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Jacob Wheeler Catches 7½-Pound Largemouth to Earn $50K, Final 10 Set for Championship Round atHeavy Hitters
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 13, 2021) – One fish. $50,000. Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, boated a 7-pound, 8-ounce, largemouth Tuesday afternoon on Shearon Harris Reservoir, the largest fish of the day, to win $50,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Raleigh, North Carolina. Wheeler finished the day in 2nd place and punched his ticket straight to Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round.
Morgan Wins Knockout Round to Advance, $100,000 Top Prize and $100,000 Big Bass Bonus Up for Grabs on Wednesday
Link to Photo of Knockout Round Big Bass Winner Jacob Wheeler
Link to Photo of Knockout Round Winner Andy Morgan
Link to Photo Gallery of Highlights from Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir
“50 g’s, heck yeah, that is unreal,” Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “That will be a fish that I remember for the rest of my life. I was cruising down the bank and when I saw that fish, I literally stopped and was like ‘Whoa, that’s a $50,000 bass.’ It took me about 45 minutes trying to figure out how to catch her, and it was pretty dang awesome when I did.”
Wheeler caught the big bass on a Googan Baits Lunker Log, although he credited a different bait as being his key for the day.
“The (Googan) Bandito Bug was the big player for me today and I caught several of my fish doing that,” Wheeler said. “But, I also caught a couple, including the big ‘un, on the Lunker Log.
“I got really close to winning here two years ago, and I’d love to try to take home the title and get a little pay back on this lake this time around. So far, after today, it’s treating me pretty solid. Shearon Harris… I love you.”
Joining Wheeler in the Championship Round will be pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, who won Tuesday’s Knockout Round with 15 bass weighing 46 pounds, 11 ounces.
“It was a great day for me, and well beyond my expectations,” said Morgan. “It was pretty simple fishing – just looking for spawning fish. They were up super-shallow, right around the bank. Weed clumps, trees, logs – whatever they could get around.
“I caught them on just a couple of baits,” Morgan continued. “I threw a ½-ounce Strike King Thunder Cricket with a chartreuse and white-colored Zoom Swimmer on the back. I also caught them flipping a Zoom Brush Hog and a Zoom Z-Craw . Some of the fish were actually feeding – those ones I’d catch on the Cricket. The bass that I caught flipping were primarily all spawning.”
Morgan fished the Thunder Cricket on a 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Big Sexy casting rod, paired with a Lew’s 6:3:1 reel and spooled with 16-pound fluorocarbon line. For his flipping setup, he Texas-rigged the creature baits and threw them on a Favorite Fishing Pro Series The GOAT rod paired with an 8:3:1 Lew’s Flipping and Pitching reel and 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Qualifying Round winners Fletcher Shryock and Bryan Thrift, along with the top eight anglers from Tuesday’s Knockout Round, competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000. In addition to the tournament purse, a $100,000 Big Bass Bonus will be awarded to the angler that lands the single biggest fish on the final day.
The top eight pros from the Knockout Round that advanced to Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are:
1st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-11
2nd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 13 bass, 41-6
3rd: Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas, 13 bass, 39-6
4th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 12 bass, 36-15
5th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 10 bass, 35-8
6th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., nine bass, 30-3
7th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-13
8th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, nine bass, 29-13
Eliminated from competition after the Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are:
9th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., eight bass, 27-7, $4,000
10th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., eight bass, 27-0, $4,000
11th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., seven bass, 24-5, $4,000
12th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., seven bass, 19-15, $4,000
13th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 17-9, $4,000
14th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., four bass, 15-5, $4,000
15th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 13-5, $4,000
16th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., three bass, 8-12, $4,000
17th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., three bass, 6-12, $4,000
18th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., one bass, 2-15, $4,000
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 143 bass weighing 453 pounds even caught by the 18 pros on Tuesday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounders and seven 5-pounders caught from Shearon Harris Reservoir.
The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. The anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advanced to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the Championship Round action from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Wednesday. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. 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 General Tire Heavy Hitters, 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
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.
In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
The post Jacob Wheeler Catches 7½-Pound Largemouth to Earn $50K, Final 10 Set for Championship Round atHeavy Hitters appeared first on Bass365.com.
Hooked Hands at Heavy Hitters
While long-time friends Boyd Duckett and Dean Rojas both qualified for the Knockout Round of MLF’s Heavy Hitters event in Raleigh, North Carolina, both of them experienced painful injuries that cost them some competition time! At the start of the day, Boyd hooked not one, but both of his hands with a single crankbait. He had to call Dean back to their rental house to help him separate his hands before he could compete on Jordan Lake. Hours later, Dean also ended up with a hook in his hand. He had to come off the lake for medical attention because the treble hook was buried in his fingers.
The post Hooked Hands at Heavy Hitters appeared first on Bass365.com.
Thrift Tops Qualifying Round Group B at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 12, 2021) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, caught five scorable bass totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces to win the two-day Qualifying Group B round Monday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops . Thrift’s two-day total of 18 bass weighing 62 pounds, 6 ounces earned him the round win by an 11-pound, 14-ounce margin and advances him straight into Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round of competition. The six-day all-star event in Raleigh, North Carolina, showcases 40 of the best bass anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $535,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner and Big Bass Bonuses of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in each round of competition.
North Carolina Pro Weighs Two-Day Total of 18 Bass for 62 Pounds, 6 Ounces To Top Group B, 18 Anglers Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round
Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group B Winner Bryan Thrift
Link to Photo Gallery of Highlights from Qualifying Group B Day 2 on Falls Lake
“It was kind of a long, frustrating day for me,” Thrift said in his post-game interview. “I’ve been stressed out since lines in this morning at 7:30, but luckily I caught enough and now I get to skip the Knockout Round and go straight to the Championship Round to fish for 200 grand, and that is an amazing feeling.”
The fishing on Monday at Falls Lake was different than competitors faced there on Saturday.
“I only managed to get five scorable bites all day,” Thrift said. “The good thing is that it was enough to extend my lead, and I had a little bit of a cushion all day long,” Thrift continued. “My Plan A – a white frog – only got me one bite. Luckily, I had a little backup plan – fishing rockpiles offshore with a Texas rig in 1½- to 3-feet of water, and I ended up catching four bass doing that and kind of saved my day.
“I’m not sure why, but it was a lot different than Day 1,” Thrift continued. “The water came up, and the carp were up spawning and thrashing around in the bushes. I’m not sure if it spooked the bass or what was happening, but I just did the best I could with what we had. I’m so thankful that I had a backup plan with the Texas rig. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure them out again, one more day, on Shearon Harris.”
Erie, Pennsylvania pro Dave Lefebre won the Group B $25,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus award Monday when he boated an 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth in Period 3 on a soft stickbait. A $50,000 payout will be awarded to the angler that catches the largest bass of the day Tuesday, and $100,000 will be awarded to the angler that catches the heaviest bass on Championship Wednesday.
“I caught one bass Saturday on a soft stickbait, so I knew that they would bite it, but it definitely was not on my radar before the tournament began,” Lefebre said. “A frog got me most of my bites on Day 1 but today with the post-frontal conditions and the bluebird skies, that bite totally died. So, I put down the frog and picked up the stickbait and I am so glad that I did.”
Although Lefebre did not divulge the brand name of his worm, he did offer some tips on how he fished it.
“It was green-pumpkin-colored, with red-and-black flake,” the Pennsylvania pro said. “I like to rough them up before I even take them out of the package, especially when I’m fishing in muddier water. I went to a longer rod, just from my experiences on the first day. These fish swim at you 100 miles per hour when they bite, so I’m just trying to make sure I get that hookset in them and that definitely helped.
“I also went down to a lighter weight – 3/16-ounce – and a smaller 3/0 hook,” Lefebre continued. “I didn’t skimp on the line, though. I stayed up there with the 20-pound test. Overall, I’m really happy about how my day turned out and it was a great day of fishing on Falls Lake.”
With the Qualifying Round now complete, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from each group advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir. The Knockout Round will feature 18 anglers competing to finish in the top eight. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Qualifying Round winners Fletcher Shryock and Bryan Thrift, along with the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
The top 10 pros from Qualifying Group B that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 18 bass, 62-6 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)
2nd: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 14 bass, 50-8
3rd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 49-15
4th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 14 bass, 48-5
5th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 12 bass, 44-1
6th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 11 bass, 37-8
7th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 13 bass, 36-12
8th: Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas, 11 bass, 36-3
9th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 31-6
10th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-9
Finishing in 11th through 20th in Qualifying Group B are:
11th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 12 bass, 28-12
12th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., eight bass, 27-9
13th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, nine bass, 26-7
14th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, eight bass, 21-15
15th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 21-8
16th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., seven bass, 17-10
17th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., six bass, 15-11
18th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., four bass, 15-4
19th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 14-8
20th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., three bass, 8-10
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 83 bass weighing 268 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 19 pros on Monday, which included one 8-pounder, one 7-pounder, three 6-pounders and two 5-pounders caught from Falls Lake.
The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. Now, with each two-day qualifying round completed, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. On the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. 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 General Tire Heavy Hitters, 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
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.
In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing
The post Thrift Tops Qualifying Round Group B at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops appeared first on Bass365.com.
Jason Christie Earns Sixth Bassmaster Win At Sabine River Elite
ORANGE, Texas — Sticking with a bold plan, but making key adjustments was the winning formula for Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., whose four-day total of 43 pounds, 15 ounces topped the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
With a four-day total of 43 pounds, 15 ounces, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., has won the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Claiming his sixth Bassmaster victory, Christie posted his best effort on Day 1 with a second-place limit of 15-1. He took over the top spot on Friday by adding 13-14 and held that position on Day 3 with a limit of 6-12. He closed the deal with a Championship Sunday limit that weighed 8-4.
After entering the final round with a 15-ounce lead over Day 1 leader Brock Mosley, Christie edged Mosley by a margin of 1-6.
For four days, Christie committed the majority of his time to a narrow creek about two hours upriver from takeoff. Locating the spot in practice, Christie recognized its mix of shallow wood and cut banks as prime bass habitat, while the distant run discouraged all but one competitor from fishing the area.
“There’s a lot of backwaters downriver from this area, but then there’s like a 20-mile stretch where there’s nothing until you get to this spot,” Christie said. “The first two days of the event it was super treacherous to run; there were logs, sandbars, stuff like that. That’s what kept people from going up there.”
After two strong days of skillfully picking apart the visible cover, Christie returned to his spot on Day 3 to find it 6 to 7 feet deeper. Increased water releases from Toledo Bend Dam swelled the upper Sabine and inundated his creek.
“Before the water came up, there were isolated targets and it wasn’t hard,” Christie said. “But once it came up, it was almost impossible. That’s why today I ran as far up that thing as I could.
“The further you get, the banks get higher and there wasn’t as much back flow coming from the river. That was my goal today — to get to where I could keep the fish between the bank and me.”
Knowing his best option was covering water quickly, Christie relied on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white/blue Booyah Covert spinnerbait with tandem nickel and gold Colorado blades. This bait equally appealed to the creek’s largemouth and spotted bass.
“With the largemouth, you had to lay it on the bank; it’s almost like their backs would be out of the water,” Christie said. “The spotted bass would be in the current around the eddies.”
While Christie’s 21-foot XPress aluminum boat was ideal for the shallow habitat he fished, fuel management was essential for ensuring he could make the return trip. After a strong Day 1 performance, he had to allow for the weight of a cameraperson and gear.
Removing approximately 150 pounds of tackle and 14 of his usual 20 rods helped, but Christie noted that the higher water of Days 3 and 4 slightly reduced his fuel consumption by allowing him to safely run a straighter course through the Sabine’s many turns.
Carefully calculating his fuel plan and running time, Christie allowed himself a generous return window each day. Reaching the takeoff area with approximately an hour to spare, he flipped shallow targets with a black/blue flake YUM Spine Craw.
On Sunday, that strategy allowed him to make two small culls that contributed to his winning margin.
Hailing from Collinsville, Miss., Mosley tallied a four-day total of 42-9. After taking the Day 1 lead with 15-10 — the event’s heaviest bag — Mosley held the second-place spot for the tournament’s remainder with weights of 12-4, 6-14 and 7-13.
The first three days, Mosley ran 110 miles west to fish Clear Creek on the east side of metro Houston. There, he did most of his work with a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
Mosley, who also placed second at the previous Elite on Pickwick Lake, switched his strategy and stayed closed to takeoff where he allowed himself maximum fishing time. Starting his day with a reaction bite inspired hope for a big outcome, but the opportunities never materialized.
“I caught my first fish on a spinnerbait and then I thought it was game-on, but I never got another bite on it,” he said. “I ended up catching my limit by flipping a Yamamoto Flappin Hog, then I picked up a frog and went to Adams Bayou. I had the bites, they just never connected.
“At 2:40, I came back up by takeoff and threw the ChatterBait. I had a big one pull off and that kind of stings. I fished as hard as I could; I have no regrets.”
Taku Ito of Chiba, Japan, finished third with 40-12. Turning in a solid performance that accelerated in the second half, Ito caught limits of 9-2, 8-5, 12-4 and 11-1. As he explained, the tough fishing of his Japanese home waters prepared him to capitalize on the late-day downturns, during which he excelled.
“Most anglers are good at catching feeding fish on ChatterBaits, flipping, spinnerbait; but I don’t like shallow fishing, I don’t like power fishing, I don’t like cover — I like finesse fishing,” Ito said. “The afternoon is tough. The current stops, it’s sunny — that’s good for me.”
Targeting the shady areas of a broken bridge near takeoff, Ito caught his bass on Nories Sankaku-T-San (a T-shaped soft-plastic bait) rigged on a 2/0 Ryugi Infini hook with a 3/16- to 1/4-ounce nail weight. His final-round limit included a 3-pounder at 12:20 p.m. and a 3-14 at 2:40.
Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 6-6.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 341 points, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 333, Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 317. Christie with 303 and Mosley with 302.
Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 261 points.
Christie took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Mosley earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Christie also earned $4,000 for winning while Ito claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
The tournament was hosted by the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce.
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 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S. 4/8-4/11
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 20 43-15 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 06-12 Day 4: 5 08-04
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 42-09 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 06-14 Day 4: 5 07-13
3. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 20 40-12 98 $32,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 12-04 Day 4: 5 11-01
4. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 39-15 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 10-11 Day 4: 5 07-12
5. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 20 39-14 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 11-10 Day 4: 5 10-14
6. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 39-07 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 10-02 Day 4: 5 08-11
7. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 20 38-01 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-09 Day 3: 5 11-06 Day 4: 5 07-07
8. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 20 37-06 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 11-12 Day 4: 5 07-13
9. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 36-13 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 08-04 Day 4: 5 07-07
10. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 20 35-15 91 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 09-12 Day 3: 5 08-01 Day 4: 5 06-13
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 06-06 $1,000.00
2 KJ Queen Catawba, NC 04-06 $1,000.00
3 Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 04-10 $1,000.00
4 Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 03-07 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 06-06 $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 71 420 679-12
2 73 440 680-14
3 36 205 333-11
4 10 50 83-15
———————————-
190 1115 1778-04
The post Jason Christie Earns Sixth Bassmaster Win At Sabine River Elite appeared first on Bass365.com.
Fletcher Shryock Wins Qualifying Round for Group A at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 11, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops event certainly lived up to it’s billing, Sunday, as the best bass anglers in the world caught numerous big fish throughout the day on Jordan Lake that made for a very exciting broadcast for fishing fans. After the last fish had been tallied, pro Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Alabama , earned the Group A Qualifying Round victory, catching a two-day total of 23 bass weighing 88 pounds, 13 ounces, and punching his ticket directly into Wednesday’s Championship Round.
Alabama Pro Advances Straight into Wednesday’s Championship Round, 2nd- through 9th-place finishers Prep for Tuesday’s Knockout Round
Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group A Winner Fletcher Shryock
Link to Photo Gallery of Highlights from Qualifying Group A Day 2 on Lake Jordan
Shryock also won the $25,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus award Sunday after catching the biggest bass of the two-day Group A Qualifying Round, boating a giant 9-pound, 4-ounce largemouth that he caught flipping a Yamamoto Fat Ika right near the end of Period 2. Berkley Big Bass Bonuses are awarded throughout the competition, with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds.
“I had a pretty incredible day – not just because I won the round, but to catch that many big ones in one day was just awesome,” said Shryock, who earned the first Qualifying Round win of his MLF career. “I got to fish exactly the way that I like to fish, and catching a 9 (pounder) flipping bushes and willows and stuff like that, it just doesn’t happen a lot. These lakes are incredible.”
Shryock said his key bait Sunday was the Yamamoto Fat Ika, fished on a prototype Favorite Fishing rod – expected to launch this year at ICAST – with 40-pound Vicious braided line.
“I came out today really just trying to stay inside the top-10 cut, but the next thing I knew it was 5-pounder, 4-pounder, 4-pounder, and I just worked my way up the leaderboard. Today was just a great day of fishing, and winning $25,000 and going straight to the Championship Round just makes it that much sweeter.”
Pro Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, also had a special day. After catching just two bass on Friday and ending the first day of competition in dead-last 20th place, Rojas skyrocketed up the leaderboard Sunday, boating 15 bass weighing 57-11 to end the day inside the Toro Cut Line in 6th place and advance to the Knockout Round with a two-day total of 17 bass for 63-5.
“I had a great day today, a day that you dream about, especially in competition,” Rojas said. “Especially after only catching five pounds on the first day. Coming back and catching 55 pounds today, what an awesome dream day. And there is no better time to do it than today to move on to the Knockout Round at Heavy Hitters.”
The 10 anglers advancing from Group A will have a day off Monday, while the 20 anglers in Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. The Knockout Round, featuring 18 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place on Tuesday. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Shryock, Monday’s Group B Qualifying Round winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
The top 10 pros from Qualifying Group A that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are:
1st: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 88-13 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)
2nd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 22 bass, 76-5
3rd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 66-13
4th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 17 bass, 64-9
5th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 17 bass, 64-4
6th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 17 bass, 63-5
7th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 17 bass, 60-7
8th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 14 bass, 53-12
9th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-9
10th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas., 15 bass, 51-4
Finishing in 11th through 20th in Qualifying Group A are:
11th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 12 bass, 47-4
12th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 14 bass, 46-13
13th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 13 bass, 43-3
14th: Mike Iaconelli, Runnemede, N.J., 15 bass, 41-13
15th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 11 bass, 36-2
16th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 11 bass, 36-1
17th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 12 bass, 35-6
18th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 29-4
19th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., six bass, 23-3
20th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 16-7
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 113 bass weighing 405 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 19 pros on Sunday, which included one 9-pounders, two 8-pounders, one 7-pounder and three 6-pounders caught from Jordan Lake.
The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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.
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