Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the roster for the 2022 REDCREST Championship, which will be held in March at Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
Originally scheduled for February 2021, the event was postponed a year after mounting uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and a guest capacity reduction at Expo Square. With relaxed restrictions and Tulsa once again open for business, it’s full steam ahead for MLF and event hosts VisitTulsa, the City of Grove and the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce.
“With our MLF headquarters based in Tulsa, this is a homecoming for Major League Fishing and we are honored to showcase our sport and the outdoors to the Tulsa community with our world championship event,” said Michael Mulone, senior director of events and partnerships for MLF. “REDCREST 2022 is going to be a show like no other and we look forward to highlighting Grand Lake and Tulsa to the tens of thousands of passionate fishing and outdoors fans who will attend the event and the hundreds of thousands of fans who will be watching from around the world.”
The five-day tournament will showcase the Top 41 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2021 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.
According to MLF rules, the REDCREST field of 40 is determined by Angler of the Year (AOY) points ranking at the end of the seven-Stage 2021 Bass Pro Tour. This year, MLF and the MLF Anglers Association agreed upon a structure that allowed all 76 anglers on the Bass Pro Tour roster to drop their lowest finishes from the 2021 regular season. That helped to level the playing field after multiple anglers sat out events due to health and safety concerns that fell under MLF’s CDC-recommended Healthy Operating Protocols and Executions (HOPE) guidelines.
When all of the AOY points were tallied, one angler who had qualified to compete in the event was negatively affected and dropped out of the 40-angler qualification. In the interest of fairness, that angler will still be allowed to compete in the event as the lowest-finish drop was not meant to penalize an angler who had already qualified. REDCREST 2022 will feature 41 anglers competing over the five-day competition.
Here's an alphabetical list of the competitors:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
John Cox, DeBary, Fla.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va.
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Ala.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Harrison, Ark.
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.
In addition to the competition, REDCREST 2022 will feature an Outdoor Sports Expo at Tulsa’s Expo Square on March 25-27. Fans can see the latest in tackle and gear innovation, meet their fishing heroes, learn from some of the greatest anglers in the world, spend their money on merchandise and celebrate all things bass fishing. Bass Pro Tour anglers will conduct seminars and will be available for meet-and-greets with fans.
