Counce, Tennessee angler Brandon Perkins goes wire-to-wire at Lake Amistad earning the $100,000 grand prize and NPFL Championship Shield.
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
After a dominant start to the tournament on day one with 29 pounds, 9 ounces, Brandon Perkins sealed the deal in Texas, becoming the first-ever NPFL Championship winner. Carrying a 12-pound lead into the final day, Perkins caught five bass weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces on Showdown Saturday, adding to his day two weight of 21 pounds, 12 ounces. With a three-day total of 71 pounds, 8 ounces, he secured the inaugural NPFL Championship title on Lake Amistad with a stellar three days of fishing.
Perkins’s margin of victory was 15 pounds, 9 ounces and he has set the record for the most three-day weight in NPFL history.
Jesse Wise Adding 19 pounds, 5 ounces on Showdown Saturday, including a 10-pound, 9-ounce lunker largemouth, Jesse Wise finished the Epic Baits NPFL Championship event in second place with a three-day total weight of 55 pounds, 15 ounces. He began his tournament with 18 pounds, 2 ounces, and added 17 pounds, 14 ounces on day two before making his move on the final day.
Patrick Walters Starting on day one in third place with 21 pounds, 15 ounces, Patrick Walters added 17 pounds, 6 ounces on day two, and 13 pounds, 9 ounces on day three to finish in third place spot with a total weight of 52 pounds, 14 ounces.
Darrel Robertson Darrel Robertson finished the Epic Baits NPFL Championship in the 4th spot with a three-day total weight of 48 pounds, 7 ounces. He started the event in the top five with 19 pounds, 5 ounces, added 15 pounds, 12 ounces on day two, and added 13 pounds, 6 ounces on the final day to finish up a successful tournament.
Randy Sullivan With a three-day total of 45 pounds, 10 ounces, Randy Sullivan finished in fifth place in the inaugural Epic Baits NPFL Championship on Lake Amistad. Sullivan started on day one with 19 pounds, 15 ounces, backed it up with 13 pounds, 7 ounces on day two, and added a Showdown Saturday bag of 12 pounds, 4 ounces.
Rest of the best: Jason Wilson 44-11 John Cox 44-6 Kevin Martin 43-15 Barron Adams 42-8 Louis Fernandes 42-4
CALVERT CITY, Ky. (March 9, 2024) – For the third time in his career, Jake Lawrence put the bow on a dominating win on Kentucky Lake, leading wire-to-wire in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Plains Division opener. The win marks his third in five tries on Kentucky and Barkley, and he’s led each event from the get-go. Impressively, he’s done it all kinds of ways, catching prespawn and postspawn smallmouth as well as summer largemouth, and with and without LiveScope.
This week, Lawrence came out of the gate with 24 pounds, 2 ounces, then followed it up with 18-3 on Day 2 and 20-13 on the final day, adding up to a 63-2 winning total. Finishing second with 61-13, Matt Robertson was by far Lawrence’s biggest competition as the only other angler to top 60 pounds.
Now, Lawrence needs to find space for another trophy, and he gets to take home a total of $74,500 (including a $35,000 Phoenix Bonus).
An expert with LiveScope and a jighead minnow, Lawrence weighed 10 smallmouth and five largemouth this week, and he caught almost everything from current breaks with a minnow on a lead head.
On the first and last days, the current was optimal to allow him to pick off single fish in relatively shallow water.
“It was current breaks, but it seemed to change throughout the week,” he explained. “The way that I caught them the first day and today, they weren’t necessarily right on the contact point, right where the current seam leaves the bank or leaves the shallow bar – that textbook spot. Most of mine were within 100 yards of it, but downstream of it, in the slack water. I don’t know if it is because we’ve had such strong current for such a period of time or what, but you could run it from right outside the marina as far south as you wanted to go.”
And Lawrence did use the whole lake. On Day 1, he started on a school near Moors, then finished south of Paris Landing. Today, he worked his way down almost to Jonathan Creek. Understanding the quirks of the current on Kentucky Lake let Lawrence succeed throughout the week.
“Yesterday, I feel like the inflow was as much or more than the outflow was, “he said. “So, a lot of your current breaks right at the mouth of the bays, you don’t get that sucking effect. It’s a lot of current, but all straight down the river channel. Once you got outside of the river channel several hundred yards yesterday, it was way less than normal. Today, I could tell within the first 30 minutes; every one I rolled up to, they’d be crawling around on the bottom.”
On Day 2, whether he knew it or not, Lawrence adjusted by moving closer to the main channel to catch some key smallmouth. Plus, he was able to key his bag with three largemouth that day.
Fishing mostly in the 5- to 10-foot range, Lawrence used a prototype minnow from Jenko and did most of his work with a 3/16-ounce head, though he did use lighter and heavier models.
While it looked easy on stage, Lawrence said it was absolutely not.
“The last Toyota, it was really easy to catch them,” he said. “I could catch 60, 70 a day fairly easily. Not a lot of big ones, but I could catch almost every bass I saw. This week, it was not a challenge to find them, it was a challenge to trick them. It’s getting harder and harder to trick them everywhere, but that seems to be the deal now — they’re a lot harder to catch than they used to be.”
A rookie on the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Lawrence will be back in action (and no doubt sporting a live camera on MLFNOW!) in April on Kentucky Lake. After making a living guiding for the last six years, Lawrence has put his considerable skills to fishing full-time in 2024. So far, it’s been very successful.
“This takes a humongous amount of pressure off,” he said. “This is what we all dreamed of. My grandad and uncle were taking me when I was in diapers and pull ups. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. To have the start that we’ve had, my goodness — it’s been 16 months straight, everything seems to go right when it needs to. At some point, that ball is going to quit rolling in my direction, but until then, we’ll keep rocking with it.”
Pro Taylor Umland of Carlock, Illinois, earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a largemouth weighing in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. The $500 Berkley Big Bass Award on Day 2 Friday was earned by pro Clint Knight of Lewisburg, Kentucky, who weighed in a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Todd Adamitis of Glen Carbon, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 10 ounces. Adamitis took home the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
For the win, Adamitis relied on a co-angler staple, a Carolina rig.
“I think 14 out of the 15 fish were on a Carolina rig, and my big kicker was on a swimbait,” he said. “It was a great three days. I felt comfortable out there. It’s a great event as a co-angler, especially if you’re out on the ledges or the bars. You can really fan cast everywhere, straight out of the back of the boat or to the right or to the left. You’ve got a lot to throw at. As long as you’re on that good rocky scratch, you just hold it there and work it really slow.”
Using a 3/4-ounce weight most days, and a 1-ounce weight in the wind on Day 3, Adamitis stuck with a Strike King Rage Bug for the duration, and tipped the tails with a little chartreuse dye. He also kept it sauced up.
“I was putting BaitFuel on the bait, every cast, almost,” he said. “I think I went through two things of BaitFuel.”
Brent Rumley of Hillsboro, Missouri, earned Thursday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 co-angler award on Friday went to Taylor Surly of Rogers, Arkansas, who boated a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments for the Toyota Series Plains Division. The next event for the Toyota Series Plains Division anglers will be the Toyota Series at Grand Lake, April 11-13, in Grove, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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, 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.
Today marked the commencement of the eagerly-awaited first BFL Piedmont Division event, with the angler community descending upon Smith Mountain Lake. As has become a tradition for our brave anglers, over 85 of them willingly stood against the downpour, all in a bid for victory.
Amidst the relentless showers, it was Broderick Luckey who emerged victorious, securing his (hopefuly first of many) significant win on the homebody. His triumph yielded him a prize money that comfortably exceeded the $3,500 mark – a testament to his skill, perseverance, and dedication.
Meanwhile, co-angler, Matt Russell, hailing all the way from Maryland, also displayed a fabulous performance. Weighing in at 16.05 lbs, his catch & winning top co-Angler honors, he went home with a check worth $2,373.
As the day wound down, the scales mirrored the predictions. As always, the sun made its long-awaited appearance only when the competition ended, bringing a close to a day of intense but rewarding fishing.
Congratulations are in order for everyone who managed to cash a check. Regardless of the result, their dedication and spirit of competition deserve praise. We hope that you enjoy the photos & interviews below.
LAKEPORT, Calif. (March 9, 2024) – In his 18th season fishing the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse, Elk Grove, California’s Ken Mah has finished 11 times in the Top 10. He’s been close so many times before, and Friday at Clear Lake, he finally added the big No. 1 to his MLF résumé.
Mah didn’t just eke by, either. The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats veteran went absolutely nuclear the final two days of the event, weighing in close to 30 pounds on Day 2 (29-12) and putting the cherry on top on Championship Friday with the largest bag of the tournament (31-10) that was anchored by a behemoth Clear Lake 11-pounder. In total, he weighed in 15 fish for 82 pounds, 6 ounces over three days.
As was the case for many anglers this week, Mah didn’t pile up big weights with big numbers – he had just nine bites on Day 1, 11 on Day 2 and seven on Day 3 – but he got the right bites at the right times, as evidenced by the tournament-best 11-pounder, which he caught mid-morning Friday.
What separated Mah from many in the field was the way he caught his fish, namely, flipping shallow cover. While the majority of anglers were casting big swimbaits offshore, Mah spent his time flipping, at first somewhat offshore and eventually near the bank.
“I [caught] my biggest one near the bank,” he said. “That was late in the day on Day 1. And that kind of clued me in a little bit. As the tournament went on, I started to catch less and less of them out of the brush and more and more on the bank. That was a key move for me.
“I followed those big fish. They want to move shallow right now. Me being able to follow them shallow was a key adjustment.”
Adjusting on the fly was perhaps part of Mah’s plan, though. After snowfall during practice and with forecasts calling for increasingly warmer weather throughout the week, he knew he’d have to move with the fish and try something a little different at some point.
Mah isn’t one to play up his accomplishments (and despite this being his first MLF win, he’s won all over the place out West on other tournament trails), so he was somewhat understandably subdued about catching more than 61 pounds over the final two days of the tournament. Still, it wasn’t entirely lost on him what a crazy tournament he put together.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “I knew the weather conditions were getting better for what I wanted to do. Things came together. It was [just] one of those things.”
With the win, Mah not only finally has a shiny red trophy to add to his mantle but also finds himself in the driver’s seat for Western Division Angler of the Year. Of course, there’s still two tournaments to go – and he’s not overlooking either of them – but he’s experienced enough with the West Coast slate to really put an exclamation point on what has been a terrific FLW/MLF career to this point, not to mention the fact that the Western Division finale takes place on his home fishery of the California Delta.
First, though, is Havasu in May, which is a timeframe that presents some new challenges for Mah and the rest of the division.
“My attitude about the season and each tournament is a microcosm,” he said. “Getting off to a great start is a great thing, but it’s not about how you start – it’s how you finish.
“I’m cautiously optimistic. We’re going to Havasu at a different time of year that I’ve not been before. With that postspawn Havasu fishing, it should suit my style better than the usual pre-prespawn time. I’m looking forward to it.”
And why not? There’s a sense of relief that comes with notching your first MLF win.
“It’s one that was alluding me,” he admitted. “To close it out here against this field, it’s just amazing. I’m blessed. This is a trophy I’ve been chasing.”
The top 10 pros on Clear Lake finished:
1st: Ken Mah, Elk Grove, Calif., 15 bass, 82-6, $26,261 2nd: Joe Mariani, Winters, Calif., 15 bass, 76-4, $10,176 3rd: Jon Strelic, El Cajon, Calif., 15 bass, 74-1, $7,878 4th: John Pearl, Upper Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 73-13, $6,565 5th: Christian Melton, Menifee, Calif., 15 bass, 68-3, $5,909 6th: Nathan Phillips, Kelseyville, Calif., 15 bass, 67-15, $5,252 7th: Juarez Jackson, Kelseyville, Calif., 15 bass, 66-5, $4,596 8th: David Valdivia, Riverside, Calif., 15 bass, 65-4, $4,239 9th: J.D. Blackamore, Yorba Linda, Calif., 13 bass, 65-0, $3,283 10th: Patrick Touey, Santa Maria, Calif., 15 bass, 61-12, $2,626
Pro Daniel Shelton of Kelseyville, Nevada, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award on Day 1 Wednesday with a largemouth weighing in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces. The Day 2 $500 Berkley Big Bass Award on Thursday was earned by pro Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with an 8-pound, 14-ounce largemouth bass.
Kirk Marshall of Discovery Bay, California, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 52 pounds, 2 ounces. Marshall took home the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Clear Lake finished:
1st: Kirk Marshall, Discovery Bay, Calif., 13 bass, 52-2, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard 2nd: Jonathan Green, San Pablo, Calif., 13 bass, 50-7, $3,396 3rd: Blaine Christiansen, San Jose, Calif., 12 bass, 49-12, $2,716 4th: David Zavvar, Concord, Calif., 13 bass, 44-12, $2,377 5th: Jerimiah Valador, Kelseyville, Calif., 10 bass, 44-5, $2,187 6th: Mike Walsh, El Cajon, Calif., 10 bass, 42-13, $1,848 7th: Troy Diatte, Salinas, Calif., 12 bass, 42-1, $1,358 8th: Jose Juarez, Jr., Kelseyville, Calif., 11 bass, 41-0, $1,188 9th: Paul Buccola, Dayton, Nev., 12 bass, 40-10, $1,019 10th: Mike Alvarez, Clovis, Calif., 11 bass, 40-4, $849
Jerimiah Valador of Kelseyville, California, earned Wednesday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 co-angler award on Thursday went to Damon Witt of Riseville, California, with an 8-pound, 2-ounce bass.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Clear Lake was hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments for the Toyota Series Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse. The next event for the Toyota Series Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse anglers will be the Toyota Series at Lake Havasu, May 2-4, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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, 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.
South Carolina’s Kyle Austin has won the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by SEVIIN with a three-day total of 83 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
March 9, 2024
Key lunker lifts Austin to Bassmaster Open Win at Santee Cooper Lakes
The Ridgeville, S.C., pro said winning on his home fishery was the crowning achievement of his life on the water.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve stood in this parking lot and watched the Bassmaster weigh-ins and watched local tournament weigh-ins, and I’ve always wanted to stand up here on this stage and hold (the winning trophy),” said Austin, who guides on the Santee Cooper Lakes. “I’ve fished against a lot of these guys on this lake and they’ve beat me like a drum.
“To finally stand up here with the trophy is just incredible. There’s no place I’d rather do it.”
After placing 13th on Day 1 with 24-7, Austin added a second-round limit of 31-8 — the event’s heaviest bag — and took over the lead by a 1-pound margin. It was one of only two bags over 30 for the event.
In the final round, the Tackle Warehouse Elite Qualifiers (EQ) angler bagged a limit of 27-8 and secured the win with 83-7 — the second-heaviest winning weight in a Bassmaster Open behind Florida’s Scott Martin, who set the high mark of 90-6 during the season-opener at Lake Okeechobee just over a month ago.
“Fishing the Bassmaster Classic has been a dream of mine,” Austin said. “It’s a dream for a lot of people and it’s definitely possible.”
On a Championship Saturday that was shortened by 1 1/2 hours due to a National Weather Service afternoon forecast for severe conditions, Austin started on the same spot that produced the majority of his weight the first two days.
“That was a super-shallow hard spot with current,” he said. “The key was getting that current to flow the right way to get them to bite.
“This morning, I cast 20 to 30 times and never had a bite. The wind changed and made an eddy and we got right in a hurry.”
Austin caught his current-related fish on a 1/2-ounce Strike King Red Eyed Shad Tungsten 2-Tap lipless crankbait and a 1-ounce locally made spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades. The latter produced his biggest fish on his starting spot.
Around 9:30 a.m., Austin transitioned to a high-percentage strategy of running particular Lake Marion trees in search of big bites. That move would deliver the game-changing opportunity.
“A lot of people get into an area and they fish every tree in the area,” he said. “I pull up and fish two or three of them.”
After a morning of trading the lead with Martin and second-place Laker Howell of Guntersville, Ala., Austin sat a few ounces behind Martin in BassTrakk’s unofficial standings. Pulling up to a tupelo tree around 11:15, he pitched a wacky-rigged stickworm to the base and came tight on a 7-6 ball of green fury that would slam the door shut on Austin’s first B.A.S.S. victory.
“They get on the same trees every year,” he said. “I had the confidence of knowing which ones they get on, so I just kept running them and running them until I caught a big one.”
Despite the day’s increasingly strong winds and the rough ride back to the weigh-in, Austin said the reward more than justified the challenge. Had the final day been cancelled due to unsafe conditions, Austin would have been declared the winner as the Day 2 leader.
“I’m glad we went today; I did not want to win on a cancellation,” Austin said. “I wanted to get back out there.”
Howell placed ninth on Day 1 with 25-5 and rose to third by adding a second-round bag that went 28-7. He gained another spot with his final limit of 26-13 that pushed his total to 80-9.
Committing his tournament to a protected area on Lake Moultrie, Howell targeted shallow grass and caught his bass in a foot and a half of water. Howell relied on a 1/2-ounce ChatterBait JackHammer with a black/blue and green Yamamoto Zako trailer.
Not only did the bait perform well in the grass, Howell said the bulkier trailer and the particular color pattern likely resembled the area’s abundant sunfish. He also noted that dialing in particular sweet spots boosted his success.
“There were three chutes in the grass and that’s how they were coming into the area,” Howell said. “Every time I’d come to one of those chutes, I’d catch a big one.”
Hailing from Clewiston, Fla., Martin turned in daily weights of 25-4, 27-15 and 27-0 to finish with 80-3. Fishing the Potato Creek area of Lake Marion, he focused on bed fishing and caught his bass on a Texas-rigged Googan Baits Bandito Bug — the same bait that produced most of his fish during his win at Lake Okeechobee.
“Practice was tough, but you pick up little clues that help you home in on something,” said Martin, whose father is nine-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and 19-time B.AS.S. winner Roland Martin. “In an event like this, when the fish are coming to you, all you need is a little bit — and that little bit will go a long way.”
Late in the morning, Martin tried to tempt a big bed fish that rejected the Bandito Bug. Following his gut instinct, he picked up a spinning rod, pitched a drop shot with a 6-inch pink worm and caught the 6-10 on his first cast.
Day 1 leader Mark Hutson of Moncks Corner, S.C., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 10-3 largemouth.
Sixth-place finisher Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minn., won the $1,000 St. Croix contingency award on the boater side. Chad Stahl of Barnesville, Ga., won the $250 award in the co-angler division.
Harrison Heins and Hunter Slone of Tennessee Tech University have won the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Douglas Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 32 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Tyler Bridges/B.A.S.S.
March 8, 2024
Tennessee Tech’s Heins and Slone win Bassmaster College Series event at Douglas Lake
On Day 1, Heins and Slone tied for 19th place with 13-11. Stepping up their second-round game, they added a limit of 18-10 and took home the top prize of $5,601 with a two-day total of 32-5.
“This win means everything for us,” Heins said. “This is the first win that our school has ever had, so we’re hoping this will have a snowball effect and we’ll have many more to come.”
Where they fished
Heins said he and his partner stayed within five minutes of the takeoff site at Dandridge Boat Ramp and focused their efforts on boat docks in about 15 feet of water.
“We just found good quality there in practice,” Heins said. “We knew that 2- to 2 1/2-pounders wouldn’t get the job done and we found a lot of 3-pound-class fish. We knew there were big ones there.
“We worked one area all day and milked it to death.”
As Heins explained, he and his partner fished the same area on Day 1, but also tried other spots. In the final round, they decided to park in their main area and make the most of their time.
“On Day 1, we caught ’em in the same spot where we won, but we ended up leaving to try to find some other stuff, but we (realized) there were more big fish on our main spot,” Heins said. “On Day 2, we knew if we stayed there and kept a bait in the water that would be our best bet at five big ones.
“We decided to just make the most casts in the high-percentage areas.”
Best baits
Heins and Slone caught some of their fish on 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits, but most of their fish came on 1/2-ounce shad-colored ChatterBait JackHammers. They fitted their bladed jigs with Hog Farmer Spunk Shad trailers.
“Most everybody was throwing spinnerbaits in boat slips, but I could get that JackHammer way up under the docks,” Heins said. “They were mostly hitting it on the first couple cranks.”
Most of the bass that Heins and Slone targeted were suspended about 3 feet below the docks. Skipping their ChatterBaits was the best way to reach those fish.
Their strategy produced their limit by about 10 a.m. Heins said they boated their big bass — a 5-10 — on the day’s final cast and culled a 2 1/4.
Presentation keys
Heins said covering water and making accurate casts were the key elements of his team’s success. Slone agreed and noted a couple of particular moves that seemed to help their cause.
“The docks that we were fishing had a bar about 3 to 5 feet deep,” Slone said. “We would take that ChatterBait and bring it over that bar and when we did, we would bump it. The fish would react to this and we’d get most of our bites that way.
“I caught two key fish on a spinnerbait and I would bump it off the corners of the dock. I couldn’t skip that spinnerbait underneath. But when I would bring it around the corner, I don’t know if it was the flutter of the blades, but I caught a key fish yesterday and a key fish today.”
Deeper meaning
Slone said the win proved particularly motivational to him, in terms of life planning.
“This year, I’ve been struggling with trying to figure out if I belong in the fishing industry, or if I should just focus on college and fish for fun,” he said. “I really prayed for God to show me where I need to be. This win showed me that God will be with me and hopefully, I will be able to start a career in fishing.
“This win means so much to me, in terms of my spiritual relationship with God and with my career. I think this tournament is going to change my life.”
Second and third
Drake Hemby and Ewing Minor of Carson-Newman University finished second with 31-14. They caught 15-4 on Day 1 and added 16-10 on Day 2.
Hemby said he and Minor fished the lake’s lower end and targeted shallow main-lake points. They caught their fish on 6-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbaits and a selection of glidebaits.
“The key for us was fishing a bunch of different spots,” Hemby said. “We fished about 30 points. We had a few places where you could catch five or six, but it was mostly one here, one there.”
Luke Wenger and Braxon Hightower of Dallas Baptist University finished third with 30-10. After tying for 66th place with their Day 1 limit of 11-8, they raced up the leaderboard with a final-round limit of 19-2.
Wenger said he and Hightower decided that their best shot at a comeback was playing their game.
“We just went fishing and did what we’re good at,” Wenger said. “We threw jerkbaits and it worked out for us.”
Wenger and Hightower caught their bass on 6th Sense Provoke and 6th Sense 97DD cast over a flooded foundation in 4 1/2 to 6 feet.
Colin Wolinski and Noah Lieberman of Missouri State University won the $100 Big Bass award with a 6-5.
2024 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Douglas Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops 3/7-3/8 Douglas Lake, Jefferson TN. (BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Harrison Heins – Hunter Slone Tennessee Tech University 250 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 18-10 Total: 10 32-05 2. Drake Hemby – Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 249 Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 16-10 Total: 10 31-14 3. Luke Wenger – Braxon Hightower Dallas Baptist University 248 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 19-02 Total: 10 30-10 4. Riley Aebi – Ben Burns Stephen F Austin State Universit 247 Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 29-13 5. Caden Cardoza – Judd Morgan University of Tennessee 246 Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 29-09 6. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 245 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 10 29-02 7. Caleb Hudson – Tanner Hadden University of South Carolina – U 244 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 28-10 8. Alex Gore – Colby Reece Carson-Newman University 243 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 10 28-08 9. Drew Pitts – Nicholas Dellaporta Carson-Newman University 242 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 14-08 Total: 10 28-07 10. Brayden Stoker – Tucker Kendall Tarleton State University 241 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 28-03 11. Andrew Rickman – Ty Manterola Dallas Baptist University 240 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 13-11 Total: 10 27-12 12. Miles Smith – Levi Thibodaux LSU – Shreveport 239 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 27-09 13. Cross Campbell – Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 238 Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-10 Total: 10 27-04 14. Evan Fields – Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 237 Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 10 26-11 15. Justin Latham – Blaine Mattingly Campbellsville University 236 Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 26-05 16. Blake Wheat – Zachary Helton Carson-Newman University 235 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 10 26-05 17. Lane Clark – Tallis Morrison Erskine College 234 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 26-05 18. Stevie Mills – Andrew Turner Carson-Newman University 233 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-09 Total: 10 26-03 19. Anderson Jones – Lander University 232 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 26-01 20. Will Harris – Cole Rankin Carson-Newman University 231 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 14-00 Total: 10 25-14 21. Paul Southern – Caden Canaday Virginia Tech 230 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 25-12 22. Bryant Martin – Luke Batts LSU – Shreveport 229 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 12-10 Total: 10 25-10 23. Cade Lipham – Caleb Coleman Drury University 228 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 10 25-09 24. Matthew Echols – Christian Stewart Virginia Tech 227 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 25-07 25. Clayton Easter – Trevor Easter Tarleton State University 226 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 25-07 26. Corey Morris – Brayden Mercer East Texas Baptist University 225 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 25-06 27. Landon Robbins – Will Eriksson University of Tennessee 224 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 25-02 28. Colin Wolinski – Noah Lieberman Missouri State University 223 Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 09-09 Total: 10 25-01 29. Reece Keeney – Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 222 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 24-15 30. Curt Ferguson – David Derubertis Drury University 221 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 10-12 Total: 10 24-13 31. Harrison Terry – Zachary Bowen Bethel University 220 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 14-08 Total: 10 24-12 32. Noah Trant – Evan Howe Northwestern State University 219 Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 24-09 33. Hunter Keller – Garrett Christy Catawba Valley Community College 218 Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-03 Total: 10 24-09 34. Mark Kershaw-Klara – Kaleb Butts University Of South Carolina Uni 217 Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 24-07 35. Jeremy Dellinger – William Hammond Lander University 216 Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 10 24-05 36. Triston Richardson – Mason Mccormick LSU – Shreveport 215 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 24-03 37. Trey Woliver – Trent Burns Pellissippi State Bass Fishing T 214 Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 24-02 38. Emery Burnett – Drake Axon Georgia Southern University 213 Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 07-14 Total: 10 24-01 39. Jackson Paden – Joey Bissing University of Tennessee 212 Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 14-13 Total: 10 24-00 40. Austin Parr – Hunter White Erskine College 211 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 10 23-14 41. Wyatt Pearman – Ridge Rutledge Campbellsville University 210 Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 23-12 42. Szymon Piton – Riley Faulkner Carson-Newman University 209 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 13-07 Total: 10 23-11 43. Kaden Mueck – Stephen F Austin State Universit 208 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 23-10 44. Robert Hunt – Dillon Robertshaw Missouri State University 207 Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 23-10 45. Brant Langley – Cody Morgan Southeastern University Fishing 206 Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 23-10 46. Caleb Bomer – Reed Allen Texas A&M University 205 Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 4 06-13 Total: 9 23-09 47. Logan East – Conner Giles Bryan College 204 Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 23-09 48. Aaron Hawkins – Broxson Daigle Texas A&M University 203 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 23-09 49. Connor Dunn – Cooper Mayes Texas A&M University 202 Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 23-09 50. Summer Dees – Turner Hart Bryan College 201 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 10 23-07 51. Colby Ullery – Hayes Pate Faulkner University 200 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 23-07 52. Allen Powe – Jonathan Combs Campbellsville University 199 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 23-05 53. Colby Bryan – Dalton Eury Catawba Valley Community College 198 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 23-04 54. Grayson Ball – Sellers Odom Calhoun Community College 197 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 23-04 55. Wes Smith II – Grant Harris Catawba Valley Community College 196 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 23-03 56. Will Wester – TJ McKenzie Emmanuel College 195 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 4 09-14 Total: 9 23-02 57. Clay Henderson – Brant Rowland Drury University 194 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 09-06 Total: 10 23-01 58. Victor Alford – Christian Misciagna Bryan College 193 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-03 Total: 10 23-00 59. Michael Canonica – Seth Proctor University of Tennessee 192 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 22-14 60. Trey McMeen – Braydon Kelley East Texas Baptist University 191 Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 22-14 61. Tyler Altizer – Landon Lawson King University 190 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 13-09 Total: 10 22-13 62. Connor Koch – Kane Weekley Southeastern University 189 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 10 22-13 63. Tyler Morris – Hunter Hamilton LSU – Shreveport 188 Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 22-13 64. Jeremy Monda – Will Boyd Jr Florida Gateway College 187 Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 22-13 65. Luke Salvail – Kyle Johnson Calhoun Community College 186 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 12-11 Total: 10 22-12 66. Seth Jones – Bryson O’ Steen Florida Gateway College 185 Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 22-11 67. Brett Jolley Jr. – Cade Nettles East Texas Baptist University 184 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 22-09 68. Luke Rokavec – Lake Hatfield Campbellsville University 183 Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 22-09 69. Gus McLarry – Jared West Texas A&M Commerce Fishing Club 182 Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 22-09 70. Jacob Witkowski – Mark Harris Dallas Baptist Univesity 181 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 22-06 71. Carson Huether – Zachary Wolfe Carson-Newman University 180 Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 22-05 72. Luca Palermo – Jake Palmieri Clemson University 179 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 10-13 Total: 10 22-05 73. Hunter Palmer – Eli Stevenson Bryan College 178 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 10 22-04 74. Ian Carter – Bryce Distefano LSU – Shreveport 177 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 22-04 75. Will Thomas – Michael Arienzo Jr. Georgia College 176 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-11 Total: 10 22-02 76. William Travis – Caleb Griffin Bryan College 175 Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 22-02 77. Chase Hubble – Brent May University of Florida 174 Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 10-07 Total: 10 22-01 78. Peyton Matherne – Beau Landry LSU 173 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 22-01 79. Andrew Ready – Trey Garrett Southeastern University 172 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 10-09 Total: 10 21-14 80. Connor Foreman – Joe Krejci Texas A&M University 171 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 21-14 81. Brendon Brones – Porter Welch Lamar State College Orange 170 Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 06-07 Total: 10 21-13 82. Carson Kamien – Tyson Verkaik University of Florida 169 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 09-10 Total: 10 21-11 83. Braden Lankford – Sam Sutter Murray State College 168 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 09-10 Total: 10 21-07 84. Nicholas Basham – Maddock Wigg Virginia Tech 167 Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 10-07 Total: 10 21-07 85. Dylan May – Carson Palmer Carson-Newman University 166 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 21-06 86. Carson Hickman – Jacob Dobbs Tarleton State University 165 Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 10-07 Total: 10 21-06 87. Caden Denny – Trevor Johnston Texas A&M University 164 Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 12-07 Total: 10 21-05 88. Skyler Stevens – Bryson Caudle Faulkner University 163 Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 13-11 Total: 10 21-04 89. Easton Bouma – Zachary Ward Drury University 162 Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 21-04 90. Aric Szambelan – Alex Wood Missouri State University 161 Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 4 09-13 Total: 9 21-04 91. Avery Hammock – Jackson Ford Georgia College 160 Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 9 21-03 92. Austin Rose – Dylan Benson East Texas Baptist University 159 Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 21-02 93. Brayden Batchelor – Alex Belin Georgia Southern University 158 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 08-01 Total: 10 20-15 94. Jacob Keller – Jason Mcgee University Of Florida Gator Bass 157 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 09-01 Total: 10 20-15 95. Jacob Hiebsch – Ryder Hall Missouri State University 156 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 20-15 96. Kaleb Brown – Cole Moulton Lander University 155 Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 20-15 97. Ryan Lachniet – Logan Evans Campbellsville University 154 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 20-14 98. Alex Standerfer – Cvcc Redhawks 153 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 09-13 Total: 10 20-14 99. Caleb Dugger – Hunter Barrow King University 152 Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 10-13 Total: 10 20-14 100. Evan Waggener – Caleb Cason Campbellsville University 151 Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 09-04 Total: 10 20-13 101. Kasen Pemberton – Avery Padgett Troy University 150 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 08-03 Total: 10 20-11 102. Clayton Page – Dawson Cowden Northwestern State University 149 Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 09-10 Total: 10 20-09 103. David Ackerman V – Mackenzie Sanders Erskine College 148 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 20-07 104. Drake Wadsworth – Stone Smith Northwestern State University 147 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 20-06 105. Camden Kozikoski – Dayne Kobriger Drury University 146 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 10 20-06 106. Colton Boelkes – Southeastern University 145 Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 10-04 Total: 10 20-06 107. Jase White – Lane King Drury University 144 Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 20-05 108. Syler Prince – Parker Stalvey St Johns River State College 143 Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 20-05 109. William Tew – Brayden Nichols LSU – Shreveport 142 Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 20-02 110. Hunter Greer III – Luke Iles Northwestern State University 141 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 10 20-00 111. Willem Van Der Heijden – Jack Middlebrook Tarleton State University 140 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 09-02 Total: 10 20-00 112. Tripp Bowman – Matthew Nesbit LSU – Shreveport 139 Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 19-12 113. Evan Barker – Corey Yarish Campbellsville University 138 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 10 19-11 114. Colten Drawdy – Hunter Shelton Bethel University 137 Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 11-02 Total: 10 19-10 115. Peyton Bryant – Brezlyn Hightower Murray State College 136 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 10 19-10 116. Callaway Robinson – Tucker Pearson Georgia College 135 Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 12-07 Total: 10 19-08 117. Hampton Shull – Lander University 134 Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 08-07 Total: 10 19-08 118. Jake Thornbury – Lane Pohlman Campbellsville University 133 Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 09-06 Total: 10 19-08 119. Gabe Hannon – Alexander Blanchard LSU 132 Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 19-07 120. Cody Domingos – Matthew Dettling University of Tennessee 131 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 4 06-10 Total: 9 19-06 121. Christian Boyd – Landon Sexton Shelton State Community College 130 Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 19-01 122. Blair Cox – Zach Adamec Missouri State University 129 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 10 18-12 123. CJ Lawrence – Carson Owen Murray State College 128 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 18-11 124. Christian Bales – Dylan Mcgee Kentucky Christian University 127 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 08-03 Total: 10 18-10 125. Mitchell Mccotter – Daniel Weber Bass Fishing Team At Virginia Te 126 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 08-11 Total: 10 18-09 126. Tyler Chmelar – Carter Everett Tarleton State University 125 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 08-15 Total: 10 18-07 127. Bryson Hatcher – Matthew Dopp Bryan College 124 Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 18-06 128. Colden Harman – Lance Fuhr Clemson University 123 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 09-01 Total: 9 18-06 129. Parker Lambert – Aaron Shumaker Lander University 122 Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 06-14 Total: 10 18-05 130. Turner Barksdale – Jared Walters Shelton State Community College 121 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 09-05 Total: 10 18-05 131. Ben Hatcher – Sam Hatcher University of Alabama 120 Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 09-04 Total: 10 18-04 132. Grant Dohle – Jake Mantovani Missouri State University 119 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 4 05-15 Total: 9 18-02 133. Brayden Ruckman – Cason Price Carson-Newman University 118 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 07-13 Total: 10 18-01 134. Hayden Gaddis – Ben Cully Carson-Newman University 117 Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 07-04 Total: 9 17-14 135. Nathan MacDonald – James Ikerd II Mississippi State University 116 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 08-03 Total: 10 17-14 136. Maddy Phipps – King University 115 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 10 17-14 137. TJ Davis – Webber International University 114 Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 09-15 Total: 10 17-08 138. Cole Klasing – Adam Green Greenville College Bass Fishing 113 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 09-08 Total: 10 17-08 139. Landon Brown – Grant Rice Morehead State University 112 Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 07-11 Total: 10 17-07 140. Edward San Juan – Joshua Sonnier Lamar State College Orange 111 Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 07-10 Total: 10 17-04 141. Claire Wilder – Jack Clancy University Of Tennessee 110 Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 1 01-11 Total: 6 17-03 142. Mason Lyons – Dalton Blakley Kentucky Christian University 109 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 07-13 Total: 10 17-02 143. Storm Cline – Gavin Clevenger Carson-Newman University 108 Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 08-04 Total: 10 16-15 144. Will Oberman – Clay Oberman Campbellsville University 107 Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 4 06-10 Total: 9 16-14 145. Hunter Jenkins – Dallas Baptist University 106 Day 1: 4 06-01 Day 2: 5 10-09 Total: 9 16-10 146. Xander Patton – Stephen Brooks Emmanuel College 105 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 4 05-15 Total: 9 16-08 147. Ryan Pero – Ben Tschoerner Stephen F Austin State Universit 104 Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 4 06-05 Total: 9 16-03 148. Hunter Stuart – Sean Mccarthy Tarleton State University 103 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 3 05-09 Total: 8 16-02 149. Robert Miller – John Michael Ortman Emmanuel College 102 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 3 05-04 Total: 8 16-01 150. Isaac Greene – Bryson Holderness University of South Carolina – U 101 Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 5 10-04 Total: 8 16-01 151. Fischer Barber – Sawyer McCullough Troy University 100 Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 06-05 Total: 9 16-00 152. Bryce Dimauro – Tripp Berlinsky Bryan College 99 Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 8 15-15 153. Brycen Williamson – Adam Seagle Erskine College 98 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 07-04 Total: 10 15-14 154. Andrew Sell – Blake Rufkahr Missouri State University 97 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 4 05-05 Total: 9 15-12 155. Austin Wadzinski – Stone Robertson University of Tennessee 96 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-07 Total: 8 15-07 156. Savannah Goode – Fisher Edwards Georgia College 95 Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 8 15-06 157. Atlan Pfluger – Breckett Long Texas A&M University 94 Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 4 04-13 Total: 9 15-06 158. Luka Strepacki – Hampton Smith University of Tennessee 93 Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 4 08-13 Total: 9 15-06 159. Tyler Gunter – Cabe Mackey Catawba Valley Community College 92 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 4 06-12 Total: 9 15-06 160. Landon Howe – Gabe Thrift Georgia Southern University 91 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 4 04-14 Total: 9 15-05 161. Matthew McGrehor – Alex Girodo Calhoun Community College 90 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 2 05-13 Total: 7 15-02 162. Nathan Fideldy – Drury University 89 Day 1: 4 06-03 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 9 15-01 163. Caden Gettys – Cole Weaver Catawba Valley Community College 88 Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 3 07-04 Total: 8 15-00 164. Luke McGuffin – Rylan Green Erskine College 87 Day 1: 4 06-09 Day 2: 5 08-05 Total: 9 14-14 165. Ty Allison – Dyson Lewis Catawba Valley Community College 86 Day 1: 4 09-13 Day 2: 4 04-15 Total: 8 14-12 166. Dustin Michek – Nick Schaefer University of Wisconsin – Platte 85 Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 7 14-11 167. Evan Polley – Brandon Ward Carson-Newman University 84 Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 4 09-02 Total: 7 14-05 168. Jared Hubbard – Riley Hendricks Lander University 83 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 3 04-14 Total: 8 14-02 169. Matthew Massey – Matt Brault Erskine College 82 Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 06-13 Total: 10 14-00 170. Brody Hopper – Jaxton Orr Carson-Newman University 81 Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 2 04-08 Total: 7 13-12 171. Gabe Fishlock – Evan Newell Carson-Newman University 80 Day 1: 4 05-06 Day 2: 5 08-04 Total: 9 13-10 172. Tanner Herndon – Bryan College 79 Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 7 13-07 173. Shaden Farley – Trace Kight III Murray State College 78 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 3 04-02 Total: 8 13-07 174. Bryce Balentine – Giancarlo Russo Florida Gateway College 77 Day 1: 2 02-03 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 7 13-06 175. Peter West – Braylin Lewis Faulkner University 76 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 2 03-13 Total: 7 13-03 176. David Bartlett – Drake Longstaff Greenville College Bass Fishing 75 Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 4 05-12 Total: 9 13-02 177. Christian Moore – John Mizell Tarleton State University 74 Day 1: 4 06-02 Day 2: 5 06-14 Total: 9 13-00 178. Dylan Thomson – Trey Marco King University 73 Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 2 03-09 Total: 7 12-14 179. Jeremy Etter – Colin McGough Virginia Tech 72 Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 6 12-12 180. Tanner Smith – Cameron Gates Kentucky Christian University 71 Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 3 05-10 Total: 8 12-11 181. Matthew Wilson – Gus Dietrich University of Alabama 70 Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 5 09-14 Total: 6 12-09 182. Taylor McMullen – Anna Kay Emmanuel College 69 Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 3 05-02 Total: 8 12-06 183. Dawson Lynch – Sonny Mann Tarleton State University 68 Day 1: 4 05-04 Day 2: 4 07-00 Total: 8 12-04 184. Garrett Sullivan – Matthew Poss Faulkner University 67 Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 11-15 185. Mitch Johnson – Jonathan Fitch Kentucky Christian University 66 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 11-13 186. Gracie Gregory – Noah Brooks Kentucky Christian University 65 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 2 02-10 Total: 7 11-09 187. Matthew Gunn – Dylan Mclaughlin Erskine College 64 Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 4 05-01 Total: 7 11-06 188. Connor Green – Faulkner University 63 Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 6 10-14 189. Bennett Matheny – Charlie Grisamore University of Alabama 62 Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 5 09-01 Total: 6 10-12 190. Dallas Taylor – Leslie Redding Kentucky Christian University 61 Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 4 08-12 Total: 5 10-10 191. Christopher Daniels – Harrison McCall Lander University 60 Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 4 07-03 Total: 6 10-09 192. Bryson Dotson – Kobi May Bryan College 59 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06 193. Kaden Buchmann – Chase Wodzinski Lander University 58 Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 6 10-01 194. Tucker Evans – Izael Alvarado Stephen F Austin State Universit 57 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 10-00 195. Sam Semper – Tarleton State University 56 Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-09 196. Luke Bennett – Ryan Blair Tarleton State University 55 Day 1: 4 09-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 09-08 197. Mason Thompson – Declan Schmidt University of Tennessee 54 Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 3 05-09 Total: 5 09-08 198. Josh Finnerty – Mitchell Dean Georgia College 53 Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-07 199. Palmer Parrish – Clemson University 52 Day 1: 4 06-01 Day 2: 2 03-06 Total: 6 09-07 200. Cooper McLemore – Carson Dyer Georgia College 51 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-06 201. Will Rhyne – Lander University 50 Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 3 05-07 Total: 5 08-12 202. Devan Perkins – Kade Palmer LSU 49 Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 08-10 203. Isaac Dewsbury – Brett Boswell Georgia College 48 Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 2 03-06 Total: 5 08-10 204. Bailey Mckinney – Levi Smith Marshall University 47 Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 08-06 205. Elijah Jackson – Matthew German University Of Alabama Bass Fishi 46 Day 1: 4 06-07 Day 2: 1 01-12 Total: 5 08-03 206. Caleb Baynes – Kris Kautz Liberty University 45 Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 08-02 206. Caden Fuller – Justin Ritchie Marshall University 45 Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 08-02 208. Zach Williams – MS State 43 Day 1: 5 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 07-15 209. Logan Howarter – Carrson Sizemore Kentucky Christian University 42 Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 3 03-09 Total: 6 07-12 210. Ryan Rhodes – Blake Beste Tarleton State University 41 Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 1 01-13 Total: 4 06-14 211. Lawson Blake – Garrett Simon Marshall University 40 Day 1: 4 05-05 Day 2: 1 01-05 Total: 5 06-10 212. Jordan Bezold – Joe Bezold Nku Bassmasters Club 39 Day 1: 4 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 06-00 213. Braydon Southerland – Delton Herd Tennessee Tech University 38 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-07 Total: 2 05-07 214. Jake Leinonen – Clemson University 37 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 04-14 Total: 3 04-14 215. Weslee Barnes – Jack Dill Clemson University 36 Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 03-07 216. Robert Campbell – Nick Manning MS State 35 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 02-06 Total: 2 02-06 217. Peter Radulski Jr – Tyler Smith Clemson University 34 Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-12 218. Braxton Simmons – Grant Kosla University of Tennessee 33 Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-11 219. Hunter Jensen – Cory Mitchell Liberty University 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 219. Jackson Plyler – Cambell Hall NC State University 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 219. Coby Thompson – Austin Archie Troy University 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 219. Brett Williams – Paul Melo Jr. Coastal Carolina University 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– BIG BASS OF TOURN Colin Wolinski Chesterfield, MO 06-05 $0.00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 180 998 2133-10 2 151 909 1953-13 ———————————- 331 1907 4087-07
South Carolina’s Kyle Austin takes the lead on Day 2 of the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by SEVIIN with a two-day total of 55 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
March 8, 2024
Austin’s mega sack helps him take lead at Bassmaster Open on Santee Cooper Lakes
After placing 13th on Day 1 with 24-7, the Santee Cooper Lakes guide added 31-8 on Day 2. His two-day total of 55 pounds, 15 ounces gives him a 1-pound lead over second-place Ronnie McCoy of Lamar, S.C. Austin’s second-round bag is the event’s largest catch and one of only two bags over 30 so far in the event.
“When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” Austin said of his banner day. “Going into the tournament, I knew you’d have to have a 30-pound bag to have a shot at it. It’s very hard to catch 24 to 27 a day.
“Having 31 pounds, I’m excited. Hopefully, it goes good tomorrow.”
Austin enjoyed a tremendous morning bite on what he called a “Trap hole” — a place he knows he can almost always catch bass on a lipless bait (often generically called a Trap, after the original Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap). His particular spot, a hard-structure area, benefitted from fish-stimulating water flow, compliments of recent rainfall.
“They (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) started pulling current last week and my spot is current related,” Austin said. “I started there the last two mornings and it’s been lights-out. The morning bite is on fire.”
He said a key adjustment accounted for his Day 2 surge.
“Yesterday, I only had four when I left there and today, I made a bait change and caught two of my biggest ones,” Austin said. “I went from throwing a lipless bait to throwing a spinnerbait today.
“I just knew that there was a good number of fish there, but they just weren’t biting. I had four for like 23. So, at that point, I was like, ‘I’m gonna stick around here to see if I can catch 25.’ That bait change worked out.”
Catching plump prespawn bass, Austin left his starting spot with approximately 27 pounds. After that, he transitioned to his secondary pattern and added another big fish.
“After the offshore deal, I just started fishing outside the cypress trees and caught an 8-pounder,” Austin said. “I fished both lakes, but the big fish came from the Upper Lake (Marion).
“I was fishing big-fish spots. I tried to save some stuff for (Championship Saturday) just in case I need it.”
On Day 1, McCoy tied Kyle Weisenberger for seventh place with 25-13. He gained five spots with a second-round total of 29-2 that pushed his two-day mark to 54-15.
McCoy said he’s fishing an area with a robust mix of prespawn, spawn and postspawn bass. His strategy has involved a little bit of everything.
“You have fish coming and you have fish going and I’ve been trying to figure out what to do,” McCoy said. “Early in the morning, I’m catching fish a little farther out and after that, I’m catching fish farther in.
“As the sun warms up, those fish are migrating into these ditches. They’re moving into these bays to spawn. I’m utilizing both aspects of the (seasonal migration).”
McCoy said he caught his best fish on a 1/2-ounce Berkley PowerBait Spinnerbait. He also caught a few bed fish, but with the muddy water, he had to cast to the barely visible beds and fish through the area.
Laker Howell of Guntersville, Ala., added 28-7 to his first-round limit of 25-5 and rose from ninth place to third with a total weight of 53-12.
Howell’s fishing a large shallow grass flat where he’s targeting prespawn fish in about a foot and a half of water. He’s throwing a ChatterBait JackHammer with a Yamamoto Zako trailer.
“It was just unreal,” Howell said. “I got out there just hoping to catch a limit today and one thing led to another and God just sent them to me. I’m getting like 10 bites a day and half of them are big. It’s very slow. I’m getting about one about every 45 minutes, but when they bite, they lock you up.”
Day 1 leader Mark Hutson of Moncks Corner, S.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 10-3.
Wendell Causey Jr. of Irmo, S.C., won the co-angler division with a two-day mark of 28-5. After topping the Day 1 field with 15-11, he added a second-round limit of 12-10. Edging Chad Stahl by 2-15, Causey earned the top prize of $13,827.
Causey caught all of his bass on an unweighted Texas-rigged black/blue Senko.
“I had two good boaters that listened to me about my local knowledge of the lakes,” Causey said. “We fished grass from 6 inches to 2 feet deep. There was a certain type of grass, a mix of grass where I caught them.”
Clayton Lowder IV of Mayesville, S.C., won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 7-4.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday from the John C Land III Sports Fishing Facility. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
The final day of competition will be broadcast live on FS1 Saturday morning beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET, with streaming available on Bassmaster.com, as well as FS2 and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by SEVIIN 3/7-3/9 Santee Cooper Lakes, Manning SC. (BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 55-15 200 Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 31-08 2. Ronnie Mccoy Lamar, SC 10 54-15 199 Day 1: 5 25-13 Day 2: 5 29-02 3. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 10 53-12 198 Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 28-07 4. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 53-03 197 Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 27-15 5. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 10 53-01 196 Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 29-12 6. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 10 52-03 195 Day 1: 5 26-07 Day 2: 5 25-12 7. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 51-07 194 Day 1: 5 26-07 Day 2: 5 25-00 8. Parker Guy Ocilla, GA 10 51-01 193 Day 1: 5 26-06 Day 2: 5 24-11 9. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 10 49-07 192 Day 1: 5 27-06 Day 2: 5 22-01 10. Matt Adams Oxford, AL 10 47-12 191 Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 22-14 11. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 10 47-01 190 $8,935.00 Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 23-15 12. Sean Anderson Leesville, SC 10 45-09 189 $6,950.00 Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 24-03 13. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 10 44-15 188 $5,957.00 Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 25-11 14. Caden Cowan Stephenville, TX 10 44-11 187 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 28-07 15. Dane Odom Chapin, SC 10 44-08 186 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 22-09 16. Kyle Weisenburger Columbus Grv, OH 10 44-07 185 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 25-13 Day 2: 5 18-10 17. William Holmes Moncks Corner, SC 10 43-11 184 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 27-13 Day 2: 5 15-14 18. Wade Grooms Bonneau, SC 10 43-04 183 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 24-06 Day 2: 5 18-14 19. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 42-15 182 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 18-10 20. Bryan New Leesville, SC 10 42-15 181 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 20-08 21. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 42-12 180 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 22-03 22. Jack York Emory, TX 10 42-12 179 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 21-03 23. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 10 42-04 178 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 23-06 24. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 42-04 177 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 19-05 25. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 10 42-01 176 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 24-02 26. Blake Schroeder Whitehouse, TX 10 42-01 175 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 21-09 27. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 41-15 174 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 20-03 28. Mark Hutson Moncks Corner, SC 10 41-12 173 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 30-06 Day 2: 5 11-06 29. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 10 41-10 172 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 24-00 Day 2: 5 17-10 30. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 41-10 171 $4,963.00 Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 21-07 31. Bryan Partak Marseilles, IL 10 41-09 170 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 19-15 32. Allen Armour Cumming, GA 10 41-08 169 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 19-04 33. Jim Moynagh Remer, MN 10 41-08 168 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 21-02 34. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 10 40-15 167 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 17-05 35. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 40-08 166 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 25-06 36. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 10 40-08 165 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 20-06 37. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 10 40-06 164 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 24-12 38. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 10 40-00 163 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 19-13 39. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 39-15 162 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-07 40. Kyle Palmer Winchester, TN 10 39-08 161 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 16-10 41. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 39-03 160 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 24-08 42. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 10 38-07 159 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 22-05 43. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 10 38-02 158 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 18-08 44. Jayme Rampey Liberty, SC 10 38-00 157 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 20-11 45. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 10 37-04 156 $3,971.00 Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 22-01 46. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 10 36-15 155 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-12 47. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 7 36-14 154 Day 1: 2 09-07 Day 2: 5 27-07 48. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 9 36-13 153 Day 1: 4 13-04 Day 2: 5 23-09 49. Chris Whitson Louisville, TN 10 36-11 152 Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 19-00 50. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 10 36-10 151 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 15-01 51. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 36-07 150 Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 19-07 52. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 8 35-15 149 Day 1: 3 16-06 Day 2: 5 19-09 53. Tai Au Glendale, AZ 10 35-10 148 Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 20-04 54. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 10 35-02 147 Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 16-01 55. Robert Clarke Pineville, SC 10 35-01 146 Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 15-02 56. Trevor McKinney Noble, IL 10 35-00 145 Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 16-05 57. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 10 34-11 144 Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 13-03 58. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 10 34-06 143 Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 15-07 59. Josh Butler Hayden, AL 10 33-14 142 Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 18-09 60. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 10 33-14 141 Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 15-14 61. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 7 33-11 140 Day 1: 2 09-03 Day 2: 5 24-08 62. Joey Sabbagha Prosperity, SC 10 33-10 139 Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 12-09 63. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 10 33-04 138 Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 19-07 64. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 10 33-03 137 Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 12-01 65. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 10 33-03 136 Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 14-06 66. Brett Cannon Kiln, MS 9 33-03 135 Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 4 17-04 67. Christian Ostrander Turlock, CA 10 33-02 134 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 11-09 68. Ron Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 8 33-00 133 Day 1: 3 11-12 Day 2: 5 21-04 69. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 10 32-15 132 Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 12-14 70. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 32-11 131 Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 16-11 71. Richard Lowitzki Fort Myers, FL 9 32-10 130 Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 4 18-10 72. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 10 32-08 129 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 20-00 73. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 10 32-03 128 Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 10-10 74. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 8 31-15 127 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 3 18-01 75. Garrett Warren Scottsboro, AL 9 31-10 126 Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 4 13-02 76. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 10 31-09 125 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 18-15 77. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 8 31-05 124 Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 3 08-14 78. Kameron Harbin Sunset, SC 9 31-05 123 Day 1: 4 11-06 Day 2: 5 19-15 79. Cameron Smith Wareham, MA 10 31-05 122 Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 16-06 80. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 10 31-01 121 Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-12 81. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 10 31-01 120 Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 15-13 82. Nick Gainey Charleston, SC 10 30-14 119 Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 12-15 83. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 9 30-13 118 Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 4 11-03 84. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 8 30-08 117 Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 3 07-10 85. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 5 30-05 116 Day 1: 4 23-02 Day 2: 1 07-03 86. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 8 30-04 115 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 3 10-13 87. Hayes Hudson Conway, SC 8 30-02 114 Day 1: 4 14-02 Day 2: 4 16-00 88. Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI 10 30-02 113 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 15-05 89. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 8 29-15 112 Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 3 08-08 90. Alex Reece Pickens, SC 10 29-12 111 Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 12-03 91. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 9 29-10 110 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 4 10-08 92. Michael Davis Alachua, FL 10 29-07 109 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 12-05 93. Sam George Athens, AL 7 29-01 108 Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 2 04-07 94. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 10 29-01 107 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 17-15 95. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 8 29-00 106 Day 1: 3 12-07 Day 2: 5 16-09 96. Andrew Loberg Grant, AL 10 28-13 105 Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 15-08 97. Jason Borofka Lavon, TX 6 28-11 104 Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 1 06-15 98. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 9 28-11 103 Day 1: 4 07-10 Day 2: 5 21-01 99. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 9 28-10 102 Day 1: 4 16-01 Day 2: 5 12-09 100. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 10 28-08 101 Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 14-04 101. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 10 28-05 100 Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-14 102. Brent Shores Boise, ID 8 27-15 99 Day 1: 3 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 103. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 27-12 98 Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 13-01 104. Garrett Rocamora Lake wales, FL 8 27-10 97 Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 3 11-09 105. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 9 27-09 96 Day 1: 4 08-13 Day 2: 5 18-12 106. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 10 27-03 95 Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-07 107. Rick Hawkins Roanoke, VA 6 26-11 94 Day 1: 3 12-04 Day 2: 3 14-07 108. Cecil Wolfe III Summerton, SC 10 26-09 93 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 14-12 109. Jordan Sanderlin Kill Devil Hills, NC 8 26-05 92 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 3 12-04 110. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 10 26-05 91 Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 12-12 111. Tyler Campbell Martin, GA 9 26-02 90 Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 4 12-12 112. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 9 26-01 89 Day 1: 4 12-01 Day 2: 5 14-00 113. Richard Kaluba Litchfield, OH 10 25-15 88 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 12-01 114. Ben Cox Andrews, SC 10 25-08 87 Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-15 115. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 8 25-07 86 Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 5 20-08 116. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 7 25-06 85 Day 1: 2 06-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 117. Scott Allgood Fair Play, SC 8 25-02 84 Day 1: 4 12-01 Day 2: 4 13-01 118. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 9 24-15 83 Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 4 10-14 119. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 7 24-14 82 Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 2 06-03 120. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 7 24-13 81 Day 1: 2 08-12 Day 2: 5 16-01 121. Derrick Sadlowski Monaca, PA 6 24-01 80 Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 4 20-12 122. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 8 24-01 79 Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 3 04-12 123. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 23-15 78 Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 124. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 6 23-14 77 Day 1: 2 09-03 Day 2: 4 14-11 125. John Voyles Petersburg, IN 7 23-12 76 Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 2 07-08 126. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 9 23-12 75 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 4 10-08 127. Paul Browning Monahans, TX 6 23-08 74 Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 3 13-14 128. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 8 23-03 73 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 3 05-11 129. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 7 23-03 72 Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 5 16-14 130. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 7 23-01 71 Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 5 19-05 131. Sean Clayton Seneca, SC 8 23-00 70 Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 3 08-00 132. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 7 22-15 69 Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 5 17-09 133. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 8 22-15 68 Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 3 06-05 134. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 7 22-13 67 Day 1: 2 06-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 135. Troy Coney Owego, NY 7 22-10 66 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 2 10-11 136. Kollin Crawford Broken Bow, OK 8 22-09 65 Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 5 13-02 137. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 9 22-09 64 Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 4 10-04 138. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 8 22-08 63 Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 5 13-02 139. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 7 22-06 62 Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 2 04-05 140. Colden Baker Ridgeway, SC 8 22-04 61 Day 1: 3 11-00 Day 2: 5 11-04 141. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 9 22-02 60 Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 5 12-12 142. Bryan Finch Belton, TX 7 21-06 59 Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 2 04-09 143. Kelvin Wilcox Hazlehurst, GA 8 21-00 58 Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 3 05-09 144. Zack Williams Shell Knob, MO 8 20-12 57 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 3 08-09 145. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 7 20-11 56 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 2 06-06 146. Hunter Bland Ocala, FL 6 20-09 55 Day 1: 4 17-05 Day 2: 2 03-04 147. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 7 20-08 54 Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 2 06-02 148. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 7 20-06 53 Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 4 11-01 149. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 7 20-05 52 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 2 06-10 150. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 8 20-02 51 Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 3 06-15 151. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 20-01 50 Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 152. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 7 19-15 49 Day 1: 2 07-03 Day 2: 5 12-12 153. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 7 19-07 48 Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 2 04-05 154. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 7 19-01 47 Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 15-04 155. Scott Gibbs Rome, GA 6 18-14 46 Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 5 15-03 156. Brian Post Janesville, WI 7 18-12 45 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 2 07-15 157. Masayuki Matsushita Porter TX JAPAN 5 18-03 44 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 158. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 6 18-03 43 Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 5 16-01 159. Bailey Bleser Burlington, WI 7 17-13 42 Day 1: 4 09-13 Day 2: 3 08-00 160. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 7 17-09 41 Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 2 04-06 161. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 8 17-05 40 Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 3 07-08 162. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 8 16-14 39 Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 5 10-06 163. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 6 16-14 38 Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 2 06-12 164. Doc Wootton Collierville, TN 7 16-12 37 Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 5 11-03 165. Aaron Digh Maiden, NC 7 16-12 36 Day 1: 4 10-01 Day 2: 3 06-11 166. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 6 16-10 35 Day 1: 2 06-01 Day 2: 4 10-09 167. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 16-09 34 Day 1: 1 05-15 Day 2: 3 10-10 168. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 6 16-08 33 Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 5 14-14 169. Dalton Dowdy Newberry, SC 8 16-06 32 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 04-14 170. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 16-02 31 Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 2 07-01 171. Chris Lighthizer Zanesville, OH 5 16-02 30 Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 2 07-05 172. Dalton Smith Taylorsville, KY 5 16-01 29 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 16-01 173. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 6 15-00 28 Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 1 02-08 174. Elijah Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 14-09 27 Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 175. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 6 14-09 26 Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 4 09-14 176. Seiji Kato Los Alamitos CA JAPAN 6 14-08 25 Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 1 01-10 177. Kevin Dritschler Prosper, TX 5 14-05 24 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 178. Todd Auten Clover, SC 6 14-00 23 Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 3 08-08 179. Byron Kenney Jr Monticello, GA 5 13-07 22 Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 4 11-04 180. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 4 13-06 21 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 13-06 181. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 6 13-00 20 Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 4 07-07 182. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 5 12-10 19 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 183. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 12-07 18 Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 2 04-13 184. Nathan Thompson Eagan, MN 3 12-05 17 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 12-05 185. Bruce Parsons Arbela, MO 5 12-03 16 Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 186. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 4 11-15 15 Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 187. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 5 11-13 14 Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 3 06-12 188. Tim Tyndell Mineola, TX 4 11-10 13 Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 3 10-03 189. Jackson Swisher Lake City, FL 3 11-08 12 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 11-08 190. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 4 11-08 11 Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 2 07-05 191. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 4 11-05 10 Day 1: 2 06-15 Day 2: 2 04-06 192. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 5 11-00 9 Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 4 08-09 193. Satoshi Egawa Fort Lee, NJ 3 10-15 8 Day 1: 2 08-08 Day 2: 1 02-07 194. Horace Scott Jr Sumter, SC 3 10-13 7 Day 1: 2 08-02 Day 2: 1 02-11 195. Michael Rowe Providence Forge, VA 5 10-12 6 Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 196. Billy Charland Lakeland, FL 4 10-07 5 Day 1: 4 10-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 197. Ray Hashimoto Shakopee, MN 4 10-07 4 Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 2 06-04 198. Stan Gunter Saluda, SC 4 10-03 3 Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 06-15 199. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 3 09-13 2 Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 07-03 200. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 3 09-11 1 Day 1: 2 08-04 Day 2: 1 01-07 201. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 2 09-01 0 Day 1: 2 09-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 202. Parker Mott Winter Garden, FL 2 08-15 0 Day 1: 1 06-01 Day 2: 1 02-14 203. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 3 08-09 0 Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 204. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 3 08-00 0 Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 2 05-05 205. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 3 07-10 0 Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 05-05 206. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 3 07-08 0 Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 207. Clint Leonard Jr Saint Cloud, FL 3 06-09 0 Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 1 02-14 208. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 3 06-07 0 Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 209. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 3 06-01 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-01 210. Chris Cline Stafford, VA 3 06-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-00 211. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 2 05-14 0 Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 212. Rick Pierce Mountain Home, AR 2 04-04 0 Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 213. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 1 04-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-00 214. Dawson Wisner Palatka, FL 1 03-14 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-14 215. Anastasia Patterson Sumter, SC 1 03-01 0 Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 216. Wyatt Wimberley Broaddus, TX 1 02-08 0 Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 216. Kyle Zacharuk Keswick Ontario CANADA 1 02-08 0 Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 218. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-05 0 Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 219. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 219. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 219. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 219. Harry Moore Valley, AL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 219. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 ———————————————————————– Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 133 854 2991-02 2 115 798 2796-11 ———————————- 248 1652 5787-13
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Santee Cooper Lakes presented by SEVIIN 3/7-3/9 Santee Cooper Lakes, Manning SC. (NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Wendell Causey Jr Irmo, SC 6 28-05 200 $13,827.00 Day 1: 3 15-11 Day 2: 3 12-10 2. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 6 25-06 199 $3,253.00 Day 1: 3 13-12 Day 2: 3 11-10 3. Derek Brundle Wareham, MA 6 22-01 198 $2,440.00 Day 1: 3 11-09 Day 2: 3 10-08 4. Mitchell Pare Statesboro, GA 6 21-09 197 $1,830.00 Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 3 16-08 5. Todd Keisler Columbia, SC 6 20-13 196 $1,708.00 Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 11-12 6. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 6 20-13 195 $1,627.00 Day 1: 3 11-08 Day 2: 3 09-05 7. Tommy Milligan Little River, SC 6 20-03 194 $1,545.00 Day 1: 3 10-12 Day 2: 3 09-07 8. Patrick Tierney Denver, NC 6 19-05 193 $1,464.00 Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 09-00 9. Kyle Jenkins Summerville, SC 5 18-14 192 $1,342.00 Day 1: 3 12-06 Day 2: 2 06-08 10. Larry Fleeman Shelby, NC 4 17-14 191 $1,220.00 Day 1: 1 05-05 Day 2: 3 12-09 11. Donald Biggs Murphysboro, IL 5 16-04 190 $1,139.00 Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 3 10-14 12. Bill Beard Moreland, GA 4 15-11 189 $1,057.00 Day 1: 3 12-15 Day 2: 1 02-12 13. Brandon Jeffcoat Irmo, SC 4 15-08 188 $895.00 Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 3 13-03 14. Gordon Smith Clover, SC 5 15-08 187 $813.00 Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 2 06-13 15. Jason Gibson Iron Station, NC 4 15-02 186 $732.00 Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 3 13-13 16. Andrew Fuller Marietta, GA 6 14-14 185 $651.00 Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 06-05 17. Bobby Williams Salisbury, NC 5 14-12 184 $610.00 Day 1: 3 10-14 Day 2: 2 03-14 18. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 4 13-15 183 $610.00 Day 1: 1 05-08 Day 2: 3 08-07 19. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 5 13-14 182 $610.00 Day 1: 2 07-03 Day 2: 3 06-11 20. Albert Jones Jr Covington, GA 4 13-13 181 $610.00 Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 3 11-00 21. Ricky Fulk Shenandoah, VA 4 13-11 180 $569.00 Day 1: 3 10-00 Day 2: 1 03-11 22. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 5 13-08 179 $569.00 Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 06-10 23. Tim Chadwick Mount Pleasant, SC 3 13-03 178 $569.00 Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 2 11-10 24. Mark Aaron Gastonia, NC 5 13-03 177 $569.00 Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 3 08-01 25. Bart Beasley Mount Pleasant, SC 4 13-02 176 $569.00 Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 1 01-14 26. Mike Spears Jasper, AL 4 13-02 175 $488.00 Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 1 03-05 27. Randy Gibson Jr Moncks Corner, SC 4 13-01 174 $488.00 Day 1: 1 04-15 Day 2: 3 08-02 28. William Baker Ridgeway, SC 5 12-14 173 $488.00 Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 2 03-14 29. Troy Mims Suwanee, GA 3 12-11 172 $488.00 Day 1: 3 12-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 30. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 12-06 171 $488.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 12-06 31. Carl Hunter Snellville, GA 4 12-06 170 $447.00 Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 1 01-11 32. Jimmy Obrien Southampton, NY 2 12-03 169 $447.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 12-03 33. Matt Champion Scottsville, NY 3 11-12 168 $447.00 Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 2 09-01 34. Jimmy Hayes Fayetteville, NC 4 11-06 167 $447.00 Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 1 02-02 35. Clancy Hefferly Travelers Rest, SC 5 11-04 166 $447.00 Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 2 06-03 36. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 4 10-15 165 $447.00 Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 1 01-14 37. Alex Watts Salem, VA 4 10-12 164 $447.00 Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 09-00 38. Keith Vonderhaar Monticello, GA 2 10-08 163 $447.00 Day 1: 2 10-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 39. William Stallings Midlothian, VA 4 10-08 162 $447.00 Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 1 01-13 40. Brian Langford Petersburg, VA 3 10-05 161 $447.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 10-05 41. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 4 10-01 160 Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 2 03-12 42. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 10-00 159 Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 07-12 43. Sawyer Hunt Springfield, GA 3 09-11 158 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-11 44. Lukas Matt Syracuse, NY 2 09-09 157 Day 1: 1 06-15 Day 2: 1 02-10 45. Meredith Havird Ninety Six, SC 3 09-07 156 Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 45. Geoff Tuck Huddleston, VA 3 09-07 156 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-07 47. Dusty Wood Belton, SC 3 09-03 154 Day 1: 1 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-09 48. Garrett Vick Lake Worth, FL 3 08-14 153 Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 49. Mekye Barnes Knightdale, NC 3 08-13 152 Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 50. David Waack Cary, NC 3 08-11 151 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-11 51. Parker Knudsen Minnetonka, MN 2 08-07 150 Day 1: 2 08-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 52. James Tilley Aylett, VA 3 08-02 149 Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 1 02-00 53. Charles Christman Sanford, NC 3 07-15 148 Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 54. Richard Greene Ocala, FL 3 07-11 147 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-11 55. Jonathan Barnette Jasper, AL 3 07-06 146 Day 1: 2 05-15 Day 2: 1 01-07 56. Clayton Lowder IV Mayesville, SC 1 07-04 145 $250.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 07-04 57. Wesly Fogle Neeses, SC 2 07-01 144 Day 1: 1 05-02 Day 2: 1 01-15 58. Tristan Bramblett Tiger, GA 3 07-00 143 Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 04-12 59. Eric Camarote The Villages, FL 2 06-14 142 Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 04-04 60. Mike Sather Beech Island, SC 3 06-12 141 Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 61. Rodney Jordan Sumter, SC 3 06-04 140 Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 2 03-09 62. Shane Davis Jacksonville, FL 2 05-15 139 Day 1: 2 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 63. Robert Richbourg Summerton, SC 2 05-15 138 Day 1: 1 04-01 Day 2: 1 01-14 64. Wil Flack Sorrento, FL 2 05-14 137 Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 04-00 65. John Lewis Centreville, VA 2 05-11 136 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-11 66. Alex Dempsey Orangeburg, SC 3 05-10 135 Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 2 03-11 67. Regan Coffey North Chesterfield, VA 2 05-08 134 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-08 68. Bob Hanna Jr Corsicana, TX 3 05-04 133 Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 69. Michael Clardy Lyman, SC 2 05-04 132 Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 03-04 70. Cody Richardson Gautier, MS 2 05-01 131 Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 1 02-05 71. Bill Lackey Taylorsville, NC 3 05-00 130 Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 2 02-15 72. Cameron Polley Hot Springs, AR 3 04-12 129 Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 1 01-10 73. Andy Simm Piney Flats, TN 2 04-10 128 Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 1 01-04 74. Ray Hill Lake City, FL 1 04-09 127 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-09 74. Mark Winfield Eatonton, GA 1 04-09 127 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-09 76. Hays Reeling Waukesha, WI 2 04-05 125 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-05 77. Steve Deyton Forest City, NC 2 04-05 124 Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 02-03 78. Michael Rustin Henrico, VA 2 04-01 123 Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 02-00 79. Julian Gordon-Smith Rochester, NY 2 03-15 122 Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 02-03 80. David Deciucis CHESTER, VA 2 03-14 121 Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 02-04 81. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 1 03-13 120 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-13 82. Bradley Brooks Easley, SC 2 03-12 119 Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 83. Byong Lee Stedman, NC 1 03-12 118 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-12 84. Buck Deese Lexington, SC 1 03-11 117 Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 85. Cody Russell Summerton, SC 1 03-07 116 Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 86. Daniel Vasquez Boynton Beach, FL 1 03-06 115 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-06 86. David Watkins St.Marys, WV 1 03-06 115 Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 88. John Mortimer Mount Pleasant, SC 1 03-03 113 Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 89. Dan McGarry Leland, NC 1 03-02 112 Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 90. Harold Addison II Columbia, SC 1 02-14 111 Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 91. Gary Mccaroll Fayetteville, NC 2 02-11 110 Day 1: 2 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 92. Gerald Robbins Jr. Asheboro, NC 1 02-10 109 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-10 93. Steven Smith Logan, OH 1 02-09 108 Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 94. Bradley Sterner Manchester, PA 1 02-08 107 Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 95. Lee Mcginn Southport, NC 1 02-06 106 Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 96. Brandon Clayton Haslet , TX 1 02-05 105 Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 97. Dehn Ganey Bonneau, SC 1 02-04 104 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04 98. Judd Bolen Summerton, SC 1 02-03 103 Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 99. Bill Bruce Hendersonville, TN 1 01-15 102 Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 99. Chip Stith Jr Piscataway, NJ 1 01-15 102 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15 101. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 1 01-14 100 Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 102. Brandon Parson Erwin, NC 1 01-13 99 Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 103. Jeff Cox Denver, NC 1 01-05 98 Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 104. Greg Atkinson Lugoff, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 104. Charles Bowman II Kernersville, NC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 104. Charles Cotton Hemingway, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 0
Tennessee angler, Brandon Perkins, extends his lead Epic Baits NPFL Championship on Lake Amistad with a two day total of 51 pounds, 5 ounces, giving him a 12 pound lead over Patrick Walters.
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
With the day one leading weight of 29 pounds, 9 ounces including a 10 pounds, 6 ounces, Brandon Perkins extends his lead at the Epic Baits NPFL Championship on Lake Amistad with a day two weight of 21 pounds, 12 ounces. His two-day total of 51 pounds, 5 ounces gives him a 12 pound lead going into Showdown Saturday.
After a slow start this morning, Perkins started questioning his plan but was able to get his day back on track by putting a big fish in the boat.
“It was so bad I was almost thinking I should leave and do something else,” he said. “The mornings are killing my confidence because it is slow for me, but I was able to stick with it and get it going this afternoon to catch my weight.”
After a 6 pounder to get things started, things still didn’t click until a string a “decent” bites gave him the confidence to stick with his pattern.
“For whatever reason, a lot more smaller fish moved in and I caught several in the two pound range that did not help me, but they would be good fish for tomorrow,” he added. “I think the wind affected things a little bit today, but overall I think I am in better shape than a lot of guys. I practiced for the North wind and I am hoping it will help me tomorrow.”
With a wind advisory expected tomorrow, Perkins is not going to be unprepared on Showdown Saturday. In addition to his shallow, “semi-sight fishing” pattern that has got him this far, he located a big school of smaller keepers closer to the ramp that he is confident could help round out a limit as needed on the final day.
“I will definitely leave some time to spare tomorrow if needed to get back and work on those fish,” he said. “I know the fish are still around and today they just did not bite, and were missing my bait. Tomorrow, I will put some stress on myself but I am confident I can go out and catch some fish.”
Patrick Walters
Patrick Walters began the day in third place with a day one weight of 21 pounds, 15 ounces. Adding 17 pounds, 6 ounces on day two, his two day total of 39 pounds, 5 ounces Walters sits in second place going into Showdown Saturday. With increased winds today, Walters made early work in his main area before pulling the plug and moving around.
“I caught probably half the fish today as I did yesterday, and a lot more non keepers,” said Walters. “I got a quick limit this morning before the wind blew my area out and when it blows 25 mph, there is nothing to block it down here. After that, I culled a few times.”
Walters has been targeting a mixture of grass and wood so far this week but will be forced to change things up on Showdown Saturday.
“There is only so much of the stuff I have been fishing and it is trashed with mud,” he added. “Tomorrow, I will probably have to swap to grass and rock and move around a lot more than I have been.
John Cox
Adding 9 pounds, 2 ounces on day two to his day one second-place weight of 27 pounds, 14 ounces, Flordia angler John Cox sits in the third place with one more day on Lake Amistad. Like others, Cox dealt with muddier water and sustained winds which may have pushed the fish he was targeting back out temporarily.
“With the water being so deeper, I knew that the cooler water was going to push the fish back out when the temperatures dropped but I had so much fun yesterday I just wanted to get two good bites on that Berkley CullShad like I did yesterday,” said Cox. “I thought maybe I could have slowed down and fish a little out more, but I stuck with it.”
Jesse Wise
Staying consistent on Lake Amistad on day two, Jesse Wise caught 17-pounds, 14-ounces to go with his starting weight of 18 pounds, 2 ounces to sit in the fourth place spot with a two day total of 36 pounds.
Jason Wilson
Jason Wilson backed his day one weight of 16 piunds, 9 ounces with 19 pounds, 1 ounce on day two. His two day total weight of 35 pounds 10 ounces has him in the fifth place spot going into the final day.
Rest of the Best: Darrel Robertson 35-1 Randy Sullivan 33-6 Kevin Martin 31-0 Louis Fernandes 30-5 Trent Palmer 29-11
The anticipation is palpable as we count down the hours before the first Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Fishing League (BFL) competition of 2024 on Smith Mountain Lake commences. This is an event that has been eagerly awaited by the angling fraternity across the nation. Anglers have their bait and tackle ready, and their spirits high, gearing up to brave the challenges the lake ecosystem will throw at them. But the weather forecast ahead of the big event looks positioned to throw a curveball, and who better to discuss the possible implications than seasoned tournament angler, Chad Green?
With the weather moving in late tonight, rain all day Saturday, and wind currents from the North to Northeast, conditions might not be what many anglers were hoping for. According to local meteorologists, the air temperature is slated to be a bluff 54 degrees – a stark contrast to the warm week we’ve just experienced in central Virginia. The anglers will need to adjust their strategies to contend with the rather sudden and dramatic shift in weather patterns. The bite will be slow & you will have to be patient & quiet not to spook the clear lake SML Bass.
Water temperature at the lake is likely to be situated around the 50-degree mark, too, which means no significant variance between air and water temperatures. While it might not lead to a comfortable fishing experience, it does have some interesting implications for the fish.
Chad Green comments, “The fish are moving closer to the banks as a reaction to the warming air and water. Even though weather predictions might suggest otherwise, most fish still believe it’s spring.” The angler adds, “The constant movement makes it difficult to pin them down to a particular location. With the Bass moving so is the bait fish” This presents an exciting challenge to our competitors, who must keep up with the moving target.
However, Chad has expressed concerns over the potential commencement of the spawning season, which isn’t ideal for an angling event. If the fish start to spawn, anglers will need to exercise extreme care and respect towards the ecosystem, ensuring that their practices do not disrupt this natural process.
Further complicating matters is the prediction of a tough biting day on Smith Mountain Lake. Precipitation, wind, and cooler temperatures generally cool fish activities, potentially making the coveted ‘kicker fish’ all the more elusive for our competitors.
In the face of these adversities, anglers like Chad offer us a lesson in adaptability. They underscore that success in fishing, and indeed, in life, sometimes requires grit, resilience, and the ability to evolve with changing circumstances.
So, as the rain beats down on Smith Mountain Lake, we look forward to an exciting contest of will and skill. In the face of changeable elements, the kickoff of the 2024 MLF BFL promises to be an unforgettable competitive spectacle. Stay tuned for updates on this thrilling pageant of piscatorial prowess!
Minn Kota extends support of MLF Fisheries Management Division Habitat Restoration Programs
BENTON, Ky. (March 7, 2024) – Johnson Outdoors, a longstanding partner of Major League Fishing (MLF) and the premier outdoor recreation company that designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands, including Minn Kota and Humminbird, will serve as the title and presenting sponsor for this year’s Bass Pro Tour event at the St. Lawrence River.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will be held Aug. 9-12 in Massena, New York. It will the seventh and final stop of the 2024 Bass Pro Tour season and will decide the ultra-competitive Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race along with qualifiers for REDCREST 2025 and the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event.
The St. Lawrence River is a familiar fishery for MLF, as dozens of tournaments have been held on the storied waters, across its multiple tournament circuits. When MLF’s top level (the Bass Pro Tour) last visited in June 2021, two-time AOY Jacob Wheeler targeted groups of smallmouth with a drop-shot rig, a Ned rig and a Tokyo rig to catch a final-day total of 35 bass weighing 129 pounds and earn the fourth victory of his career.
“The St. Lawrence River offers unparalleled fishing opportunities across a range of environments,” remarked Brad Henry, Senior Brand Manager of Johnson Outdoors Fishing. “From expansive, deep waters to shallow backwaters, anglers encounter diverse scenarios where having adaptable, reliable equipment is critical to conquer any environment. We’re confident that anglers equipped with our latest innovations – the Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST brushless trolling motors, Raptor shallow-water anchors, Humminbird fish finders, and LakeMaster mapping – will be primed for success at Stage Seven of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on the St. Lawrence River. As sponsors, our team at Minn Kota and Humminbird take pride in supporting this event.”
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action at the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird live on the final two days of the Qualifying Rounds, the Knockout Round and the Championship Round of competition. MLFNOW!® is live-streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode on Discovery starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
In addition to the title and presenting sponsorship of Stage Seven, Minn Kota has extended its support as the title sponsor of the MLF Fisheries Management Division Habitat Restoration Projects into 2024. With support from MLF and Minn Kota pro staff, five habitat restoration projects will take place around the country in conjunction with Bass Pro Tour and Tackle Warehouse Invitational events.
“Anglers across the country are being presented with more opportunities to fish than ever before, resulting in heightened pressure on our lakes. While we at Minn Kota and Humminbird view this increased activity as a positive sign of growing interest in the sport, it’s imperative that we prioritize the conservation and development of fish populations. By doing so, we can ensure that future generations of anglers can continue to enjoy the sport we hold dear. Our partnership with Major League Fishing on these habitat restoration programs represent a significant step forward in this mission,” explained Henry.
For additional information about MLF, its tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Minn Kota and their QUEST brushless technology, visit the Minn Kota website. For more information about Humminbird and their full line of marine electronics and mapping, visit the Humminbird website.
