World’s preeminent force in air, space and cyberspace returns in 2024 as Official Sponsor of the MLF Bass Pro Tour and Title Sponsor of Bass Pro Tour Stage Five at the Chowan River
BENTON, Ky. (March 6, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and United States Air Force (USAF), the leading global superpower in air, space and cyberspace, announced today a renewal of their partnership through the 2024 season.
USAF will continue as an Official Sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, as well as the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024 – the Bass Pro Tour world championship – and will assume title sponsorship of Bass Pro Tour Air Force Stage Five, held June 4-9 at the Chowan River in Edenton, North Carolina.
“The U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service is proud to partner with MLF for a third year,” said Barry Dickey, Chief of Strategic Marketing, Air Force Recruiting Service. “Just like these professional anglers, the U.S. Air Force relies on planning, preparation and teamwork to execute our mission. We are excited to engage with MLF’s growing fan base and to highlight Air Force careers and opportunities to the American public.”
The USAF began its partnership with MLF in 2022 and will continue to receive extensive brand visibility across multiple MLF platforms, including MLF network television airings on Discovery and Outdoor Channel, along with MLFNOW! livestream coverage on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. In addition, USAF will continue to receive exposure on the MLF website and social media outlets, as well as prominent angler boat and jersey exposure and onsite activation opportunities at the General Tire Heavy Hitters and REDCREST events.
“Major League Fishing is incredibly proud to continue our partnership with the U.S. Air Force into the 2024 season,” said Jake Wittkop, MLF Vice President of Sponsorship and Sales. “We take very seriously the challenge of assisting the U.S. Air Force in recruiting and retaining talented individuals to defend our country, allowing us the freedom to enjoy the great outdoors. Between Active Duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Space Force, the Air Force provides unparalleled opportunities to serve in whatever capacity is the best fit for each individual.”
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about USAF, their lifestyle, career opportunities and ways to serve, visit AirForce.com.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About United States Air Force The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere. For 2024, Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring more than 41,300 new Airmen for service in the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve for more than 130 enlisted career opportunities. The Air Force recruits to retain, so we recruit the best and brightest candidates possible, then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force. For more information about Air Force opportunities and benefits, go to www.airforce.com.
Next James River Qualifier is April 13th out of Hopewell! The bass are bitin! Come join us!
Use PHANTOMCATT15 at checkout to earn 15%b off your Phantom Outdoor apparel order! Tap on the link to visit the Phantom website!
Joey & Chris Deluke win the James River with 5 bass weighing up at a whopping 26.03 lbs PLUS they weighed in the BF of the day at 7.77 lbs and took home a total of $2,280.00! Great Job Guys!
David Barlow & Kelly Robinette 2nd Place with 22.53 lbs and they also had a whopper! 7.08 lb BF!
Micah Mitten & Eric Picucci 3rd with 20.32 lbs!
4th place went to Francis Martin & Will Clements! 19.25 lbs!
Bass Pro Tour Championship Set to Showcase 50 Top MLF Anglers Competing on Lay Lake for $300,000 Top Prize, REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo to Take Place at Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 5, 2024) – Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium, MLF’s most prestigious event, is set for Birmingham, Alabama, and Lay Lake next week, March 14-17, to crown professional bass fishing’s newest world champion.
The four-day tournament, hosted by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Vistiors Bureau and shot for television broadcast on Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel, will showcase 50 anglers – the top 40 anglers from the Bass Pro Tour along with champions and top finishers from the 2023 Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League, and Abu Garcia College Fishing circuits competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.
“We are so excited to welcome Major League Fishing to Birmingham for the REDCREST Championship,” said John Oros, president & CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Hosting an event of this magnitude, with world-class anglers and fans from around the country, further solidifies Birmingham and Alabama’s reputation as a premier fishing destination.”
Among the 50 competitors will be pro Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Alabama, who will be competing in his fourth REDCREST championship event.
“Lay Lake is a phenomenal fishery, and has a great mix of Alabama spotted bass and largemouth bass, with very good quality on both ends,” Vinson said. “It’s going to be a huge part of the strategy that we’re going to have to piece together for this one. I don’t know if the population of either is going to be enough to carry an angler all the way through the four-day event when every fish counts. I think it is likely going to take mix of both species.
“The biggest key this time of the year is making the right decisions on each day that you are fishing,” Vinson continued. There are so many variables that we are going to need to process – multiple rounds, the weather can change, the mood of the fish can change, water level, current, water clarity. How an angler can adjust to the changing conditions is going to be the key to doing well in this event.”
Vinson said that he expects jigs and shaky-head rigs to be tied on and ready on the deck of all 50 tournament anglers, but he’s interested to see how forward-facing sonar will play out on Lay Lake.
“Jigs in all shapes and forms are going to be strong – swimjigs, casting jigs, football jigs – the Coosa River is a great jig fishery, for spots and largemouth,” he said. “Another key bait is going to be a shaky-head worm. That is a bait that can catch numbers and quality, which is invaluable in the Bass Pro Tour format. And I’ll be interested to see how the forward-facing sonar bite plays out. When I was coming up, it wasn’t a favor. But after seeing the success it has had on other fisheries, I’ll definitely be experimenting with that a little bit to see what it can do.”
REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium at Lay Lake will feature pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery. The minimum weight for a bass to be deemed scorable on Lay Lake will be 1½ pounds.
“Generally, in a five-fish format tournament, 20 to 22 pounds this time of year is really strong,” Vinson went on to say. “With the 1½-pound minimum weight and the Bass Pro Tour format, it’s really tough to determine what the potential of the bite will be. I think that 30 to 40 pounds a day is going to be pretty strong, and I think if someone can do that consistently I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t have a shot on Championship Sunday.”
In conjunction with the event, the FREE, family-friendly REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place throughout the weekend, March 15-17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., in Birmingham. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit numerous booths and vendors, showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating and the outdoors. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour and legends of the sport.
Children are welcome to visit and play in the MLF Kids Zone, plus meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol. Throughout the day there will be giveaways and prizes, including signed MLF angler jerseys, rods and reels, gift cards, and more. On Sunday one lucky attendee will walk away with a brand new 2024 Toyota Tacoma truck. Fans must be present to win the Tacoma grand prize. For more information on the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, visit REDCRESTExpo.com.
The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin each morning at 6:15 a.m. each day of competition at Beeswax Landing, located at 245 Beeswax Park Road in Columbiana, Alabama. Anglers will depart at 7 a.m. each day and return after competition ends at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
All 50 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. Weights are zeroed, and the top 20 anglers compete on Day 3 (Saturday). Only the top 10 anglers advance to the fourth and final day of competition. Weights are zeroed again for the final-day championship round, and the winner is determined by the heaviest one-day total cumulative weight, with the victor earning the top prize of $300,000 and the REDCREST 2024 trophy.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete in REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 6 and July 13 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2024, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
One thing I truly love about attending fishing shows is the opportunity to find so many new products. And new rod manufactures are always a great sight to an anglers! I had the opportunity to meet Matt Adams at the Raleigh Fishing Expo and the Richmond Fishing Expo. He is fishing the Bassmaster Opens this year and finished 5th at the Lake Okeechobee tournament. He is the man behind MMA Fishing.
First off, MMA just sounds like you are looking to do battle. And battle is what we do every time we go fishing! Actually MMA is Matt’s initials, but creates a cool name for the new fishing rods he has designed and built with a “winning” mindset. And I was lucky enough to learn all about them between the 2 shows. Matt developed the rods from light weight, premier custom 30Ton Nano blanks. It took a while to work out exactly where the precise guide spacing should be and he makes sure to use American made guides. He uses High-end cork split-grip handles on all his rods. Each rod is backed by a 3 year warranty. And they are all proudly made in Alabama, the BASS capital of the World!
Matt was kind enough to let me use one of his rods to do a little testing and for me, I chose his TAKEDOWN Knockout Series 6’ 10” MXF TD610MXF model for my jerkbaits. I wanted something to help me get better distance and action in my jerkbaits.
My first impression looking at the rod was that it looked like a high quality rod. And after talking to Matt, I got a better understanding of just how much quality control goes into every rod. Detail is everything for Matt because he not only builds them, but uses them in his fishing.
I paired it up with my normal jerkbait reel, a Quantum EXO and 10 pound Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon. And I tied on my favorite SPRO McStick 110 so I could go do battle. This rod just feels so good in my hand and I was making long casts with it. My only problem was that the bass just weren’t playing where I was fishing. But I found some really aggressive crappie. The rod had enough bend to make even pound to 1 1//2 pound crappie feel so good. And I loved the way it allowed me to dance my jerkbait in place with ease. But I wanted some bass action. And I went searching for it. One thing I love is the casting distance I was able to achieve, which is very important for fishing a jerkbait. I finally was able to find some willing bass to help me put the rod to the test. Most of the time, we are line watchers when we are working a jerkbait, watching the slack line for that jump signaling a bite. But I had turned my head on the pause, and I actually felt the twitch through the rod seat, which is a very welcome advantage with these rods.
There is enough flex to allow you to fight the bass so you don’t rip the hooks out of the bass’ mouth and enough backbone to fight those big bass. So far, the biggest bass I have been able to hook into has been right around 5 pounds, but I want a giant on it before long.
I like to do battle with the bass, and MMA Fishing has got the rods that will help you win those battles. Quality built here in the U.S.A. in Alabama. And ready to become your favorite weapon! Don’t miss out on these rods! MMA Fishing is located at www.mmafishing.com and is there to help you in your quest.
Rather than target a specific area, Boatright roamed around, fishing a mix of cover and structure and targeting areas with varying water clarity. He caught about 10 keeper bass throughout the day.
“I caught them on rocks, on brush, suspended. It was a little mix of everything,” said Boatright, who works as a nurse in Hot Springs.
“It was just a good day. I haven’t really been on anything in practice. I just caught the right fish today. I got around the right fish that wanted to bite.”
The top 11 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Bryce Boatright, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 18-12, $4,652 2nd: Chris Darby, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 18-9, $2,326 3rd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 16-15, $1,551 4th: Rance Warden, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-13, $1,771 5th: Chris Hamilton, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 15-7, $930 6th: Kiley Lawson, Salem, Ark., five bass, 15-4, $853 7th: Lucas Bradley, Salem, Ark., five bass, 14-15, $775 8th: Allen Stewart, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 14-12, $698 9th: Matt Baker, Glenwood, Ark., five bass, 14-1, $550 9th: Braxton Shifflett, Jessieville, Ark., five bass, 14-1, $550 9th: Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 14-1, $550
Rance Warden of North Little Rock, Arkansas, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $685.
Robert Joslin of Fort Smith, Arkansas, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,326 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Robert Joslin, Fort Smith, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $2,326 2nd: Cody Mangrum, West Memphis, Ark., five bass, 11-10, $1,163 3rd: Victor Jones, Hot Springs Village, Ark., five bass, 11-5, $777 4th: Ramsey Gilbert, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 10-14, $543 5th: Blake Ward, Sherwood, Ark., four bass, 10-10, $465 6th: Zachary Ramsey, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-08, $426 7th: Zeke Stevens, Springdale, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $388 8th: Mason Davis, Vilonia, Ark., four bass, 9-11, $691 9th: Zachary Morrow, Lonsdale, Ark., five bass, 9-5, $310 10th: Steve Meredith, Jessieville, Ark., four bass, 9-4, $271
Mason Davis of Vilonia, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $342, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
The next event for BFL Arkie Division anglers will be held March 23, at Greers Ferry in Greers Ferry, Arkansas. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Wright Patman Lake in Texarkana, Texas. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just when you thought the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors couldn’t get any more exciting, think again. For the first time ever, fans will get to experience an outdoor tailgate party all three days of the event, which will feature activities and displays for the entire family. Yokohama Tire has partnered with B.A.S.S. to drive even more excitement to the event.
The new Bass Pro Shops Tailgate driven by Yokohama Tire will include an experiential activation including an autograph session with racing superstar Travis Pastrana, tire giveaways and a GEOLANDAR® tire line display. The crown jewel of the tailgate will be the stage of the Bassmaster LIVE set, featuring LIVE hosts Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders, who will be broadcasting live as the Classic contenders compete on nearby Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees for the World Championship title.
“We’re excited to come on board as a partner with the renowned Bassmaster Classic tournament,” said Andrew Briggs, Yokohama Tire’s VP of marketing and product management. “The passionate and engaged fan base aligns perfectly with our company values and wide range of tires. We’re really looking forward to getting out to this year’s event, interacting with both the fans and anglers and showing what Yokohama is all about.”
Adding to the Classic Tailgate excitement will be a dock dogs jumping competition, a catfish pond, a Cabela’s grill cook-off event with free samples, the Go Outside kids’ zone and a host of bounce houses.
“We are so excited to partner with Yokohama for the Bassmaster Classic Tailgate. This is a fun, new addition to the fan experience at not only the biggest fishing tournament in the world, but the largest consumer show for fishing in the country,” said Chase Anderson, CEO of B.A.S.S. “Our organizations are both driven by a focus on performance, and more than 100,000 fishing fanatics will be able to experience our combined successes during the three-day celebration.”
About Yokohama Tire Corporation
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology, innovation, sustainable manufacturing and environmentally conscious products. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, and commercial truck and bus. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit yokohamatire.com and yokohamatruck.com.
Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tires 101” section at yokohamatire.com.
See you at Falls Lake at Ledgerock! We will blast off at safe daylight!
2024 CATT Academy Championship is May 18, 19 at Kerr Lake! $10,000 1st Place! Come join us! Tap on the link for info!
Billy Shelton & Michael Garner are on Fire this Spring! They weighed in 5 bass at 17.84 lbs along with the BF of the tournament at 5.97 lbs! They squeezed out the win and collected $3,860.00! They won the CATT Kerr Lake Division Qualifier last week also! They have received $6,350.00 for 2 weekends of bass fishing on Kerr Lake! Great job!
Billy Dunn & Eddie Glascock claimed 2nd with 17.76 and took home $1,000.00!
Tyler Trent fishing solo weighed in 17.19 lbs and collected $1,505.00!
**Money in Blue denotes Side Pot Winners!
Team
BF
Weight
Winnings
Points
Billy Shelton – Michael Garner
5.97
17.84
$3,860.00
110
Billy Dunn – Eddie Glascock
4.09
17.76
$1,740.00
109
Tyler Trent
4.08
17.19
$1,175.00
108
Charles Stewart – Chuck Stewart
0.00
15.91
$600.00
107
Budd Whitt – Spencer Moody
4.82
15.84
$500.00
106
Bryson Preed – Jonathan Jones
0.00
15.70
$400.00
105
Dennie Gilbert – Charlie Reed
3.93
15.62
$375.00
104
Clay Ausley – Ken Mcneil
3.77
15.47
$275.00
103
David Wright – Jeff Coble
0.00
14.36
$225.00
102
Tate Fogleman – Seth Ellis
0.00
14.33
$200.00
101
Bryan Welch – Mark Inman
4.84
14.00
$180.00
100
Chad Fara – Todd Massey
0.00
13.80
$140.00
99
Kieth Batterson – Robbie Maton
0.00
13.63
98
Danny Wicker
0.00
13.60
97
Lucas Labough – Jeremy Moody
0.00
13.27
96
Jonathan Rhew -Mike Rhew
0.00
13.12
95
Alec Lower – Richard Lower
0.00
12.97
94
Bryan Coltrell – Brandon Coltrell
0.00
12.93
93
Scott Woodson – Austin Randall
4.49
12.87
92
Andrew kerns – Gray Williams
3.96
12.79
91
Jeff Beasley – Adam Petty (sub for Parker Beasley)
1ST – TOM TOEWS AND CHRIS JONES WITH 20.63 WORTH $1175 AND ALSO 1ST IN THE SIDE POT ADDING ANOTHER $240 TOTALING $1415.00
2ND ROB GRIKE AND ERIC NELSON WITH 18.32 WORTH $550 ANCHORED BY BIG FISH @7.31 ADDING ANOTHER $240 AND $160 FOR THE SIDE POT. TOTAL FOR THE DAY $950
3RD LARRY WOLLERSHIEM AND PRESTON COX WITH 17.58 WORTH $250.
4TH NATE SULLIVAN AND ERIC JOHNSON WITH 16.53 WORTH $190
CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO PLACED!
STURGEON CREEK HAS BEEN GENEROUS ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO USE THEIR FACLILITIES AND WAS NOT VERY HAPPY THIS PAST WEEKEND. THEY ISSUED 25 NO PARKING PASSES. I KNOW THAT ANOTHER TOURNAMENT WAS GOING OUT OF THERE THIS WEEKEND AND IT WAS NOT ALL ON US BUT PLEASE PICK A PASS UP WHEN THERE. IF YOU BRING TWO VEHICLES YOU WILL NEED A PASS FOR BOTH VEHICLES.
LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT TOURNAMENT MARCH 24TH 7AM-3PM. YOU CAN COME BY THE SHOP TO PREPAY AT ANNA’S MARINE CENTER OR REGISTER ONLINE. REMEMBER YOU WILL WANT TO FISH 3 OUT OF THE 4 QUALIFIERS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXTRA MONEY AT THE FINAL.
