Laker Howell Wins 2025 the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN.

By David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

WALKER, Minn. — The only thing that stood taller than Laker Howell was the fishing rod he used to win the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN.

At 6-foot-5, the pro from Guntersville, Ala., armed himself with a 7-foot-9 Daiwa Kage medium swimbait rod and leaned on his largemouth prowess to tally a two-day total of 39 pounds, 13 ounces. Turning in daily weights of 19-10 and 20-3, Howell edged Texan Jace Lindsay by a pound.

The tournament’s scheduled start was postponed from Thursday to Friday due to a hazardous wind forecast. The event was shortened to two days, with the full field fishing both days.

“I don’t even have the words; I gotta thank the Lord right now,” a tearful Howell said. “Everyone who does this for a living understands why I’m crying. There’s so much you put into it. All the emotion, all the hard work. The late nights, the early mornings, all the YouTube fishing videos you study.”

Jessie Mizell Wins 2024 MLF Toyota Series events on Okeechobee

 

Jessie Mizell has now won back-to-back Toyota Series events on Okeechobee. Photo by Rob Matsuura. Angler: Jessie Mizell.

By Jody White

Toyota Series

CLEWISTON, Fla. – This week, Jessie Mizell was absolutely untouchable on his home pond. 

Weighing 24 pounds each of the first two days and finishing with 23 pounds, 13 ounces, Mizell totaled 72-9 to beat out Brody Campbell by nearly 3 pounds for the win in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division opener. Now with six MLF wins to his credit on Lake Okeechobee, Mizell has won over $90,000 in less than 12 months, as he also won last year’s Toyota Series event on the Big O. For this one, Mizell takes home another trophy for a rapidly growing collection, plus $44,000 and qualification to the Toyota Series Championship. 

Mizell started each tournament morning on the north side of Okeechobee, easing into a staging bay and going to work. His bite shut down before noon each day of the event, though, as anglers coming and going muddied up the water. When Mizell arrived Saturday, he had a small audience of Bassmaster Open pros starting practice, and he put on a show. 

“I got there first thing – it was a good thing I was boat No. 1 – and there were already a couple boats, BASS guys, in there,” he said. “But they just sat there and watched. I got my first, second, third, my biggest one. After that, there were boats going in and out, and they stirred it up. I didn’t get a bite after 11 o’clock; it got muddy and (the fish) shut down. But I was lucky enough to get my limit, and get those couple key fish. They were eating a frog like crazy – just absolutely destroying it.”

Top 10 Below 

ICAST 2018: Molix Super Nato Frog with Kicking Legs with Carl Jocumsen

Top water frog fishing is amazing. Everyone love something new and Molix has a super cool new frog. The Super Nato with kcking legs has super action and the legs are replaceable with any soft plastic bait you wish. Listen to Carl as he explains the fine details of the new Molix Super Nato Frog.

Jackall GoVacho Frog with FLW Pro Cory Johnston

Cory Johnston is the real deal. He's been doing great on the FLW Tour level and frog fishing is key to his success. Check out the new 3 tailed GoVacho frog by Jackall. It not just a simple hollow body frog.

Ott DeFoe Wins 2016 BASS Elite Mississippi River with 63-10 Pounds!

DeFoe rallies in last few hours. 

Dave Precht
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Ott DeFoe maintained his lead for the third day in a row to earn his first career regular-season Bassmaster Elite Series victory at the Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River presented by Favorite Fishing.
 
DeFoe, of Knoxville, Tenn., produced a five-bass limit that weighed 12 pounds and 1 ounce on Championship Sunday taking his four-day total to 63 pounds, 10 ounces. 

Ott rallies as spillway bass disappear. (Photo: BASS)

DeFoe’s performance barely ousted Minnesota native Seth Feider who weighed in 13-8 for a total of 62-7, which was good enough for a second-place finish.
 
DeFoe’s victory earned him a $100,000 paycheck and a title that he has been striving for since his rookie season in 2011 — the same season the now 31-year-old pro was crowned Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year.
 


“I’ve done well in La Crosse before,” DeFoe said. “It’s an amazing fishery, and I feel very comfortable fishing here. I felt that I located the right fish during practice that might keep me competitive during each day of competition, and I’m thankful the pattern held up.
 
“It’s hard for me to put into words what winning this tournament means. 

John Cox Wins the 2016 FLW CUP with 54-13 lbs.!

Chris Johnston grabs  8^th!

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

This is John's second FLW victory this year. (Photo FLW)

John Cox started his fishing career in an aluminum boat, participating in small pond tournaments in a johnboat powered with just a trolling motor.
In 2011, in his rookie season on the Walmart FLW Tour, Cox earned his first Tour win out of an aluminum boat on the Red River.
In 2015, he finished runner-up in the Tour Angler of the Year standings with an aluminum boat. And in March of this year, Cox got his second Tour win out of an aluminum boat.
Today, Cox reached the pinnacle of the bass tournament world, winning professional bass fishing’s Forrest Wood Cup, and he did it out of an aluminum boat. With his $300,000 victory, Cox has made a bit of unique fishing history, being the only pro to ever win a modern world championship bass fishing event from an aluminum boat.

In doing so, he proved to the fishing world that owning a big brand new glass boat maxed out with a 250-hp outboard is not necessarily a prerequisite to winning a world title in bass fishing. Indeed, his memorable week at Wheeler Lake, which culminated today with the Forrest Wood Cup held high over his head, should serve as an inspiration for tournament anglers at all levels.
“I started in aluminums because I could not afford bigger glass boats,” Cox says. “Aluminum rigs are a more realistic boat purchase for the average working person. I used to paint apartments and just could not afford a $60,000 glass boat.

Froggin' and buzzbait key to CUP win. (Photo: FLW)

“After fishing out of aluminums, I discovered they have distinct advantages of being lighter and they can get up on plane in very shallow water,” he adds. “They don’t get stuck as bad when you plant one on a sandbar, and they tend to hop over logs and stuff better. They are simply more efficient for the way I like to fish.
“I did run a glass boat for about a year on Tour,” he adds. “But I returned to aluminums because they suit my fishing style better.”

ICAST 2016 Jackall Gavacho Frog with JP De Rose and IBASSIN

Frog fisherman have a new fav coming in 2016. The new Jackall Gavacho Frog look so good. Amazing colours, easy walk the dog action plus it is a popping frog. Listen to JP De Rose as he explains all about it.