Casey Scanlon Wins 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Norfork Lake presented by SEVIIN

Weather, tornado and flood shorten event 

Scanlon's Day 1 lead holds true. 
(Photo: Andy Crawford/BASS) 

BASS Press Release

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — The water was murky, but Casey Scanlon’s clear understanding of bass behavior led him to victory in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Norfork Lake presented by SEVIIN.

Due to forecasts for severe weather, including heavy thunderstorms, hail, and possible tornadoes, B.A.S.S. officials cancelled the event’s scheduled second and third days. Scanlon, an Ozarks veteran from Eldon, Mo., who led Day 1 with 18 pounds, 5 ounces was declared the winner.

Finishing with a margin of 1-8 over Doug Chapin, Scanlon took home the top prize of $52,086 and earned a berth in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 13-15 at the Tennessee River.

“It feels great to win,” Scanlon said. “Obviously, I would have loved to go three days, but I’ve been doing this a long time and you take these wins anyway you can get them.

“The Bassmaster Opens have become more competitive than ever before, so any time you can beat this caliber of competition, it’s an accomplishment.”

Heavy rains prior to the tournament sent muddy plumes into Norfork. Scanlon said he saw the lake rise only a foot and a half to 2 feet from the level he fished during practice, but turbidity levels were drastically different.

“The water level didn’t rise too badly, but it brought some current into the lake,” Scanlon said. “I think it helped me; it really positioned the fish a little better for me.”

Fishing the mid-lake region, Scanlon focused on the backs of major creeks where he knew the bigger fish would follow the rising water. With lots of floating debris he called “sawdust,” Scanlon located a key spot where current dynamics kept a prime habitat feature clear of the clutter.

Cory Johnston Wins 2024 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River; Brother Chris Finishes 5th!

With a four-day total of 93 pounds, 6 ounces, Cory Johnston takes the title in dominant fashion at the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

By David A. Brown

BASS PRESS Release

PALATKA, Fla. — Cory Johnston fished a full tournament.

But with all due respect to nine other talented and worthy Top 10 competitors, he could’ve slept in the final day and still won the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

A four-day total of 93 pounds, 6 ounces gave the pro from Otonabee, Canada, a winning margin of 21-2 over Texan Brad Whatley. But Johnston’s Day 3 total — 73-13 — would have edged Whatley’s tournament total of 72-4 by 1-9.

“Everyone who fishes these tournaments dreams of winning one of these blue trophies,” said Johnston, who took home the $101,000 top prize. “I don’t know what to say; it was just one of those weeks that was absolutely incredible.

“People say, ‘When it’s your time, it’s your time.’ This week, I couldn’t do anything wrong.”

2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Clark Hill Lake Day 1: Ebare Sacks 23-13 for Lead!

Dakota Ebare stayed red-hot on Day 1 at Clarks Hill. Photo by Charles Waldorf.

Sean Ostruszka

MLF Press Release

APPLING, Ga. – Everyone thought Clarks Hill would surprise people this week. It didn’t disappoint, in more ways than one.

Talking to dozens of pros after Day 1 of Toyota Stop 2 Presented by Lowrance meant getting dozens of contrasting perspectives on what all is happening at the second event of the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. Is the water rising or falling? Yes. Is the water warming or cooling? Yes. Is it better to fish deep or shallow? Yes. Anglers are truly that confused and all over the map about what they think is happening on the fishery.

It seems the only things anyone can agree on are that the fish do want to move up and spawn in short order and that Dakota Ebare is fishing at a different level than everyone else in this event. Continuing his torrid streak over the last year, Ebare sacked up 23 pounds, 13 ounces to take the lead by more than 5 pounds over Travis Harriman. To put that in perspective, Miles Howe sits 5 pounds back of Harriman and he’s in 35th place.

Top 10 BELOW

Kenta Kimura Wins 2022 Bassmaster Northern Open!

Japanese Elite Pro Kenta Kimura uses buzzbait and cranks to 
claim James River victory.(Photo: BASS) 

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

RICHMOND, Va. — Bassmaster Elite Series angler Kenta Kimura said earlier in the week that he did not know what he was doing on the James River. But now that he’s won the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at James River presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a three-day total of 65 pounds, his story seems less than convincing.

After a Day 1 limit of 17 pounds put him in 19th place, the pro from Osaka, Japan, added 23-5 a day later and surged into second. Finishing Championship Saturday with 24-11 — the event’s second-heaviest bag — Kimura edged Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., by a margin of 3-9.

John Crews Wins 2022 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River!

John Crews of Salem, Va., has won the 2022 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns 

River with a four-day total of 75 pounds, 4 ounces. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S

.BASS PRESS RELEASE

PALATKA, Fla. — Mother Nature did not serve up slam-dunk potential, but John Crews leveraged a stellar start and paired it with steady productivity to win the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 75 pounds, 4 ounces.

 Edging Bob Downey of Hudson, Wis., by 1 1/4 pounds, Crews won the top prize of $100,000 and added another blue trophy to the one he claimed a dozen years ago on the California Delta.

 

“I’ve said it 100 times, ‘When it’s your time, it’s your time,’” Crews said. “This week, it was just my time.”
 

Crews, who finished second and fifth at the St. Johns Elite in 2020 and 2019, respectively, took the Day 1 lead with 28 pounds — the event’s third-heaviest bag, behind the 31-15 that John Cox weighed on Day 3 and Downey’s Day 4 limit of 29-3. Crews’ opening catch included an 8-1.

 

After adding 17-3 on Day 2, Crews fought through a tougher semifinal round on Saturday to catch a 13-pound limit, anchored by a 6-pounder. On Championship Sunday, he sealed the win with 17-1.

 

Starting his 17th year on the Elite Series, Crews acknowledged the supreme challenge of a clean sweep and said consistency drove him to victory. He fished clean, lost no keepers and made good decisions throughout a week marked by moody Florida weather and unsettled fish.

REDCREST 2021 Bryan Thrift Dominance as First Five Anglers Set for Championship Round!

Thrift in total control of REDCREST

By Mason Prince

MLF PRESS RELEASE

Bryan Thrift at another level during elimination rounds. 
(Photo: MLF) 

The bite improved during Knockout Round 2 of REDCREST Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, but there were still some anglers left scratching their head at the end of the day. Warming temperatures paired with bright and sunny skies spelled a move to the bank, but the anglers with the most success—those that are moving on to the Championship Round—found their fish offshore with a variety of tactics.

The 10 anglers who competed on Wednesday during Knockout Round 1 only managed to register 32 scorable bass. Fast forward to Thursday, and Group B nearly doubled that total with 59 total, 14 of which came from round-winner Bryan Thrift.

Bryan Thrift, Ott DeFoe, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori and Anthony Gagliardi are advancing to the Championship Round where they will join Zack Birge, Dustin Connell, Jacob Wheeler, Mark Davis and David Dudley. The five anglers who fell below the Toro Cut Line and won’t be advancing out of Group B are Edwin Evers, Jordan Lee, Alton Jones Jr., Brent Chapman and Randall Tharp.

Thrift Continues His REDCREST Dominance

For the third time in four days of competition, North Carolina pro Bryan Thrift ended the day on top of SCORETRACKER®. Thrift finished the day with 14 bass for 40 pounds, 8 ounces, with more than 16 pounds of separation between himself and second-place finisher Ott DeFoe.

“I just got off to a great start in that first period that really set me up for the whole day,” Thrift recalled. “I had 11 fish in the first period and I really spent the rest of the time trying to figure stuff out for the Championship Round.”

2020 FLW Pro Circuit Lake Martin Day 2: Jason Abram Leads with 29lbs!

Canadians Sim 56th & Lucak 119th

By Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Largemouth key to Abram's control of the lead.
(Photo: FLW)

He figured out half the puzzle yesterday and the other half today to get him in the lead. Too bad Jason Abram thinks the entire puzzle may fall apart tomorrow.

While most pros at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event on Lake Martin are either in the sight-fishing or offshore camps, the Piney Flats, Tenn., pro has been running and gunning a pattern all to himself. He only figured out part of the pattern yesterday. Hence his 11-6 bag. When he put it all together today, the result was the biggest bag of the tournament – 17-10 – and the lead with 29-0.

“I had everything I weighed in by 11:30 today,” says Abram. “I only fished the pattern for a few hours, and then I stopped and just went looking for more of it the rest of the day.”

No surprise, Abram is quite tight-lipped on the exact pattern, as it’s quite specific. He did say that in order to execute it, he has to run and gun a lot, figuring he hit in excess of 40 spots today. 

“I don’t know how much gas I used today, but it was a bunch,” he jokes.

Now, the hard part is, in a lake where bites have been plentiful, his pattern has been anything but. Today, Abram only got seven bites on his pattern (though he did catch a quick limit of spotted bass first thing). It’s just that when he gets bit, it’s the right-sized largemouth. Abram had a 5-4 kicker and actually lost another around that size that could’ve helped him crack 20 pounds. Once he lost that last big one, it forced him to make a tough decision.

You see, the other key part of Abram’s pattern is it needs the sun to position the fish, and with clouds in the forecast for tomorrow, Abram is openly worried about whether his pattern might disappear. Thus, he had to weigh the pros and cons of leaning into his fish today to try and go for a mega bag or lay off and hope he can still catch them tomorrow.

TOP 10 BELOW

MLF pro Bobby Lane topped the Knockout Round with 60 scoreable bass totaling 95-4 to lead the 10 anglers heading into Wednesday's Championship Round on Missouri's Table Rock Lake.

MLF pro Bobby Lane topped the Knockout Round with 60 scoreable bass totaling 95-4 to lead the 10 anglers heading into Wednesday's Championship Round on Missouri's Table Rock Lake.

The only things that could shut down the Table Rock Lake bite for Major League Fishing® (MLF) pro Bobby Lane were Mother Nature and sundown. The Florida pro would probably still be catching Ozark Mountains bass at a record pace if impending darkness didn't finally end competition at the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Six Presented by TrueTimber.

Despite nearly five hours of delays in competition due to heavy wind, rain and lightning, Lane finished the Knockout Round with 95 pounds, 4 ounces, obliterating the existing Knockout Round weight record of 67-14 and breaking the single-day weight record of 89-5 set by Josh Bertrand just three days ago. Lane also established a new record for scoreable bass for the day with 60.

"It's almost ridiculous to think that I caught 60 fish for over 95 pounds," Lane joked as he started his tackle prep for Wednesday's Championship Round. "I caught 'em and caught 'em and caught 'em like there was no end. I'm not sure it's quite sunk in yet, but what a cool record to break."

Lane's performance secured him a spot in his first 10-angler Championship Round of the 2019 season. 

Working Through the Weather

The morning looked like it would belong to Andy Montgomery. Taking advantage of the shad spawn and a fierce spotted bass bite brought on by the approaching storm front, Montgomery connected with 31 fish in Period 1 for 47-5. That was part of a period in which 480 fish hit SCORETRACKER® for 782-5 (both Bass Pro Tour records). 

2018 FLW TOUR Lake Lanier Day 1: Bradley Hallman Commands with 23-11lbs!

Gustafson 10th, Cory Johnston 107th, Chris Johnston 120th & Richardson 154th

by Sean Ostruszka

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Every angler has “one of those days” when he can do no wrong. Today was Bradley Hallman’s.

Big spots on the bite on Lanier but Hallman bested them all.
(Photo: FLW)

Yes, the Norman, Okla., pro had a pattern, but he’ll also admit he got a little lucky. Regardless, the end result was a 23-pound, 11-ounce bag of fish to lead the FLW Tour presented by Ranger on Lake Lanier. But they weren’t just any fish. He weighed in 23-11 of spotted bass.

“Today … it was such a day,” Hallman says of his dream day of spotted-bass fishing.

Case in point: Hallman knew he 20+ pounds by 1 p.m. So, he went to a spot he figured would help his co-angler finish up his limit.

“I pull up, just flip a cast out randomly and let [my co-angler] have the good area,” says Hallman. “Then it was just, ‘I’m on,’ and it’s huge. I put it in the livewell, and I have no idea what they all weigh. Their bellies are all so fat. So I balance beam and cull. Then I weigh the smallest one I have left, and it’s 4-4. I saw that and was like, ‘I’m done!’”

How to become a better Bladed Jig (Chatterbait) fisherman with Brett Hite

One of the most popular baits in bass fishing is the Chatterbait. Brett Hite has made the Evergreen Jackhammer bladed jig one of the most talked about lures on the Bassmaster Tour trail. Learn from Brett Hite has he explains the finer points on using a Bladed jig.

Spring time techniques with Shaw Grigsby BASS Legend

Spring time in Florida is the kick off to a new year of bass fishing. One of the very best at catching bass, including giant bass, is Shaw Grigsby. This Florida legend and TV host knows how to find and catch bass during the pre-spawn and spawning periods. Listen to the master as he explains spring time techniques for catching big bass.

ICAST 2016 Megabass Kanata Jerkbait, Vision 110 and Ito Shiner with Chri...

Megabass jerkbaits are considered the best ever made. Listen to BASS Elite angler Chris Zaldain as he explains when to use the Vision 110, Ito Shiner and the brand new Kanata baits.

Brett Hite's New JackHammer Vibrating Jig from Evergreen.

Chatterbaits are king in spring!

By Luigi De Rose

Brett Hite with the new JackHammer. (Photo: James Overstreet)

The chatterbait has now claimed its second Bass Elite victory in a row and doesn't seem to be losing any steam. Any vibrating jig sporting a coffin shaped blade has been filing livewells across the south for over two months. When bass swim shallow its chatterbait time.

One angler who has built a career on the back of a vibrating jig has been Arizona angler Brett Hite. Hite needed to learn how to compete on grass lakes so he decided to learn the chatterbait. This investment had claimed both his FLW wins and another two victories on the BASS Elite Tour. Brett almost grabbed another win this past weekend at Winyah Bay but was edged out by Britt Myers who also fished a chatterbait to claim his first BASS trophy.

In the courts, Z-Man lures has received the rights to manufacture the Chatterbait and has laid claim to any versions of this popular lure. Choices have become very limited. Elite pro Brett Hite has turned to Japanese based Evergreen International, one of his sponsors, to craft his own version called the Jackhammer. We know almost nothing about this bait. All that has been released is that Morizo Shimizu and Brett Hite teamed up to create it and for many that is all that is needed to give it a seal of approval.

Don’t expect to find the JackHammer at your local bait shop. This is a web only purchase for now. If you like fishing something new or different than this is a great springtime purchase.

Pre-2016 Bassmaster Classic Predictions with Casey Ashley

Ashley offers his wisdom.

By Luigi De Rose

Casey Ashley will be trying his best to capture
Classic 2016. 

The 2016 Bassmaster Classic is a week away and everyone who loves bass fishing will be focused on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees. This year’s event is a few weeks later than in the past. The push to have the tournament in March was to avoid extreme weather like the deep freeze that gripped last year’s event. For the anglers and on-the-water spectators, warmer weather will make for more enjoyable days. March is prime time for pre-spawn fishing and if the temps spikes, a mass migration to the shallows could be possible.

IBASSIN.com contacted Casey Ashley, the 2015 Classic champ, for his perspective on how this year’s Classic will unfold.

IBASSIN

Thanks for chat with us. What’s your early prediction on the Classic?

Casey

Hi, pleasure to talk fishing with you.  So much has happened this year with the flood and a mild winter, Grand Lake might not be fishing like it has in the past. I expect it will be much different than the last Classic we had here. The Classic that Cliff Pace won, the lake was cold and clear which made it perfect for a jerkbait and jig. 

IBASSIN

Which baits should be most prominent during this Classic?

Casey

That is hard to narrow down. A jerkbait and even a Road Runner should be good especially if the bass are around schools of bait. A jig will be very strong. Grand Lake is a very good jig lake. But, if we see a few warm days a shallow crankbait bite might be on.

IBASSIN

What problems are you worried about or needing to plan around?

June is big Smallmouth Time on the Great Lakes!

Start Bass Season with a Bang!

By Luigi De Rose

June is a magical month. For many states and particularly the province of Ontario, it is the month that bass fishing begins. It is also one of the best times of year to nail a whopper. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is the location for anglers who are after truly giant smallmouth. These fresh water oceans remain cold and smallmouth bass are just now thinking of spawning.  This year we suffered a frigid winter which has attributed to an even slower progression into summer.

Shimano and Hunninbird pro, Derek Strub is all
smiles with his 7.1 pound Lake Erie smallmouth. 

For the angler, this is the time to target large flats, rocky points, channels and even shallow spawning flats if the water temperature is conducive for it. There are many techniques that work on smallmouth. No need to over complicate the presentations to catch these beasts. It is best to break it down into two categories: search and finesse. Search baits such as: spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits even topwaters are ideal at trigging a reaction bite. If the bass are scattered and aggressive this quick presentation might be all you need. Play to the mood of the fish.

If you're getting wild hits but not connecting, you'll need to alternative between search and a finesse rig to cater to the bass. Don't be stubborn, switching to a finesse rig will save the day. A few bass might attack a search bait but scores of others will remain uninterested. Alternating between a tube jig and a drop shot will have you in the strike zone longer.

Venturing out onto the Great Lakes is not for everyone. It takes the correct gear, the correct weather and the knowledge to adjust to the fishing conditions but the rewards are well worth it.

** Fishing for any species out of season is unethical and against the law. If you cannot wait until your area legally opens for bass fishing then it is time for a road trip to New York or Michigan  **

Casey Ashley Wins the 2014 FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Event.

Texan Redington wins co-angler title, $25,000

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Pro angler Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., brought the largest stringer to the scale on Sunday – for the third time in four days of competition – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Ashley weighed in a five-bass limit worth 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the $100,000 prize after leading wire-to-wire in the four-day event that showcased 176 of the best bass-fishing professionals in the world.

Casey went wire to wire to win this event by 15 pounds!
(Photos: FLW)

Ashley’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 68 pounds, 5 ounces gave him an impressive 14-pound, 8-ounce margin of victory over second-place finisher Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., whose four-day total of 20 bass weighed 53 pounds, 13 ounces and earned him $30,000.

“This week has been magical,” said Ashley, who earned the first Walmart FLW Tour victory of his career. “I’m not taking away from any major tournament that I’ve won, but it really means a lot to win at home. When you win at home, everybody you know is here. A lot of times my family gets to travel to my closer tournaments, but at home everybody gets to be there. A lot of them were out on the water watching me. I think the whole town of Donalds is here. It’s just an awesome feeling.”

Ashley said that he concentrated his efforts this week fishing the lower end of Lake Hartwell in the clear water. He targeted deep brush piles from 25 to 40 feet deep.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Day 3: Casey Ashley Advances with 10 Pound Lead!

Fog shortened day 3 makes for difficult day.

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Walmart FLW Tour competitors arrived to Lake Hartwell early Saturday morning only to find a thick blanket of fog that forced FLW Tournament Director Bill Taylor to delay takeoff. After approximately a three-hour delay, anglers were allowed to start day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Local pro Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., increased his lead after again bringing the largest five-bass limit of the day to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

Casey working his first bass of the day to the boat.
(Photo: FLW)

Ashley’s three-day total of 52 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a commanding 9-pound, 10-ounce lead over pro Clent Davis of Montevallo, Ala., heading into the fourth and final day of competition in the tournament that features the world’s best bass-fishing anglers casting for the top cash award of up to $125,000.

“I was really worried because we had such a short day today,” said Ashley, who is seeking his first Walmart FLW Tour win. “I’m not catching a lot of fish in one place, and I’m having to move around a lot. I’ve still got some stuff that I haven’t even fished yet, just because of time. It takes some time to keep fishing how I have been, and there is just not enough time in the day, especially today.

Ashley said that he wasn’t really doing anything special, and most of his fish were still coming on a jig and a shaky-head rig. After weighing in all largemouth bass on day one and mostly spotted bass on day two, Ashley brought a mixed bag to the scale on day three consisting of two largemouth and three spots.