Zack Birge Wins 2026 Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech on Lake Waco!

Birge Score 30-Pound Victory of Evers!

By Mitchell Forde 

Bass Pro Tour Press Release

WACO, Texas — When he launched his boat onto Lake Waco for Saturday’s Knockout Round at Champion Teamwear Stage 3 Presented by MillerTech, Zack Birge knew next to nothing about the fishery. He’d never competed there before, and he spent all three days of official practice prior to the event on Lake Whitney, which hosted the two-day Qualifying Round.

All Birge knew was that he’d spotted a juicy-looking backwater pond on the north end of the lake on Google Earth. His game plan in a nutshell: head there and hope for the best.

“I didn’t even come over here in practice; I just looked at Google Earth and thought this looked good,” Birge said following Sunday’s Championship Round. “I literally told my official yesterday, I showed it to him on Google Earth, and I said, ‘Man, this pond back here looks good.’

“Little did I know. I know now, though.” 

Birge used the area not only to qualify for the Championship Round but to win it in dominant fashion. He spent all day Sunday in the spot known to locals as the “Atkinson Hole” and totaled 75 pounds, 1 ounce on 27 scorable bass. That topped runner-up Edwin Evers by more than 30 pounds and represented the biggest single-day total of the event by more than 20.

Birge’s second career Bass Pro Tour victory earned him $125,000. He also took over the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year standings. Four points behind him, four-time AOY winner Jacob Wheeler and Spencer Shuffield are tied for second.

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Zack Birge – 75-1 (27)

2. Edwin Evers – 44-12 (15)

3. Dustin Connell – 43-10 (10)

4. Spencer Shuffield – 31-3 (11)

5. Drew Gill – 27-13 (14)

6. Chris Lane – 23-12 (9)

7. Nick LeBrun – 22-4 (7)

8. Mark Davis – 20-13 (8)

9. Jesse Wiggins – 17-3 (6)

10. Justin Lucas – 12-3 (6)

Full results

Jacob Wheeler Wins 2025 Toyota Stage 7 Presented by Ranger Boats on Saginaw Bay!

By Mitchell Forde 

BASS PRO TOUR 

BAY CITY, Mich. — Jacob Wheeler couldn’t help himself. 

Time had already run out in Toyota Stage 7 Presented by Ranger Boats on Saginaw Bay with Wheeler atop SCORETRACKER®, his 10th career Bass Pro Tour win secured. Yet after Wheeler addressed the MLFNOW! viewers and offered some thank yous to those who had helped him get his tournament fishing start growing up in Indiana, he picked his rod back up and pitched a topwater frog back to the clump of reeds and lily pads in front of his boat, trying to elicit one more blowup.

That summed up Wheeler’s week on Saginaw Bay. Needing only to finish 27th or better to secure his fourth Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title in the past five seasons, he could have played it safe, then celebrated and gone through the motions after he secured the hardware on Friday. Instead, he not only made Sunday’s Championship Round but overcame an early 22-pound deficit to Todd Faircloth and willed his way to a win in a three-way battle with Faircloth and Edwin Evers. His total of 110 pounds even on 42 scorable bass ultimately topped Faircloth by 7-6.

For the win, Wheeler earned $150,000 – he’ll leave Saginaw Bay with $250,000 and two trophies thanks to his AOY victory. The dream end to yet another dominant season left even Wheeler, who is no stranger to recapping victories, short for words.

“I still don’t know what to say, to be honest with you,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t even believe it half the time. I just go fishing and things happen. I’m just speechless. It’s crazy, it really is.” 

Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:

1. Jacob Wheeler – 110-0 (42)

2. Todd Faircloth – 102-10 (40)

3. Edwin Evers – 86-10 (36)

4. Cole Floyd – 66-2 (26)

5. Brent Ehrler – 61-2 (25)

6. Bryan Thrift – 58-0 (23)

7. Nick Hatfield – 54-12 (23)

8. Spencer Shuffield – 49-15 (21)

9. Keith Carson – 45-7 (18)

10. James Elam – 43-6 (18)

Complete results

Wheeler separates himself with strategy yet again

Wheeler took his first lead of the Championship Round with about 10 minutes left in Period 2. From there, he and Faircloth traded blows, the top spot on

Bobby Lane Wins Redcrest 2022 Presented by Costa on Grand Lake!

Florida pro Bobby Lane caught the REDCREST-winning bass with less than 3 minutes left. (Photo: Berkley) 

TYLER BRINKS • BASS PRO TOUR

GROVE, Okla. – It was hard to keep up with the action in one of the most dramatic finishes in Major League Fishing history. REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa was one for the ages.

The suspense never wained throughout the Championship Round with numerous lead changes and nobody running away with the win as the weights remained close all day. Several anglers made big runs at various points, and it became clear that whoever had their hot streak last would take home the trophy.

The group of Bobby Lane, Luke Clausen, Jacob Wheeler, and Dustin Connell battled it out at the end and Lane came out on top as the 2022 REDCREST Champion after catching 10 bass for 29 pounds, 14 ounces.

Before Lane’s triumph, a dizzying array of catches came across SCORETRACKER® late in the game with the lead held by four anglers during the third period. It was set up to be a showdown between the anglers using forward-facing sonar, Wheeler and Connell, and the anglers casting to shallow targets without relying on their electronics, Lane and Clausen.

Clausen began the period with the lead before Connell took control. Then came Wheeler, who held the lead for more than an hour. Lane then caught a 2-0 with less than three minutes to go. Clausen then added a 4-2 mere seconds later. 

But, when the clock stopped and the waters calmed on Grand Lake, Lane prevailed for the biggest win of his career.

Lane Emotional After Win

Lane has had a stellar career with a Major League Fishing World Championship, MLF Cup titles, and a Bassmaster Elite Series win, but this is now easily his most significant achievement. He’s also been very close to more wins, including some heartbreakers last year.

“It’s a big monkey off of my back, and I’ve fought the battle for a long time to win a big one again,” he said. “Last year, Wheeler beat me by 2 ounces on Lake Travis and that was running through my mind today. Those demons are behind me, and I’m finally standing here as the REDCREST Champion.”

During the week, Lane quietly had success each day of fishing. He began the tournament with a sixth-place standing after catching eight bass for 26-12, then added four for 9-9 the next day. In his group’s Knockout Round, he tallied 27-13 on nine fish to make it to Championship Sunday.

2019 Bass Pro League Lake Chickamuga Pool B: Cliff Crochet Blasts 65-11lbs!

Crochet's First-Period Maelstrom Propels Him to Shotgun Round Win.

Major League Fishing Press Release

Fast and furious rockets Crochet to win.
(Photo: MLF)

In the five-decade history of organized bass-fishing competition, there have been very few 2 ½-hour displays of fish-catching proficiency the likes of which Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Cliff Crochet put on this morning on Lake Chickamauga.

Fishing in the Group B Shotgun Round of the Bass Pro Tour Econo Lodge Stage Four Presented by Winn Grips, Crochet caught his first scorable bass - a 5-plus-pounder - 12 minutes into the competition, and then went on a spree that saw the Louisiana pro stack 65 pounds, 11 ounces of Tennessee River largemouth onto SCORETRACKER by the end of Period 1.

Crochet's 31-fish, 65-plus-pound maelstrom of hookups in Period 1 was more than the daily total weights of 18 of the 19 round winners so far in the 2019 Bass Pro Tour schedule.

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Crochet joked as he waited for the Berkley Postgame Show to start. "I caught four fish in the first little flurry, and I thought that was a good start to the day. Worst-case scenario, I could grind and have a decent day. I hit the second flurry and had enough sense to realize what was going on.

"I really tried to focus on good technique: from casting to hookset to fighting them to weighing them. I didn't know how long it was going to last, but I knew I needed to cover as much ground (on SCORETRACKER™) as I could."

Crochet finished the day with 34 fish for 69-6, at one time opening up a 30-pound lead before backing off and spending most of the second and third periods scouting for new water for his Elimination Round on Friday.

Another Heavy Day on Chickamauga

While Crochet's cushion on the rest of the field was virtually insurmountable after the first period, a large percentage of the other 39 Group B anglers competing had strong days as well: Edwin Evers finished second with 55-2, Zack Birge was third with 51-4. In all, 17 anglers put 37 pounds or more on SCORETRACKER during the day.

The field accounted for 1,312 pounds on the day, including six fish over 7 pounds.

On to Elimination Rounds

2019 Bass Pro Tour Elimination Round Pool A: 20 Advance to Weekend.

20 Pros Survive Elimination at MLF Bass Pro Tour 

MLF PRESS RELEASE

MLF pro Randall Tharp was one of 20 anglers to advance out of Group A's Elimination
Round today at North Carolina's  Falls Lake. He will fish in Saturday's Knockout Round.

It has become one of the most interesting (and in some cases, gut-wrenching) focal points of the young Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour season: the battle around the 20th spot in the standings on Elimination Rounds.   

 

That 20th spot - which represents the final qualifier for the Knockout Round - is the definition of "make or break" and has created some of the highest moments of drama in the history of professional bass fishing.

 

If you're Jacob Powroznik, you love it today. The Virginia pro weighed in 12 pounds, 13 ounces of Falls Lake largemouth to finish with a two-day total of 32-14: good for 20th in Group A at the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three Raleigh presented by Evinrude.   

 

If you're Michael Neal, not so much: the Tennessee pro put 17-4 on SCORETRACKER™ on the day, but fell 2 ounces short of Powroznik for the coveted final spot with 32-12.

 

"Well, what can you say: somebody has to be that guy, and today, that's me," Neal deadpanned as he waited for the start of the Berkley Postgame Show.   

 

"It was very stressful," Powroznik admitted. "At about 1 p.m., I was like 'What am I doing wrong?' The areas where those fish should be going, they're just not there yet. The biggest thing is just keeping your head in it. I'm just glad I made it."   

 

Moving on to Knockout

 

For the 20 anglers who finished just ahead of Neal in Group A Shotgun and Elimination Round competition, it's on to Saturday's Knockout Round, where they'll be joined by the Top 20 after tomorrow's second Elimination Round on Falls Lake, consisting of Group B anglers.

 

Notable performers on the day included:  

 

Jordan Lee Wins Inaugural MLF Bass Pro Tour with 50-01lbs

Third-period flurry key to win.

By Joel Shangle

BPT PRESS RELEASE

Bladed jig vaults Lee to first MLF BPT Trophy!
(Photo: BPT)

Is there any level of fishing competition that MLF pro Jordan Lee doesn’t excel at? So far in the Alabama pro’s career, it sure doesn’t seem like he has any limitations.

Lee won a national collegiate championship in 2013 at the age of 21, and put back-to-back Bassmaster Classic trophies on his mantle in Grant, Ala., in 2017 and 2018. At the age of 27, Lee owns the most prolific Top 10 success rate in the sport (he’s made the Top 10 in just over 35 percent of his tour-level tournaments).

And now a 43-pound piece of hardware that nobody else will ever be able to claim: the inaugural MLF Bass Pro Tour championship trophy.

After finding an area of clean water on the north end of Lake Garcia, Lee put together a flurry of 2- and 3-pounders in the third period winding a vibrating jig through the grass, adding over 32 pounds to SCORETRACKER in the period to distance himself from Edwin Evers and Jared Lintner.

Lee finished the day with 55-1 on 26 to Evers’ 44-3 and Lintner’s 33-9.

“(The third period) was an unbelievable period,” Lee said. “I fished my way into that last area and got bite after bite after bite – and caught good ones, too – and just found myself in a spot with clear water and a lot of fish. Fish were moving in to spawn, so there were bigger fish in there. Edwin was coming on strong right there at the end, it feels pretty darn good.”

Evers did his best to overtake Lee. The Oklahoma pro matched Lee fish-for-fish in the final 2 ½ hours of competition – Evers and Lee both caught 16 fish – but couldn’t match Lee’s quality. Only three of Evers’ fish in the period were over 2 pounds, while 11 of Lee’s were between 2-4 and 4-11.

“I had the bites today, I just wasn’t on the right fish,” Evers said. “It was that simple. I thought I’d find a few bigger ones, but I never could get on bigger ones consistently.”

Lintner looked like he might be the man to beat until Lee and Evers put the hammer down in the final period. The Southern California pro put back-to-back fish of 4-1 and 3-15 on SCORETRACKER late in Period 1 flipping a 3-inch hand-poured black/blue/silver-flake craw, and then took the lead just before the end of Period 2 with the Berkley Big Bass of the day, a 5-5.

His flipping bite faltered in the final period, though. Lintner landed six scorable fish in the final 2 ½ hours, all but one of them between 1-3 and 1-7.

The battle for fourth through seventh was the tightest grouping of the day. Anthony Gagliardi finished fourth with 24-5, trailed by Alton Jones, Jr., (23-3), Randy Howell (22-2) and Michael Neal (21-8). Jess Sprague (18-9), Dustin Connell (14-12) and Takahiro Omori (12-11) finished out the Championship Rounds standings.

Up Next: Conroe here we come

Stage Two of the MLF Bass Pro Tour kicks off Feb. 12-17 in Conroe, Texas, where the 80-angler field will compete on Lake Conroe. This 21,000-acre impoundment of the San Jacinto River north of Houston hosted the 2017 Bassmaster Classic (won by Jordan Lee) and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (MLF angler Dave Lefebre won the 2009 TTBC there), and is one of Texas’ most prolific producers of trophy-sized largemouth.

2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Christie Leads with 37-04!

Christie leads Evers by 5!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Jason Christie ready for Day 3 and the win.
(Photo: BASS)

Once again, Jason Christie is on the verge of winning the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
 
And once again, his good friend — and occasional nemesis — Edwin Evers, has a chance to take it away from him.
 
The Oklahoma anglers occupied the Top 2 spots in the standings for the second straight day at Lake Hartwell, and they will lead the remaining 23 anglers into Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $300,000 first-place prize and the most coveted trophy in professional bass fishing.
 
Christie caught 16-6 during Saturday’s second round to push his two-day total to a tournament-best 37-4. Evers had a much tougher day than he did on Friday, landing only 13-0. But he remained in second place with a two-day mark of 32-9.
 
“It was the same deal today where you just had to weed through them until you found a good one,” said Christie, who also led the first two days of the 2016 Classic on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, only to lose the title to Evers on the final day. “I had a chance to have a really good day, but I lost some fish. I don’t know if it was the lightning we had this morning or if the water’s clearing up or what, but they’re biting funny.”
 
Those funny bites led to some ragged hook sets that cost Christie on several occasions.
 
“I lost a 5-pounder and a 3- or 3 1/2-pounder,” said Christie, who won the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500 for the second straight day. “I also broke one off that was my fault. I hit a cable on one cast, and I didn’t retie. Then later on, I broke one off setting the hook.
 
“I caught a 4-pounder on my last cast, but I’m not getting enough of those kinds of bites. I can’t afford to booger those up when I get them.”
 

2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Christie Sacks 20-14lbs for Lead!

Oklahoma room mates land 1 & 2!
By Luigi De Rose

Considering the hype about Lake Hartwell prior to the start, the fishing was slow for most. Even the top anglers complained about long lulls between bites. Oklahoma anglers Christie and Evers, room mates on tour, sit first and second after Day 1. Both explained that Hartwell fishes very similar to Grand Lake. The site of the 2016 Classic, Grand Lake is where Christie led the first two day but later succumbed to a heroic last day limit by Ever which vaulted him in the winner's circle. This event could be a repeat of 2016.

Tomorrow will see increased cloud cover and warmer temps. This might give shallow anglers or anglers targeting spotted bass with moving baits the edge.

1	Jason Christie		5 / 20-14
2	Edwin Evers		5 / 19- 9
3	Jordan Lee		5 / 18-10
4	Brent Ehrler		5 / 17- 8
5	Ott DeFoe		5 / 16- 8
6	James Elam		5 / 16- 7
7	Jacob Wheeler		5 / 16- 1
8	Mark Daniels Jr.		5 / 15-14
9	Gerald Swindle		5 / 15-13
10	Jamie Hartman		5 / 15-12
11	Dustin Connell		5 / 15- 5
11	Jason Williamson		5 / 15- 5
13	Jacob Powroznik		5 / 15- 4
14	Casey Ashley		5 / 15- 0
15	Alton Jones		5 / 14- 9