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.

FULL FIELD BELOW

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.”