THE LATEST NEWS
Zaldain Loves Big Baits and Toyota Bonus Bucks
At the recent Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Fork, Chris Zaldain’s penchant for launching 8 to 10” glide baits and swimbaits led to 93 pounds of largemouth, a 5th place finish, and a $3,000 bonus from the Toyota Bonus Bucks contingency program.
“I love Lake Fork because there are so many fish over 5-pounds that I can fish the way I love to fish most. I felt like I was truly fishing to win with every cast.” says Zaldain. “And while I fell a few places short, it’s always a good feeling when you find out you won the Toyota Bonus Bucks even though you didn’t win the tournament.”
Asked what he loves most about his Toyota Tundra, Zaldain quickly stated, “Pure reliability. I never have to worry about my Tundra getting me to the boat ramp when I turn the key every day at 4:30 in the morning, not to mention the long drives from Fort Worth to Florida, up to New York, and back home again.”
Much like Chris, you too can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks without winning your tournament. You just have to own or lease a 2017 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the hundreds of tournaments supported by the Program. To learn more, please visit www.toyotafishing.com.
The post Zaldain Loves Big Baits and Toyota Bonus Bucks appeared first on Bass365.com.
Becker Earns First Career Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Victory at Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 25, 2021) – Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces, to hold off a massive charge from local favorite Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity and win the four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 76-5 earned him the victory by a 2½-pound margin over Gagliardi and earned Becker the top prize of $137,500, including the lucrative $35,000 MLF Phoenix BIG5 Bonus.
“This has been years and years in the making,” said an emotional Becker on stage after being crowned champion. “I was really beginning to think that I couldn’t win. I’ve always been consistent, near the top of the standings. But I was really starting to doubt that I could win. Just to make a top 10 against this group of hammers is unbelievable. They always say when it’s your time, it’s your time. And man, did I live that this week.”
The 2018 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year started Day 1 of the event with a plan to target docks and sight-fish spawning bass. But, before doing that, Becker slotted in a little time to try a risky timing/herring-spawn pattern, and he ended up never changing. He kept hitting, and re-hitting, as many points as possible knowing that eventually the schools of bass would move shallow to feed.
“The spot I caught them Day 2, I had fished three times before I caught them,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”
Becker said his key baits throughout the week were a couple of different soft-plastic jerkbaits, with the Googan Baits Dart (Green Gizzard Shad) being his best option. He rigged the Dart on rigged on a TroKar TK 180 hook with a TroKar TK 300 treble hook as a stinger. He threw that on a 7-foot, 5-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Hex rod, Favorite Fishing Soleus XCS reel and 15-pound-test Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.
“All week, the little things just always lined up,” Becker said. “Today, I pulled into a cove and I got this overwhelming feeling I was going to go to the first point and catch a 3 ½-pounder, and then I’d go to the second point and catch another 3 ½-pounder. And that’s exactly what happened. That pretty much got me the win.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Murray finished are:
1st: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 20 bass, 76-5, $137,500
2nd: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 73-13, $30,000
3rd: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 71-8, $25,000
4th: Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 68-2, $20,000
5th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 64-13, $19,000
6th: Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 20 bass, 64-9, $18,500
7th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 63-10, $17,000
8th: Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., 20 bass, 63-0, $16,000
9th: Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 18 bass, 60-2, $15,000
10th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 17 bass, 57-9, $14,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 46 bass weighing 151 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, June 4-9, are Matt Becker, David Williams, Tai Au and Evan Barnes.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray air on a two-hour action-packed television show that premieres on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray was hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Grundéns Stop 4 Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama, May 13-16, 2021.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advanced to Sunday where the winner was determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About MLF BIG5
MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers.
The post Becker Earns First Career Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Victory at Stop 3 at Lake Murray appeared first on Bass365.com.
Monster Bag Lifts Livesay To Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Lake Fork
QUITMAN, Texas — For three days, Lee Livesay caught quality fish, but nothing close to the Lake Fork potential he intimately knows. On Championship Sunday, the third-year Elite Series pro and local guide showcased his home lake’s treasures by winning the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a phenomenal four-day total of 112 pounds, 5 ounces.
Lee Livesay, of Longview, Texas, has won the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a four-day total of 112 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
As the 32nd individual to enter the prestigious Bassmaster Century Club (a five-fish limit of 100 pounds or more), Livesay outpaced Day 1 leader Patrick Walters by a 10-pound margin. Along with his second Elite trophy — his first came last fall at Chickamauga Lake — Livesay won a first-place award of $100,000.
For Livesay, it was a monster final-day limit that weighed 42-3 and ranks as the third-heaviest, single-day weight in Bassmaster history that sealed the deal.
“I have no words right now, it’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been around them, but I haven’t caught any big ones all week; I just survived. Everything just worked out and it never goes like that.”
Hailing from Longview, Texas, Livesay made no assumptions and fished hard until the last minute. But when the smallest bass in your five-fish limit goes 7 pounds, 6 ounces, good things are likely.
“I caught big ones everywhere I went,” he said. “I started off with big ones (a 9-2 at 7:14 a.m.) and ended with big ones (7-14 at 1:10 p.m.). It was just one of those surreal days, and it was amazing because I’ve spent a lot of time on this lake.”
Spending his tournament in Little Caney Creek, Livesay rotated among several secondary points where bass were chasing big gizzard shad. His main spot — a bar extending off a small island — allowed him to sneak into range of bass schooling on the opposite side without spooking them.
Throughout the tournament, Livesay caught fish on a mixed arsenal that included a 3:16 Lure Company line-through Rising Son swimbait, a 3:16 Lure Company Work Horse glidebait, a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, a Carolina rig with a Netbait Little Spanky, a 6th Sense Magnum Squarebill and a bone color Heddon Saltwater Super Spook.
On Sunday, the latter produced all of his weight fish. A 7-foot medium-heavy Halo HFX cranking rod and 40-pound braided line was essential for reaching distant fish and keeping them connected.
“Those fish are wanting to feed up and they’re seeing so many swimbaits, they’re just not eating them,” he said. “I kept getting bites and I kept throwing it.
“Working that big topwater really erratic and just getting them to react was the deal. I think they really think it’s a shad.”
Livesay kept himself in the hunt all week, starting with a seventh-place bag of 25-6 on Day 1. He slipped two spots on Day 2 after catching 17-14, but put himself within striking distance on Semifinal Saturday by adding 26-14 and improving to fifth.
Overcoming the hometown curse — succumbing to the pressure of local expectations — made Livesay’s victory even sweeter.
“I’ve spent thousands of days with clients and fun fishing on this lake,” Livesay said. “I never thought I had it. I knew I was around them, but I never thought I’d catch 42 pounds.
“So, doing it in front of family and friends, and a lot of sponsors were here, too, it’s just amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Notably, Walters claimed his second Century Club belt after earning his first at last November’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a four-day Lake Fork total of 104-12.
Hailing from Summerville, S.C., Walters started strong this week by leading Day 1 with 32-14. He slipped to third on Day 2 with a smaller limit of 15-7.
Walters got back on track Saturday with 22-13 and reached the final round in fourth place. Adding 31-3 Sunday, he tallied 102-5 and was the only competitor to break 30 pounds twice.
He did most of his work at the mouth of Little Caney where prespawners were staging on the breaks. Leveraging his forward-facing Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, he fished a mix of jerkbaits, swimbaits and topwaters.
After a slow start, Walters got rolling with a midmorning rally that produced several big topwater bites. He steadily chipped away at the lead Livesay had built for much of the morning until the leader’s midday rally put the event out of reach.
“If you’re going to get beat on Lake Fork, it has to be a 40-pound bag,” Walters said. “Big hats off to Lee, he is the man. I had a great week; I really do love this place.”
Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., held the second-place spot for the first three days and finished third with 99-6. He turned in daily weights of 28-15, 25-13, 19-4 and 25-6.
Cappo targeted shallow areas with shell bottom in Caney Creek looking for submerged root masses, where deflecting a Strike King KVD 4.0 squarebill triggered strikes. When bass drove gizzard shad topside, he threw a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater.
“The topwater came into play huge today, as expected,” he said. “One to 3 o’clock has been my window. I was just pacing around, hitting as much as I could and looking for bait activity.
“When that water temperature got warm throughout the day, they would come up and get active. And when the wind pushed those shad against the bank, they showed themselves.”
Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 9-13 largemouth. He also won $1,000 for the biggest bass of Day 2. Walters claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors for Days 1 and 4 (8-14 and 9-5), while Australian pro Carl Jocumsen took the award on Day 3 with a 9-5.
Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned $2,500 for being the highest-placing entrant, while Cappo claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 436 points. Walters is in second with 432, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 387, Livesay with 385 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 384.
Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 333 points.
The tournament was hosted by the Sabine River Authority and Wood County Economic Development Commission.
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala
2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO
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 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 4/22-4/25
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 112-05 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 26-14 Day 4: 5 42-03
2. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 102-05 99 $37,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-14 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 22-13 Day 4: 5 31-03
3. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 20 99-06 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 28-15 Day 2: 5 25-13 Day 3: 5 19-04 Day 4: 5 25-06
4. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 20 97-03 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-06 Day 2: 5 28-01 Day 3: 5 21-10 Day 4: 5 20-02
5. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 19 93-00 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 29-03 Day 4: 4 21-02
6. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 86-11 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 22-11 Day 4: 5 20-15
7. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 20 83-14 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 33-03 Day 3: 5 18-07 Day 4: 5 17-03
8. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 20 83-10 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 21-13 Day 4: 5 15-02
9. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 80-14 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 22-07 Day 4: 5 18-10
10. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 20 80-03 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 20-00 Day 4: 5 16-01
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 08-14 $1,000.00
2 Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 09-13 $1,000.00
3 Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA09-05 $1,000.00
4 Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 09-05 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 09-13 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 477 1782-15
2 69 415 1377-10
3 41 229 847-03
4 9 49 227-15
———————————-
209 1170 4235-11
The post Monster Bag Lifts Livesay To Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Lake Fork appeared first on Bass365.com.
Florida Pro Kept Finding Gold on Wright Patman to the Tune of $50,000.
Texarkana, Texas – Keith Carson started the event with 25-pounds on day one, followed that up with 22-pounds, 4-ounces on day two, and brought 20-pounds, 6-ounces to the scale on Showdown Saturday. His 4-day total of 67-pounds, 10-ounces gives Carson his first NPFL win and he did it in dominant fashion.
By Justin Brouillard | Photos Tanner & Travis Lyons
Carson employed a run and gun pattern this week on Wright Patman after scrapping his entire practice early on day one. With the water falling, Carson reverted to pure instinct and never looked back. The Debary, Florida pro rotated through a Texas rig and chatterbait all week to catch his fish and the final day once again proves how dialed in Carson was.
“This morning, I has no idea where I was going to start. I had been starting on new water every day and on different parts of the creek. Today, the wind changed and blew out of the North West. I pulled up on a wind-blown bank. I had not fished here all week but I was feeling it.”
On his first two casts, his Abu Garcia rod loaded up but the fish got off. Ten casts later, another bite and another lost fish. Carson believed the fish were not bass, but picked up a flipping bait to keep it honest.
“I flipped that bait in and bam. I caught a 4-pounder and realized they were bass. That was the only fish I could get off that point. I went flipping and was getting bites every fifteen minutes but they were all small. I caught another 4.5 around 9am, and at that point I started to feel good.”
Two hours later, Carson had no bites and another instinct decision lead him back to the chatterbait and those wind-blown points.
“I went by a bush I have been fishing all week and it was all dry. I knew I had to make a move. I put that chatterbait in my hand with the Berkley Meaty Chunk trailer and basically caught all my weight that way. I only hooked about 50% of the fish I had bite for whatever reason but it didn’t matter.”
Carson used Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier casting rods all week – 7’3” medium-heavy for the chatterbait and a 7’6” heavy rod for flipping bushes. Spooled with 50-pound X5 braid, Carson relied on Abu Garcia Revo Premier reels in 7.3:1 gear ratio. The big key, the size of his flipping weight.
“I was flipping a 1-ounce tungsten all week. I said differently earlier in the week because I didn’t want that to get out. That weight allowed me to fly around and get that bait anywhere I wanted quickly. I was able to cover way more water while still fishing thoroughly.”
Nick Prvonozac
Nick Prvonozac once again finds himself at the top of the leaderboard in NPFL competition. The Warren, Ohio pro tallied 58-pounds, 4-ounces of Wright Patman bass anchored by his 23-pound day one. Jumping one spot from 3rd place, Prvonozac’s 16-pound, 6-ounce effort on day three landed him in 2nd place this week.
“On the first two days, I caught fish steadily but they were the right quality. Today, I started in an area that I had not hit since day one. The water had fallen so much and I never got settled in. I moved around and made it to an area I was catching some smaller fish before, missed a big one and caught a small keeper.”
Prvonozac made a move to where he ended day two and caught the rest of his weight. The final day was a lot slower for the Ohio angler but his 3-day total put him a pound ahead of the next closest competitor.
“That area I ended on today was special. It has a bit cleaner water and lots of isolated cover off the bank – that was the key. I flipped a Yum Wooly Bug all week paired with a 5/16th weight.
Sheldon Collings
Sheldon Collings combined increasing bags of 16-pounds, 12 ounces on day one, 18-pounds, 14-ounces on day two, and a final day weight of 21-pounds, 8-ounces to slide into the 3rd place spot. Jumping from 12th place on the final day, the Grove, Oklahoma pro weighed the biggest bag on the final day.
Michael Yoder
Texarkana’s own, Michael Yoder yielded a 20-pound bag on the final day to give him a 3-day total of 55-pounds, 12-ounces and a cool 4th place finish on Wright Patman. With more experience than any other competitor, Yoder has a decision to make this week and he executed it flawlessly, almost.
“My simple game plan this week was to keep a bait wet in the area with the biggest population on the lake. All those fish were in a certain section of the lake and with the falling water and muddy water, that cut off 40% of the lake.”
Yoder knew he could go for gold, or semi play it safe. Avoiding the hero or zero, Yoder grinded all week and kept a 6th Sense bait in his hand and flipped his way to what he calls a blessing of a week.
“I could have easily won, or easily lost. I am very fortunate and blessed to have the type of event I has. The lake was fishing hard and I am thrilled with a top 10. The one thing I wish I could do over would be to spend more time in the main lake in practice.”
Yoder gambled and spent too much time in the river, trying to force a bite that was dying. With more time in the main lake, and an executed big bite, things could have been different.
“I have caught and weighed about 27 bass over ten pounds on this lake. On day two, I lost one that was between 8.5 and 10-pounds. That fish would have culled a small fish and I knew right then my shot to win was gone.”
Yoder credits 6th Sense baits for his week, flipping a Stroke and Pawn soft plastic to catch most of his fish. He mixed in a little chatterbait and a little frog and wanted to thank Garmin Electronics and Jones Trolling Motor as well.
Cody Ryan Greaney
Cody Ryan Greaney rallied on two 20-pounds bags the last 2 days to jump inside the top 5 with a total weight of 55-pounds, 10-ounces. Starting the day in the 16th spot, the Texas pro jumped to 5th place riding a bite he found on day two.
“I basically scratched my practice after day one. There were so many people where I wanted to fish, I couldn’t get into a groove. I should have had over 20-pounds on day one also but everyone was losing them so it definitely happens fishing around bushes.
Getting away from other anglers, Greaney went junk fishing, rotating between 8 or 10 rods and just started plucking them off one at a time. Fishing what looked good, a key timeframe was when things started to click.
“I had a magic hour; I could call my shots on the main lake. I was fishing windblown points with a spinnerbait and ended up catching a giant.”
On the final day, the weather threw another curve ball. Going back to the points, Greaney noticed the water has changed and two small bites has him looking to make moves.
“I stopped on a shad spawn deal and caught a good one. I happened to look over and noticed my best flipping stretch had nobody on t and I went right there.”
The rest is history as Greaney caught 20-pounds, 5-ounces to end his event.
“I want to thank my family and my lord and savior. He allowed us all to fish this week and kept us safe. My sponsors, Keystone Bank and Kids Outdoor Zone, I couldn’t do any of this without them.”
Shawn Murphy
Shawn Murphy made the biggest jump on the final day going from 19th after two days to the 6th place spot with a 20-pound, 14-ounce bag on day three. His 3-day total of 55-pounds, 6-ounces came by fishing high pressure areas and working a different presentation behind the “flippers.”
“I caught my fish by fishing behind anglers and getting baits way back up into the bushes. I swapped between a ½-ounce spinnerbait and a ½-ounce Buckeye Lures swim jig, both black and blue color.”
The Nicholasville, Kentucky pro stayed in one creek all week but scrambled on the final day and ran new after away from other anglers.
“At 11:30 am, I had 11-pounds or so and made a move across the lake and found them on mud banks with single laydown trees. I caught all my weight on those trees. Big thanks to Kentucky Sonar, Day’s Boat Sales, Mercury, Lowrance, and Power Pole.”
Josh Ray
Josh Ray relied on strong days one and two to go with his 14-pound, 6-ounce limit today. With a 3-day total of 55-pounds, 2-ounce, the Alexander, Arkansas pro ended his event in 7th place.
Eddie Carper
Eddie Carper tallied increasing bags all three days to finish in 8th place. Moving from the 17th spot, Carper brought 19-pounds, 13-ounces to the scales and ended with a 3-day total of 54-pounds, 14 ounces.
“I didn’t make any changes this week. I stuck to my guns and flipped bushes with a green pumpkin brush hog and 5/16th ounce Woo Tungsten. I flipped 25-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and my Kistler rods got them out of the thick stuff. The only thing that changed was the win and it made the water dirtier than it was.”
Missing some small fish on the final day, Carper landed a key bass early on to get him in a groove.
“I flipped a root wad and saw a fish flash. I dropped down and let her eat it good. I set the hook and went to boat flip it. Little did I know but she was over 6 and it bounced off the rub rail and back into the drink. Thankfully I was able to get her in the boat.”
The Valliant, Oklahoma pro had one big bass and 3 rats for the longest time and about noon time landed a 4-pounder to help his bag. He kept moving on points and caught another big one.
“That 5-pounder was about it. I had one small fish I couldn’t get rid of but I want to thank Rugged Products for sending us to Texarkana with a pile of stuff to give away to the anglers and fans. They make a variety of things, sun block, bug spray, skin care products and it is all natural.”
Marc Schilling
Texas angler Marc Schilling brought 19-pounds, 14-ounces to the scale on the final day to give him a 3-day total of 54-pounds, 1-ounce. Too many lost fish cost him a chance for the win on day two, but several key changes lead to a top 10 finish here at Wrigt Patman.
“Today I began by getting two 4-pounders on a spinnerbait and then I swapped to the spinning rod. I landed three of the six 5-pound bites I got on the senko and that was basically the day.”
The first day, Schilling got his fish flipping and day two saw the spinnerbait get the most action. Looking for fish in spawning coves, the Texas pro just kept moving.
“There were too many guys in my areas and I just fished a lot of new water. I want to thank my sponsors, SEI Roofing, Mercury, Up River Rod Sleeves, Power Pole, Sartin Marine, South Western Parts and Service, and of course, my lovely girlfriend.”
Brian Hatfield
Brian Hatfield brought in 19-pounds, 10-ounces on the final day to round out the top 10 with a 3-day total of 53-pounds, 15-ounces.
The post Florida Pro Kept Finding Gold on Wright Patman to the Tune of $50,000. appeared first on Bass365.com.
Pennsylvania’s Becker Extends Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 24, 2021) – Pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, padded his Day 2 lead Saturday, bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces to remain in control of the leaderboard after Day 3 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s three-day total of 15 bass for 58-10 will give him a 7-pound, 4-ounce cushion heading into the fourth and final day of competition.
Pro Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tennessee, held on to second place with four bass weighing 13 pounds even, for a three-day total of 51-6. Rookie Tai Au of Glendale, Arizona, jumped from 24th place into 9th on Day 3 with a five-bass limit weighing 17-11, while pro Cody Huff of Ava, Missouri, made the biggest leap from 39th place, barely squeezing into the 10th spot by a mere ounce.
With more than a 7-pound lead, Becker is set up nicely for championship Sunday and with the current weather forecast, it seems the sun – and his herring-spawn streak – will continue to shine. However, with a stacked field in the top 10, Becker said he is hedging his excitement and focused on hard fishing on championship Sunday.
“It doesn’t really matter to be in the lead now,” said Becker. “Some of the best fishermen in the world are right behind me – [Anthony] Gagliardi, the hottest fisherman in the world right now Michael Neal – those are some real hammers and they’re right behind me.”
Despite the weather change and rainy conditions Saturday, the 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year continued his risk versus reward pattern, hitting the edges of points in hopes of finding schooling fish – a pattern that once again kept him at the front of the pack.
“I caught a lot more small fish today, and didn’t catch as many,” said Becker. “I caught three in 10 minutes in the morning and only had two small flurries where I caught three in three casts right before the last storms hit this afternoon. It was not as hot and heavy as it has been, but I’m hoping it was just the weather.”
Becker said once the rain started coming down hard, he was basically just wasting time – time he didn’t have to waste if he wanted to hold on to his lead.
“It was crowded [on the points today], and I got in a bad rotation,” said Becker. “There was a boat on a lot of the spots I wanted to fish. Fortunately, we cut 40 guys after today, so hopefully that opens the lake up more.”
Becker said now it’s just a matter of finishing strong.
“I can’t look in the rearview mirror,” said Becker. “I just have to go out and do my thing. All that really matters is that I catch them because the other guys will really have to catch them to pass me. Hopefully the sun pops out, the fish bite, and I sack up another 17 to 20 pounds to seal the deal.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Lake Murray are:
1st: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 58-10
2nd: Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 14 bass, 51-6
3rd: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-6
4th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 51-4
5th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 51-2
6th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-9
7th: Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 50-0
8th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 49-11
9th: Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 49-1
10th: Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., 15 bass, 49-1
Anglers finishing 11th through 20th are:
11th: Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 14 bass, 49-0, $11,000
12th: Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-11, $11,000
13th: Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 15 bass, 48-8, $11,000
14th: Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 48-8, $11,000
15th: Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisc., 15 bass, 48-4, $11,000
16th: Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, 15 bass, 48-1, $11,000
17th: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 15 bass, 46-5, $11,000
18th: Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-5, $11,000
19th: Mike McClelland of Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 46-1, $11,000
20th: Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 14 bass, 46-0, $11,000
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 222 bass weighing 632 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 50 pros Saturday. The catch included 36 five-bass limits.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Now, the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advance to Sunday where the winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
The final 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-in will also be held at the park on Sunday at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-in will be streamed and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Sunday, April 25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About MLF BIG5
MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers.
The post Pennsylvania’s Becker Extends Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 3 at Lake Murray appeared first on Bass365.com.