THE LATEST NEWS

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 14, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the stage Friday weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. Lucas’ four-day total of 20 bass weighing 79-2 gave him the victory by just one ounce over the No. 1 ranked angler in the world, second-place pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and earned Lucas the top prize of $160,000, including the lucrative $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the first pro-level win of Lucas’ career in FLW competition.

“I’m at a loss for words because when I went out today, I was not expecting to win,” said Lucas, who pushed his career earnings to more than $1.68 million. “I expected to go out there and try to catch a big bag., but I really felt like Wheeler and Bertrand were going to put something special together.

“Then, to only win by one ounce… I’ve had that fall the other way on me before,” Lucas continued. “Early in my career I lost by 3 ounces to Scott Martin on the Potomac River, and I really needed the money back then. It was a big deal – a $90,000 difference. And this one was even bigger – a $125,000 difference. So, for it go in my favor this time is huge.”

Lucas said that he spent most of his week targeting a big piece of sunken steel off of a shoal near Kelly Island.

“I don’t know if was a sunken boat or an old channel marker or what – I’ve been calling it the space missile all week – but the fish were using the backside of it as a current break,” Lucas said. “It wasn’t hard to stay on because it was big – like 16 feet long and 5 feet tall.”

Lucas used the same bait all week, also the same bait that he dominated the MLF Bass Pro Tour event at Sturgeon Bay with last month – a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm (green-pumpkin). He fished the worm on a drop-shot rig with a ½-ounce weight and an unnamed No. 2 drop-shot hook on Berkley X5 Braid Line Crystal tied to an 8-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon leader. His rod and reel setup was a 7-foot medium-action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier Spinning Rod paired with a size 30 Abu Garcia REVO MGXtreme Spinning Reel.

“I really felt like I had found the right quality of fish in practice and I knew that if I could go out there and capitalize on my bites – get 5 to 7 bites a day – I could make it work,” Lucas said.

“The last two years have been a struggle. I got my butt kicked in the first four tournaments this season. So to end my season like this, cashing five checks in a row and winning this one – the most money I’ve ever won in my life – I definitely feel like I turned my entire season around,” Lucas went on to say.

The top 10 pros on Lake Erie finished:

1^st:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 79-2, $160,000
2^nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 20 bass, 79-1, $35,000
3^rd:       Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 20 bass, 74-10, $30,000
4^th:       Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 20 bass, 74-6, $25,000
5^th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 73-12, $22,000
6^th:       Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 20 bass, 72-14, $21,000
7^th:       David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 20 bass, 68-7, $19,000
8^th:       Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 19 bass, 67-10, $18,000
9^th:       Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 20 bass, 66-12, $17,200
10^th:     Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3, $16,000

Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 44 bass weighing 144 pounds, 8 ounces caught by pros Friday. Eight of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event was more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title this week after his 34^th place finish. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW 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.

FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW has expanded its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

The post Lucas Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie appeared first on Bass365.com.

We may know Terry Scroggins by his nickname “Big Show”, but most of his peers and fellow competitors know Scroggins for his big heart. The Team Toyota pro is as true of a representation of the phrase, “give you the shirt off his back” as you’ll find in professional bass fishing.

That fact was proven yet again at the end of day two during the FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament on Lake Erie when Scroggins offered to let Fred Roumbanis use his Triton Boat on day three of competition.

Scroggins and Roumbanis both made the 190+ mile body-jarring run to Lake St. Clair on Wednesday, and they both caught good bags of fish. Unfortunately Scroggins fell short of the day three cut, while Roumbanis found himself in 9^th place at the conclusion of day two.

Upon getting his rig to the hotel and beginning to work on tackle, Roumbanis realized his boat was going to be unable to make the long run the next morning due to “technical difficulties”. It was late, and Scroggins was beaten and battered from the rough water, but he didn’t balk at the chance to come to his Triton-Mercury teammate’s aid.

The post Scroggins Saves Roumbanis’ Day 3 appeared first on Bass365.com.

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2020) – The stage is now set for a dramatic regular-season finale Friday at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. The top 10 is loaded with former FLW Cup champions, Anglers of the Year, and an accomplished local pro with a vast wealth of experience on Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.

MLF pro Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Arizona, who led the tournament after day one, weighed a five-bass limit Thursday totaling 22 pounds, 14 ounces to reclaim the lead with a three-day total of 62-12.

Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, (60-9), who has finished 1^st and 2^nd in the previous two Super Tournament events, vaulted into second place after bringing in a limit weighing 22-5. Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, (59-8), Arkansas’ Spencer Shuffield (57-14) and Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, (57-0) round out the top five. Local angler Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, (55-4) sits in sixth place.

The four-day event featured 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.

With the field now cut to 10 and a 2-pound, 3-ounce cushion heading into the final day, Bertrand is ready to see how it all shakes out on Championship Friday.

“This morning I caught two fish early that really helped me slow down,” said Bertrand, who finished the MLF Bass Pro Tour season ranked No. 20 overall. “I had six hours to get just three more bites, and it turned out to be a great day of fishing. I even made a couple of culls, and that’s about as much as you can ask for in this tournament right now.

“Every day, as guys fall off it opens more water up,” Bertrand continued. “Yesterday, I was sharing a spot with 7 or 8 guys. Today, it was three. Tomorrow, it’ll likely be just one or two of us in the area. There is less fish, for sure, but we have the freedom to move around now and that at least gives me a chance.”

Bertrand said that his key baits and spots have remained the same all week – he’s drop-shotting a small island shoal with a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm.

“I’m definitely excited to be leading going into the final day,” Bertrand said. “We’ll try to get a good night’s rest and prepare for anything tomorrow. I’m hoping to go back out to the same spot and burn it up. But it could be blowing 20 miles per hour in the morning and I might be fishing for largemouth. Who knows what’ll happen, but either way I’m super excited and ready to see how it all shakes out.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Erie are:

1^st:       Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 15 bass, 62-12
2^nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 60-9
3^rd:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala, 15 bass, 59-8
4^th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 57-14
5^th:       Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 57-0
6^th:       Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 55-4
7^th:       Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 54-6
8^th:       Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3
9^th:       David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 52-11
10^th:     Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-2

Finishing in 11^th through 30^th are:

11^th:     John Cox of DeBary, Fla, 15 bass, 52-2, $14,000
12^th:     Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 15 bass, 51-8, $14,000
13^th:     Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif, 15 bass, 51-4, $14,000
14^th:     Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 49-14, $14,000
15^th:     Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., 14 bass, 49-11, $14,000
16^th:     Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 49-4, $14,000
17^th:     Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 49-3, $14,000
18^th:     Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, 13 bass, 48-11, $14,000
19^th:     Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 14 bass, 47-15, $14,000
20^th:     Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 12 bass, 47-10, $14,000
21^st:     Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio., 15 bass, 47-9, $11,000
22^nd:    Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., 13 bass, 47-8, $11,000
23^rd:     Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 14 bass, 47-4, $11,000
24^th:     Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 13 bass, 45-13, $11,000
25^th:     Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss.., 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
26^th:     Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
27^th:     Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 44-15, $11,000
28^th:     Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., 15 bass, 44-0, $11,000
29^th:     Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., 15 bass, 43-8, $11,000
30^th:     Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 14 bass, 43-6, $11,000

Full results for the entire field can be/ found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 181 bass weighing 567 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 44 pros Thursday. The catch included 26 five-bass limits.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie is hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event is more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Now, only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title this week after his 34^th place finish. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

The final 10 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT Friday from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. Friday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, beginning at 4 p.m.

Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW 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.

FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

The post Bertrand Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie appeared first on Bass365.com.

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Tucked between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair may live in the shadow of its Great Lakes neighbors, but these bountiful waters will offer plenty of opportunities when the Bassmaster Elite Series visits Aug. 20-23.

Michigan smallmouth mecca Lake St. Clair will host the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair Aug. 20-23, 2020. Photo by B.A.S.S.

Renowned as a smallmouth powerhouse, the lake shared by the United States and Canada has a history of impressive tournament showings, including last year’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, which Minnesota pro Seth Feider won with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 15 ounces.

Daily takeoffs will be at 6:30 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metro Parks in Harrison Township. Weigh-ins will be held back at the park each day at 3:10 p.m. A first-place prize of $100,000 will be on the line, along with valuable AOY points that will help anglers earn berths in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

Texan Clark Wendlandt took third in that event, and he’s looking forward to another shot at the waters known by some as “the Sixth Great Lake.”

“Going by local tournament reports, I think the fishing’s going to be great,” Wendlandt said. “A lot of fish are going to be caught and I think some big weights. Seth (averaged over) 25 a day, and I think we can expect something like that.”

At 26 miles long and 24 miles wide, St. Clair covers 430 square miles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a shipping channel that reaches about 27 feet deep, but the lake averages only about 11 feet.

Due to Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions, anglers are limited to the U.S. waters of Lake St. Clair and all connecting rivers, creeks and canals, including Lake Huron. Anglers will not be allowed to travel south of the Ambassador Bridge (Hwy. 3) spanning the Detroit River.

Wendlandt believes all of the U.S. tournament waters could be in play. Most of the anglers will disperse across St. Clair’s main body where they’ll seek isolated rockpiles with scattered weeds, sometimes a little of both. Also, channel markers, particularly their anchor chains, have been known to give up sizable smallmouth.

“I think guys that spend time in the Detroit River will have a chance, but there will be plenty of tournament waters to fish,” said Wendlandt, who currently ranks sixth in the Bassmaster AOY standings. “Lake St. Clair is just perfect for smallmouth. Gobies and maybe perch are going to be the main forage. But just like all the Great Lakes, it has come on like gangbusters since the gobies entered the system.”

An invasive species that reached the Great Lakes during the 1990s, the round goby has played a significant role in the quality of St. Clair’s smallmouth fishery. Anglers will target their fish with drop shots, tubes, Carolina rigs and crankbaits.

Variables include:

Weather — St. Clair is notorious for turning brutally rough when strong winds blow. Big waves increase running time and decrease fishing time. With drifting a common tactic, inclement weather could limit opportunities for some.

The playing field — Much of the field has fished Lake St. Clair before, but with tournament waters reduced, some will find key waypoints are no longer in play.

Lake Huron — Traversing the west side of the St. Clair River, anglers have access to Huron’s west side, in particular, the fertile Saginaw Bay area. A long run could yield opportunity with little to no competition, but it will chew up a lot of valuable fishing time. Feider said he’s not expecting a lot of Huron reports.

“St. Clair is on fire and the good stuff in Huron, with the exception of the mouth of the St. Clair River, is too far to go,” he said. “Saginaw Bay is 70 to 80 miles from the mouth of the river.”

Wherever anglers fish, the weigh-ins will likely see most bringing five-bass limits to the stage. Several are likely to break the 20-pound mark each day, and the elusive Century Club (100 pounds) is not out of the picture.

After Chris Johnston came close during his win on the St. Lawrence River in late July, a triple-digit weight would mark the first time an angler has caught 100 pounds of smallmouth in a B.A.S.S. event.

That’s no easy task. But there are only a handful of fisheries where such a feat is conceivable, and Lake St. Clair is definitely one of them.

Real-time action from the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be carried on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Coverage will also be broadcast on ESPN2. Check your local listings for details.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Lake St. Clair Local Hosts: Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County, Huron-Clinton Metroparks (HCMA), Lake St. Clair Metropark

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), 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, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

The post Giant Smallmouth Will Determine Outcome Of Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Lake St. Clair appeared first on Bass365.com.

I was leaving the Shelby Street boat launch at the conclusion of take off for day one of the final FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event of the year when I saw Randi Gleason pulling out of the parking lot.

Randi’s husband is Darold Gleason. An FLW Pro Circuit rookie and one of several anglers who came to Lake Erie on the bubble to make the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota. Anglers have to finish in the top 50 in points to qualify.

I’m not sure she’d admit it, but I’m fairly certain Randi was already checking FLW’s Live Leaderboard when I saw her… ten minutes after boats had launched. The Gleason’s pull no punches when it comes to their steadfast support of one another or their enthusiasm for competitive fishing.

“Say a prayer for five nice ones if you would,” Randi said emphatically. “He’s gotta catch them today so we can keep this thing going… we don’t want the party to end!”    

The party Randi refers to is traveling around the country together for Darold’s professional fishing career. A full time pro bass fishing gig is something both Gleasons’ have dreamt of for years.

Darold has been a part of the fishing industry for over a decade. As a legendary guide on Toledo Bend Reservoir, as a field staff staple for Toyota Bonus Bucks, Carhartt, and Yamaha Power Pay, as a talented regional competitor, and as one of the good dudes of the sport.

So when Gleason qualified for the FLW Pro Circuit at the end of 2019, they knew what they were getting into. And they were all in.

Their 2020 season began on a high note, with great finishes at Sam Rayburn and the Harris Chain. Randi and their pup “Rowdy” enthusiastically traveled with Darold, making up team Gleason and it seemed their dream season was off to the races… until 2020 decided to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans.

The struggles began with a less-than-desired performance at Lake Martin for Gleason, who credited bad decision making en route to a triple digit finish. Followed by a global pandemic essentially shutting the world down and redefining the Gleason’s “new-normal”, as Randi is a Cystic Fibrosis patient.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States, and puts patients at far greater risk when it comes to the effects of COVID-19. The Gleason’s love for each other is so strong they couldn’t fathom finishing the 2020 season without being attached at the hip to one another.

So days before the Lake Chickamauga event, they bought themselves a 5^th wheel trailer so Randi could travel to and from FLW tournaments safely and comfortably. Darold, a long-time Toyota Bonus Bucks participant, tows his Phoenix boat with the Tundra and Randi tows the 5^th wheel with her brother’s borrowed truck.

Both Darold and Randi have hearts and personalities big enough to fill Lake Erie; throw their dog Rowdy in the mix and you start to understand “the party” theme Randi referred to.

After another substandard finish at Lake Chickamauga, and shooting par on the Mississippi River, Gleason came into this event in 53^rd place in the points race. And he’s certainly feeling the pressure to qualify for the Tackle Warehouse TITLE on Sturgeon Bay later this month.

“I’ve got my work cut out for me but that’s indicative of my entire career,” Gleason said before day one. “I’m sure most of my peers feel the same way, but it never comes easy for me. I feel like I always have to out work my competition. Either way, I’m grateful to have a chance to qualify this week. I’m feeling the pressure for sure, but I guess I’m prepared for it in a way.”

That pressure was only compounded by the fact this Louisiana born angler had never seen any of the Great Lakes, let alone fished them. To make matters worse he heard the whispers and dock talk of anglers saying they needed to make a 100-mile run to Lake St. Clair if they wanted to excel in this tournament.

“My poor brain was spinning in circles every night after practice,” Gleason joked. “Four days of practice sounds like a lot but it doesn’t feel that way when trying to break down a Great Lake. I decided to maximize my fishing time and not make any long runs.”

Gleason’s decision proved fruitful as he currently sits in 25^th place after weighing 16+ pounds of Lake Erie smallmouth on day one. Randi’s supportive prayers came true and their dreams live to fight another day.

If Darold can back up his day one efforts today and tomorrow the Gleason’s might have to fire up some Robert Earl Keen at the Sandusky campground, cause this party ain’t over yet!

The post Gleason’s Don’t Want the Party to End appeared first on Bass365.com.