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Bassmaster Elite At Sabine River Rescheduled For August
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River, originally scheduled for April 8-11, has been moved to the designated Elite Series make-up date Aug. 19-22.Previous Elite events in Orange, Texas have drawn record-breaking crowds — in three previous visits, the crowds totaled more than 96,000; however, regional mandates currently in place would dramatically reduce the number of fans permitted on-site.
“Our priority is keeping everyone safe, the anglers, staff, community and all of the fans who want to attend this exciting event,” said Orange County Judge John Gothia. “We’re happy to be able to work with B.A.S.S. on rescheduling due to ongoing COVID safety concerns. Previous tournaments have brought Orange County waterways to the forefront in the fishing world, and we look forward to welcoming the Elite Series and its fans back to Orange, Texas later in the year.”
B.A.S.S. has emphasized over the past year that the organization is dedicated to ensuring both competition and fan activities are held in a safe and responsible manner and is working closely with local hosts and authorities to monitor each state’s mandates on crowd sizes and public spaces.
As the dates shift to August, when temperatures at this fishery on the Texas/Louisiana border are likely to soar, fish care will also be a major priority.
“In these hot, late-summer tournaments it is incumbent on the anglers and our team to be at the very top of our game to protect the fish,” said B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. “Our goal is for all of these fish to be returned to the waters so that they can be caught again by other passionate bass anglers.”
Another Texas tournament, the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork scheduled for April 22-25, is being hosted in Quitman, which is not currently experiencing the same local conditions restricting the size of outdoor gatherings.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
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Major League Fishing Delays REDCREST 2021 Start One Day Due to Inclement Weather
FLINT, Texas (Feb. 15, 2021) – Major League Fishing announced today that the dates for REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour Championship, has been delayed one day due to inclement weather in the region. The championship event, scheduled to start on Sunday, Feb. 21, has been postponed one day to allow for safer travel conditions. The tournament will now take place Monday through Friday, Feb. 22-26, on Lake Palestine in Flint. The practice day for the anglers will now be on Sunday, Feb. 21.
“The safety of our anglers and their families, our staff, our sponsors and our fans are priority number one,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “With the tough weather conditions that a large part of our country is currently facing, we made the decision to postpone the start of the event by one day to allow everyone an extra day to safely travel to the event. The competition will start on Monday and we look forward to a very successful championship tournament.”
All 40 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Monday) and 2 (Tuesday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Wednesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Thursday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the sixth and final day of competition (Friday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance at the tournament is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event. 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 on all five days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
For complete details and updated information on REDCREST 2021, 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.
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Skeet Reese Brings Home the Win at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lake Okeechobee
The win brought the 2019 merger of FLW (now known as the MLF BIG5) and MLF full circle and was a moment that marked the significance of the unity that now exists between the blended MLF family.Reese weighed a five-bass limit on Sunday totaling a whopping 27 pounds, 9 ounces, to win by a 7-pound, 9-ounce margin over fellow Bass Pro Tour angler Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama. Lane weighed in five bass for 20 pounds, 1 ounce, including an 8-pound, 13-ounce giant, which carried him to a second place finish on the final day of competition.
“This feels really good,” said an emotional Reese. “I’ve had some tough fishing the last few years and to be able to come back and win; it is recognition that my new mindset and hard work paid off. Everybody who fishes tournaments does it to win and to be able to do it against this level of competition, with this big of a field – it’s priceless.”
Reese said he mixed up his approach each day and alternated between two key lures for the win, a 6″ Berkley PowerBait The General and an unnamed green-pumpkin-colored vibrating jig with a Berkley PowerBait The Deal in the Skeet’s green money-color serving as the trailer.
“The first day, I focused on the isolated clumps of reeds that were a little deeper,” said Reese. “I targeted water that was four feet deep because all of the shallower stuff was getting so much pressure. I stayed out a little further from the bank on the isolated pencil reeds and caught a few good ones the second day by pitching The General on a 5/O hook with a ¼-ounce weight on 25-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon.”
On the second day, Reese said he opted to stay solely off the bank and was able to catch a 21-pound bag that included the day’s biggest bass, an 8-pound, 8-ounce giant.
The final two days offered vastly different weather conditions, with wind speeds picking up throughout the lake. Reese said this caused him to make a change to the vibrating jig and helped him seal the win.
“It got too windy and made it hard to flip and pitch The General,” Reese said. “I also think it moved some of those fish out a little deeper. On the final day, it seemed like every big female was set up out in the open.”
Reese said the area had cleaner water and he felt it offered him the best chance to get multiple bites.
“I maximized what little I had and fished it all four days,” he continued. “I was trying to be in an area and get as many bites as I could. I never thought I was on the winning fish this week. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Okeechobee finished:
2nd: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 75-5, $30,000
3rd: Jim Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 20 bass, 74-2, $25,000
4th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 20 bass, 72-12, $20,000
5th: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 20 bass, 71-0, $19,000
6th: Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-11, $18,200
7th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 20 bass, 66-7, $17,000
8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 20 bass, 64-3, $16,000
9th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 20 bass, 63-14, $15,000
10th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 63-2, $14,000
Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 173 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Sunday. All 10 weighed in a five-bass limit.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee’s two-hour action-packed television show will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.
The Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort. The next event for Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will be the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Smith Lake , Mar. 11-14, in Cullman, Alabama. The tournament will be hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to fish on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the 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.
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New Notches Victory In Bassmaster Elite Series Debut At St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla. — Bryan New launched his rookie season in blockbuster form by topping a stout field of well-established finalists and winning the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.
Bryan New, of Belmont, N.C., has won the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Starting Championship Sunday in sixth place, New trailed Day 3 leader and rising star Patrick Walters by 5-7. Saving his best for last, New posted the event’s second-heaviest bag, 26-4, and edged Elite veteran Greg Hackney by a margin of 9-9. For his efforts, New earned $101,000.
New caught most of his fish out of lily pads, but he found a few keepers over main-river shellbars about halfway between Palatka and Dunn’s Creek, which connects to Crescent Lake. Targeting bars in about 5 to 7 feet, he fished a Berkley Warpig lipless crankbait in the bleeding shiner color with a slow yo-yoing technique.
“That wasn’t a winning-fish deal, but without those fish, I don’t win this tournament,” New said.
The pads that produced the bulk of his weight were located at the lower end of Lake George. Fishing 5-inch black and blue Zoom Zlinky worms Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Berkley Fusion hook with a 1/8- and 1/4-ounce weights, New said he focused on isolated pads.
“I fished dense pads too, but I definitely liked the sparse pads for multiple reasons,” he said. “First, on an isolated target, it’s easier to pick out where the fish are sitting and they have more light penetration. That’s important for the spawning fish I was targeting.”
The key, New said, was a meticulous presentation that maximized every aspect of his target area.
“You don’t just have one target on each cast; sometimes you’ll have 10 targets on each cast,” he said. “You can feel the sweet spots. You can feel a little rough patch on the bottom where there’s a bed or you can feel the hard spot of the root. Sometimes, you can even feel a little depression.
“I’ve always heard that slow and steady wins the race,” New said. “That’s not always my style, but I can do it.”
New caught good numbers the first three days. Day 1, which was shortened by a three-hour fog delay, yielded 12 pounds and put him in 22nd place. The second day, he added 20-3 and rose to ninth before securing his Championship Sunday berth with a Day 3 limit of 21 pounds, which pushed him up to sixth.
Following the Day 3 weigh-in, New said he’d approach Championship Sunday focused on getting the big bites. On Sunday, he caught four in the 5-pound class and another over 4.
New qualified for the Elites by winning the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, an accomplishment that began with a win at his first 2020 tournament — the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain.
Before the St. Johns event began, New stated that his 2021 goals included winning Bassmaster Angler of the Year — not only Rookie of the Year — and winning the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, which is set for June 11-13 on Lake Ray Roberts.
New summarized his Elite debut: “I have a pretty good start!”
Hackney committed his tournament to fishing cypress trees on Lake George’s east side. He caught 12-7 on Day 1 and placed 19th and then rose to third on Day 2 by adding 22-10. He’d improve to second on Day 3 and held that final position with weights of 23-6 and 11-7.
Returning to the Elites after a two-year break, the Gonzales, La., pro caught all of his fish on a junebug-colored Strike King Rage Bug rigged on a 5/0 Hack Attack Flipping hook with a 1/4-ounce Tour Grade Tungsten weight.
“There’s not any cover left in the lake (2017’s Hurricane Irma killed the eelgrass) and this was one of the few areas that had enough depth and enough protection from the elements for those lake fish to spawn on.
“There’s only a handful of docks and cypress trees in the lake and I spent one whole day in practice fishing all the way around (Lake George). I knew this was the area of the lake where the biggest population of fish lived and I knew where they used to spawn. I just looked for anything that was close by.”
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., finished third with 69-6. He turned in daily weights of 8-3, 18-8, 25-8 and 17-3.
Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, La., and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, split the event’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass award of $1,000 for their 9-pound, 8-ounce fish. Hudnall won $1,000 for the big bass of Day 1, while Palaniuk claimed the Day 2 award. Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., won the Day 3 award with his 8-8 and New won the Day 4 award with his 5-14.
2020 Bassmaster Classic champion Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
The AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River was hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County 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
2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council, Putnam County Chamber of Commerce
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 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/11-2/14
St. Johns River, Palatka, FL
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bryan New Belmont, NC 20 79-07 100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 26-04
2. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 69-14 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 23-06 Day 4: 5 11-07
3. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 69-06 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 25-08 Day 4: 5 17-03
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 68-13 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 26-07 Day 4: 5 10-03
5. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 20 67-05 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 17-08 Day 4: 5 16-06
6. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 18 66-05 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 3 12-14 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 23-07 Day 4: 5 12-15
7. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 20 66-02 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 21-01 Day 4: 5 12-09
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 20 64-08 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 21-11 Day 4: 5 11-13
9. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 20 63-03 92 $17,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 15-04 Day 4: 5 09-10
10. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 14 54-01 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 2 06-04 Day 4: 2 02-12
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MLF Shifts Dates of Toyota Series Central Opener
Originally Scheduled for Feb. 16-18, Toyota Series Central Opener moves to Feb. 17-19
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 14, 2021) – Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that due to inclement weather in the region, the organization will shift the dates for the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Guntersville presented by Googan Baits . The Central division presented by Neat Companies’ season kickoff was originally scheduled Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 16-18, but has been postponed one day to allow for safer travel conditions. The tournament will now take place Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 17-19, in Guntersville, Alabama.
Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. CT from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. 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.
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