GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Major League Fishing and 27 of the best pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production this week at the first event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series in Grand Rapids, Mich. The competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days, featuring nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the Top 3 to advance to the Team Series Championship.
The event marked the first time that MLF had visited the Grand Rapids area with an event that showcases the catch, weigh and immediate-release tournament format.
Anglers competed on one of three fisheries on each day of competition: Muskegon and Bear Lakes, White Lake and Grand River. The competition waters for each day of the event were not disclosed until the anglers arrived at the launch ramp each morning, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers in the world work with their teammates to break down new and unfamiliar waters.
The nine teams that competed were:
Team B&W Trailer Hitches
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.
Team Builders FirstSource
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Team Crockett Creek
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Team Ferguson
Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Team Knighten Industries
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Team Kubota
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala.
Team Sqwincher
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Team Star brite
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
The event will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Jan. 6, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the General Tire Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
