In less than one year’s time, Easton Fothergill went from representing the Bassmaster College Series in the 2024 Classic, to the summit of professional bass fishing. Winning the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in record-breaking fashion on Lake Ray Roberts. Not only was it nearly unbelievable to see a 22-year-old phenom from Minnesota break the Classic weight record held by none other than the legend KVD; it can’t be overstated how important and inspiring Easton’s victory will be for the next generation of anglers who aspire to make it to the professional level. Check out more details on Fothergill’s victory and on how you can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks rewards like the new Classic champion here.
MLF Communications Team Ready For REDCREST
The Major League Fishing (MLF) communications team has been working tirelessly in preparation for REDCREST 2025, where the top 50 MLF anglers from 2024 – including the Top 40 anglers from the 2024 Bass Pro Tour – are competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the $300,000 top prize. The tournament takes place April 3-6 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama and the league has pulled out all the stops, ensuring the event will be one of the most exciting and well-covered tournaments in the league’s history. In addition to the endemic media outreach that began in December, MLF kicked off their local media outreach efforts in February with a press tour in Huntsville, Alabama, visiting key outlets throughout the region to generate buzz and excitement for the event. During the tour, MLF’s communications team arranged multiple in-studio appearances and newspaper interviews for the competing pro anglers, sharing key event details, pitching storylines and spotlighting the talent that is competing in REDCREST 2025. For the last several weeks leading up to the event, the team has been working with endemic and local media to roll out local television segments – including an MLF-style Fish Off with the local CBS affiliate, multiple podcast and radio appearances and engaging articles featuring REDCREST 2025 competitors. “One of the key focuses of our outreach this year has been to highlight our diverse pool of anglers who are vying for the prestigious title,” said Joe Opager, Sr. Director of Communications for MLF. “Our entire team has been focused on sharing in-depth profiles of the competitors, showcasing their unique journeys and the adversity they have faced to get to this point and REDCREST 2025.” By focusing on innovation, unparalleled access to the tournament action and engaging the local community, MLF aims to continue to elevate REDCREST into a can’t miss event for anglers, media and fans alike. “MLF is excited to further enhance the angler, media and fan experience at REDCREST this year,” said Charity Muehlenweg, MLF Sr. Manager of Communications. “Through our carefully planned media events and access to in-depth, real-time coverage of the competition, we’ve worked hard to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone involved, with a renewed focus on telling the story of REDCREST.”
Fans can tune in online at MajorLeagueFishing.com Thursday – Sunday, April 3-6, to watch all the action live.
Chasing A True Dinosaur
March 15th may just be another day for a lot of anglers, but in the Missouri region where I live it’s almost considered a guaranteed day off work being that’s the opening day of “SpoonBill Snagging Season”!! For years the thought was to start at 12:01 am in the dark in order to get them right outta the gate before they get caught or educated by all the anglers. Growing older I’ve realized that’s not actually necessary but for many it’s still an awesome tradition! Although, spoonbill have known to be caught occasionally on live bait, trout lines, and a rare crappie jig here and there they’re mainly target by a snagging technique where utilizing a 5/0-12/0 treble hook tied similarly to a drop shot set up with the weight tied below ranging from 3oz.-16oz.
Casting from the bank or trolled behind a boat jerking regularly in hopes of snagging one is how I remember get started. Since then the sport has had some evolutions with technology making it easier for more anglers of all ages to partake! Maybe say, 15 yrs. ago the first real “game changing” product to come along making catch rates climb and effort tremendously lessened was a trolling disc called a “dipsy diver” which took the place of the sinker below the hook. Imagine a large crankbait bill the size of a softball and the line tie is how it’s attached. With large saltwater style rods in heavy rod holders the DD at fast trolling speeds allows your hooks to dive at depths where the spoonbill are swimming with no extra effort by the angler in order to hook one and the amount of water that could be covered over traditional snagging was noncomparable! The very most recent “Game Changer” to come along has definitely been utilizing “Live Scope and Heavy Bass Equipment” to actually snag a spoonbill in real time on a screen! With only being a daily 2 fish limit you can actually kinda shop around and look for a fish that trips your trigger and then attempt to snag it! I’ve been fortunate enough to get to partake in this process and it’s definitely not as easy as it sounds but very doable with some practice….. one thing that definitely stood out to me on the conservation side of this sport is how you can just pass on the younger fish allowing them to go on about and do their business right on up the river but truly target a mature fish that needs to be harvested. Unlike the other two techniques that it’s just settle whatever size fish you snag into. Enjoying everyone and from a guy that’s done all 3 techniques to catch spoonbill ranging from 10” long to weights hard for one man to hold up alone for a picture. I love the fact that more people of all ages/abilities are taking advantage of the new techniques that fit for them and are getting to experience the excitement of actually catching a true “Dinosaur”!
Let’s face it….. Sometimes you just want to catch something that REALLY pulls back!
Adorned in a custom juvenile trout color scheme, the TW Chop Shop x RiosFishes G-Ratt Glide Baits are the result of an exclusive collaboration with talented California bait painter, RiosFishes. Meticulously hand-finished and available in very limited quantities, each bait showcases realistic, beautiful parr marks and other intricate details that make the TW G-Ratt Glide truly special, highly desirable, and wildly productive. Based out of Elk Grove, California, Lawrence Rios (@riosfishes) is a self-taught bait painter and avid bass and striper fisherman on the California Delta and local reservoirs. Lawrence started airbrushing back in 2019 to create his own custom colorways that were unavailable on store shelves. In 2021, his passion and expertise progressed into a business when he linked up with Garrett Dixon, owner of G-Ratt baits, where he provided template patterns and custom one-off colorways for their brand and the general public. Featuring two body segments, the TW G-Ratt Glide sports a soft, custom-molded replaceable tail section along with sticky sharp 3X trebles mounted on rotating hook hangers to help keep fish securely pinned during intense battles. Available in the eight-inch “Sneaky Pete” size, the TW G-Ratt Glide is engineered with precise weighting that allows it to swim from slow to fast speeds while providing an audible internal knocking sound that alerts nearby predators. Able to be worked several ways, the TW Chop Shop x RiosFishes G-Ratt Glide Baits can be slowly reeled to produce a smooth gliding action, twitched to make the bait dart and pause from side to side, waked just under the surface, and more. Check out the full selection here
Ever wonder why bass crush moving baits like spinnerbaits and crankbaits some days, but will only eat finesse baits like wacky worms and drop shots when the bite is tough? One research study about largemouth bass vision goes into what do largemouth bass see and helps answer this question, based on the biology of largemouth bass vision. In this video, Tom Redington reviews the findings of this groundbreaking study about largemouth bass sight and help you use it to catch more fish. And make sure you stick around for the most important finding, how bass see lures that swim vs lures that drop, because it could be the biggest factor between catching a fish or not. Check it out here
Bass Pro Tour professional Dustin Connell’s sponsors include Rapala, Ranger Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Huk Fishing, Mercury Marine, Lowrance, Seaguar, Miller Tech, and Sea Clear Power just to name a few.
ALMIGHT Now Available In 600yd Spools
Sunline excited to announce the expansion of the Sunline ALMIGHT product line with the addition of 600yd spool sizes! The new 600yd spools provide more line for extended use, making them perfect for anglers who are prepping multiple reels or embarking on longer trips where extra line is a must. Experience the same trusted performance of Sunline ALMIGHT in a convenient, value-packed size. Available in the popular pink color only. Ready to spool up? Check them out here.
AFTCO Is Awarding $25,000 in Grants to Eligible B.A.S.S. Nation Clubs
The AFTCO x B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Grant Program was created to help provide funds to approved freshwater bass conservation projects proposed by B.A.S.S. Nation clubs. Through current grassroots B.A.S.S. Nation organizations, our goal is to foster community and youth-oriented conservation projects that positively impact local fisheries. Each project must have an endorsement of the local fisheries management agency and work to accomplish goals of mutual benefit, and an evaluation component to determine success. A project may be part of a larger project, and working with partners is strongly encouraged. Having already obtained matching funds and/or donations of materials and/or in-kind services increase a project’s value. The project must demonstrate a good investment for AFTCO and B.A.S.S. (e.g., in terms of feasibility, accountability, and financial leverage). Learn more on how to submit your project here.
https://bestontour.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Best-On-Tour-Logo-1920-minified.png8141920Jordan Babcockhttps://bestontour.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Best-On-Tour-Logo-1920-minified-300x127.pngJordan Babcock2025-04-04 11:35:212025-04-04 11:35:21Tow vehicles by the numbers on the Bass Pro Tour (Issue 318)
