2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 1: Buddy Gross Sacks 33lbs!

Canadians Gallant 39th, Cory Johnston 45th, Chris Johnston 63rd, Kung 67th & Gustafson 90th

Tennessee's Buddy Gross has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a total of 33 pounds, 9 ounces. (Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — Buddy Gross knew he had enough for at least one day of competition and his determination to maximize that potential rewarded the Chattanooga, Tenn., pro with a whopping limit of 33 pounds, 9 ounces which leads Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

On a day that saw the Top 6 anglers reach the “Dirty 30,” Gross notched a lead of 1-4 over Trey McKinney.

“God is good; he always shows up for me when I need it,” Gross said. “We weren’t catching quantity, we were catching quality. We’re just going to have to do it again and try to back it up.

“I did this on the first day of practice and I zeroed the second day, so we’re going to have to work hard and make sure we get a lot of fish in the boat.”

Anchoring his day with a 9-11, Gross got the action going early with a couple of quality fish and ended with a 6-11 at 1:14 p.m. Leaving nothing to chance, he squeezed all he could out of his areas.

“In practice, I caught some quality and today, I went to those areas and really soaked them up,” Gross said. “I fished hard in those areas. I don’t know what to expect the rest of the week, but I knew I needed a good bag today to stay in contention, so I just bore down and fished those areas.”

Gross held his cards low, but he described his areas as postspawn staging spots. He clearly found the right size fish, but he’s aware that his opportunities are limited.

“I just don’t have a lot of it,” Gross said. “I thought I could run some history here and still catch them, but I didn’t. I did find a little offshore stuff but it just wasn’t helping, so I quit that. I hope I have enough left to do well tomorrow.”

Gross said Fork’s water level — currently full pool — has the fish widely dispersed. While low water periods gather fish in tighter areas, a full lake makes it harder to dial in consistency.

“The water being high has them moved around a little bit,” Gross said. “I think timing is not the problem, I think it’s the high water. I think it has spread them out. I just got blessed and found one place that’s kinda loading up.”

Gross said he had to fish a broad spectrum of baits today.

Keith Carson Wins MLF Invitations Stop 6 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at the Detroit River

Canadian Cory Johnston 6th

Keith Carson won Stop 6 with a three-day total of 67-6. Photo by Rob Matsuura.

By Jody White

Major League Fishing Press Release

TRENTON, Mich. – Stop 6 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at the Detroit River was a wild one from start to finish, with big weights, lots of movement in the points standings, and a tightly contested chase for the win. In the end, Keith Carson put it all together for three days to earn his first MLF win as a pro with a three-day total of 67 pounds, 6 ounces. For the win, Carson earned $80,000 and a ticket to REDCREST 2025. Finishing runner-up, Alec Morrison weighed 66-12, and though he could not clinch the win, he did earn both the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year and Polaris Rookie of the Year titles. 

This being the last Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event of the season, the top five pros in the points also earned Bass Pro Tour invites for 2025. Morrison leads a high-flying group of anglers that includes Jake Lawrence, Colby Miller, Jaden Parrish and Marshall Hughes. 

ActiveTarget skills put Carson on top 

A childhood friend of John Cox, who is noted for eschewing forward-facing sonar and remaining quite successful, you wouldn’t exactly peg Carson as a player on

Paul Marks Jr. Wins 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cherokee.

Paul Marks Jr. got it done in fine fashion this week on Cherokee. Photo by Rob Matsuura. Angler: Paul Marks Jr.

By Jody White

PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE Press Release

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Tallying 38 pounds, 6 ounces over three days, Paul Marks Jr. dominated the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cherokee. Topping 12 pounds for the third day in a row with a Day 3 limit that weighed 12-5, Marks won by more than 4 pounds over runner-up Matt O’Connell and earned $120,000 for his efforts. Additionally, he qualified for the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Wheeler Lake and REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville.

While he’s only 23, Marks’ star has burned bright for several years. This marks his fifth win with MLF since 2019, which includes stats from high school, and could serve as the launchpad for yet another prolific tournament fishing career.

Made for the moment

On the water, Marks is an assassin, laser-focused on the task at hand and deadly with the tools of the modern angler. His father, Paul Marks Sr., has fished at a high level as well and seen his son’s potential take shape over the years.

“He’s been fishing most all his life, going in the boat with me before he could get around good – crawling around in the boat,” Marks Sr. said. “He’s always had a passion for it, always.”

Starting his son in team tournaments at home on Lake Lanier, Marks Sr. thinks early success helped turn Marks Jr. into the budding superstar that he is.

“I competed, and a lot of my friends did – when your kid grows up around that excitement, I think they tend to take a liking to it,” the elder Marks said. “He kind of fell into it. In high school, he made nationals as a freshman. He just got more and more of a passion for it. He’s been very fortunate, from when he started in high school to fishing local tournaments with me and being on the winning side of it. That puts more gas in your motor.

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