from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm (marina).

Bucky Clarke Wins CATT Cooper River Final May 5th 2019, with 18.23 lbs

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May 6, 2019

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Bucky Clarke Wins CATT Cooper River Final May 5th 2019, with 18.23 lbs

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Guys don’t forget…

CATT 2019 PHANTOM OUTDOORS INVITATIONAL

Presented by Phantom Outdoors Tournament Grade Fishing Apparel!

Bucksport Marina, Waccamaw River July 27th

$5,000.00 1^st Place

$200 Entry Fee

Platinum BONUS $100 (Paying 1 Place)

Gold BONUS $50 (Paying up to 3 Places)

Silver BONUS $25 (Paying up to 3 Places)

Blastoff # Determined by Order of Payment!

Qualify by Entering 1 CATT Event! (Finals Included)

(Summer 2018, Fall 2019, Spring, Summer 2019)

Paying 2 BF Places Paying 1 Place for Every 6 Teams Entered!

Raffle Items at Event!

We wrapped up another great Spring season on the Cooper River! Thanks to Ferris & Becky Jennings for putting on a great show! The Fall schedule will be out soon and we look forward to seeing more great bags of Cooper River bass brought to the scales! Bucky Clarke hit the jackpot Saturday with 5 bass weighing 18.23 lbs and weighed in the 1st BF at 7.67 lbs! Bucky earned $2,204.00 plus a Lews Speed Stick! Great job!

2nd went to Will Thompson & Doug Robertson with 16.87 lbs and 2nd BF at 6.00 lbs!

3rd went to Travis Gatling & Doug Robertson with 15.04 lbs!

John & Grace Campbell 4th with 14.65 lbs!

Kyle Welch & Wayne Clifton won the Cooper River Spring Points!

	Big	Total	Total
23 Teams	Fish	Weight	Winnings
Bucky Clarke	7.67	18.23	$2,204.00
Will Thompson – Doug Robertson	6.00	16.87	$866.00
Travis Gatlin – Grant Powell	0.00	15.04	$350.00
John Campbell – Grace Campbell	0.00	14.65	$150.00
Wayne Clifton – Kyle Welch	0.00	12.20
Randall Drew – Ryan Drew	0.00	12.03
Bruce Wheeler – Heath HunterHe	0.00	11.90
James Roy Jr Robison – William Gregory	0.00	11.76
Bill Lawshe – Jeremy Hewitt	0.00	10.26
Justin Lloyd – Billy Johnson	0.00	9.85
Ben Benjamin – Smith Jimmy Hall	0.00	9.71
Joseph Giampa – Gene Youngs	0.00	9.55
Matt Baker – Andrew Baker	0.00	8.71
Jimmy Mccants – Kevin Powell	0.00	7.83
Dave McConnell – Dylan Mcconnell	0.00	7.45
Bubba Dennis	0.00	6.17
Henry Mueller	0.00	2.67
Joesph Scott – Gabriel Hornet Pearson	0.00	2.29
Paul Gaskins – Michael Gaskins	0.00	0.00
Johnny Brinson	0.00	0.00
Casey Leach – Charlene Leach	0.00	0.00
Anthony Amerson	0.00	0.00
Josh Timmons – Robbie Powell	0.00	0.00
Total Entrys			$2,640.00
BONUS $			$550.00
2019 Cooper River Spring Final Fund			$420.00
Total Paid At Ramp			$3,610.00
Total Paid 2019 Spring Cooper River			$8,925.00

MICHIGAN’S KOROSTETSKYI WINS DEE ZEE FLW/KBF KAYAK OPEN AT NICKAJACK LAKE PRESENTED BY YAKATTACK

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May 6, 2019

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MICHIGAN’S KOROSTETSKYI WINS DEE ZEE FLW/KBF KAYAK OPEN AT NICKAJACK LAKE PRESENTED BY YAKATTACK

Ukrainian Born Angler Bests Field of 103 Anglers in First Ever FLW/KBF Tournament, Earns $7,500

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DAYTON, Tenn. (May 5, 2019) – By just a slim 2-inch margin, 23-year-old Michigan angler Bogdan Korostetskyi, won the inaugural Dee Zee FLW/KBF Kayak Open at Nickajack Lake presented by YakAttack Sunday after catching a two-day total of 174.25 inches of bass. For his win, Korostetskyi earned $5,000 and added a $2,500 Dee Zee gift card for being the highest-finishing angler in the Dee Zee contingency program.

During practice, Korostetskyi, a college student in Michigan who was born in Ukraine, said he struggled to find a consistent bite anywhere but on the bank, but he didn’t want to focus his tournament where he was afraid most of the 103 anglers in the field would be fishing. Eventually, he tracked down a couple of grassy offshore humps.

“That’s pretty much what we fish in Michigan, so I felt right at home,” he said.

On Saturday, Korostetskyi found his fish schooling on his two best spots and caught fish quickly, catching a limit by 7:15. Sunday, he fished the same places, but reversed the order, starting on a hump that took him 48 minutes to reach then finishing on another hump about halfway between the first hump and his launch point.

The bass weren’t schooling Sunday, and Korostetskyi encountered muddier water and a wind direction that had flipped 180 degrees from the day before. He needed time to figure out the best way to hold in the wind and line up for the right casting angle to get them to bite.

“It took me one hour to catch my first keeper,” he said.

His strategy was to fish his primary hump, slide off it to some nearby grassy structure to let the good spot rest, then return to it and catch more. Then he finished on his second spot on the way back.

The best humps were about 8 feet deep, with grass that was about 4 feet tall. Korostetskyi said he caught his fish with a 1/2-ounce Evergreen/Z-Man ChatterBait Jackhammer with a Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ trailer.

“It feels surreal,” Krostetskyi went on to say. “I still don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been going on three hours of sleep.

“I was not expecting that. My goal was just to do my best. It was very stressful. I think I had high expectations, but it just worked out.”

The top 10 kayak anglers on Nickajack Lake finished:

1^st: Bogdan Korostetskyi, Livonia, Mich., 174.25 inches

2^nd: Ryan Lambert, Chattanooga, Tenn., 172.25 inches

3^rd: Jordan Marshall, Maryville, Tenn., 170 inches

4^th: Cody Milton, Heber Springs, Ark., 169.75 inches

5^th: Jason Cassetty, Morgantown, Ind., 169 inches

6^th: Cory Dreyer, Randleman, N.C., 166.75 inches

7^th: Joshua Howell, Cold Spring, Ky., 166.75 inches

8^th: Jody Queen, Rocky Gap, Va., 166.5 inches

9^th: Brian Coyne, Hilliard, Ohio, 166 inches

10^th: Ron Champion, Richmond Hill, Ga., 164.75 inches

Complete results can be found at KayakBassFishing.com.

The top 100 finishers are now qualfied to compete in the second event, the Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup in Hot Springs, Arkansas presented by YakAttack. Of these 100 qualifiers, the top 20 will receive free entry. All other qualifiers pay a $500 entry fee. The Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup will be held Aug. 8-10, 2019, on a lake to be announced soon in conjunction with the FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton.

KBF was formed in 2009 to offer kayak anglers the opportunity to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes at premier fisheries around the country. Currently in its seventh season for live events, KBF offers more than 25 professional-level bass-fishing tournaments to kayak anglers. For complete KBF details, schedules and updated information, visit KayakBassFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information about FLW, visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Dean Rojas Rides Hot Morning Bite to Win at Bass Pro Tour Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury

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May 6, 2019

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Dean Rojas Rides Hot Morning Bite to Win at Bass Pro Tour Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury

MLF pro Dean Rojas took advantage of a hot morning bite and a variety of baits to claim the Bass Pro Tour Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury trophy with his win on Alabama’s Smith Lake.

(Photo by Garrick Dixon.

Dean Rojas Rides Hot Morning Bite to Win at Bass Pro Tour

Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury

CULLMAN, Ala. (May 5, 2019) – It’s an age-old question in competitive bass fishing: pattern or location? If you ask Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Dean Rojas this week, he’ll come down firmly on the side of “location”.

Fishing an area on the upper end of Smith Lake that he had found during practice for the Bass Pro Tour Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury Marine, the Arizona pro went to work on the Sunday-morning shad spawn with a mix of baits (primarily a crankbait, swim jig, frog and swimbait). By the end of the first period, Rojas had put 23 fish on SCORETRACKER® for 36 pounds, 5 ounces – enough spotted and largemouth bass that Rojas could’ve put his rods down for most of the rest of the day and still won.

“It’s not too often that you get into a championship round where the fish are biting like that and you can use multiple baits to rack up a big lead,” Rojas said. “The conditions were right: we had overcast skies, a breeze, warm temperatures, and the fish were just feeding in the area I was in. It was just about capitalizing on this format. I knew I had to catch as many fish as I could early to put some distance between me and the field.”

Rojas added an additional 9-1 in the second and third periods for good measure, finishing with 47-0 and a 6-plus-pound win over Brent Chapman (40-14), Michael Neal (34-15), Jason Christie (32-6) and Todd Faircloth (32-2). Mark Rose (29-14), Brent Ehrler (26-0), Dustin Connell (24-14), Mike Iaconelli (17-14) and Fred Roumbanis (10-1) rounded out the Top 10.

“At the end of the first period, that was the end of (the bite),” Rojas admitted. “It was a big deal that I caught as many fish as I could to build a big lead. Period 2 and Period 3 were a matter of catching a few here and there, but I was struggling because they just wouldn’t bite.”

Rojas Cashes in on “Money Spot”

Rojas was one of a handful of anglers in the 80-man field who identified his primary area, a stretch of bushes in the Ryan Creek Arm. Rojas hit the area throughout the week of competition, sharing it periodically with Boyd Duckett, etc., but had the whole stretch to himself on Championship morning.

MLF pro Dean Rojas caught them early and often on Championship Sunday at Smith Lake, finishing Period 1 with 23 bass totaling 36-5 to put him atop SCORETRACKER and the position he stayed for the rest of the competition.

(Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)

“I had to mix it up to catch all those fish, but there was bait all over that area, so I had a feeling the fish should be there this morning,” Rojas said. “I went to that spot every morning in the ride-around to see if they were still spawning, because that’s what they were doing in practice. I didn’t go to it until the Elimination Round because my other stuff wasn’t working, and then didn’t fish it in Knockout because Boyd was fishing there. I went there this morning and they were busting, so I sat down on it and fished it out.”

Chapman Made a Late Run at Rojas

Just 24 hours after qualifying for the finals thanks to a 3-13 largemouth that he caught with 10 seconds left, Chapman made another final-period run at the top of SCORETRACKER®, catching a 3-14 largemouth and a 4-10 largemouth in the final 20 minutes of competition to cut Rojas’ lead in half.

MLF pro Brent Chapman made a strong run in the final period of Championship Sunday, but fell about 6-pounds short of catching up to Rojas’ winning weight. (Photo by Josh Gassmann. Click to enlarge/download)

“I noticed going into the third period that things were getting tough, and thought of that little point where I had caught a fish on every bush when there was a shad spawn going on,” Chapman said. “I figured that my best chance was to go somewhere where I knew I was putting my bait around fish on every single cast. I figured that was my best chance to at least put myself in position to have a chance to win.”

Championship Notes

Rojas’ Bass Pro Tour Stage Five win is his first tour-level win since a Bassmaster Elite Series title on Toledo Bend Reservoir in 2011, a span of 80 events … Neal fished his third Championship Round in five events this season … Sunday’s round was the first Bass Pro Tour Championship Sunday without Edwin Evers: the current Bass Pro Tour Points Race leader finished 16th, to add to his previous finishes of second, first, fourth and seventh … Faircloth was named the MLF Autism Awareness Champion on Sunday after weighing the most fish in April (Autism Awareness Month).

Championship Round Final Results

To see full details of the Championship Round, as well as all results for all rounds during the week on Smith Lake, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and click “Results.”

Cobb’s Giant Day Gives Him The Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

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May 6, 2019

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Cobb’s Giant Day Gives Him The Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

Brandon Cobb rockets into the lead after boating a five-bass limit for 37 pounds, 15 ounces during Day 3 of the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Lake Fork for a combined three-day total of 84-1.

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

May 5, 2019

Cobb’s Giant Day Gives Him The Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Fork

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LAKE FORK, Texas — After catching two bass in the 8-pound range by 10 a.m., Brandon Cobb was already having one of the best days of fishing he’s ever had.

Then the bite of a lifetime at 2 p.m. moved the day to the very top of his list.

The giant afternoon bass, which weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce and ranked as his biggest ever, lifted Cobb’s five-bass limit for the day to 37-15.

Now, with a three-day total of 84-1, he will enter the final day of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Fork with margin of 7-5 over his closest competition.

“I’ve never had a day like this before — not even close,” said Cobb, who recorded his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory in April on Lake Hartwell. “A 29-pound limit was my best ever until the other day (Thursday), when I caught 31-11. Now this is without a doubt the most amazing day I’ve ever had on the lake.”

Cobb went into the day with two-part game plan.

He expected to spend much of his time fishing shallow shellbeds away from the shoreline where bass have been feasting all week on spawning shad. Then he planned to fish shoreline cover where he’s been catching good numbers of solid bass, but nothing huge.

The shad-spawn bite paid off big time, as he caught an 8-8, an 8-13 and a 4-4 — all before noon. Then when he moved to the shoreline, he found something he wasn’t expecting.

“When I went to fish the bank, honestly, I expected to catch 3-pounders,” Cobb said. “That was my goal for the day — to catch big ones off the shad spawn and then fill a limit fishing the bank.

“But then, when I went to the bank, I caught an 11 and a 5.”

The 11-1 monster not only helped Cobb jump into the overall lead, it put him in first place for Toyota Tundra Big Bass of the Week. The prize for that award is a new Toyota Tundra truck.

Cobb was fishing a frog down a shoreline when he noticed the big bass sitting on a bed. He dropped his Power-Poles, believing the bass weighed 7 or 8 pounds.

Then he proceeded to pester the fish until it bit.

“It was one of those fish that looked like it was gonna bite every cast,” Cobb said. “Every cast I would make, it would kind of nose down and look at it. It took about 20 minutes to finally get it to eat. But with the way she was acting, I knew I could catch her.”

Cobb’s meteoric rise was aided in part by the struggles of Michigan pro Chad Pipkens. After catching 30-plus pounds the first two days and entering Day 3 with more than an 11-pound lead, Pipkens caught just four fish Sunday that weighed 5-8.

That allowed Cobb, Garrett Paquette (76-12), Brandon Card (73-4), Micah Frazier (70-13), Drew Cook (70-5) and Keith Combs (69-10) to all move past him in the standings. Pipkens will start Championship Monday in seventh place with 68-6.

After catching 28-12 Sunday, Paquette, a first-year Elite Series pro from Michigan, said he believes he’ll need at least 30 pounds — and maybe a little luck — to catch Cobb and win the $100,000 first-place prize.

“Brandon caught an 11-pounder and two 8-pounders today, and you can’t bank on doing that every day,” Paquette said. “So if I can catch 30 pounds, I’ll feel like I did everything I could have done.”

Unlike Cobb, who is spending much of his time shallow, Paquette is fishing offshore areas in about 10 feet of water — and with the way the bite has been working, he could create some last-hour drama Monday.

“It’s been really slow out there in the mornings,” he said. “It seems like the longer I can wait to get on my best stuff, the better it works out for me. About 2 o’clock (an hour before quitting time) seems like the best time.”

Card caught 25-11 Sunday, but he has even more ground — almost 11 pounds — to make up during the final round.

“I have a few key areas, and if you pull up on them at the right time, you can catch a lot of weight in a hurry,” Card said. “I’ll probably stay with the offshore stuff all day tomorrow and just see what happens.”

The tournament will conclude Monday with the Top 10 remaining anglers taking off at 7 a.m. CT from Sabine River Authority in Quitman. The weigh-in will be at the same site at 3 p.m.

All fish are being weighed on the water and immediately released, but each angler is allowed to bring to the “weigh-in” one bass that measures more than 24 inches.

2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 5/2-5/6
                                 Lake Fork, Emory  TX.
                           (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           15  84-01  100
  Day 1: 5   31-11     Day 2: 5   14-07     Day 3: 5   37-15
2.  Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI              15  76-12   99
  Day 1: 5   28-12     Day 2: 5   19-01     Day 3: 5   28-15
3.  Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           15  73-04   98
  Day 1: 5   25-11     Day 2: 5   21-04     Day 3: 5   26-05
4.  Drew Cook              Midway, FL              15  71-06   97
  Day 1: 5   25-12     Day 2: 5   25-14     Day 3: 5   19-12
5.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              15  70-13   96
  Day 1: 5   22-13     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 5   28-01
6.  Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          15  69-10   95
  Day 1: 5   27-01     Day 2: 5   13-01     Day 3: 5   29-08
7.  Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             14  68-06   94
  Day 1: 5   31-15     Day 2: 5   30-15     Day 3: 4   05-08
8.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         15  67-01   93
  Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   24-13     Day 3: 5   20-12
9.  Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 14  66-14   92
  Day 1: 4   18-08     Day 2: 5   26-05     Day 3: 5   22-01
10. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            15  66-04   91
  Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   20-06     Day 3: 5   24-14
11. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            15  64-11   90  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   26-14     Day 2: 5   15-15     Day 3: 5   21-14
12. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          15  63-15   89  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-04     Day 3: 5   28-07
13. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          14  63-10   88  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   30-10     Day 2: 4   14-01     Day 3: 5   18-15
14. Derek Hudnall          Baton Rouge, LA         15  62-12   87  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   22-08     Day 3: 5   19-02
15. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  62-10   86  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   25-06     Day 3: 5   19-06
16. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  62-08   85  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   23-02     Day 3: 5   22-06
17. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        15  60-11   84  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   22-05     Day 2: 5   13-13     Day 3: 5   24-09
18. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  60-08   83  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   21-00     Day 3: 5   19-13
19. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  59-15   82  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   22-08     Day 3: 5   24-03
20. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  59-14   81  $16,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   22-11     Day 3: 5   22-01
21. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          15  59-02   80  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   20-01     Day 3: 5   25-13
22. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             15  58-06   79  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   13-10     Day 3: 5   23-15
23. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             15  57-01   78  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   20-10     Day 2: 5   17-13     Day 3: 5   18-10
24. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          15  55-13   77  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-06     Day 2: 5   23-04     Day 3: 5   18-03
25. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL          15  55-10   76  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-03     Day 2: 5   20-02     Day 3: 5   23-05
26. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           15  55-01   75  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   24-12     Day 3: 5   14-06
27. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH       13  54-05   74  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 3   14-03     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 5   21-07
28. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              15  51-08   73  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   17-14
29. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         15  51-05   72  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   19-02     Day 2: 5   15-13     Day 3: 5   16-06
30. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           15  50-07   71  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   20-06     Day 2: 5   11-13     Day 3: 5   18-04
31. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        15  49-03   70  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   16-04
32. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY              12  48-05   69  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 3   13-14     Day 2: 5   21-14     Day 3: 4   12-09
33. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               13  45-15   68  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 3   12-01     Day 3: 5   14-06
34. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL          14  45-11   67  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   18-14     Day 3: 4   13-15
35. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         15  44-12   66  $13,500.00
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   16-08     Day 3: 5   12-15
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        62       354      1221-03
 2        57       345      1157-00
 3        32       172       732-11
----------------------------------
         151       871      3110-14

JOHN COX WINS FLW TOUR AT LAKE CHICKAMAUGA PRESENTED BY EVINRUDE

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May 6, 2019

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JOHN COX WINS FLW TOUR AT LAKE CHICKAMAUGA PRESENTED BY EVINRUDE

Florida Pro Earns Fourth Career Tour Victory, Wins $100,000

Link to HD video of Cox’s Winning Moment

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DAYTON, Tenn. (May 5, 2019) – Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, won $100,000 at the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude Sunday with a four-day total of 83 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory was the fourth FLW Tour win of Cox’s career – moving him to a tie at No. 7 for the most Tour wins all-time.

Cox brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds even to clinch the victory by a 1-pound, 11-ounce margin over local favorite Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, who brought 20 bass weighing 81-14 to the scale and earned $30,100. Tour rookie Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, who led the tournament coming into the final day, caught a four-day total of 80-5 to finish third and win $25,000.

“I can’t believe that I won,” said Cox, who also took over the points lead in the ultra-competitive Angler of the Year (AOY) race with just one event left in the regular season. “It was so tough today. I ran all over this place and had a decent limit, but not what I needed. I was bouncing around, then right before I had to check in I remembered a stretch of trees that I hadn’t checked.

“It was the last minute, and I really don’t know why it just popped in my head, but it did – go to the trees,” Cox continued. “It was weird because I had forgotten all about this area. When I pulled up and Power-Poled down, I knew before I even threw in there.”

With less than 10 minutes before he had to check-in, Cox boated a pair of 4-pounders from the trees and raced back to the Dayton Boat Dock.

“When I caught the two in the last 10 minutes, I got all worked up,” Cox said. “I was running back, and I just felt something. Tears were coming down. It was overwhelming – I don’t know. I’ve won tournaments before, but I’ve never felt anything like it before. I’m getting chills right now just talking about it. This one was different.”

Cox said he used two main baits throughout the week. He threw a Texas-rigged 6-inch Baby Bass-colored Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General while sight fishing and a white ½-ounce Dirty Jigs jig with a white Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Meaty Chunk Trailer to cover water.

“The jig setup really came into play when the rain came in,” Cox said. “It was something that I could cover a lot of water with. I really thought the jig was going to be deal today, but I had to completely change gears at the end of the day and go back to the worm.”

With just one tournament remaining in the regular season, Cox now shifts his focus to Lake Champlain in upstate New York. He holds just a slim 1-point lead in the AOY race over Polaris pro David Dudley – a three-time AOY winner who already has an FLW Tour win on Lake Champlain on his resume.

“My two favorite lakes are Lake Chickamauga and Lake Champlain, and to finish the season on those two fisheries is great,” Cox went on to say. “I’ve been going to Lake Champlain since I was 20, and I really want to win there. But, I really, really want to win the AOY title. That would be awesome.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Chickamauga finished:

1^st:          Berkley pro John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 20 bass, 83-9, $102,700
2^nd:         Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 20 bass, 81-14, $30,100
3^rd:          Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 20 bass, 80-5, $25,000
4^th:          Yamamoto Baits pro Matt Greenblatt, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 20 bass, 80-0, $20,000
5^th:          Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 20 bass, 78-9, $19,000
6^th:          Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 20 bass, 76-7, $18,000
7^th:          Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 20 bass, 74-12, $17,000

8^th:          Strike King pro Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 20 bass, 74-12, $16,000
9^th:          David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 69-9, $15,000
10^th:        Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 20 bass, 66-10, $14,000

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

Overall there were 50 bass weighing 172 pounds, 10 ounces caught by pros Sunday. All 10 of the final-day pros brought a five-bass limit to the scale.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude will premiere in 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Chickamauga presented by Evinrude was more than $860,000. The tournament was hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic Tourism Council. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine in Plattsburgh, New York, June 27-30. The tournament will be hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 165 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to fish on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

MLF College Fishing Faceoff Pits Longtime Alabama RivalsAgainst Each Other in Competition on Lake Guntersville

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May 5, 2019

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MLF College Fishing Faceoff Pits Longtime Alabama Rivals

Against Each Other in Competition on Lake Guntersville

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CULLMAN, Ala. (May 5, 2019) – In collegiate competition, there’s nothing quite like “Rivalry Week”: when longtime opponents face off in head-to-head competition, with bragging rights, pride (and sometimes a unique trophy) as the ultimate prize.

With the advent of the Major League Fishing® (MLF) College Faceoff, rivalries like Bethel University vs. Bryan College, and Alabama vs. Auburn vs. North Alabama move to playing fields like Watts Bar Lake and Lake Guntersville.

As part of the activities at Bass Pro Tour Stage Four on Lake Chickamauga in April, the first MLF College Faceoff pitted college-fishing powerhouses Bethel University and Bryan College against each other in MLF’s conservation-friendly “catch, weigh and immediate release” format. The competition did not disappoint: the top three teams finished the day with more than 69 pounds of scorable bass on Watts Bar Lake.

John Garrett and Kyle Palmer of Bethel University were the top team, with an eye-popping 86 pounds, 15 ounces of Watts Bar bass, leading Bethell to a 35 to 20 College Faceoff win over Bryan College.

Second College Faceoff Today

The second MLF College Faceoff is today, May 5, as part of the schedule of activities for


	Tyler Lubbatt, Univ. of Alabama team angler, jumped up the SCORETRACKER positioning with this 4-pound largemouth caught in today’s College Faceoff on Lake Guntersville. (Click to enlarge)

the Phoenix Boats Stage Five Presented by Mercury that has been happening this week on Smith Lake in Cullman. And as one might expect in this college-rivalry-rich part of the country, Faceoff Two pits a trio of collegiate fishing powerhouses against each other: Auburn University, the University of Alabama and the University of North Alabama.

The competition grounds? Lake Guntersvillle, one of the most hallowed tournament lakes

in the country.

As they did on Watts Bar Lake,these Alabama college anglers will score their catches using MLF’s SCORETRACKER® Live app, which allows the teams to see their current standings and get live updates on their competition. Competitors will weigh their fish catches using official MLF scales, and then immediately release the bass back into Guntersville. All bass weighing at least 1 pound will be counted toward the team’s overall score, which is the same format that the MLF Bass Pro Tour pros and their fans have grown to love.

The live results are also available to the public at http://scoretrackerlive.com.

Winners will be presented the MLF College Facebook trophy on Stage Five Championship Sunday later this afternoon on the MLF NOW! live stream from Cullman.

The SCORETRACKER Live app is available at no cost to all anglers and can be used for fishing competitions ranging from 2 to 2,000 people.

Looking Ahead

The third College Faceoff – the “Battle of the Border” – will feature Drury University, Missouri State, Arkansas Tech and the University of Arkansas, competing independent of a Bass Pro Tour event on May 14 on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas.

For more information, log on to www.majorleaguefishing.com.

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