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BASS Press Release
WALKER, Minn. — The major storyline heading into the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN was that the global bass-fishing community would get its first look at what’s heralded as one of the sport’s best, yet relatively unknown, fisheries.
Everyone watching, meanwhile, already knew that Easton Fothergill is one of the best young anglers on the water today.
The two forces collided during a spectacular two-day derby in northern Minnesota this week, and both shined under pressure — Leech as host of its first B.A.S.S. tournament and Fothergill as the young prodigy looking to make hay on home water.
The 22-year-old Fothergill, a Grand Rapids, Minn., native who grew up 30 minutes from Leech Lake, bagged a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 49 pounds, 13 ounces and clinched the tournament championship Saturday at Walker Public Dock. He collected $45,936 cash with the win, part of a $300,034 purse split among the Top 45 of 203 pros competing at Leech this week.
The victory at Leech continued a hot streak not often seen at any level of professional fishing. In the past 10 months and change, Fothergill won the 2023 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’son Kansas’ Milford Lake last October, finished 16th of 56 anglers in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in March, and followed with his first St. Croix Bassmaster Opens win of the year in June on Lake Eufaula, also in the Sooner State.
Check out Rick's final Elite tournament at the 2024 St. Lawrence River event this past weekend.
Canadians Chris Johnston 4th
BASS Press Release
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — On a day dimmed by clouds and rain, lightning struck a
second time for Canadian superstar Cory Johnston.
After claiming his first blue trophy at the season’s fourth event at the St. Johns River, the pro from Otonabee, Canada, tallied 102 pounds and claimed the $100,000 top prize at the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
“It was a lot of hard work; I put a lot of time into this,” Johnston said. “I’ve said it 100 times, this is my favorite place to come, this is my favorite crowd with all my family and friends, all the Canadian support — and it’s a short drive home.”
After placing fourth on Day 1 with 25 pounds, Day 2 saw Johnston add 27-7 and tie rookie Robert Gee for second. On Semifinal Saturday, Johnston weighed 24-14 and slipped back to second, 13 ounces behind Gee.
With Championship Sunday delivering 24-11, Johnston surged to the top and edged Gee by 1-9. Enhancing his victory, Johnston earned his second entry into the Bassmaster Century Club, which recognizes an angler for catching 100 pounds or more with four days of five-bass limits.
Notably, Johnston was the first angler to earn a Bassmaster Century Club Belt with all smallmouth by weighing a tournament total of 100-5 during the 2022 Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River. He finished second to Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat, but Johnston weighed in before Przekurat and wrote his name in the record book.
Canadians Cory Johnston 2nd, Chris Johnston 4th & Gustafson 15th,
BASS Press Release
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Rookie standout Robert Gee distanced himself from seasoned veteran Cory Johnston geographically and, more importantly, statistically to tally a 3-day total of 78 pounds, 2 ounces and take over the Day 3 lead at the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
Day 2 found Gee and Johnston tied for the top spot with 52-7 each. Now, the young angler from Knoxville, Tenn., heads into Championship Sunday with a 13-ounce lead over Johnston.
“It’s been a blessing; everything’s just going right, and I can’t do anything wrong,” Gee said. “I’m going to keep riding this train as far as it will take me and just give God the glory.”
Chris Johnston, Cory’s younger brother, won the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 758 points. The first Canadian to win a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament — the 2020 event at the St. Lawrence River — Johnston also owns the distinction of being the first Canadian to win the Bassmaster AOY title. For this honor, he claimed a top prize of $100,000.
Canadians Gustafson 14th, Chris Johnston 31st & Gallant 84th
BASS Press Release
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — He knows where the giants live, and that hard-earned insight rewarded Cory Johnston in a big way.
Sacking up a 27-pound, 7-ounce limit, the Canadian superstar from Otonabee, Ontario, matched rookie Robert Gee with a two-day total of 52-7 to tie for the lead on Day 2 of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
“I had one big pod of fish that I could catch one off of every once in a while, and I’d have to leave it alone and go back to it,” Johnston said. “It could’ve been one of those special days; I had a 6-pounder in my hand, and it got off.”
Johnston, who claimed his first blue trophy by dominating the season’s fourth Elite Series event at the St. Johns River, placed fourth on Day 1 with 25-0 and has been fishing in open water and targeting an 80-yard stretch of bottom in about 40 feet. The spot holds a smattering of giant smallmouth, but they’re extremely sensitive.
“I’ll catch one and then they shut down,” Johnston said.
When this happens, time and distance seem to be the best remedy.
“I’m making a big run away from the spot (between catches),” Johnston said of his dual-purpose strategy. “I don’t want to be seen on this spot. There were locals out there fishing all around me. It’s frustrating, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Johnston said he’s using a four-bait rotation. All have produced quality fish. As Johnston explained, picky smallmouth have required a diverse and strategic approach.
“This place just gets the hell beat out of it,” Johnston said of how the smallmouth have shown a marked response to increasing pressure. “It’s like night and day from even two years ago.”
Canadians Cory Johnston 4th, Chris Johnston 15th, Gustafson 19th & Gallant 98th
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — It was a case of quality over quantity, but Japanese superstar Taku Ito was just fine with the 5-bass limit of 26 pounds, 2 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
Ito, who won the 2021 St. Lawrence Elite event — also run out of Waddington — and claimed his second blue trophy June 30 at Smith Lake, heads into Day 2 with a 6-ounce margin over rookie Robert Gee.
One of the highlight reel moments from Ito’s first Elite win was his crowd-pleasing tale of finding a brown-fish-laden spot he named “Smallmouth Disneyland.” The Lake Ontario goldmine that yielded a 26-pound Championship Sunday limit held so many fish that Ito claimed he got downright picky about only targeting the bigger fish on his screen.
Flash forward three years and Ito said he saw fewer fish, but the ones he saw were the ones he needed.
“The fish were alone today; I couldn’t find (schools) of bass,” said Ito, who makes his home in Chiba, Japan. “I only caught six or seven bass. It was so hard, but they were big ones.
The new Abu Garcia Revo Inshore Reel built to dominate the shallow water inshore environment.  Saltwater low profile baitcasters are preferred by experienced anglers who need versatility in their fishing techniques, allowing for various retrieves and presentations. The Abu Garcia Revo Inshore reel is ergonomically designed to comfortably fit in the hand, setting up each cast for success. The A-SYM alloy frame combines a rugged power-stack carbon matrix drag system capable of powering-in large inshore species, boasting 25 lbs of stopping power. No matter the style of fishing and technique, the Revo Inshore is capable of long precision casts that help anglers cover more open water, giving them more control than a standard spinning setup. |
| Feb. 21- 23 | Stop 1 at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Hosted by Experience Kissimmee | Kissimmee, Fla. |
| March 14-16 | Stop 2 at Lake Hartwell Hosted by Visit Anderson | Anderson, S.C. |
| April 15-17 | Stop 3 at Smith Lake Hosted by Visit Cullman, Alabama | Cullman, Ala. |
| May 9-11 | Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Hosted by the Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism | Counce, Tenn. |
| June 20-22 | Stop 5 at the James River Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism | Richmond, Va. |
| July 25-27 | Stop 6 at the St. Lawrence River Hosted by the Town of Massena | Massena, N.Y. |
| Sept. 5-7 | Invitationals Championship at the Mississippi River Hosted by Explore La Crosse | La Crosse, Wis. |
Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Friday the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals schedule, highlighted by the addition of a no-entry-fee championship featuring a $135,000 top award and a REDCREST 2026 berth for the winner.
The 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will showcase 150 pros competing across six regular-season stops for a season-long purse of more than $4.3 million and valuable points to qualify for the new Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship and ultimately an invitation to compete on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour.
DAIWA’s new multispecies KAGE LT engineered to be the lightest spinning reel in its class.
The new KAGE LT spinning reel sports rich features, beginning with its extremely lightweight and rigid ZAION body. The woven high-density carbon resin ZAION material is also durable and corrosion resistant to extend the life of the reel.
The KAGE LT’s AIR ROTOR was engineered to be incredibly rigid and with minimal flex, especially at high drag pressures. Critically designed cut-outs reduce the weight of the rotor itself while adding stability and almost eliminating rotor “wobble”. The lighter the rotor, the less force it takes to spin around the reel, making it easier to turn the handle.
The KAGE LT also features a tubular AIR bail, which further reduces weight and offers more rigidity than standard wire, minimizing concerns over flex, bending, or breaking. The thicker material feels better to the fingers when flipping the tubular air bail as well.
A7075 aircraft-grade aluminum TOUGH DIGIGEAR® technology is another hallmark of the KAGE LT. The especially hard and lightweight aluminum is precision machined and digitally cut, making it considerably more resistant to wear than traditional gear materials on the market.
KEY FEATURES BELOW
