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PHOTO BY JOHN ZEOLLA |
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA |
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1 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS NORTHERN DIVISION
Potomac River
June 5 – 7
Even though he traveled a long way from his home in Jacksonville , Florida , Michael Catt felt right at home fishing the Potomac River . Noting its similarities to the St . John ’ s River , he used his tidal expertise to find two spots that reloaded each day and produced all his winning weight .
Avoiding the popular main-river grass flats and instead venturing into the back of a creek , Catt targeted a grass line with a drop-shot and a stretch of bank that featured several laydowns with a Texas rig . The combination produced 20-1 on Day 1 , which had him 1 ounce off the lead , then 17-4 on Day 2 and 16-8 on Day 3 . His 53-13 total topped Spike Stoker by 3-0 , earning him $ 44,500 .
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2 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS WESTERN DIVISION PRESENTED BY TACKLE WAREHOUSE California Delta
June 5 – 7
Cristian Melton came to the California Delta with his sights set on protecting his Fishing Clash Angler of the Year points lead . Not only did he accomplish that , he left the Western Division finale with his first pro win and a check worth $ 22,866 .
Melton caught most of his 18-10 Day 1 bag in one stretch of the San Joaquin River , but the fish weren ’ t biting there on Day 2 . Exploring new water nearby , he found a protected zone that was “ teeming with life .” The magic spot produced the 22-0 limit that gave him the lead on Day 2 , then an 8-12 kicker on the final morning , which anchored a 20-13 bag . His 61-7 total topped Christian Ostrander by nearly 5 pounds .
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3 . BASS PRO TOUR U . S . AIR FORCE STAGE FIVE PRESENTED BY WIX FILTERS Chowan River June 4 – 9
Drew Gill ’ s rapid ascent took him to the mountaintop in his fifth Bass Pro Tour event . The 22-year-old rookie figured out the mysterious Chowan River better than any of his competitors , totaling 58-14 during the Championship Round to win by 14 pounds .
Gill , who had three previous topfive finishes in his first four BPT events , admitted he didn ’ t think he was on the fish to win . But a midday stop on an offshore flat dotted with fallen cypress trees and other wood cover produced more than 30 pounds in less than two hours , giving him a lead he wouldn ’ t relinquish . All of Gill ’ s 22 scorable bass during the Championship Round ate a drop-shot .
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4 . TACKLE WAREHOUSE INVITATIONALS STOP 5 PRESENTED BY SUZUKI MARINE Lake Champlain
June 15 – 17
High winds forced the cancelation of the final day on Lake Champlain , but Jacob Walker only needed two days on the water to claim his first national win in convincing fashion .
The Alabama native found the Alburg Passage loaded with smallmouth bass and devoid of other competitors , making for an epic bite — he said he could have caught 100 smallmouth per day if he wanted to . Walker used forward-facing sonar and a jighead minnow to target postspawn bass ambushing schools of alewives . He claimed the lead with 21-4 on Day 1 , then added 21-1 to top Nick Hatfield by 2 pounds . The victory earned him $ 80,000 and a berth in REDCREST 2025 .
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