Drew Gill Wins 2024 Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters!

Mitchell Forde

BASS PRO TOUR

EDENTON, N.C. — Over the past two years, Drew Gill has rocketed up the tournament-fishing ranks about as rapidly as any angler in recent memory. Competing in his fifth Bass Pro Tour event at U.S. Air Force Stage Five Presented by WIX Filters, he made it to the mountaintop.

Gill put together an epic run during the second period of Sunday’s Championship Round on the Chowan River. In a little less than 2 hours, the 22-year-old rookie stacked 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 12 ounces onto SCORETRACKER®. The best period logged by any angler during the event, it turned a nearly 9-pound deficit to Michael Neal into better than a 14-pound advantage. The rest of the way, Gill would add another 10 pounds and change, bringing his total to 58-14 — also the best day for any angler all week. That topped Neal by 14 pounds, earning Gill $100,000 and his first BPT trophy.

“Everything I’ve wanted for the last few years was to just make it to this field and get to compete against these guys,” Gill said. “To make it to this field and get to compete against them and get a win in my rookie season, the feeling is absolutely unquantifiable.” 

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

1. Drew Gill — 58-14 (22)

2. Michael Neal — 44-14 (18)

3. Dustin Connell — 41-14 (20)

4. Jacob Wheeler — 36-1 (12)

5. Justin Lucas — 31-4 (12)

6. Alton Jones Jr. — 31-0 (13)

7. Matt Becker — 25-10 (7)

8. Zack Birge — 11-8 (5)

9. Ott DeFoe — 11-8 (6)

10. Fred Roumbanis — 9-15 (3)

Complete results

An inevitable win Gill didn’t see coming

On one hand, it might seem like Gill, who started fishing tournaments in 2021 and was competing at the Abu Garcia College Fishing level as recently as this January, came out of nowhere to reach this point. On the other, the victory almost feels like a long time coming.

Jacob Wheeler Wins 8th BASS PRO TOUR Event on Dale Hollow!

MITCHELL FORDE 

BASS PRO TOUR

Before making a cast in the Championship Round at PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury, Jacob Wheeler knew he was about to send Dale Hollow Lake’s bass into a feeding frenzy. He even warned MLFNOW! viewers not to expect much commentary from him, as he planned to be too busy boating bass.

It took less than two minutes for Wheeler to make good on his promise with a 3-pound, 7-ounce largemouth. That sparked a bass barrage for the ages.

Wheeler followed that fish with another 3-pounder, then a 2-3 and a 2-8 — all in the first 10 minutes. In the opening hour, he stacked 14 scorable bass for 43 pounds, 3 ounces on SCORETRACKER®. By the end of the first period, he’d amassed 70-6, all but burying the other nine anglers on the water.

Wheeler would cruise to a 116-6 total on 39 scorable bass – more than 30 pounds clear of Michael Neal in second place. The victory marked the second of the season for Wheeler, who also took home the title at Stage Two on Santee Cooper. He also added to his Bass Pro Tour-best win total, hoisting his eighth trophy since the inception of the league in 2019 and doing so on one of his favorite lakes in the country.

“This is like my lake; this is my home away from home,” the Harrison, Tennessee, native said of Dale Hollow. “My wife literally jokes that we should have moved to Dale Hollow, you like it so much, like giving me crap about it. And I just love it, man. … First big, national tournament on the lake, to get that win, it means a lot.”

Here’s how the Top 10 anglers finished up the Championship Round. Complete results can be found here.

1. Jacob Wheeler — 116-6 (39 bass)
2. Michael Neal — 85-10 (28)
3. Spencer Shuffield — 85-5 (29)
4. Drew Gill — 78-8 (27)
5. Alton Jones Jr. — 74-0 (23)
6. Marshall Robinson — 61-14 (21)
7. Dustin Connell — 60-14 (20)
8. Justin Lucas — 38-4 (13)
9. Keith Poche — 36-12 (14)
10. Alton Jones — 20-7 (7)

Capitalizing on an epic morning bite

Wheeler sowed the seeds for his Sunday morning blitzkrieg days earlier. As noted above, he spends quite a bit of time fun-fishing on Dale Hollow, so he knew to check the area during practice — which he described as a flat, main-lake drain protected by an island cluster. The islands act like a funnel, concentrating baitfish, and the flatter topography serves as fruitful spawning territory, making it a bass magnet.

2024 Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Powered by OPTIMA Lithium on Lay Lake Day 3: Cornell Leaps into Lead!

Dustin Connell won the Knockout Round with 18 bass weighing 52 pounds, 14 ounces. Photo by Garrick Dixon.

Mitchell Forde

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Knockout Round at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Powered by OPTIMA Lithium turned into a no-holds-barred melee. It didn’t matter whether anglers were chasing spotted bass with forward-facing sonar, beating the bank or dissecting current, the bite caught fire across Lay Lake, with the top spot on SCORETRACKER® and the weight needed to qualify for Sunday’s Championship Round fluctuating all day as a result.

Ultimately, Dustin Connell wound up atop the leaderboard with 18 scorable bass for 52 pounds, 15 ounces. Connell, who lives in nearby Clanton, Alabama, bailed on the main-lake area where he caught most of his fish during the Qualifying Round, instead opting to run up the river and fish beneath the Logan Martin dam. He started slow, spending the first two periods below the cut line, before making an adjustment and boating 10 spotted bass for 29 pounds even in the final period. He finished just 1 ounce ahead of Gerald Spohrer

Meanwhile, after 39-1 across two days proved enough to qualify for the Knockout Round, it took nearly as much Saturday alone to earn a spot in the Top 10 and a shot at the $300,000 first-place paycheck. Nick Hatfield claimed the 10th and final spot with 38-14, 1-8 ahead of BFL All-American champion Emil Wagner. University of Montevallo angler Dalton Head narrowly missed extending his dream event another day as well, finishing 12th.

With weights once again zeroing overnight, all 10 qualifiers in the stacked Championship Round field will have a chance to win the single-day sprint for the trophy. MLFNOW! will provide live coverage of all the action starting at 7:15 a.m. CT. 

Full results can be found here.

Connell committed to old-school current fishing

Connell has emerged as a vocal proponent of forward-facing sonar, and for good reason. The technology played a role in each of his five previous Bass Pro Tour wins, including Stage One on Toledo Bend.

2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River Day 2: Villa Take Lead!

 

Martin Villa stayed consistent on Day 2 to move into the lead. Photo by Matt Brown.

By Jody White, Invitationals

MLF Press Release

MARBURY, Md. – Slick and hot conditions made things a little tougher on Day 2 of T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River, and it showed on the leaderboard, as success on Day 1 was no guarantee of the same on Day 2. Moving up from third place, Martin Villa now leads going into the final day after adding 15 pounds, 7 ounces to 18-15 from Day 1 for a 34-6 total. Behind him, Nick Hatfield has 33-10, Michael Neal is third with 32-11, Cody Spetz tallied 32-9 and Potomac superstar Bryan Schmitt sits in fifth with 17-7.

While 30 pounds goes down the leaderboard to 21st place, the top five are stunningly tight. Considering how the Potomac has been fishing, and how free and easy Championship Monday is likely to be, things seem primed for one of the better Tackle Warehouse Invitationals final days of the year. With some big fish being caught, and some big hitters in the mix, it’s looking like a good day to tune in to the MLFNOW! live stream and maybe do a little less work than normal.

Hard cover has Villa on top

No stranger to the Potomac, Villa is an exceptional current fisherman who likes to hone his craft fly fishing for trout. Now, he’s in the mix for $80,000, and his efforts have him unofficially tied for the Angler of the Year lead as well.

Unsurprisingly, Villa is banking on specific pieces of hard cover at specific times. Running the tide and making a lot of effort to get on certain exact places – he checked one spot five times today before it was free of boats.

“I’m missing a grass bite – and I that know it’s the 1-2 punch that you need on this fishery – let me rephrase that, the big-fish grass bite,” Villa said. “It usually revolves around the topwater, but it just seems that when the tide is high they don’t really want to hit it, and when the tide is low I’m not really trying to be in the grass, because I’ve been fishing hard cover. And the places where the better fish are, they’re pulling off of the spawn. So, there are fish coming through every day, so hopefully there are some more there tomorrow.”

TOP 10 BELOW

Connell Goes Back-to-Back on Mille Lacs, Clinches Third Win in 2022

By Mason Prince 

Bass Pro Tour Press Release 

ONAMIA, Minn. – It was a week of back-to-backs at the Bally Bet Stage Seven Presented by Minn Kota. First, it was Jacob Wheeler winning his second-straight AOY title on Tuesday. Today, it was his good friend Dustin Connell winning his second-straight event and his third of the year to round out the 2022 season in dramatic fashion.

Connell Holds off Walker for the Win

The win on Thursday was Connell’s fourth of his Bass Pro Tour career, counting REDCREST in 2021 on Lake Eufaula. Connell caught 20 bass for 82-9, narrowly escaping a surging David Walker by just 4 ounces.

Connell’s Championship Round didn’t start off too hot, however. Through his first two-and-a-half hours of fishing, he was only able to muster three scorable bass for 13-6. Although one of those three was a 6-pounder, Connell knew his first period wasn’t what it needed to be to win.

“I started out this morning really slow,” Connell said. “I felt like I couldn’t find a bass. Then I had 4-foot waves rolling into my boat, so that wasn’t great. Finally, I found my zone and I settled in during the second period.”

Connell exploded in the second period, catching eight bass for 30-15, shooting him right below Michael Neal into second place. That second period was made possible thanks to a waypoint Connell marked during his Knockout Round on Wednesday with time winding down in the day.

2022 Fox Rent A Car Stage Six Presented by Googan Baits: Neal Grabs Lead as Fish Continue to Chew on Cayuga Lake

by Tyler Brinks

BASS PRO TOUR PRESS RELEASE

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. – Following a spectacular kickoff Saturday to the Fox Rent A Car Stage Six Presented by Googan Baits on Cayuga Lake yesterday, Day 2’s results – while still excellent – almost seemed like a breather. That’s how good Cayuga Lake is, where five anglers over the 70-pound mark on the second day means slightly slower action than the day prior.

Six anglers racked up 70 pounds or more the first day of competition, led by Justin Lucas and Jacob Wheeler over the 100-pound mark. But looking past the Top 10 tells the tale of how consistently excellent the largemouth and smallmouth fishing is right now on Cayuga: Chris Lane holds the 20th spot in Group A with 42-12 in Group A and his brother, Bobby, holds the 20th spot in Group B with 36-13.

No matter how you analyze it, the numbers say that Cayuga is showing out.

The action was consistent on Day 2, with plump largemouth and smallmouth steadily ringing up SCORETRACKER® throughout all three periods and red hot Michael Neal taking the lead after catching 21 bass for 83-3.

Neal Continuing Impressive Run

Fresh off his second consecutive Angler of the Year title on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, Neal is back in contention for another win. Beside Wheeler, nobody has been able to consistently shine and find themselves at the top of the standings across varied fisheries as much as Neal has in the past few years. Sunday was just another example of that and Neal will carry a nearly 8-pound lead over second place angler Mark Daniels, Jr. going into their group’s next fishing day on Tuesday.

Neal finds himself at the top doing something right in his wheelhouse – fishing offshore and utilizing his electronics. His success Sunday came after an early morning adjustment.

Nick LeBrun Wins 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me event on Lake Guntersville!

By Joe Sills

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – On Championship Sunday, Nick LeBrun stepped to the deck of his boat surveying an expanse of eelgrass on the Tennessee River. He told his cameraman, E.K., that a 5-pounder would change everything for him today as he let a cast fly 120 feet over the bow. Seconds later, a 7-pound Guntersville largemouth smashed his line and really did change everything for the newest Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me champion.

LeBrun went on to boat a 22-pound, 15-ounce total that gave him his first MLF win since a Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American title in 2018. It’s at that BFL event where this week’s story begins.

On an early summer day four years ago, LeBrun stood onstage holding a $100,000 check, his wife of six years, Jolene, invisible in his mind.

Two weeks later, LeBrun said he was on the side of the road in Louisiana preparing to commit suicide.

2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me event on Lake Guntersville Day 2: Shuffield Continues to Lead!

By Joe Sills

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Guntersville is back. That’s the common refrain from competitors across the 156-angler field of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me event on Lake Guntersville. The world’s most storied bass fishery has regularly topped the list of the planet’s best bass lakes since the sport rose to prominence in the 1960s; however, recent years have been less productive. If this week’s showing is any indication, the anglers are right.

In two days, 23 five-bass bags with weights of more than 20 pounds have been brought to the podium. From top to bottom, competitors seemed to be boating numbers over the past two days, but only the 50 most fortunate advanced to Day 3 as the cut came for anglers unable to find a big bite in the crowd.

Day 1 leader Spencer Shuffield continues to lead the pack after adding 18-11 to his 25-6 weight from Thursday, good for a 44-1 total. Meanwhile, Oregon angler Lane Olson rode a 26-14 bag all the way from 70th to second place. Defending Pro Circuit Angler of the Year Michael Neal rounds out the top three after tossing 19-7 onto 22-2 from the first day of competition.

Shuffield returned to the hot spot that produced a monster sack yesterday to quickly catch four fish weighing more than 15 pounds. After a brisk early bite, he says the spot shut down, possibly due to wind conditions.

“I fished out around them more than anything,” said Shuffield, who added that he switched to a flutter spoon and a hair jig to target the bass after the crankbait bite he rode on Day 1 shut down.

With one more day of competition before weights are zeroed for Sunday’s championship day, Shuffield sits in the best position in the pack to sail through toward a 10-man, one-day derby for $100,000 (or more).

“I can go catch 13 or 14 pounds a hundred times over in the shallows,” he said. “As far as catching a big bag, I am going to have to do that on ledges. I have four places where I feel like I have the potential to catch over 20 pounds off. I want to make it to Sunday because I feel like I will have those places to myself, pretty much.”

2022 Tackle Warehouse Tour Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Day 3: California Rookie Loberg Leads into the Final Day!

By Kyle Wood

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Press Release 

LEESBURG, Fla.– If the fishing on the final day is anything like it was on Day 3, tomorrow’s finish to Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs is going to be one for the record books. Jeff Reynolds and Michael Neal (he’s unstoppable!) both caught more than 27 pounds on Day 3, and Andrew Loberg tallied 22-10 on Day 3 for a 57-11 total that put him on top prior to the weights zeroing out on the final day.

One of the most consistent pros all week, Loberg put his best weight of the week on the scale today, which he believes is mostly due to the fact he’s getting more dialed in.

“I’ve said it a few times, but a lot of the style of fishing [in Florida] reminds me a lot of Clear Lake, which is kind of my home lake,” said Loberg. “Shallow grass, all the tules, dirty-ish water and I really like targeting postspawn fish and they love going to the grass after they spawn. So that’s what I started doing in practice.

“I found a few areas and really just capitalized on those areas and milked them each day. Which is good because I’ve learned more and more each day as I’ve fished about the spots and what’s going on.”

Doing his damage in Lake Eustis, Loberg has been making the most of the morning bite each day.

“The morning bite each day has been kind of my best deal, especially for a bigger bite,” said the former Chico State angler. “As the day goes on it seems like it’s harder to get multiple bites. It’s kind of one here, one there. But the weather is changing so much you kind of almost have to practice in your areas and figure out how they are going to bite with all the changing conditions.”

Given that the Top 10 starts with a clean slate tomorrow, Loberg knows he’s likely got to bust his biggest bag of the event to have a shot at winning. With what he’s learned over the course of three days firing reaction baits around his spots, he’s going to lean on his West Coast roots to try and help him seal the deal.

“I’ve learned where the sweet spots are on my areas,” he said. “I’m going to try to figure out some other baits to throw and I’m definitely going to be throwing a big swimbait tomorrow just to see if I can get bigger bites. Over 20 (pounds) is for sure going to win it, so I really need to capitalize on the morning and strategize with different baits because I’ve put a lot of pressure on those areas over the last few days.”

With wins at the college and Toyota Series levels under his belt, the 28-year-old pro is used to closing events, though he’s never fished a tournament of this magnitude. But in classic Loberg form, he’s excited for the challenge and ready to get back out and do what he loves – go fishing.

Top 10 below

2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Lake San Rayburn Day 1: Josh Bulter Scores Lead with 19-15lbs!

Rayburn stingy on cold start to new year.

By SEAN OSTRUSZKA

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit 

Butler stings 19 pounds as most struggle on Rayburn.
(Photo: MLF) 

“I feel like I’m fishing at St. Clair.”

That’s not something one would expect to hear Michael Neal say on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Fuel Me on Sam Rayburn. Big tackle, giant fish and mega bags – that’s what anglers expect at Sam Rayburn.

Yet, there was Neal with a deck full of spinning rods and finesse techniques, plucking suspended fish from deep water. And he wasn’t alone. Because this week, it seems anglers should expect the unexpected at Guaranteed Rate Stop 1 Presented by Ark Fishing. That includes the leaders.

While 2021 Angler of the Year Neal is in the top five, the top three is comprised of sophomore Josh Butler and a pair of rookies, Jeff Bridges and Keith Carson. All three cracked more than 19 pounds, with Butler’s 19 pounds, 15 ounces setting the pace.

While solid weights for most fisheries, they’re quite modest for Rayburn, and all three admitted their results today were unexpected. Granted, for different reasons.

Neither Butler nor Carson had any tournament experience on Rayburn prior to this week, and their practices reflected that they said.

“I figured I could catch 12-13 pounds,” said Butler, who is fishing offshore. “I just so happened to catch two over 6. I knew I could catch a lot of 2-pounders. So, I’m not going to say I got lucky and caught those two big ones. I hope it’s not luck. I hope I can duplicate it, but I don’t know.”

2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Tour St. Lawrence River Day 3: Cifuentes Leads with 67-05lbs!

Canadian Erik Luzak 44th

Cifuentes' 7-pound lead keeps him in driver's seat 
going into the last day. (Photo: MLF) 

TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT

Press Release

Smallmouth derbies usually come down to ounces. Joey Cifuentes seems to have no intent on letting that happen in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers event on the St. Lawrence.

For the second time in three days, the man many call “Cowboy” cracked the 24-pound mark at the Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia. Day 1, it was 24-5, and after 18-15 yesterday, he ponied up 24-2. The result is 67-5 total and a staggering 6-pound, 12-ounce lead over Cody Pike in second place.

“[Two bags over 24 pounds in three days] is unbelievable,” said Cifuentes. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m in hog heaven as we say in Arkansas.”

That’s an understatement considering the pigs he’s catching this week, as both big bags had fish over 6 pounds in them. But here’s the scary part about today: Cifuentes didn’t make a cast on his area he caught all his weight the previous two days.

He had been fishing deep humps near Frontenac, but he decided to expand and start in some new water near Clayton. The first spot produced the 6-pounder, and everything just clicked from there.

“After that big one, I hadn’t fished shallow all week,” said the Arkansas pro. “I decided to try it and went to a shallow spot where I’d seen some fish swimming around in practice. I caught a pair of 5s. Then I went back out deep and caught a 3-pounder and a 2.5-pounder. After that, I got gas and left to run back up.”

However, despite already having a solid bag, leaving as early as he did allowed him to stop and bounce to fish his way back. Most of it was fruitless, but right near takeoff he had one more area he wanted to try. He was rewarded with 4- and 3-pounders to pad that lead even more.

BRAVO! Jocopo Galelli Wins 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River!

Galelli become 1st European angler to win in America. 

KYLE WOOD 

TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT 

Press Release 

Having his best day of tournament fishing ever, rookie Jacopo Gallelli dropped 20 pounds even on the scales on the final day of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River to capture the biggest win of his career. With 65-3 overall, Gallelli’s biggest limit of the tournament pushed him to the top of the field at the Federal Ammunition Stop 5 Presented by Lucas Oil to become the first European to ever win a Pro Circuit event and take home a cool $100,000 for his efforts.

Hailing from Florence, Italy, Gallelli’s journey as a professional angler hasn’t been easy. Months away from his family and tens of thousands of dollars spent on travel, gear and entry fees can wear on you in a hurry.

“It’s kind of amazing – it’s been such a long road and I’ve had so many things happen this season that just weren’t going my way, so to end up here with this win is absolutely amazing,” Gallelli said. “This trophy means way more than the money for me. I’ve invested my entire life trying to achieve this level of fishing in my career, and I am finally here. I came 5,000 miles across the ocean to make this day happen.

“It’s been such a sacrifice and the sacrifice has continually grown. If I go back home, I cannot keep competing. I’ve missed my son’s birthday, Christmas, New Years, Easter and now it sounds like I probably cannot go back to Italy until the beginning of the fall. But I will be coming back with something great. It’s not about the money – it’s about coming home with one of these [trophies].”

Jacob Powroznik Wins 2020 MLF Lake Okeechobee Championship!

The Big Lake payout as canals fizzles

By Tyler Brinks

Major League Fishing Press Release

Jacob Powroznik took a late lead during the Championship Round, amassing
nearly 30 pounds in the final period alone. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Lake Okeechobee did indeed save the best for last at the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two Presented by Bass Cat. We saw our biggest weight totals, most bass caught by single anglers, and it was a fight to the finish.

Although the final standings show a win of over 11 pounds for Jacob Powroznik, it was a tight race for most of the day, until the Virginian took control in Period 3.

Take this as evidence of how close it really was. After Period 2 closed, the top three anglers were separated by just six ounces. Randall Tharp was edging out Jacob Wheeler and Michael Neal, who all had 28 pounds and change to begin Period 3.

Powroznik was lurking behind and his eight bass for nearly 30 pounds in Period 3 was the difference-maker in claiming his second career Bass Pro Tour win. He ended the day with 15 bass for 49 pounds, 11 ounces, which were both easily the best totals of the week.

Powroznik Closes out Another Win

Jacob Powroznik did enough during Periods 1 and 2 to give himself a chance and was able to close out the win late thanks to a simplified approach that he relied on all week long.

As time expired, Powroznik was emotional and thankful to close out the win.

“You never know and when it is your time, it’s your time. I just kept my head down and kept grinding in the same 300-yard stretch,” he said.

That area is known as “the pass,” and Powroznik shared that it is at the mouth of Buckhead Ridge. That area had all of the ingredients he was looking for.

“It had the right depth, bottom composition, and eelgrass. I was looking for a hard bottom because that’s where they spawn. I was targeting the holes in the grass,” he said. “The fish were in the open areas and if it was too close to bulrushes, the eelgrass would be too choked up.”