Justin Lucas Leads 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops

It was a tight race for the top during the Knockout Round and Justin Lucas came out on top with 64-4 on 21 scorable bass. Photo by Tyler Brinks

Mitchell Forde Bass Pro Tour 

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. — Everything has gone to plan so far for Justin Lucas at B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops. His last remaining objective on Smith Mountain Lake: claim the title belt he’s coveted for the past three years and at least one of the $100,000 paychecks up for grabs on Championship Thursday.

Lucas totaled 64 pounds, 4 ounces on 21 scorable bass during the Knockout Round. With less than 2 minutes left before lines out, he boated a 3-13 smallmouth that put him atop SCORETRACKER®, 1-8 ahead of Zack Birge.

Meanwhile, even though he finished the day in third place, the biggest winner was Matthew Stefan. The Wisconsin pro earned $30,000 for catching the Berkley Big Bass of the day, a 5-15 that ate a bladed jig.

Lucas will lead the Top 10 into what’s shaping up to be a wide-open Championship Round, where $100,000 will be up for grabs for both the tournament winner and the angler who catches the biggest bass. Watch the final day live on MLFNOW! from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and the Major League Fishing channel on Rumble.

Full results can be found here.

Lucas hopeful he’s on the winning pattern

Lucas’ Knockout Round unfolded much like his Qualifying Round. He got off to a strong start, putting plenty of distance between himself and the elimination line early, then spent some time scouting for the next round. 

While most of his closest competition plied steep banks on the riverine end of Smith Mountain, Lucas stuck with his approach of targeting schools of bass ambushing blueback herring around the flat points on the lower end of the lake. He amassed more than 27 pounds in the opening period, climbed above the 50-pound mark in the opening minutes of the third frame, then eased off the gas and spent the rest of the day in practice mode.

Pat Schlapper Wins 2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River!

Canadian: Gallant 6th

Bass Press Release

ORANGE, Texas — A marathon, not a sprint. You’d be hard pressed to find a more fitting phrase to describe Pat Schlapper’s wire-to-wire win at the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

Schlapper set the early mark with a Day 1 limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces. The pro from Eleva, Wis., would follow with daily weights of 8-7, 8-9 and 9-10 for a winning total of 38-12.

Edging fellow Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Patrick Walters by a margin of 2-4, Schlapper collected the top prize of $101,000.

“This means a lot to me that my friends and family surprised me and showed up,” said Schlapper, whose brother passed away last year. “This is for my family and my brother.”

A week after 62-11 earned him a 32nd-place finish in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, Schlapper endured the notoriously challenging Sabine River’s stingy ways.

“I caught my fish a few different ways; I had figured out different things and knowing when to do (each one) was the key,” Schlapper said. “I think one of the biggest reasons I out-fished a lot people in the area is that I was fishing a lot faster.

“A lot of people were fishing really slow, but I was just covering as much water as I could. I think that made a big difference.”

With cloudy, windy weather creating classic largemouth feeding conditions, Schlapper enjoyed his best morning of the week. Getting off to a quick start, Schlapper had a limit that went a little more than 9 pounds by 9 a.m.

As soon as he reached his first spot, he experienced an intense flurry that jump started his big morning.

“It was unbelievable the way that happened this morning,” Schlapper said. “That was actually the first spot that I found (in practice). I pulled in and the wind was just perfect to throw a Brazalo clacking buzzbait. It had a big gold blade and a black toad on the back.

“I just got to whompin’ on ’em for about 20 minutes and they were all quality fish. I missed one, but the rest of them choked it.”

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River Day 3: Pat Schlapper Continues Lead!

Canadians: Gallant 3rd,  Chris Johnston 13th & Gustafson 26th

Wisconsin's Pat Schlapper maintains the lead on Day 3 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 29 pounds, 2 ounces. (Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper felt the moment slipping away, but he patiently persevered and found a late-day kicker that kept him in the lead of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Eleva, Wis., took the early lead with a Day 1 limit of 12 pounds, 2 ounces and then remained in the top spot with a second-round bag that went 8-7. Catching a Semifinal Saturday limit of 8-9, Schlapper made it three days straight with a leading total of 29-2.

Coming off a 32nd-place finish last week in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, Schlapper heads into Championship Sunday with a 14-ounce lead over Kyoya Fujita. Schlapper attributes his Texas success to a rejuvenated perspective.

“It’s been a tough year, but I’ve kinda changed my mindset; I’m trying to have fun and I’m fishing to win,” Schlapper said. “We hear that all the time, but I’m really fishing to win this week.”

Schlapper demonstrated the determination requisite of blue trophy ownership by enduring a lean third day. Round 1 saw him catch all of his fish at a bridge near Taylor Bayou. That structure produced part of his Day 2 limit, with the rest coming from shallow shoreline cover.

Schlapper tried his bridge again on Day 3, but it did not yield any keeper bites.

“I started on some other stuff and then went (to the bridge) and didn’t catch ’em, then I just started fishing the way I did in practice,” Schlapper said. “I’m not counting on the bridge anymore. I’ll fish it tomorrow and think I can still catch some there, but I’m focused on the other way I’m catching them.”

That other pattern simply comprises covering water and flipping shallow habitat features. Schlapper said he’s fishing a mix of natural targets with a Texas-rigged creature bait and a jig.

“It could be grass, it could be wood, it could be a little undercut point,” he said. “I’m just trying to get my bait in front of as many fish as I can.

“It took me all day to get those five keepers,” Schlapper said. “I had six keeper bites and only I caught five of them.”

2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River Day 1: Pat Schlapper Scores 12-02lbs and Lead!

Canadians: Gallant 7th,  Gustafson 34th,  Kung 37th,  Chris Johnston 53rd & Cory Johnston 70th

Wisconsin's Pat Schlapper has taken the lead on Day 1 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a total of 12 pounds, 2 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

ORANGE, Texas — Pat Schlapper had the right tool for the job and that homemade bait played a key role in delivering a 12-pound, 2-ounce limit that leads Day 1 of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River.

On a day that saw 69 of 102 competitors fill their 5-bass limit, the pro from Eleva, Wis., heads into Day 2 with a 13-ounce lead over Arkansas pro Stetson Blaylock.

The Sabine holds a good population of fish, but the average size is significantly less than what anglers found during last week’s Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork. Aware of the fish he’d be targeting, and the shallow cover that typically dominates the Sabine action, Schlapper made a batch of jigs specifically for this event.

“I caught most of my fish on a little Do-it Molds compact finesse jig that I make myself and a Big Bite Baits chunk trailer,” Schlapper said. “It’s a 3/8-ounce jig, but it has a really short shank 2/0 hook. It’s really compact and I tied it with fine cut skirt material so it’s really lifelike.

“The jig is black and blue with a sapphire blue trailer. They like sapphire blue down here; I learned that the first year I fished here. The (entire bait) is not even 3 inches long. I made it specifically for this tournament.”

Banks Shaw Wins 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitations Stop 4 by E3 Sports Apparel!

Banks Shaw added another highlight to his stat sheet this week. Photo by Rob Matsuura

Jody White

MLF Press Release 

COUNCE, Tenn. – Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel turned out to be gem of a Pickwick Lake tournament, with big weights and a tight finish on the final day. Taking the title – his first on the Invitationals – Banks Shaw tallied 26 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1, 21-11 on Day 2 and finished off with an even 23 pounds on the final day for a 71-1 total and a convincing margin over Jake Lawrence. With a 67-15 total, Lawrence won the tiebreaker to beat Jacob Walker, who finished third.

Shaw took home his fourth MLF winner’s trophy between College, Toyota Series and the Invitationals, and by far his biggest payday yet – a cool $115,000, which includes the Phoenix MLF Bonus. Shaw also took over the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year lead with 783 points, while Mitchell Robinson finished 19th and moved up to second in the points.

In 2024, Shaw won the Toyota Series event on Chickamauga, his home lake, with a record-winning margin and an 82-12 total – as you’d guess, he won it offshore. Raised on Chick, Shaw has been fishing offshore on the Tennessee River his whole life, and going to school at the University of North Alabama has given him an intimate familiarity with Pickwick. This week, having to make hay without the aid of forward-facing sonar on Day 2, Shaw put together a real master class on modern Tennessee River success.

Shaw primarily targeted a few schools out deep on Day 1 and mostly relied on an offshore shad spawn on Day 2. On the final day, he mixed the two to secure the win. A key difference-maker for Shaw turned out to be Day 2, when many contenders dropped out of the hunt.

TOP 10 BELOW

Tucker Smith Wins 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork!

 

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — It’s said that timing is everything and Tucker Smith proved as much en route to tallying a four-day total of 127 pounds, 8 ounces in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Smith opened his campaign with a limit of 25-4 that put him in 20th place. Picking up the pace, he added 34-5 on Day 2 and rose to fourth.

A Semifinal Saturday limit of 33-1 sent Smith into Championship Sunday in the No. 3 spot and his best bag of the week — 34-14 — sealed the deal with a total weight that ranks seventh largest in Elite history.

“It’s unbelievable; I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” said Smith, who anchored his Day 4 bag with a 7-14. “This was one of the best days I’ve ever had on the water.

“It’s really special to win on Mother’s Day with my mother (Mallory) here. She and I fish together a lot and the most important thing she’s taught me is to just be happy.”

Smith edged his roommate and fellow rookie Paul Marks by 13 ounces. Notably, Smith finished second to Marks by 14 ounces two weeks ago at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

A 3-time Bassmaster High School National Champion and the 2023 College National Champion, Smith collected the $100,000 top prize, along with his first Bassmaster Century Club Belt. The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach the 100-pound mark in a four-day Elite event.

Smith kicked off his final round with a big catch in the first hour of competition.

“This morning, I wasn’t getting bit much, so I pulled up to a place and decided to sidescan and look at some new stuff on my Humminbird APEX,” Smith said. “I saw a bunch of birds on the bank, so I picked up a Picasso swim jig and caught a 6-4.

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 3: Fujita Lead with 100lbs for 15 bass!

Canadians Chris Johnston 15th, Cory Johnston 17th & Gallant 30th 

Japan's Kyoya Fujita maintains the lead heading into Championship Sunday of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day total of 100 pounds, 10 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — Kyoya Fujita is a man on a mission and he made a clear statement to that effect by catching a Day 3 limit of 35 pounds, 10 ounces and maintain his lead at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Placing fourth on Day 1 with 31-0, Fujita added a second-round limit of 34-0 and took over the lead by a 2 1/4-pound margin. Semifinal Saturday saw him catch the event’s largest bag and boost his cumulative total to 100-10.

“I am very happy,” Fujita said. “I’m having a good week.”

The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach the 100-pound mark in a four-day Elite event. Those who achieve that feat receive the coveted Century Club belt.

Fujita’s amazing accomplishment is only the fourth time an Elite angler has reached 100 pounds in three days of competition. The 2008 Elite tournament at Falcon Lake saw three competitors, the late Aaron Martens (109-8), Mark Davis (102-1) and Byron Velvick (101-12) reach that mark.

“One hundred in three days — very good,” Fujita said.

Since Day 1, Fujita has committed to a section of Caney Creek not far from takeoff. He’s using forward facing sonar to aggressively hunt down large bass amid submerged timber. Selectively casting to quality fish, Fujita’s not catching a lot, but he’s more concerned with quality than quantity.

Consistent with his week’s pattern, Fujita started off catching 3-pound class fish, with his better weights coming mid-morning through early afternoon.

After a late-morning round of trading the (unofficial) lead with Paul Marks, Fujita took over the top spot with a 6-pounder around noon. An hour and a half later, he set the hook on a 9-pound Lake Fork giant that had him noticeably animated.

That big fish — the day’s largest — did not make life easy on Fujita, who was fishing a finesse bait on a spinning rod.

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 2: Fujita Commands Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 15th, Gallant 31st, Cory Johnston 42nd, Kung 64th & Gustafson 95th 

Japan's Kyoya Fujita has taken the lead on Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a total of 65 pounds.  (Photo Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — Kyoya Fujita was happy with his day, but he was far from satisfied. That’s a hard statement to process, considering the Japanese superstar notched a 34-pound limit en route to leading Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Hailing from Yamanashi, Japan, Fujita placed fourth on Day 1 with 31-0. Heading into Semifinal Saturday, his 65-pound 2-day total gives him a lead of 2 1/4 pounds over 2024 Lake Fork Champion Trey McKinney.

“I had a great day,” Fujita said. “I hope I catch (at least) 34 pounds again tomorrow, but, in practice, I caught 40 pounds on my spot.

“Thirty-four pounds was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a bigger bag, but with all the fishing pressure, it just didn’t happen. I think it’s going to be tougher tomorrow.”

Fujita spent his day in Caney Creek, not far from takeoff, where he fished five main spots. This area, he said, held the most promise, both in quality and quantity.

“I practiced all over the lake, but this area had the biggest fish,” Fujita said.

Like much of the lake, Fujita’s area bristled with flooded timber. This habitat is not easily navigated and the snagging risks loom ever present, however, Fujita hunted his targets on forward facing sonar and enticed his fish with precise casts.

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork Day 1: Buddy Gross Sacks 33lbs!

Canadians Gallant 39th, Cory Johnston 45th, Chris Johnston 63rd, Kung 67th & Gustafson 90th

Tennessee's Buddy Gross has taken the lead on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a total of 33 pounds, 9 ounces. (Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS Press Release

YANTIS, Texas — Buddy Gross knew he had enough for at least one day of competition and his determination to maximize that potential rewarded the Chattanooga, Tenn., pro with a whopping limit of 33 pounds, 9 ounces which leads Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

On a day that saw the Top 6 anglers reach the “Dirty 30,” Gross notched a lead of 1-4 over Trey McKinney.

“God is good; he always shows up for me when I need it,” Gross said. “We weren’t catching quantity, we were catching quality. We’re just going to have to do it again and try to back it up.

“I did this on the first day of practice and I zeroed the second day, so we’re going to have to work hard and make sure we get a lot of fish in the boat.”

Anchoring his day with a 9-11, Gross got the action going early with a couple of quality fish and ended with a 6-11 at 1:14 p.m. Leaving nothing to chance, he squeezed all he could out of his areas.

“In practice, I caught some quality and today, I went to those areas and really soaked them up,” Gross said. “I fished hard in those areas. I don’t know what to expect the rest of the week, but I knew I needed a good bag today to stay in contention, so I just bore down and fished those areas.”

Gross held his cards low, but he described his areas as postspawn staging spots. He clearly found the right size fish, but he’s aware that his opportunities are limited.

“I just don’t have a lot of it,” Gross said. “I thought I could run some history here and still catch them, but I didn’t. I did find a little offshore stuff but it just wasn’t helping, so I quit that. I hope I have enough left to do well tomorrow.”

Gross said Fork’s water level — currently full pool — has the fish widely dispersed. While low water periods gather fish in tighter areas, a full lake makes it harder to dial in consistency.

“The water being high has them moved around a little bit,” Gross said. “I think timing is not the problem, I think it’s the high water. I think it has spread them out. I just got blessed and found one place that’s kinda loading up.”

Gross said he had to fish a broad spectrum of baits today.