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Brent Chapman Wins Group A Qualifying Round at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Stage Two at Lake Travis
Kansas Angler Boats Two-Day Total of 30 Bass Weighing 67 Pounds Even to Advance Directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round, 19 Anglers Advance to Knockout Round
AUSTIN, Texas (May 2, 2021) – Toro pro Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kansas – who led Group A after the first day of competition – held his lead throughout the entire day Sunday, catching nine bass totaling 20 pounds, 8 ounces to win the two-day Qualifying Group A round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury event in Austin, Texas. Chapman’s two-day total of 30 bass weighing 67 pounds even earned him the win by an 11-pound, 3-ounce margin and now advances him directly into the Championship Round of competition, set for Friday. The six-day tournament, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission, is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.
General Tire pro Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, caught a two-day total of 23 bass weighing 55-13 to remain in second place. Favorite Fishing pro Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Alabama, boated a two-day total of 22 bass weighing 40-1 to end the round in third place. After starting the day in 13th place, Polaris pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia , had the most weight on the day Sunday, weighing 11 bass totaling 23-15 to vault into fourth place with a two-day total of 19 bass for 39-10. Rounding out the top five is South Carolina pro Casey Ashley, who caught a two-day total of 20 bass weighing 38-10.
The top 20 anglers from Group A will now enjoy an off day, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Monday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place on Tuesday. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Chapman, Monday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“I came into this tournament not really knowing what to expect. I thought I might have a good finish, but little did I know that I’d be leading after the first two days,” Chapman said. “That just shows you that when you stick to your strengths and fish what you’re confident in, it can pay off.”
Chapman pretty much threw the bass fishing rule book out the window and has went against the grain over the first two days of the event. Despite Lake Travis being a crystal-clear, desert-type impoundment, Chapman has gone to the lower end of the lake with a vibrating jig and had massive success.
“I’d like to think what I’m doing is a little bit off the wall down here in this clearer water, so hopefully it’s something on Championship day that I can have to myself and go out there and win this deal,” Chapman said.
Chapman said that all of his fish Sunday came on an unnamed ½-ounce and 3/8- ounce bladed jig. He threw the bladed jigs on a 7-foot, 6-inch KastKing Speed Demon Pro rod with a KastKing Bassinator Elite reel with an 8:1 gear ratio. For the ½-ounce bladed jig he used 20-pound Gamma fluorocarbon line, and for the 3/8-ounce bladed jig he used the same line but in 16-pound test.
“I typically throw a bladed jig on a 7-foot, 3-inch KastKing bladed jig rod, but this Speed Demon pro is a 7-foot, 6-inch swimbait rod with basically the same tip, but 3 inches longer. I’m making these really long casts in the clear water, so the longer rod helps. Plus, I’m able to hold my rod really high when I have to get up there really shallow.
“I couldn’t be more excited to win the round,” Chapman went on to say. “I’ve just fished what I’m confident in and so far, it’s paid off. I’m really looking forward to competing in the Championship Round.”
The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group A that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Lake Travis are:
1st: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 30 bass, 67-0
2nd: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 23 bass, 55-13
3rd: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 22 bass, 40-1
4th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 19 bass, 39-10
5th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 20 bass, 38-10
6th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 18 bass, 36-6
7th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 19 bass, 35-8
8th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 18 bass, 33-12
9th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 16 bass, 33-0
10th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 12 bass, 32-10
11th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 14 bass, 32-1
12th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 31-6
13th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 18 bass, 30-14
14th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 13 bass, 28-10
15th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 12 bass, 28-7
16th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 11 bass, 28-0
17th: Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 12 bass, 24-5
18th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., eight bass, 24-2
19th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 11 bass, 23-10
20th: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., 10 bass, 23-7
| A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 219 bass weighing 470 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 39 pros on Sunday. Pro Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Alabama, won Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 5-pound, 14-ounce largemouth on a drop-shot rig during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament. The MLF Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission. The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT each day of competition from Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin. The General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park daily beginning at 3:15 p.m. The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship. The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
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About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF acquired FLW and rebranded it as MLF BIG5, which expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing |
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Wheeler Leads Group B at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Stage Two Presented by at Lake Travis
Tennessee Pro Catches 16 Bass Weighing 52 Pounds, 11 Ounces to Grab Early Lead on Weather-Shortened Day, Group A to Complete Two-Day Qualifying Round Sunday
AUSTIN, Texas (May 1, 2021) – It was a back-and-forth battle at the top for most of the day Saturday, between pros Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury event in Austin, Texas. The duo traded the lead back and forth for most of Period 2, however Wheeler boated a 4-pounder right near the end of the Period, then added another 4-pounder shortly after the start of Period 3 to increase his lead to just over 10 pounds.
Link to Photo of Qualifying Group B Leader Jacob Wheeler
Link to Video of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 1, Qualifying Group B
Then, Mother Nature intervened.
Lightning in the area forced tournament officials to institute a weather-delay at 1:35 p.m. as the 40 anglers on the water stopped fishing and took shelter. After a two-hour delay, and with no end in sight, officials called the day and competition was over. It was the first time in MLF Bass Pro Tour history that competitors did not complete three full periods and was also the shortest day of competition in history.
On the day, Wheeler caught 16 bass weighing 52 pounds, 11 ounces, to lead Qualifying Group B on their first day of competition. Wheeler will bring a 10-pound, 9-ounce lead over Birge into Monday’s second day of competition for Group B. In third place on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard is Oakdale, California pro Ish Monroe, who caught 13 bass weighing 28-5.
The 40 anglers in Group B will have the day off on Sunday, while the 40 anglers in Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will conclude their Qualifying Round on Monday. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission, features 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
“I had a tough practice and never really got dialed in, so I didn’t know what was going to go down this morning,” Wheeler said. “To have it all come together, it ended up being a really awesome day. I’m super blessed to be in the position that I am in, but I’m definitely going to have to catch them again on Monday.”
Wheeler said that he caught his fish on two different patterns.
“I don’t want to get too specific since we’ve still got a ways to go, but basically it came down to two different things for me – spending time on the bank with a topwater bait and catching fish around boat docks,” Wheeler said. “It seemed today like every dock had multiple fish on it. It’s just whether they were the right quality. This lake is full of ¾- to 1-pounders, but it’s not that easy to generate the bigger bites. I was fortunate to get into a little stretch today and catch a couple of the right ones.”
For Birge, he did all of his damage on just one bait, although he also was not ready to divulge specifics, yet.
“I actually started in a place I wasn’t planning on fishing,” Birge said. “I went in there to look for some schoolers because it wasn’t windy, but the schooling fish never showed up so I just went to the bank and started fishing what looked good and I ended up catching a bunch of fish.
“I caught everything on just one bait, but I didn’t really try anything else because they were biting it so good,” Birge said.
Birge did not mention his exact bait but did offer clues that he was running steep banks with an Omega Custom Tackle lure. His setup included a 7-foot, 3-inch Favorite Fishing Rush Casting rod and he threw his bait on 12-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon line.
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group B after Day 1 of on Lake Travis are:
1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 16 bass, 52-11
2nd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 18 bass, 42-2
3rd: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 13 bass, 28-5
4th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 22-12
5th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 10 bass, 20-3
6th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 20-0
7th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., seven bass, 19-11
8th: Ott DeFoe, Knoxville, Tenn., nine bass, 18-15
9th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., nine bass, 18-9
10th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., nine bass, 17-12
11th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., eight bass, 14-6
12th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., six bass, 14-4
13th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., six bass, 14-2
14th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., four bass, 14-1
15th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, six bass, 13-15
16th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., six bass, 12-13
17th: Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., seven bass, 12-3
18th: Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas, six bass, 11-12
19th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., six bass, 10-6
20th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 9-12
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 236 bass weighing 514 pounds, 4 ounces caught by the 40 pros on Saturday, which included one 8-pounder, one 6-pounder and two 5-pounders caught from Lake Travis.
Shryock won Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in an 8-pound, 4-ounce largemouth on a jig during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT each day of competition from Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin. The General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park daily beginning at 3 p.m.
As part of the event, fans will also be treated to the Hill Country Hangout at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock, Texas, on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event includes the opportunity to interact with Bass Pro Tour anglers, enjoy activities and special fan-only giveaways provided by MLF sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities in fishing seminars. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information on the Hill Country Hangout hosted by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF acquired FLW and rebranded it as MLF BIG5, which expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing
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Afternoon Surge Earns Snyders B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Win At Lake Eufaula
EUFAULA, Ala. — With several key bites in the afternoon, Rus Snyders took home the victory in the second 2021 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX event of the season at Lake Eufaula, catching a five-bass limit that measured 91.5 inches.
Along with the trophy, Snyders, a Tennessee native, earned $5,500. Texas angler Doug Hill finished second with 89.5 inches, and Dylan Lowery of Georgia was third with 85.25.
“It means a lot,” Snyders said. “It is a lake I’ve never been to before. Eufaula is a legendary lake and I heard so much about it growing up and was really excited that B.A.S.S. was holding this tournament this time of the year. It suits my style, power fishing shallow.”
When he arrived for practice Wednesday, Snyders found an active shad spawn happening and attempted to unlock the bite with a number of baits — but with limited success. That continued during the tournament, as Snyders was only able to catch two small keepers during the shad spawn Saturday.
“I really struggled even after seeing bass bust all over the place,” he said. “Eventually, I left that area and thought I would cover as much water as possible and find some more active fish.”
As his struggles continued around the shad spawn area, Snyders took a look at the standings to see what others were catching and was surprised to see very few fish posted to the leaderboard.
Seeing the lack of activity allowed him to reset his mind and adjust his strategy. Around 9 a.m., Snyders caught his biggest bass of the day, a 20.75, on a Lucky Craft BDS3 crankbait.
“It was barely hooked. It was just by the skin of the lip,” he said. “So, I got very fortunate with that.”
After fishing another stretch of unproductive water, Snyders turned around and went back to where he caught the big bass and caught another 18.25-incher, this time on a black and blue swim jig on a 7-foot-2 medium-heavy iRod Stone Cold Swim Jig rod.
From there, Snyders used his Torqeedo 1103 motor, which he installed Friday on his Wilderness Systems Atak 120, to cover as much water as possible. Around noon, he caught a couple of fish around a group of cypress trees and keyed on that pattern the rest of the day.
“I looked at my map and tried to find all the cypress trees I could,” he said. “Sometimes it would be a few hundred yards or quarter-mile run from one patch to the next. I decided to stick with that pattern and they were eating that black and blue swim jig pretty good for the last couple hours.”
Not only was it his first time fishing Eufaula, but Saturday also marked the first kayak tournament in Hill’s long fishing career. He made the most of it, earning $2,188 and a spot in next year’s national championship.
“This was my first kayak tournament and I came here with one goal, and that was to qualify for the championship,” Hill said. “It means quite a bit. All in all, it was a great day. I’m really pleased with the way it turned out.”
Fishing out of an Old Town kayak, Hill spent his day targeting postspawn bass around grass islands and found success flipping a creature bait to the edge of the grass.
The morning started fast for Hill, catching a 16-inch keeper on a spinnerbait. After missing a couple of bites, he made a move to the islands, switched to the creature bait and landed a 19-incher.
“It was game on from there. A little after 8 a.m. I had a limit,” Hill said. “Next thing I knew I was in the lead. I played chase with the gators the rest of the day. I lost three really good fish and another smaller fish and, to win a tournament you can’t lose fish.”
The boater traffic around his area also muddied up his water, making it harder for Hill to get a bite.
Knowing a lot of anglers would be targeting the shad spawn, Lowery, who grew up on Lake Eufaula, decided to fish a backwater pond he had only been in twice in his life. The bass there were guarding fry and he was able to coax them into biting a swim jig paired with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon trailer on a 7-foot-6 heavy-moderate action Impulse rod.
He caught most of his bass in the first two hours.
“I was burning it over the lily pads and killing it on the edge and they would eat it as it was falling,” Lowery said. “I caught two in the creek on the way out of that backwater pond on a ChatterBait and then made a cull with 15 minutes to go on a swim jig on the main river.”
The third-place finish earned Lowery $1,515.
Nick Dyer earned $500 for catching the big bass of the day, a 24-inch largemouth.
The Top 10 anglers from this event earned a place in the 2022 B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak National Championship. More details on that event will be released at a later date.
The tournament was hosted by the Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce.
2021 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX Partner: Old Town
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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Key Adjustment Lifts Nania To Bassmaster Open Win On Pickwick
COUNCE, Tenn. — An astute observation led Joey Nania to a strategic bait change that delivered a five-bass limit of 18 pounds, 10 ounces and sealed his first B.A.S.S. win at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Pickwick Lake.
After placing third on Day 1 with 21-11, the pro from Cropwell, Ala., added 17-13 and held his position. With his Championship Saturday weight, Nania tallied 58-2 and edged Day 2 leader Lonnie Cochran by a pound.
Nania won $53,750 and a berth in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on Lake Hartwell.
All week, Nania had been fishing main-river bars between Koger Island and Seven Mile Island, where he focused on a mix of grass and stumps. The latter became an increasingly important element of his game plan and Saturday, he used a forage-appropriate bait to target the hard cover.
“Today, I switched it up and I was throwing a Z-Man Mag FattyZ worm on a 3/16-ounce shaky head,” Nania said. “I found them in the carport of the place where we’re staying. I had thrown them out of the boat, but I rigged one up last night and caught all five fish on that.
“I saw a lamprey stuck on some of the fish I was catching and they would get thrown off when the fish jumped. I figure this thing looks like a lamprey; I’m going to throw it.”
Nania said the key to his presentations was making precise casts that hit the tops of stumps and triggered reaction bites. The only variation was his biggest Day 3 fish — a 6-pounder that bit when Nania threw beyond a stump and pulled his bait past the structure.
The first two days saw a 3/4-ounce green pumpkin shad Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a smoky shad Z-Man Razor ShadZ trailer producing most of Nania’s fish, including the 8-2 that anchored his Day 1 limit and won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award.
“I was just honored that that fish decided to eat my bait,” Nania chuckled. “It was a freak. It was just so big and so long broad; it was just a beautiful fish.”
Prior to switching to the shaky head presentation, he also caught fish pulling a Carolina rig past the stumps.
Nania’s 6-pounder bit right after he lost an estimated 5. Had he caught that first fish, he likely would have drifted past the stump where the bigger one was sitting.
“I’m a believer in Jesus and when it’s your time, it’s your time,” Nania said. “If I hadn’t caught that 6-pounder, I could have been within ounces of not winning.”
Hailing from Section, Ala., Cochran placed 11th on Day 1 with 18-10 and bolted into the Day 2 lead after posting the tournament’s heaviest bag — 25-3. Adding 13-5 Saturday gave Cochran a three-day total of 57-2.
Cochran did most of his work north of Koger Island on a 50-yard stretch of main-river shell bottom in 6 feet of water with scattered milfoil. On Friday, an early boat number allowed him to reach his spot quickly and sack up his big limit by about 7:30 a.m.
Today’s postfrontal conditions brought bright skies and still wind. This took a toll on Cochran’s fish and he struggled with a slower bite.
“I caught most of my fish on a 3/4-ounce Scottsboro Hellcat football jig with a creature bait trailer,” Cochran said. “When it got tough during the day, I’d catch a few on a spinnerbait in the scattered grass.”
John Garrett of Union Springs, Tenn., finished third with 56-11. With limits of 21-12 and 18-12, Garrett held the second-place spot for Days 1 and 2. On Saturday, Garrett added 16-3.
While a morning shad spawn played a role the first two days, Garrett caught most of his better bass on a 16-foot ledge in front of spawning areas. Devoting his final day to this area, he caught all of his fish on a powder blue back chartreuse Strike King 6XD.
“I had a fun week; I honestly didn’t want to grab those fish today — I caught so many fish my hands were hurting,” Garrett chuckled. “I love (cranking); I just never got a good bite today.”
Nania leads the Central Open points standings with 200 points. Cochran is in second with 199, followed by Garrett with 198, Andy Hribar of Lakeville, Minn., with 197 and Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., with 196.
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year overall points standings with 553.
The Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted the event.
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Basspro.com
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at Pickwick Lake 4/29-5/1
Pickwick Lake, Counce TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 15 58-02 200 $53,750.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 18-10
2. Lonnie Cochran Section, AL 15 57-02 199 $25,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 25-03 Day 3: 5 13-05
3. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 56-11 198 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 16-03
4. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 15 54-09 197 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 17-00
5. Joseph Webster Winfield, AL 15 52-04 196 $13,050.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 17-02
6. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 15 50-01 195 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 13-13
7. James Rampey Liberty, SC 15 48-10 194 $11,250.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 13-13
8. Brent Crow Hartselle, AL 15 48-05 193 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 11-12
9. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 14 47-14 192 $8,250.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 20-01 Day 3: 4 11-12
10. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 47-11 191 $6,750.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 12-13
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 08-02 $750.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 146 934 2560-07
2 117 832 2265-10
3 9 49 146-03
———————————-
272 1815 4972-04
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Brent Chapman Jumps Out to Early Lead at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Stage Two at Lake Travis
Lake Quivira, Kansas Angler Leads After Day 1 of Qualifying Round Group A with 21 Bass Weighing 46 Pounds, 2 Ounces – Group B to Compete Saturday
AUSTIN, Texas (April 30, 2021) – Pro Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kansas, caught 21 bass totaling 46 pounds, 2 ounces, to grab the early lead in Qualifying Group A on Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury event. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission, features 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
Link to Photo of Qualifying Group A Leader Brent Chapman
Link to Video of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 1, Qualifying Group A
Chapman will bring a 5-pound, 6-ounce, lead into Sunday’s second day of competition for Group A. In second place on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard is General Tire pro Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, who has eight career victories – including a Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (then FLW Tour) win on Lake Travis in 2017 – who caught 16 bass weighing 40-12. Texas pro Alton Jones Jr. of Waco sits in third place, 19½ pounds back of Chapman with 16 bass weighing 26-10.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now enjoy a day off Saturday, while the 40 anglers in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A resumes competition on Sunday.
Chapman had a huge third period rally Thursday, catching 18 pounds in the final period alone to overtake Rose and never relinquish the lead. He did most of his damage with a vibrating jig, but he also added a few keepers with a squarebill crankbait.
“What a day. If someone had told me I’d be leading after Day 1 of this event, I’d have told them they were crazy,” Chapman said. “It just goes to show you what hard work in practice does. I had an absolute blast on the water today doing what I love to do.”
Chapman caught most of his fish fishing stained water in the back of a creek, an area that he said he found on a prior trip to Lake Travis.
“The last time I was here, I went way up the river and flipped a big worm and a jig and caught fish in the dirtier water,” Chapman said. “I went up there again, but the lake is nearly 12 feet lower than the last time, so I think I’m a little too early for that deal. I got into this little creek that I remembered – it has a little bit of an off-color to it – and caught several fish there during practice.
“The thing that is most intriguing to me about that spot is that I caught a 4 (pounder) and several 2½ (pounders), so it seems like the average fish in this creek is a little better than everywhere else. It just seems like it has all of the perfect ingredients. I’m really looking forward to getting back out here Sunday, it should be a fun one.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake Travis are:
1st: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 21 bass, 46-2
2nd: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 16 bass, 40-12
3rd: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, nine bass, 26-10
4th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 13 bass, 23-10
5th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 22-8
6th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, nine bass, 22-0
7th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 13 bass, 21-14
8th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 11 bass, 21-11
9th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., nine bass, 21-6
10th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 20-10
11th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 19-9
12th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, seven bass, 15-15
13th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., eight bass, 15-11
14th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., seven bass, 15-1
15th: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., five bass, 14-6
16th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., four bass, 14-5
17th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., eight bass, 13-13
18th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., seven bass, 12-1
19th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 11-15
20th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 11-7
| A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 244 bass weighing 526 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the 40 pros on Friday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounder and 11 4-pounders caught from Lake Travis. Russ Lane won Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 12-ounce largemouth on a swimbait during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament. The MLF Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission. The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT each day of competition from Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin. The General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park daily beginning at 3 p.m. As part of the event, fans will also be treated to the Hill Country Hangout at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock, Texas, on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event includes the opportunity to interact with Bass Pro Tour anglers, enjoy activities and special fan-only giveaways provided by MLF sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities in fishing seminars. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information on the Hill Country Hangout hosted by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship. The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
| About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF acquired FLW and rebranded it as MLF BIG5, which expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing |
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