Merry Christmas!

Roster revealed for 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals

 

BENTON, Ky. – Major League Fishing announced today the angler roster for the 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, the second season of professional bass fishing’s lucrative proving ground for anglers looking to qualify for the Bass Pro Tour. The Invitationals consist of six three-day tournaments that feature a field of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Of the 150 anglers fishing each Tackle Warehouse Invitational, 137 have committed to compete in all six events. The payout at each Invitational is $652,000, with a total payout of more than $3.9 million for the season.

The roster of anglers fishing all six events in 2024 includes the Bass Pro Tour’s Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas; Keith Carson of Debary, Florida; Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois; and Keith Poche of Pike Road, Alabama. They’ll be joined by a stout field of competitors, including Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Paul Elias of Laurel, Mississippi and Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida, along with former Boston Red Sox player Mike Greenwell, a two-time Major League Baseball All-Star and 1988 American League MVP runner-up, who will be making the jump to compete in the “big leagues” of bass fishing.

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Bassmaster to debut new series on FOX Sports in 2024

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is partnering with Bass Pro Shops on a new seven-part series documenting the untold stories and bold cast of characters who built the sportfishing industry. The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops will air in early January 2024 on FS1 and introduce viewers to the visionaries, storytellers and superstars who made B.A.S.S. the biggest stage in fishing.
“While many people know about Ray Scott’s passion and vision for bass fishing, they don’t always know about the colorful and innovative people who were building both our organization and this industry alongside Ray,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “The Cast not only delves into Ray’s contributions to fishing and legacy of conservation, but it is a look at the people behind the evolution of tournament bass fishing from where it started in the late ’60s to the spectacle of the Bassmaster Classic, drawing more than 160,000 fans in Knoxville.”
Episodes feature interviews and personal stories never heard before from some of fishing’s most iconic voices, including Bob Cobb, Bill Dance and Roland Martin, as well as insights from personalities like former B.A.S.S. CEO Helen Sevier and longtime tournament director Trip Weldon.
“For decades B.A.S.S. and Bass Pro Shops have shared a vision to get more people on the water and fishing,” said Anderson. “I’m excited that they’re joining with us to tell the story of the people who have shaped the sport both brands love so much.”
A longtime B.A.S.S. partner, Bass Pro Shops is also a premier sponsor for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail as well as title sponsor of the Bassmaster Team Championship and presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster College Series.
“We are proud of our longtime affiliation with B.A.S.S. and remain deeply grateful to my dear friend Ray Scott,” said legendary angler, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “The Cast will bring to light some exciting stories about many of our buddies and tournament fishing pioneers. These individuals helped make the sportfishing industry what it is today, and telling their stories to sportsmen and sportswomen of all ages will help showcase the history of this great sport and organization.”
The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops will begin airing in January on FS1 leading up to live Bassmaster Elite Series tournament coverage on FS1 and the FOX Sports platforms. Check Bassmaster.com/how-to-watch or check your local listings for airdates.

About Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out

The Berkley Swamp Lord: New Menace in the Pads

 A hollow belly topwater frog that elicits explosive bites from big bass in the nastiest of environments

Every angler knows just how much fun a topwater frog bite can be. But not all frogs are made the same. Designed by Berkley Labs in partnership with expert frog fisherman and 2022 Major League Fishing Redcrest Champion Bobby Lane, the Berkley Swamp Lord is the true frog king of fishing. The Berkley Swamp Lord features optimally angled, sticky sharp Berkley Fusion19 hooks and a soft, yet extremely durable material that easily collapses – maximizing an angler’s hookup ratio. The sealed hook shank allows for a tighter fit with the body of the bait, reducing water intrusion for uninterrupted fishing. Available in both standard and popping models, the Swamp Lord conquers any environment to elicit only the most explosive of topwater blowups.

KEY FEATURES • Optimized system to increase hook-up ratio • Ultra soft body and design allows for quick collapse • Sealed hook shank, body chamber reduces water intrusion • Optimally angled sticky sharp Berkley Fusion19 hook • Standard & popping models Colors: Maverick • Honey Shad • Potomac • Copperhead • Green Pumpkin • Burnt Bone • Bone • Chartreuse Perch • MF Bluegill • Spring Frog • Bully • Voodoo Black MSRP: $9.99 Available: September, 2023

Charlie Wray Retires The Fishful Thinking Show after 31 Years

Charlie Wray has been host of the very popular TV show, Fishful Thinking, since 1990. Part of the success behind the show has been the very informative format. Perfect for both the novice and experienced angler, Fishful Thinking provides entertaining insight for all audiences. Locations center around the heavily fished, public waters that are easily accessible for the majority of anglers.

Charlie has been recognized as one of Canada's top fishermen, on a variety of game fish. Even before launching the Fishful Thinking TV Show, Charlie had already won numerous national fishing contests.

Yavorsky becomes youngest Classic qualifier with Classic Fish-Off win

By Andrew Canulette 

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

LEESBURG, Fla. — Aaron Yavorsky could have idled inside the Venetian Gardens Marina all day Saturday and still won the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off. 
Following the 30-pound, 7-ounce limit of five bass he weighed on Day 1, Yavorsky caught another limit Saturday, this one weighing 17-13. And though his final bag was the lightest he caught this week, it absolutely was more than enough to secure the Fish-Off title with a two-day weight of 48-4.

It was as commanding a win as one could imagine in a tournament of this magnitude. Second place went to Connor Nimrod of the Media Bass Trail in north Louisiana, who caught 25-14 over two days, more than 22 pounds behind Yavorsky.

The decisive victory earned Yavorsky the final berth into the 2024 Bassmaster Classic, which will be held March 22-24 on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. He is the youngest person to ever qualify for the Classic, a distinction previously owned by David Brind of New York, who was 18 when he worked his way through the former B.A.S.S. Federation (now the B.A.S.S. Nation) to land a spot in the 1979 Classic on Lake Texoma. 

Team Yavorsky takes the top spot at the Harris Chain

Rodney and Aaron Yavorsky have won the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship on the Harris Chain with a two day total of 51 pounds 9 ounces.

By Andrew Canulette 

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

LEESBURG, Fla. — The father-son duo of Rodney and Aaron Yavorsky were among the final teams to weigh in Thursday on the final day of the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship.

In this case, the best was saved almost for last.

The Yavorskys, Tampa-area residents representing the Florida BASS Nation Team Trail, caught a mammoth limit of five bass weighing 31 pounds, 6 ounces and stormed to the title here on the Harris Chain of Lakes in central Florida. Their two-day total of 10 bass weighing 51-9 was nearly 14 pounds heavier than the second-place tandem of Blain Bartley and Rj Graham, who caught 10 bass for 37-11 over two days.

The Yavorskys’ 31-6 bag was by far the heaviest of the tournament, easily besting the 24-11 limit caught by Day 1 leaders Chris Whitson and Kevin King of Tennessee’s Morristown Marine Team Trail. The catch was so hefty they would have placed eighth overall even if their Day 1 weight of 20-3 was eliminated.

“We’ve fished a lot of tournaments together and never had a 30-pound bag,” said Rodney Yavorsky, Aaron’s dad. “It was a special day.”

Chris Whitson and Kevin King of Tennessee take the Day 1 lead at the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship on the Harris Chain.

Whitson and King grab Day 1 lead at Team Championship

By Andrew Canulette

BASS PRESS RELEASE

LEESBURG, Fla. — Chris Whitson and Kevin King said they’d have been happy to weigh 12 pounds on Wednesday to start the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship.

Instead, they doubled that and jumped to an early lead here on the Harris Chain of Lakes in central Florida.

Whitson and King, Tennessee residents who fish on the Morristown Marine Team Trail, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds, 11 ounces on Day 1 of the two-day derby. That was enough to give them the lead in the final tournament of the 2023 Bassmaster season, which boasts 248 competing teams representing 77 different trails from 30 states and three foreign countries.

Whitson and King were tight-lipped about specifics of Wednesday’s haul, though they said they were surprised to see heavy bass in the area they fished.

“We caught a couple there in practice, but not nearly that size,” Whitson said. “We only had about three spots we planned to fish today, but we hit the right one. We’re not sure why they are where they are. There’s no bait keying us in on anything.”

“We really did kind of stumble on it,” King added.

And what a fortunate find it was.

“We caught one within 15 minutes or so on the first spot and then we got three in a row real quick,” Whitson said. “The other two came a couple hours later, in the middle of the day. We left there about 1 o’clock and we’ll head back there tomorrow…I don’t know if they’ll repeat themselves, but I figure we’ll beat around there and catch a few more.”

Standings here

Predator's Choice

 

Award-winning Z-Man® Mulletron™ LT line-through swimbait lands at fishing tackle stores When the mullet run is on, all bets are off. Work can wait. Zooms and meetings go bye-bye. Birthdays and weddings may need to proceed without your presence. Simply put, when waves of migrating mullet inundate inshore structure—jetties, bridges, inlets and all kinds of funnel areas and ambush points—you best be there. Time to sling the one lure that might just outswim, outlast and even “out-mullet” a live finger mullet. Voted Best Saltwater Soft Lure at ICAST 2023, the new Z-Man® Mulletron™ LT line-through swimbait is now locked, loaded and armed for battle, available at your favorite tackle retailer.  The first true-to-life mullet-pattern swimbait crafted from 10X Tough ElaZtech®, the 4.5- and 6-inch Mulletron LT swimbait dances with a lazy, tail-kicking cadence that screams fresh mullet on the menu. Meanwhile, concealed within its extra-tough anatomy, several strategic tricks give the bait an extra boost of attraction, with hooking and holding power like you’ve never experienced before. “In crafting a soft ElaZtech swimbait to match a living preyfish, we obviously emphasized visual realism and true-to-life swimming action,” notes Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez, a confirmed saltwater savant. “But what makes this bait different are some of its unseen internal mechanics.”

WON Bass announces new partnerships, incentives

 WON Bass, the longest-running Western bass fishing tournament circuit, has announced new partnerships for the 2024 WON Bass Western Opens Series and more incentives for its participants.

In 2024, the WON Bass Western Opens Series will include five pro-am style events that will be held in California, Nevada and Arizona. The events will also feature automatic berths for pro and AAA anglers to compete in the 2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

In a new partnership with B.A.S.S., the Top 5 anglers in each of the four regional pro and AAA events as well as the Top 5 anglers in the WON Bass Angler of the Year standings after the five events will receive berths into the 2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. From that event, three anglers will earn berths into the 2026 Bassmaster Classic.

In addition to the 25 B.A.S.S. Nation entries, the Top 5 pros in the 2024 WON Bass Angler of the Year standings will receive priority entry codes to the 2025 Bassmaster Opens, guaranteeing their spot in the Opens Elite Qualifiers Division. Only EQ anglers, who compete in all nine Bassmaster Opens have a chance to qualify for the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series.

To be eligible, each angler will be required to be a current member of WON Bass and B.A.S.S Nation and not competing in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series, MLF Bass Pro Tour, MLF Invitationals or the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL).

Legendary Angler Hank Parker Joins X Zone Lures!

 

TV and BASS Angler legend has moved to X Zone. This is their announcement on their Facebook page, t “Thrilled” is one word to convey the feelings that we at X Zone Lures have in our recently formed partnership with one of the greatest bass anglers of all time! Join us in welcoming Hank Parker to X Zone Lures!! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing our American friends a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Former Classic champion David Fritts announces retirement from B.A.S.S.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a career that spanned parts of five decades, decorated professional angler David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., has announced his retirement from B.A.S.S. The 1993 Bassmaster Classic champion and 1994 Bassmaster Angler of the Year said his declining health and the rigors of the various B.A.S.S. schedules were the major factors in his decision.

“I had COVID-19 in 2021, and I still have what they call ‘long COVID,’” Fritts said. “I still can’t smell anything. I never got all of my energy back, and it sort of messed my heart up a little bit. My bones and my joints still work pretty well, but I just don’t quite have the stamina or energy I used to have.”
Though Fritts said he may still explore a less rigorous schedule, he doesn’t think he has it left in him to pursue the Bassmaster Elite Series or the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens.

That puts a cap on a star-studded career that began with the 1986 Georgia Invitational on West Point Lake and ended with the 2023 Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River. Between those dates, he became one of the few anglers to win a Classic, an AOY title and the FLW Tour’s Forrest Wood Cup.
“Winning the Bassmaster Classic makes your career, and to follow up with the AOY in 1994 was really something special,” said Fritts, who had five victories and earned more than $1 million with B.A.S.S. “Winning the Forrest Wood Cup in 1997 was also a really big moment for me. All of those things were big stepping stones and building blocks for my career.”

Major League Fishing announces roster for 2024 Bass Pro Tour

Reigning Angler of the Year Matt Becker, six-time BPT winner Jacob Wheeler highlight 80-angler field

MLF PRESS RELEASE

BENTON, Ky. — Major League Fishing announced today the roster for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour, the sixth season of professional bass fishing’s preeminent tournament circuit. The field of 80 of the world’s top bass fishing professionals will compete across nine states during the Bass Pro Tour season for a total purse of more than $6.7 million.

The season starts Jan. 30 at the Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Toledo Bend in Many, Louisiana, and ends in August at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, where the 2024 Bass Pro Tour Angler of Year will be crowned and 40 berths into REDCREST 2025 on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville will be determined.

“We’re excited to announce the Bass Pro Tour roster for the 2024 season,” said Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Major League Fishing. “The Bass Pro Tour represents the highest level of competition our sport has to offer, and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of anglers who will be competing in 2024. It’s going to be an extremely competitive season.”

The 2024 field is headlined by 2023 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) Matt Becker, as well as two-time Bass Pro Tour AOY Jacob Wheeler and 2019 AOY and REDCREST champion Edwin Evers. Also returning are multi-time MLF winner Ott DeFoe, REDCREST 2023 champion Bryan Thrift, multi-time Bass Pro Tour winner and REDCREST 2021 champion Dustin Connell, and up-and-coming superstars Alton Jones, Jr. and Dakota Ebare. REDCREST 2022 champion Bobby Lane will also return to the lineup via a champions exemption after a one-year hiatus from the Tour. The 2024 field includes 29 anglers who have won either a major circuit Angler of the Year title or national tour-level championship.

ANGLER LIST BELOW

Jordan Lee makes legendary return to Bassmaster Elite Series

BASS PRESS RELEASE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Former back-to-back Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic champion Jordan Lee is headed back to the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024. Lee will return to the Elites via a Legend’s spot in the field, which opened when Larry Nixon announced his retirement.

 In just five seasons competing in major B.A.S.S. events, Lee, of Grant, Ala., amassed more than $1.1 million in earnings through wins in the 2017 and 2018 Bassmaster Classic and dominant performances in both the Elites and the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, notching 21 Top 10s and 36 Top 30 finishes.

 

“It is great to welcome Jordan back home to the Bassmaster stage, where he built such a fantastic career spanning from college to the historic back-to-back Classic victories,” said Lisa Talmadge, tournament director for the Elite Series.

 

The former Auburn University angler, who was an early star in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, is ready to get back to the biggest stage in fishing.

Larry Nixon retires from Bassmaster Elite Series

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster’s first “Million Dollar Man,” Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., is stepping away from the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024. Nixon decided at the end of the 2023 season that his health would not allow him to compete at his usual high standard.

 

Two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 14-time B.A.S.S. champion Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., who returned to the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2023, has announced his retirement. (Photo: BASS)

“The Elite Series grind is more than most people could ever imagine,” said Nixon. “The elements of professional bass fishing are some of the toughest things in all of sports. Over the course of my career I’ve worn out two thumbs, a shoulder, a heart, a knee and an elbow due to competitive repetition.

 

“My health is OK, but, believe me, everything is just worn out. It’s become really difficult to just do normal things like tie knots and other little things.”

 

Nixon’s return to the Bassmaster stage in 2023 was much anticipated by the fans of the sport, the anglers and Nixon himself.

 

“Coming back to B.A.S.S. was one of the highest points of my career,” he said. “Year 46 — or whatever year this is — was absolutely fantastic. The fans at B.A.S.S. are unlike anything else in the sport. It was honestly like I never left.

 

“The camaraderie, the kids (and) the other Elite competitors all made me smile a lot this year because of the reception I got all year.”

 

With 14 B.A.S.S. wins and over $1.66 million in career earnings, Nixon cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats in professional bass fishing.

Bradley Hallman steps away from Bassmaster Elite Series

BASS PRESS RELEASE

After rejoining the Bassmaster Elite Series during the 2023 season, Bradley Hallman of Edmond, Okla., has decided to step away from Elite competition. Every angler fishing the Elite Series understands how much time and effort it takes to be successful, and Hallman — citing among other things a desire to be more connected to his family — decided that this lifestyle was no longer a fit.

 

“I think it’s just a combination of a lot of different things to be honest,” said Hallman on why he’s decided to step away. “I knew in my heart on the way back from the New York tournaments that I had a lot to think about, and I just wanted to make this decision for myself and my family.

 

“I knew a few years ago when I jumped (into) the Opens that it would be something to help motivate me to have a goal and want to make the Elites, but I’ve realized that I just don’t burn like I used to in order to compete at the highest level.”

Lest We Forget

 

Lest We Forget the brave men and woman who created a free Canada.
Freedom was never free. 

Score a front-row seat to Elite Series action as a Bassmaster marshal

Bass fishing enthusiasts who want to learn from the world’s best anglers while exploring legendary fisheries can enjoy insider access to their favorite pros as marshals for the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Not only will marshals learn tips for breaking down a fishery and fast-track their learning curve, but AFTCO will be hooking marshals up with apparel, gear, a gift card and other items with a total value of $75, plus a 20% off coupon for future purchases. For those dedicated few who serve as marshals for more than three events, they will receive a $100 AFTCO gift card.

 

"I enjoy doing it, for one, because I tournament fish as a co-angler ... and you get to learn a lot from the guys,” said Holly Keen, the marshal who had a front-row seat to Lee Livesay’s record-breaking day on Lake Fork in 2021. “If you’ve got questions, they’ll answer them. They’ll tell exactly what they think you should be doing under certain conditions, what to use and why." 

 

Registration for B.A.S.S. Life and Nation members opens online on November 30. All other B.A.S.S. members may register online beginning December 7. Marshal spots are available for just $99.

 

According to Keen, the learning experience on the water with Elite anglers is invaluable.

Lee Livesay Switches to Xpress Boats for the 2024 BASS Elite Season!

New for the BASS Elite Tour, Lee Livesay will be teaming up with Xpress Boats. 

Here is his Facebook post about it. 

Proud to announce my partnership with the Xpress Boats family. I am excited to team up with such a historic brand with over 55 years of knowledge in the boat building industry. Xpress Boats are the original all welded high performance aluminum boats. I will be running an Xpress X-21 on the Bassmaster Elite Series. I look forward to showcasing the performance, fit, finish and logistics of running an Xpress.

To follow Livesay, link here.

Mrazek makes it happen! Texas pro claims Toyota Series Championship with 7-ounce win on Table Rock

Top Canadians Evan Kung 10th & Erik Luzak 12th!

Bringing a sweet 16 pounds to the scales took Chad Mrazek to his first major win. Photo by Matt Brown.

MLF Press Release 

BRANSON, Mo. – Chad Mrazek backed up his impressive Day 2 bag with a five-bass limit for 16 pounds even on the final day of the Toyota Series Championship Presented by Simms. His Saturday bag was enough to boost his three-day total to 47-2 and earn him the win by 7 ounces over All-American champion Emil Wagner.

The victory represents the first win as a pro for the 23-year-old Texas native. He picked a good time for it. The win is worth $200,000 plus contingencies and a berth in REDCREST 2024. 

Down to the wire

Ideally, Day 3 of the tournament sails by – big fish bite early and often, and the winner ends up back at the dock with a good chunk of time to spare. Of course, that’s usually not the case, and it was certainly not the case for Mrazek, as the Texas pro didn’t have a keeper in the boat until noon.

“I fished drains all day, ‘Scoping them of course, mainly targeting singles, casting at every one I would see,” he said. “In the evening, I was fishing flatter, shallower pockets and creeks. Every school I had that was setting up late in the day, they were only setting up in flatter, shallower drains, and there aren’t a lot in this lake. I pretty much found five of them, and rotated them all day.

“I didn’t have a fish until noon. I was sitting on one until like 1 p.m. Then, I hit the back of this drain with a giant tree. The timber fields will have standing timber, and some that have fallen sideways. This one had a giant fallen tree on it, and I caught a 3 ½-pound spot and a 3-pound smallmouth off it.”

It was part of a hot afternoon that saw Mrazek go from a goose egg to 16 pounds and the win.

This week, the young Texan started out fishing deep with an ice jig and a Damiki rig – basically on the same game as much of the field. Then, he adapted.

“Day 2, I needed to go swing, and the only way I knew how was to fish for smallmouth all day,” he said.

Swinging meant fishing “shallow” in 20 to 37 feet. Targeting main lake pockets and “drains” with a flat contour and timber, Mrazek was able to pick off fish with a jig that were in and around the trees.

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