The final episode of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Team Series Qualifier premiered this past weekend, and three teams have moved one step closer to the Championship and the $300,000 top prize.
Team Crockett Creek (Jacob Wheeler, Dylan Hays and Jason Lambert) rolled in Match 1, as Lambert led his squad to a huge 66-pound, 4-ounce lead after the first day of competition that allowed Team Crockett Creek to play "defense" on the second day and coast to an easy victory.
In Match 2, Team Knighten Industries (Wesley Strader, Scott Suggs and Mike McClelland, pictured) dominated to earn the victory over Team Builders FirstSource by more than 100 pounds. Suggs was the top performer for Team Knighten, as the Arkansas pro alone caught 71 bass over the two days of competition totaling 146-04 to pace his squad.
In the third and final match, which premiered on Outdoor Channel this past weekend, despite starting the day with a 26-02 deficit, Team Fox Rent A Car (James Elam, Jonathon VanDam and Brent Chapman) smashed 188-12 on the final day to overtake Team Star brite and earn the final qualification into the Championship. VanDam had a stellar second day of competition, catching 43 bass for 81-10 to lead the way for Team Fox Rent A Car.
The final results from Match 1 at the Qualifier in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Crockett Creek, 165 bass, 310-7
Jason Lambert, 76 bass, 131-9
Jacob Wheeler, 44 bass, 93-11
Dylan Hays, 45 bass, 85-3
2nd: Team Kubota, 119 bass, 224-8
Bradley Roy, 47 bass, 94-15
Ryan Salzman, 40 bass, 68-11
Greg Vinson, 32 bass, 60-14
3rd: Team Ferguson, 72 bass, 129-14
Corey Neece, 22 bass, 44-4
Marty Robinson, 27 bass, 43-4
Shin Fukae, 23 bass, 42-6
The final results from Match 2 at the Qualifier in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Knighten Industries, 177 bass, 369-13
Scott Suggs, 71 bass, 146-4
Mike McClelland, 57 bass, 120-1
Wesley Strader, 49 bass, 103-8
2nd: Team Builders FirstSource, 142 bass, 269-10
Stephen Browning, 66 bass, 124-14
Jeff Kriet, 48 bass, 93-9
Timmy Horton, 28 bass, 51-3
3rd: Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, 115 bass, 237-15
Andy Morgan, 22 bass, 44-4
Brandon Coulter, 27 bass, 43-4
Josh Bertrand, 23 bass, 42-6
The final results from Match 3 at the Qualifier in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Fox Rent A Car, 173 bass, 313-15
James Elam, 65 bass, 109-12
Jonathon VanDam, 54 bass, 103-1
Brent Chapman, 54 bass, 101-2
2nd: Team Star brite, 158 bass, 281-14
Alton Jones, Jr., 53 bass, 106-14
Britt Myers, 67 bass, 105-6
Roy Hawk, 38 bass, 69-10
3rd: Team B&W Trailer Hitches, 153 bass, 254-14
Cliff Pace, 67 bass, 107-5
Gary Klein, 49 bass, 87-9
Mark Davis, 37 bass, 60-0
Complete results along with photos from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, for the entire week, there were 1,274 bass weighing 2,247 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the nine teams during three matches in the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The next Team Series event will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Saturday (Feb. 11) – the Qualifier on Stockton Lake in Bolivar, Missouri. For a complete schedule of Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Qualifier in Minnesota was shot over six days in October and featured nine teams of three anglers visiting Alexandria to compete on Lake Le Homme Dieu or Lake Ida on each day of competition. The fisheries were unknown to the anglers – they did not learn where they were competing until they arrived at the launch ramp each morning of competition.
All six episodes of the Team Series Qualifier event from Minnesota are now available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
