PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
Castledine extends Toyota Series AOY record MAY 20
It ’ s no secret that Todd Castledine is the man to beat in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division . No one managed to change that in 2023 . Castledine took home the Angler of the Year win in the division for the second time in the past three years and fifth time in his career , extending his record . No one else has won more than three Toyota Series AOY crowns . Castledine , a former FLW Tour pro who has shifted his focus to dominating locally in recent years , lived up to his reputation by making all three cuts . He finished 12th at the January event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir , second at Lake Dardanelle and 25th at Rayburn in May ( although he declined to compete the final day , dropping to 26th in the final standings ).
Wagner announces arrival with All-American win JUNE 2
Perhaps a few years from now , bass fishing fans will look back at 2023 as the year that launched Emil Wagner ’ s career . Wagner certainly showed that he can rise to the occasion in big tournaments . The Denmark native now living in Georgia edged fellow Bulldog Division pros Matt O ’ Connell and Buddy Benson to win the 40th edition of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All- American on Lake Hartwell . A guide on Lake Lanier , Wagner used his blueback herring and spotted bass knowledge to earn more
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
than $ 120,000 and a berth in REDCREST 2024 . He proved the performance wasn ’ t a fluke , too . In his first ever trip to Table Rock Lake , Wagner finished second in November ’ s Toyota Series Championship , just 7 ounces behind Chad Mrazek . He ’ ll try to carry the momentum over to the Invitationals next season .
Crockett Creek runs away with Team Series title JUNE 18
Major League Fishing unveiled a new tournament format in 2023 , with a familiar result : Jacob Wheeler holding the championship trophy . The General Tire Team Series , which was filmed in the fall of 2022 and aired on Outdoor Channel in 2023 , featured teams of three BPT pros competing against one another in the every-fish-counts format . Viewers got to hear teammates in different boats communicate with each other in real time while breaking down brand new bodies of water . Team Crockett Creek — Wheeler , Dylan Hays and Jason Lambert — pulled out a narrow victory in its first match of the Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship . Then , Wheeler did Wheeler things in the Championship Round . He used a Rapala jerkbait to catch 56 of the team ’ s 68 scorable bass , which totaled 133-4 , more than 72 pounds better than second place .
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
Jordan Lee makes Berkley Big Bass history JUNE 29
Usually , there ’ s an element of randomness to winning the daily Berkley Big Bass awards . But during General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles at Lake St . Clair , Jordan Lee proved his ability to garner big bites is no fluke . Lee earned his third BPT trophy in emphatic fashion , catching the biggest limit of anyone on the water during both days of qualifying as well as the Knockout Round before sealing his victory with 23-4 on the final day . But no stat sums up his dominance like the fact that he boated the biggest bass during every one of the four days he took the water . No surprise , he also caught the biggest fish of the event , a 6-7 brute . No one else in BPT history had earned big bass honors even three times during one tournament . In all , Lee earned a tidy $ 7,000 in big bass bonuses on top of his $ 100,000 payday .
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