PHOTO BY MATT BROWN
VanDam farewell tour ends on season ’ s final day AUG . 6
The top story all season on the Bass Pro Tour was Kevin VanDam ’ s announcement that it would be his last as a full-time touring pro . In typical KVD fashion , he did not go quietly . VanDam , widely heralded as the greatest tournament angler ever after racking up 26 wins across his 33-year career , gave fans one last magical moment at Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Suzuki . Competing in his home state , he finished second in his group during qualifying , then sacked up 21-8 of smallmouth during the Knockout Round to position himself on the pole entering the final day . While a shift in wind and water clarity sabotaged his key area , the fact that everyone knew the Championship Round would mark his last day on the water in BPT competition allowed for a special day as family , friends and other anglers paid tribute , and VanDam himself even bared his emotions before and during competition .
Becker ’ s epic final day earns him two trophies AUG . 6
Brutal conditions greeted anglers during the final day of the BPT season , with 20- mph winds roiling the wide waters of Saginaw Bay and rain increasing in intensity as the day progressed . Brutal for everyone except Becker , that is . The rookie not only braved the big water in search of Saginaw Bay ’ s nomadic smallmouth bass , he caught them better than anyone else in the field all week . Becker ’ s 22-11 limit rocketed him from fifth place to first . He caught four of his eventual five keepers after 1 p . m ., when conditions had reached their nastiest . The triumphant day not only earned Becker his first BPT win but an additional trophy and $ 100,000 check as the Bally Bet Angler of the Year .
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PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
Mrazek makes first win count at Toyota Series Championship NOV . 4
Chad Mrazek fully committed to launching his professional career in 2023 , fishing all six Invitationals plus two Toyota Series divisions . The grind paid off in his final event of the season , where the 23-year-old picked the perfect time to net his first win . Mrazek made a key adjustment on Day 2 of the Toyota Series Championship on Table Rock Lake , switching from wielding an ice jig and Damiki rig for suspended fish to throwing a jig in submerged timber . It yielded limits of 17-7 on Day 2 and 16-0 on Day 3 ( all of it coming after noon ), which proved enough to edge Wagner by 7 ounces . The victory should certainly give his fishing career a boost ; he took home more than $ 200,000 and a spot in REDCREST 2024 .
Lawrence ’ s Tennessee River reign of terror APRIL 20 – OCT . 1
There ’ s fishing with momentum , and then there ’ s what Jake Lawrence did in 2023 . Lawrence won each of the first three tournaments he entered this year , a Toyota Series event and two Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournaments . All three victories came on Tennessee River impoundments , establishing Lawrence as the prodigious river system ’ s preeminent local . First , Lawrence caught more than 57 pounds of spawning smallmouth across three days to win a Toyota Series event on Kentucky Lake , his home waterway . He then traveled south to Pickwick Lake , where he sacked up 51-2 in two days , earning the win by more than 20 pounds — the second-largest winning margin in BFL history . Lawrence wrapped up the dominant campaign with another win on Kentucky Lake , which saw him once again focus on smallmouth and nip Matteo Turano by 13 ounces .
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024
PHOTO BY MATT PACE