Jacob Wheeler Wins MLF BASS PRO TOUR St. Lawrence River!

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

MASSENA, N.Y. – It was a week of record-breaking on the St. Lawrence River for the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley. Fittingly, the beginning of the week in northern New York was dominated by Jacob Wheeler, and it ended with Wheeler setting yet another record on the Bass Pro Tour, winning his fourth Bass Pro Tour event overall and his second in the 2021 season.

The winningest angler in MLF history was able to catch 35 bass for 129 pounds for the seventh MLF win of his career, beating second-place Jeff Sprague by 28-10.

Wheeler’s Qualifying Round Practice Pays off

While the final tally on SCORETRACKER® may seem as though it was an easy win for Wheeler, the Tennessee pro found himself in seventh place after a slow start Period 1 with only five smallmouth for 21-8. As he prepared to start his afternoon, Wheeler made the decision to run to an area he found while practicing during his final Qualifying Round in which he won.

Thanks to a more than 30-pound cushion in that round, the Googan Baits pro was able to scout new areas and find fish for when he would fish in the Championship Round. But not only did he find fish for the future, they were also fish that he knew he could count on because of the area they were located.

Spohrer Surges for Knockout Round Win; Avena & Lucas Outlast Montgomery at the 2021 Bass Pro Tour St. Lawrence River

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

MASSENA, N.Y. – For the second day in a row, the 38 anglers fishing in the Knockout Round of the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley had to wait out a lightning delay. However, that brief afternoon storm didn’t put a damper on another record-breaking day on the Bass Pro Tour thanks to some St. Lawrence River smallmouth.

Spohrer Sprints for First

That 45-minute lightning delay Tuesday afternoon might not have helped any other angler more than Gerald Spohrer. The Louisiana pro was able to take advantage of the slick-calm conditions after the delay to the tune of 73 pounds of smallmouth to end his day with 35 bass for 130 pounds, 8 ounces.

“Today was awesome but tomorrow is what really matters,” Spohrer said immediately following his Knockout Round win. “I rolled up to this area after the storm and it was slick and sunny. I was able to see everything and there were 4-pounders everywhere. I just plucked them all off one-by-one while sight fishing.”

This will be Spohrer’s third Championship Round appearance of the 2021 season, and keeps him well in the hunt in the Angler of the Year race. The Grundens pro entered Stage Five sitting in ninth place in the AOY standings, 50 points behind leader Ott DeFoe. With DeFoe missing the cut in the Knockout Round, Spohrer has a great chance to gain some ground on the two-time winner this year.

Avena Bumps Lucas, Lucas Moves Montgomery for Final Spot

Adrian Avena celebrates an impressive smallmouth catch on the St. Lawrence River during the Knockout Round. Photo by Josh Gassmann

While Spohrer prepares for his third Championship Round of the season, Adrian Avena will be getting ready for his first. Avena was able to put together two important fish catches in the final 10 minutes to jump above the Toro Cut Line and into the Championship Round.

Cox Cruises to Group B Win; Matt Lee Pushes Past Abram for Knockout Round Berth at the 2021 Bass Pro Tour St. Lawrence River

John Cox continues to be Superman as he wins Group B 
with 175lbs! (Photo: MLF)

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

MASSENA, N.Y. – The man who fishes three different professional tours and rarely gets a day off says he’s going to spend his off-day tubing with his family come Tuesday. John Cox claimed the top spot in Group B on the St. Lawrence River and will advance straight to the Championship Round where he will join Group A winner, Jacob Wheeler, after catching 54 bass weighing 2 pounds or better for 175 pounds to win Group B.

While Cox was busy cruising to a win, Matt Lee and Pro Circuit angler Jason Abram were battling for the final spot in the top 20. The Knockout Round is now set in the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley.

Cox Catches Plenty to Grab Group B Win

This is Cox’s fifth Bass Pro Tour event, and now will be his second appearance in a Championship Round. The Florida pro finished fifth at Stage Two on Lake Travis, and will be gunning for his first Bass Pro Tour win come Wednesday.

Cox has experienced plenty of “firsts” during this tournament season, but he got another one on Monday.

“I’ve never led here on the Bass Pro Tour and I’ve never won my group, so this is a first for me,” Cox explained. “I’m glad I’m going to get to let my fish rest a little bit for a day before I’m back out here. I like what I’ve found and I think I’ve got a good shot at (winning).”

Wheeler Breaks Two-Day Weight Record for Group A Win; Robinson & Coulter K.O. KVD at the 2021 Bass Pro Tour St. Lawrence River

MASON PRINCE 

BASS PRO TOUR Press Release

 

MASSENA, N.Y. – It was another record-setting day for Jacob Wheeler on the St. Lawrence River while Stage Four champion Kevin VanDam fell short of a chance to go back-to-back on the Bass Pro Tour. It wasn’t the same level of production for Group A during their second day of fishing in the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Berkley, but the 40 pros competing still caught an impressive amount of fish.

Wheeler Back to His Winning Ways

Wheeler has his name scattered all over the Bass Pro Tour record book, and you can go ahead and etch his name in another spot after Sunday. The Tennessee pro set the MLF record for highest two-day weight total with 66 bass for 222 pounds, 1 ounce, just two days after he set the record for highest single-day weight total with 165-1.

“I was catching bass in all three stages of the spawn today and that’s been my key over these first two days,” Wheeler said. “I caught my fish on a Rattlin’ Ned from Googan Baits on a drop-shot and a Ned rig, those two were the deal for me. It’s been really good out here for me.”

There have been 21 events in the history of the Bass Pro Tour, and Wheeler has now earned a spot in the Championship Round in 11 of them. The Googan Baits pro separated himself from second-place Brent Ehrler by more than 31 pounds and more than 44 pounds ahead of third-place Justin Lucas. Wheeler now has a chance to set another Bass Pro Tour record, by winning his fourth event if he can pull it off on Wednesday.

Bass Pro Tour Event Starts Today!

 Catch all the smallmouth action right here

Freedom Tackle Mischief Minnow Bladed Topwater Review!

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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].”

2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River Day 2: Hibdon Continues Lead!

Canadian Erik Luzak 109th

Another generation of the Hibdon clan using a jig to claim the
lead for a second day. (Photo: MLF) 

Kyle Wood

TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT 

Press Release 

Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River was tougher for some, but not for leader Lawson Hibdon, who bested his Thursday weight and added another 17 pounds, 8 ounces to his total to bring himto 34-8 after two days. Extending his lead to more than 2 pounds, Hibdon is looking to keep on pace for a win in his rookie season, though it won’t be an easy road as some certified hammers sit in the rearview waiting to strike.

Still, Lawson has proven to be one of the most consistent pros in the field, though he says his Day 2 looks better on paper than it actually was.

“It started off a lot slower than I was hoping,” Hibdon said. “I really thought that I was going to be able to pull up to a stretch of docks and catch about 12 pounds in the first 30 minutes and I didn’t.

“It was a lot tougher day today, and it doesn’t look like it, but it was. I only caught eight or nine keepers and had about 15 bites but they were just missing it and it was a weird day.”

With years of experience on Ozark fisheries, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hibdon has been catching fish off docks. What may come as a surprise is the fact he’s leaning on grass as well and doing a good job of it.

“It’s probably a 50-50 split,” he said of his grass and hard-cover pattern. “Some of the bigger ones I’ve caught have been around docks, rocks and basically anything that looks right. I’m just going until I see something that looks right, but about half of ‘em have been out of the grass too.”

2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River Day 1: Hibdon Leads with 17lb!

Lawson Hibdon grabs lead in bass fest first day!
(Photo: MLF

Kyle Wood

TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT 

Press Release 

Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the Potomac River was a certified banger. Federal Ammunition Stop 5 Presented by Lucas Oil featured not only a strong leading weight, but more than 20 bags over 15 pounds on the first day. Leading the pack, Lawson Hibdon put 17 pounds even on the scale to edge ahead of Zell Rowland’s 16-15 by just 1 ounce. Going into Day 2, the pressure could slow things down a bit, but there’s no reason to think the fishing will drop off too much, which should make for a fun race well into the weekend.

Lawson, who’s the son of legendary pro Dion Hibdon, is far from his home in the Ozarks of Missouri, but he’s not letting that stop him from making hay on the Potomac.

“I’ve been [to the Potomac] three or four times I think, never as a pro,” says the 26-year-old rookie. “I’ve fished as a co-angler and practiced with dad a lot, but I don’t have a lot of experience.

“I’m trying to stay away from people a bit, but I still had to fish around ‘em a time or two today. The biggest thing I figured out was that I had to slow way down. I really expected to weigh 12, 13 pounds like you’re seeing a lot of those stringers, but I slowed down with a worm and caught some better ones today. It was very unexpected, I was not ready for it at all, but it worked out today.”

Those with experience on tidal fisheries like the Potomac tend to make a game plan to run the tide to maximize their time in certain stretches of the river during prime times. Hibdon is certainly not one of them.