Bryant Smith Wins 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open!

Spencer Shuffield Finishes Second, Martin DeHaven Tops AAA Division

WON BASS Press Release

LAUGHLIN, Nev. – October 16, 2024 –– The first two days of the 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open presented by Ranger Boats and Mercury had proven to be the shootout that was predicted.  As the 172-boat field ventured out on to the waters of Lake Mohave in Laughlin, Nev. for Championship Wednesday less than two pounds separated the day two leader Bryant Smith (43.84 pounds) and second place pro, Kyle Grover (41.88 pounds), the defending Champion.

Like most events, the one thing that is a certainty is that once the field gets accustomed to the conditions, they will change.  The first two days featured barely a breath of wind, and the water’s surface resembled a mirror.  The final day brought winds in in the 10 mile per hour range which added a wrinkle to the narrative of the event.

The question remained as to which of would be able to maintain the quality results they had to date, or would they fall to the hard charging efforts of pros like third place pro Spencer Shuffield (40.99 pounds), fourth place pro Josh Bertrand (40.16 pounds) or fifth place Julius Mazy (40.03 pounds).

The answer to that question would be Smith.  The Roseville, Calif. pro bagged 20.90 pound of Lake Mohave smallmouth bass to push his final weight to 64.74 pounds to earn the top prize of a fully rigged 2024 Ranger Z520R powered by a Mercury ProXS 250 equipped with Lowrance Electronics, Bioenno Lithium Batteries, Power Pole Charge, Megaware Keelguard and DD26 Accessories valued at more than $90,000.  Along with the Ranger / Mercury prize boat, the $70,000 winner’s share of the payout brings his total package to $160,000.

Ebare Wins 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals at Clark Hill Lake!

Sean Ostruszka

MLF Press Release

APPLING, Ga. – A little more than a month ago, Dakota Ebare’s story was how close he’d been to winning so many times and how it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he finally hoisted a trophy.

Now, it’s how many times he might lift a trophy this year, thanks to two wins in five weeks.

After finally getting the monkey off his back by winning the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats event at the end of January on his home waters of Sam Rayburn, Ebare once again hoisted a MLF trophy this week. And, he did it in dominant-yet-dramatic fashion, going wire-to-wire to win the Toyota Stop 2 Presented by Lowrance event on Clarks Hill Lake. 

Abram Wins 2020 FLW Pro Circuit Lake Martin with 52-09 lbs!

Docks and finesse key for top anglers
By Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

The docks in the back of coves key to first win for Abram.
(Photo: FLW)

One big bite – that’s all that separated the entire top 10 going into the final day on Lake Martin. Whoever got it was probably going to win.

Turns out, one big bite is all Jason Abram got in five hours of fishing his main pattern today, but that one big bite anchored a bag just big enough to earn his first Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event.

“This is a childhood dream,” says Abram, who weighed in 11 pounds, 3 ounces today to get to 52-9 total for the event. “I can’t even tell you … It just feels so great; so great!”

Of course, Abram wasn’t feeling so great prior to the final read out.

As mentioned, Abram had spent five hours fishing his main pattern with just one bite to show for it, and that bite came at around 10:30 a.m. From then on, it was hours of “mentally exhausting” fishing and wondering if he’d left the door open for someone to catch him.

Yet, the reason he kept fishing his pattern was the same reason he’d be fishing it all week – it didn’t get many bites, but it got the right bites. In this case, a 4-pounder that couldn’t resist his merthiolate Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm walked under docks – but not just any docks.

TOP 10 BELOW

2014 Walmart FLW Beaver Lake Day 1: Thrift on Tear!

Beaver Lake a wash with small limits 

by Curtis Niedermier
FLW Press Release

ROGERS, Ark. - Confidence is effective medicine in professional bass fishing, and right now Chevy pro Bryan Thrift is benefitting from a heavy dose. The FLW millionaire took the early lead at the Beaver Lake Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Rayovac with a 16-pound, 2-ounce limit. Thrift’s success today comes on the heels of his final-day come-from-behind victory at the Sam Rayburn Tour event just two weeks ago, where Thrift broke out of an early season slump that began with finishes of 59th and 107th place at the first two events.

Bryan is on a hot streak after a win on
the Big Sam!
(Photo: FLW)

It wasn’t a pattern or a place that boosted Thrift into the lead today on a blustery Beaver Lake. It wasn’t even anything in the lake. It was all between the ears.

“After winning at Rayburn, that kind of lifted a weight off me,” said Thrift, who rotated through 40 or 50 spots today. “I can relax. I don’t have to worry about paying the bills. I can just have fun and take what the good Lord gives me.

“I think confidence definitely plays a key role in tournament finishes,” he continued. “I just went fishing with an open mind. Today was a great day. I don’t think I’ve ever caught this many fish on Beaver.”

The confidence effect was evident in Thrift’s catch today. He weighed a Beaver medley that included one largemouth, one spotted bass and three smallmouths. The latter three were the first smallmouths Thrift has caught all week – one of those nice unexplainable surprises that tend to occur when you’re making good decisions.