Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the world’s best pro anglers wrapped production this past weekend at the General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Alexandria, Minn. The event, hosted by Explore Alexandria Tourism and filmed entirely for television broadcast, was shot over six days and featured nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the Top 3 to advance to the Team Series Championship.
Central Minnesota and Alexandria have played host to numerous bass-fishing tournaments over the years, however, the Qualifier event will mark the first time that MLF has visited Alexandria with an event that showcases the catch, weigh, immediate-release tournament format.
The six-episode, two-hour series features the professional anglers visiting the Alexandria area to compete on Lake Le Homme Dieu or Lake Ida on each day of competition. The anglers do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers in the world break down new and unfamiliar waters.
The nine teams that competed in the event were:
Team B&W Trailer Hitches
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Team Builders FirstSource
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Team Crockett Creek
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn.
Team Ferguson
Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan
Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Team Fox Rent A Car
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Jonathan VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Team Knighten Industries
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo.
Team Kubota
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.
Team Smokey Mountain
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
Team Starbrite
Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
The event will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Dec. 31, 2022, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
The winning three-man team in the General Tire Team Series Championship will claim the $300,000 top prize. The second-place team will earn $60,000,and the third-place team will win $30,000. Teams 4-9 in the championship will each earn a $15,000 prize. All anglers receive $3,000 for participating in the no-entry fee qualifying events.
