By MLF Communications Staff

Major League Fishing (MLF) announced this week the full field for the 2022 Bass Pro Tour. The field of 80 bass-fishing professionals will visit seven fisheries during the BPT regular season and will compete for a total season purse of more than $7.6 million dollars.

The 2022 roster includes 74 returning anglers, headlined by 2021 Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler, REDCREST 2021 champion Dustin Connell, two-time AOY runner-up Ott DeFoe, Edwin Evers, Justin Lucas and the most decorated angler in the history of professional bass fishing, Kevin VanDam. They’ll be joined by six newcomers who qualified via the MLF Pro Circuit – Dakota Ebare, Cole Floyd, Dylan Hays, Clabion Johns, Jeremy Lawyer and Ryan Salzman.

John Cox, who fished all three major tours in 2021, and 2020 Pro Circuit AOY Ron Nelson declined their invitations to the Bass Pro Tour to focus their efforts on other trails, including the Pro Circuit

The 2022 Bass Pro Tour will kick off Feb. 5-10 with Stage One at Caney Creek Reservoir, Lake D’Arbonne and Bussey Brake in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana.

“The professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour are the best in the world, and we look forward to seeing what they can do across nine of the finest fisheries in the United States,” said Don Rucks, Executive Vice President and General Manager for MLF. “We expect the upcoming 2022 season to be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging and competitive seasons in the history of the MLF Bass Pro Tour. We couldn’t be more excited to kick off another fantastic Bass Pro Tour season in February in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana, on three fisheries that have never before hosted a professional tournament.”

In addition to millions of dollars in cash prizes, the 2022 Bass Pro Tour anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2023 Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2023, the world championship of professional bass fishing. Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the catch, weigh, immediate-release format, and is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and MajorLeagueFishing.com, totaling more than 450 hours of original programming. Fans can also follow the on-the-water action as it unfolds on the live ScoreTracker leaderboard.

The 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on the Discovery Channel beginning in July 2022 and the Outdoor Channel in early 2023.

For complete details and up-to-date tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

2022 Roster

Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
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.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.
David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va.
*Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
*Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla.
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
*Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz.
Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.
*Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga.
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Fla.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
*Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.
Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.
Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo.
Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho
Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
John Murray, Spring City, Tenn.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
*Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla.
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Jonathan VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
James Watson, Lampe, Mo.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.

* Denotes 2022 Bass Pro Tour newcomer

2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule

> Feb. 5-10 - Stage One at Caney Creek Reservoir, Lake D’Arbonne and Bussey Brake, Monroe-West Monroe, La.

> Feb. 19-24 - Stage Two at Lake Fork, Lake Fork, Texas

> March 2-7 - Stage Three at Lewis Smith Lake, Cullman, Ala.

> March 23-27 - REDCREST 2022 at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Tulsa, Okla.

> April 9-14 - Heavy Hitters 2022 All-Star Event at Lake Palestine, Tyler, Texas

> April 30- May 5 - Stage Four at Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.

> June 4-9 - Stage Five at Watts Bar Lake, Spring City, Tenn.

> Aug. 6-11 - Stage Six at Lake Cayuga, Union Springs, N.Y.

> Sept. 10-15 - Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake, Onamia, Minn.