Nearly 100 student anglers and 26 of the top collegiate fishing programs in the country gathered in Decatur, Ala., Sept. 13-15 for the fourth annual Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 17, 2024
Alabama’s Choquette claims Overall title at 2024 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine
DECATUR, Ala. — Opportunities are endless when you gather 97 talented high school anglers from across the country along with 26 of the top collegiate fishing programs in the U.S. That’s exactly what happened at the fourth annual Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine. Over the course of three days, Combine participants had the opportunity to meet one on one with college fishing coaches and anglers in addition to competing in three skills competitions and three bonus points challenges.
After racking up 370 total points across three events — Long Distance Casting, Technical and Casting Accuracy — Barrett Choquette of Headland, Ala., took home the Overall Skill Challenge title. The senior at Headland High School was rock solid across all three events and collected 11 of the 15 available bonus points to narrowly edge out Brock Lovering of Lakeland, Fla., for the grand prize.
Choquette has been familiar with the High School Combine for a few years now as his brother, Hudson, who currently fishes for the University of Montevallo, attended the very first Combine in 2021.
“My brother really got me into tournament bass fishing and encouraged me to enter into the Combine this year,” said Choquette. “I knew for sure as soon as he participated in the first Combine I wanted to be a part of this event. It’s all about getting to meet the coaches and the competitors.
“A lot of the anglers here are anglers that I will be fishing against in college for years to come, so I really wanted to meet everyone and make sure to meet with as many coaches as I could.”
As a competitor, Choquette wanted to make sure to beat his brother’s ninth-place finish at the 2021 Combine, and getting a good start was crucial to his success. His first competition was the Long Distance Casting Challenge where he made the fifth-longest cast of 57.4 yards.
“I knew that the wind was going to pick up throughout the day, so I wanted to knock out the long cast first,” he said. “After I got done with that challenge, I had to go back inside for a coaching visit, so having positive momentum was nice.”
After a great start, Choquette moved on to the Technical Challenge where he had to navigate a 20-foot Skeeter bass boat around an obstacle and make an accurate cast into a floating target. Choquette, as well as four other Combine anglers, completed the challenge in 39 seconds to tie for the third-fastest time. This event proved to be critical to making a move up the overall leaderboard.
“The Technical Challenge is really the one that saved me,” he said. “I really didn’t think that my time was that great at the time, but it turned out to be pretty good. I knew I had to put the trolling motor on 10 and get going.
“I got around the buoy, and the wind was blowing pretty strong. I made a long cast but didn’t get it in the target, but I was able to get a little closer and make a short flip on my second attempt.”
In addition to taking out the competition at the Combine, Choquette was able to meet with a number of coaches and narrow down a few schools that he is interested in attending next year.
“I’m not exactly sure where I am going to go to school, but after this event I feel like I have a lot of options,” said Choquette. “I’m really liking a few schools right now, so I guess we’ll just have to see what happens next.”
Technical Challenge
Drake Fleming of Martin, Ga., was the champion of the Technical Challenge with a blazing-fast time of just 33 seconds, which was five seconds faster than second place. The 12th grader used his fishing strengths and his familiarity with the Skeeter Boat/Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST combo to his advantage to take home the trophy.
“We actually fish out of a Skeeter ZXR20 with an Ultrex, so I’m super-familiar with the boat we were using,” said Fleming. “I fish on Lake Hartwell a lot so I’m used to keeping the trolling motor on 10 and chasing around herring fish.”
The senior from Stephens County High School paid close attention to the anglers that competed in the challenge before him to learn from their mistakes.
“I tried to hug the buoy as tight as I could and was able to hit inside the target on my second flip,” he said. “I knew that I could separate myself if I made casts from farther out rather than spending more time getting close to the target.”
Long Distance Casting Challenge
With a cast measuring 62.8 yards, Carter Lanclos of Sulphur, La., took home first place in the Long Distance Casting Challenge. Competitors were fully equipped with a Lew’s baitcasting combo, 12-pound monofilament line and a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater. Each competitor was allowed two casts, and the farthest cast was their final score.
Lanclos, a 12th grader at Sulphur High School, tried to relate the competition to the bass fishing that he does on a few of his home lakes, which proved to be a great move.
“When I fish Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, I seem to be fishing for schooling fish a good bit, so I’m used to making extremely long casts,” said Lanclos. “I knew the wind was going to be a big factor, so I tried to knock out the Long Distance (Casting) challenge as quick as I could.”
Also, ensuring his Lew’s combo was set to the appropriate settings was a key to maximizing casting distance.
“It took me a long time the night before to make sure my settings were going to be just right,” he said. “I knew that we were going to be throwing a bigger topwater, so everything needed to be just right to compete.”
Casting Accuracy Challenge
The Casting Accuracy Challenge proved to be the most challenging of all the competitions. Each competitor had two minutes to pitch or cast a 1/2-ounce jig with their Lew’s combo into five buckets of water while standing on the casting platform. Each pitch or cast was progressively farther away from the platform.
While this challenge stumped quite a few competitors, Tanner Mason of Grant, Ala., knocked it out of the park with a dominating score of just 32 seconds. This score was 39 seconds faster than the second-place score.
Having a background in shallow-water flipping and pitching came in clutch for the 12th grader from Dar High School.
“I consider Lake Guntersville my home lake, and I love to flip mats up the river,” said Mason. “I had a buddy that competed in the Combine a few years ago, so I knew that my best chance to win would be in this competition.”
WILKESVILLE, Ohio, September 17, 2024—The National Professional Fishing League will be accepting applications for the 2025 season beginning October 1, 2024. Anglers who wish to be part of the 130-angler field should visit www.thenationalprofessionalfishingleague.com and fill out the application form beginning on that date. Anglers currently on the NPFL roster do not need to reapply, but they must notify the NPFL in writing of their intention to participate in 2025. The application and notification periods end on October 31, 2024.
“The NPFL offers a platform for all anglers to prove their skill and dedication at the highest level, regardless of their background,” vows league president Brad Fuller. “We’re committed to providing a fair and competitive environment, and we look forward to assembling a diverse and talented field of 130 anglers.”
The 2025 season will feature six regular season tournaments plus the 2025 NPFL Championship, spread across half a dozen states and covering spring, summer and fall. Each event will challenge and showcase the skills of every angler. The NPFL’s dedication to maintaining a level playing field ensures that all participants — from seasoned pros to emerging talents — have an equal opportunity to succeed.
The full 2025 schedule will be announced before the application period closes.
The NPFL made news earlier this month when it became the first major tour to restrict the use of real-time imaging units (commonly referred to as “forward-facing sonar”). Beginning with the 2025 season, such technology is prohibited in NPFL competition. This prohibition does not apply to the 2025 NPFL Championship, for which anglers are currently qualifying under previously established rules.
“We want to work with the anglers who are ready to test themselves under the very highest standards of tournament competition, tradition, and integrity,” Fuller adds. “We’re looking forward to the return of many anglers who have fished with us and become like family, and we’re excited to add new anglers that will help us grow even better and stronger. Our sport is at a crossroads, and we’re going to show the angling community that the NPFL is on the right path.”
Competition for a berth in the 130-angler field for 2025 will be fierce. Applicants must commit to a locked field and agree to participate in all six regular-season events. This ensures a committed group of anglers for the entire season. Choosing the right anglers for the field is critical to the NPFL’s mission.
“We take our selection process very seriously,” Fuller says. “We interview each angler before they’re selected. No one is automatically accepted into the league simply because they won a big tournament or have a lot of sponsors. We’re not just looking for excellent anglers. We also want excellent people who are passionate about the sport — people who share our commitment and vision.
“You can sign up tournament anglers at any boat ramp on any Saturday morning. We’re looking for partners who are ready to grow with us and improve the sport we all love.”
About the National Professional Fishing League The National Professional Fishing League was founded to bring competitive fishing to a broader audience and offer anglers a platform to compete at the highest level. The NPFL is committed to fostering integrity, competition, and innovation in the sport, providing anglers and fans alike with an exciting and unique experience.
The three-day tournament is the third and final event of the year for Plains Division anglers and is hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association. The event will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.
Local Tackle Warehouse Invitational pro Michael Harlin of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, has extensive history on the fishery and said he is looking forward to a great event.
“There are a lot of things in play in September on Lake of the Ozarks,” said Harlin. “It really opens up the tacklebox and lets guys fish to their strengths. I expect to see some guys out fishing deep and others up super shallow. They’ll be catching them on reaction baits and bottom baits the same – basically just fall fishing 101.”
Harlin said the entire lake will be in play next week during the tournament, but there’s no specific technique or pattern that’s currently dominating the fishery.
“Most likely there will be some big bags caught at least one or two days of the tournament, and I anticipate those big bags will be caught up shallow, whether it’s throwing topwater or flipping boat docks,” Harlin said. “I think it’s going to take anywhere between 45 to 47 pounds to win the event.
“That isn’t huge weight, but that’s typical here for this time of year,” Harlin continued. “I figure the winning guy will have to catch at least one 17- to 20-pound bag, or a couple 17-pound bags to take home the win.”
While it’s a bit too early to dial in the exact weather conditions anglers will be facing throughout the three-day tournament, Harlin said he expects that to make a big difference in angler’s game plans.
“With everything in play, the weather is probably going to be the deciding factor on how it all goes down,” said Harlin. “Depending on whether it’s sunny and hot, or we get a cold front with overcast, windy conditions – that’s going to really determine the winning pattern.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each day from Public Beach #2 located at 711 Public Beach Road in Osage Beach. Weigh-ins will also be held at that location and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Simms, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.
5th and Final tournament of the Caswell Glass Mayo Trail but it’s been a busy 2 weeks.
We had our final tournament of the Caswell Glass Mayo Trail on Saturday 9/7/2024.
We also crowned the 2024 Caswell Glass Mayo Trail Points Champions.
We had 33 teams show up Saturday for the last chance at getting a Win in the Mayo Trail. Fishing was decent and weather was good. When it was all over but the crying it was the team of James Strickland & Cooke that brought home the WIN
They had a 3 fish limit weighing 12.05 pounds. That earned them a total of $1200.00 Congratulations to them on their WIN. Looks like Mr. Strickland knows how to catch the good ones everywhere he goes!
They were followed by the team of C. Moser & Poole.
They had a 3 fish limit weighing 11.02 pounds earning them $700.00 for their efforts. Good job guys!
Big Fish was Won by the team of Campbell & Strickland. They had a 6.11 pound Bass that earned the $330.00
Big Congratulations to all the teams that placed in the money!
There was a Points Championship that had to be determined as well!
The top 4 teams had a chance at the title seperated by only 12 points. Every Points Championship we have had this year in the 4 trails completed for the year has come down to the wire to see who comes out on top. That’s exactly what we want to see!!
The team of Mullins & Mullins went into the day with the Points lead by only 5 points over the team of Jones & Jones. When everything was totaled up at the end of the day we had a TIE for the Points Championship. The team of Austin Woody & Adam White come from 12 Points back in 4th place of the Points race to tie the team of Mullins & Mullins with 714 points each. The tie breaker for this situation goes to the total weight for the year of each team. After all the smoke cleared it was the team of Mullins & Mullins that held on to the top spot with a total weight of 53.4 pounds. Edging out Woody & White with a weight of 51.22 pounds. That’s what I call a tight Points race!!!!
That being said let’s Welcome our 2024 – 5 Alive/ Caswell Glass Mayo Trail Points Champions. Christopher Mullins & Joe Mullins
They got a extra $1000.00 and Points Championship Plaques.
BIG CONGRATULATIONS to them and we are proud to have them represent our Trail for the 2024 season!
Got to give a big Shout out to tournament director Rodney Bowen for great job he did on running the Trail!
Want to THANK Caswell Glass & Shane Brantley for being our tiltle sponsor of the Mayo Trail. Not only a sponsor of the 5 Alive Team Trail but family members as well! Maybe not blood but family they are! Thank you!
Looking forward to seeing yall next year for the Mayo Trail!
Team REDCON1 (DeFoe/Montgomery) catches 30 scorable bass totaling 53 pounds, 13 ounces to win Elimination Round Match 2, top two teams move on to Knockout Rounds
NEENAH, Wis. (Sept. 16, 2024) – It was a fight to the finish as four new teams hit the water Monday with no practice, no information and no real game plan during the second event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Neenah, Wisconsin.
Two-man teams were driven to the boat ramp by Major League Fishing officials Monday morning, where they were given maps of Lakes Poygan and Winneconne before setting out to break down the fishery. But it didn’t take long for teams to get on the juice and start lighting up SCORETRACKER®. While boat docks were the preeminent player during Match 1 on Sunday, teams spent the majority of the day Monday flipping grass during Match 2 of the Elimination Round at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Berkley .
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff and Pouches – made up of Casey Ashley of Donalds, South Carolina, and Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Florida – rose to the top of the leaderboard early in the day, holding the top spot all of Period 1 before falling back in Period 2 after going an hour and half with zero scorable bass. They regained and held the top spot for most of Period 3 but couldn’t hold off a hard charge by TEAM REDCON1 – Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, and Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, South Carolina – who took over the top spot with 45 minutes left in the third period. Both teams now move on to the Knockout Rounds, with Ashley/Scroggins competing on Wednesday and DeFoe/Montgomery competing on Thursday.
It was a slow start to the morning for Team REDCON1 who started their day bouncing around the north side of the lake without making much headway. At the end of Period 1, they were in third place with four bass weighing a mere 4-1 on SCORETRACKER®.
The tandem made a move to the southeast corner of the lake late in the morning, transitioning to pitching along cane grass lines, a move that proved fortuitous for the duo. They got all the way up into first place at the end of Period 2 before falling to second behind Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff and Pouches.
That’s when Montgomery picked up a vibrating jig and the team went to work targeting boat docks, going on an afternoon flurry to rally in the final period, stacking up 13 scorable bass for 21-9 in the final 45 minutes of competition.
“What a day,” said Montgomery. “We had a whole lot of nothing for most of the day, but it ended up being a big day. We had that one stretch around the islands where Ott was just cremating them early on, but we struggled the majority of the day. Once we got on those docks though, everything changed.”
The duo worked seamlessly together, with Montgomery hooking up with most of their third period bass and DeFoe picking up the stragglers behind him.
“That was a really good back-up bait to Andy’s bladed jig skipping around these docks here at the end of the day,” DeFoe continued. “He went on a heck of a run, and we were able to catch a lot of fish and get the win.”
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff and Pouches may have finished in second place, but they had the most consistent day from start to finish. The duo got into the cane grass early in the morning and stayed with it all day, catching them off the outside edges early, then moving into really thick grass as the day progressed.
“What a roller coaster of a day,” said Scroggins. “We went from being on top, to totally sucking in the second period, to turning out pretty good.
“We left an area that we shouldn’t have left looking for greener pastures and trying to find something new,” Scroggins continued. “We went back through a grass line that had produced earlier in the day, and it just wasn’t producing again, so we figured we needed to run new stuff.”
That move opened up the door for Team REDCON1.
“We were just about two minutes late getting into that area, but that allowed Ott and Andy to get the jump on us,” said Scroggins. “But we still caught them good and are looking forward to teaming up again for the Knockout Round.”
The top two teams from Elimination Round Match 2 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Berkley that now advance to the Knockout Round are:
1st: Team REDCON1, 30 bass, 53-13 Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 19 bass, 35-4 Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 11 bass, 18-9 2nd: Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, 22 bass, 50-14 Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C. nine bass, 21-10 Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla. 13 bass, 29-4
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team 7 Brew Coffee, 22 bass, 37-9 Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 14 bass, 23-3 Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., eight bass, 14-6 4th: Team U.S. Air Force, seven bass, 17-12 Matt Lee, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 11-14 Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., two bass, 5-14
Overall, there were 81 bass weighing 160 pounds even caught by the four teams during Elimination Round Match 2 on Lakes Poygan and Winneconne on the Fox River Chain. Teams U.S. Air Force and Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff and Pouches tied for the Berkley Big Bass of the day with both Casey Ashley and Jesse Wiggins catching bass weighing 3 pounds, 12 ounces.
The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Berkley is hosted by the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in the Fox Cities in Wisconsin. The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning.
Anglers depart the host hotel in Neenah each morning at 5:30 a.m. CT. They are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
The Heritage Cup features 12 two-man teams, divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches will feature four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2024 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Berkley.
The 2024 General Tire Team Series is comprised of four events – Challenge Cup, Heritage Cup, Patriot Cup and Summit Cup – featuring two-man teams of MLF Bass Pro Tour pros competing from the same boat. Each event features a roster of 24 anglers, teamed up and working together to claim part of a season purse of more than $720,000. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2024 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2024.
Television coverage of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Berkley will premiere on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour episodes in February 2025. New MLF General Tire Team Series episodes will premiere each Saturday morning on Outdoor Channel and posted to MOTV.
Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Builders FirstSource, C-MAP, Coign, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Nitro Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala Baits, REDCON1, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, Star brite, Toyota, USAA, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
We had an amazing day on the water yesterday at Monacan Park for our annual benefit tournament, raising over $1,200 for the wonderful non-profit Neighbors Helping Neighbors Amherst!
With the slot limit regulations (keeping fish 14” and under and one fish over 22”), it can be a challenge for anglers, but everyone still enjoyed the fantastic weather and great company. 🎣
We had 13 boats participate, and we’re excited to announce the winners:
🏆 1st Place: Billy Mays & Thane Rowland with 3 fish weighing 4.86 lbs 🥈 2nd Place: Matt Cline & Heather Cline with 3 fish weighing 3.86 lbs
🐟 Littlest Fish: Terry Hedrick & Jonathan East with 0.03 lbs
A huge thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event possible and contributed to the funds raised: 434.visuals, CSE, Snap Fitness Lynchburg, R Ashby Templeton Paving, Moser Properties, and Cascio & Sons Construction. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support such a great cause. Your participation and generosity truly make a difference! 💙
For Nash, this makes BFL win No. 2 this season. He also won a Music City Division tournament on Dale Hollow in March. And like he did at Dale Hollow, Nash won the Lake Cumberland tournament using his Lowrance ActiveTarget live sonar. He also experienced an interesting bit of luck … but more on that later.
“I had no practice,” Nash said of the tournament. “I actually haven’t been on Cumberland since this past spring. I just went fishing.
“The first day, I ran down the lake and actually pulled in the holler and just sat down right on top of them. I started out catching a few keeper spots. Then once the sun got higher up, the bait would actually get tighter in the water column, and I could pick off single, individual smallmouth. They were 30 to 40 feet deep.”
When the bait balls tightened up, Nash was better able to spot and target the smallies on sonar. He said it was challenging fishing due to the wind, depth and the impressive speed of the fish, forcing him to lead them by as much as 40 yards to make an accurate presentation.
Nash stayed in that area most of the day. But with a decent limit of 14 pounds in the livewell, he vacated and did some bank fishing in search of a backup pattern. It never really panned out, so in the afternoon he returned to his primary area and caught a 3-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that culled out the only remaining spotted bass in his livewell. That cull put him at 16 pounds, 4 ounces with a healthy day-one lead.
On day two, Nash returned to his primary area and put about 11 pounds in the box by 11 a.m. That’s when things got interesting.
“I proceeded to lose four fish, four straight casts in a row, that were all pretty big,” he said. “And I thought I’d blown my chance to win. But, this is gonna sound funny, but my buddy Jacob Woods, he gave me some lucky arrowheads, he called ’em. He said if you need some luck, just take them out and rub them for good luck. After I lost those four fish, I told my co-angler, ‘You might think I’m a little crazy, but I’ve gotta give these things a try.’ Within an hour and a half after that, I had a little over 18 pounds.”
Whether it was skill, timing or a little something extra thanks to a fishing partner’s good-luck charms, the turnaround put Nash way ahead of the competition. His day-two limit of 18-9 was the biggest of the tournament, boosting his total to 34-13 and a winning margin of 7 1/2 pounds.
Nash caught all his key fish on a prototype swimbait he’s working on with Burtek Tackle, which he paired with a 1/2-ounce Zorro Baits Booza Sonar FFS jighead.
“It’s been a blessed year,” Nash added. “I have no complaints. God’s been good to me. He’s been good to my family, too.”
Lee Sinclair of Albany, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.
Joey von Hoene of Erlanger, Kentucky, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,167 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of four bass to the scale that totaled 10 pounds, 3 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Joey von Hoene, Erlanger, Ky., four bass, 10-3, $2,167 2nd: Grant Aumiller, Danville, Ky., five bass, 8-11, $1,083 3rd: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 8-8, $724 4th: Robbie Mattingly, Junction City, Ky., four bass, 6-10, $506 5th: Jordan Garrett, Jamestown, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $433 6th: Richard Payne, Portland, Tenn., four bass, 6-3, $397 7th: Caden Ayers, McKee, Ky., two bass, 5-12, $608 8th: Adler Odle, Willow Springs, Mo., four bass, 4-15, $325 9th: Chris Rushing, Gamaliel, Ky., two bass, 4-7, $289 10th: Garrett Haggerty, Campbellsville, Ky., two bass, 3-13, $253
Caden Ayers of McKee, Kentucky, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $247, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Bailey Gay of Union, Kentucky, was crowned Fishing Clash Mountain Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,327 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Johnny Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, won the Fishing Clash Mountain Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,300 points to win $500.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. 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. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
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, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.
“On day one, I think I had 45 spots on the main lake, and when I’m talking spots I’m talking just pulling up and making three or four casts to a ladder or a corner of a seawall,” he said. “I ran all that, and I caught fish. I just couldn’t get the big ones. And I lost a couple that were key fish in the 3-pound range in the (lily) pad areas.”
The main-lake bite was good enough for 9 pounds, 9 ounces and sixth place on day one. Nesbitt caught them using a mix of lures, including a ChatterBait, crankbait and Ned rig. However, those big pad bites that he missed, along with the need to make up a little ground on the second day, motivated Nesbitt to vacate the main lake on day two and instead spend his entire final tournament day fishing lily pads with a homemade creature bait and a frog.
“I’m a pad flipper. I knew I needed a big bag today (Sunday), so I just said forget the main lake and went and flipped pads. I lost a 2 1/2-pounder first thing in the morning I thought was really going to hurt me, and I was a little down. Turned out, I didn’t even need that fish.”
On day two, the pad bite started off quick, with Nesbitt putting a couple nice keepers in the box one right after the other. He managed another couple keepers after that but still didn’t have the big bag he was looking for.
“I had four fish at this point, and I made a move just because of wind direction,” he said. “I knew an area that the wind would be pushing in there. It had some duckweed pushed up there and a bunch of shad.”
It was the perfect mix, and Nesbitt capitalized quickly with a pair of quality keepers. Those fish jumped him from sixth place to first with a final-day limit of 13-8, earning him his second BFL win on Indian Lake in three seasons.
Chuck Willis of Dayton, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces, to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645.
Mark Saunders of Valley City, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,569 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 2 ounces.
David Prater of Franklin, Ohio, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $322, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Sean Wieda of Alexandria, Kentucky, was crowned the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,328 points to take home the $1,000 payout, while Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, won the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,274 points and earned $500.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Pools 13-17 of the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. 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. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
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, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.
Not having any practice for the tournament actually helped Wesson, in his opinion. That’s because fluctuating water levels changed the playing field from practice to the tournament, and even during the tournament. So, anything learned in practice could have been high and dry when it counted.
“From Friday night to the start of the tournament Saturday, they dropped the water about 2 1/2 feet,” Wesson said.
The water then jumped back up a foot or so overnight from Saturday to Sunday and continued to rise throughout Sunday’s tournament hours. Both changes forced the anglers to adapt.
“Day one, I caught most of my fish on a swimbait in lily pads,” Wesson said. “Day two, I had to make some changes because the water came back up, and those fish weren’t doing the same thing. So I went and hit some water willow with a frog.”
Wesson’s lily pad spot is one he’s fished in the past. Having some familiarity with the area was helpful, but he went in knowing he’d have to feel out the bite. He cycled through a few different baits before settling on the swimbait, which produced 12 pounds, 8 ounces the first day. It would’ve been more had he not lost a couple good fish.
On the second day, not surprisingly, Wesson ran back to the lily pads first thing. But he did it with an open mind and 15 rods on the front deck.
“I went back there thinking those fish should be set up the same but having it in the back of my mind I might have to change up a little since the water level changed,” he said. “I spent the first four hours giving it its due and trying to make it work. I caught one 3-pounder doing that and pulled the plug on it and went out and started running some water willow and got on them with the frog.”
The water willow bite is something Wesson is experienced with from his home waters of Neely Henry. He knows it can require some stubbornness to grind it out and get the right bites, which was the case on Sunday. Thankfully, it put Wesson around the right fish and he was able to bring home the win on the back of a SPRO Bronzeye Frog.
James Willoughby of Gulfport, Mississippi, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $495.
Brian Graham of Jackson, Alabama, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,167 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Brian Graham, Jackson, Ala., 10 bass, 16-9, $2,167 2nd: Frank Mackin, State Line, Miss., 10 bass, 14-12, $1,083 3rd: Brian Carroll, Glencoe, Ala., 10 bass, 14-7, $724 4th: Daniel Arnberg, Auburn, Ala., 10 bass, 13-6, $506 5th: Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., eight bass, 12-8, $433 6th: Caleb Gwaltney, Athens, Ala., eight bass, 12-4, $397 7th: Danny Pinho, Bay Minette, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $608 8th: Curtis Simmons, Chancellor, Ala., five bass, 9-15, $325 9th: Mark Black, Selma, Ala., seven bass, 9-14, $289 10th: Chandler Sheehan, Valley Grande, Ala., seven bass, 9-6, $253
Danny Pinho of Bay Minette, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $247, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Robert Robinson of Mobile, Alabama, was crowned Fishing Clash Bama Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,334 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Reid Hale of Jasper, Alabama, won the Fishing Clash Bama Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,287 points to win the $500 prize.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, South Carolina. 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. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
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, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.
WIN 
$1200.00
$700.00
Every Points Championship we have had this year in the 4 trails completed for the year has come down to the wire to see who comes out on top. That’s exactly what we want to see!!
