TULSA, Okla. – Major League Fishing (MLF) today announced the roster for the 2023 Bass Pro Tour, the fifth season of professional bass fishing’s most competitive tournament circuit. The field of 80 of the world’s top bass-fishing professionals will compete across seven fisheries during the Bass Pro Tour regular season for a total purse of more than $7.7 million.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour roster includes two-time Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler as well as 2020 AOY Jordan Lee, 2019 AOY Edwin Evers, REDCREST II champion Dustin Connell, two-time AOY runner-up Ott DeFoe, and the most decorated angler in the history of professional bass fishing, Kevin VanDam.
The field represents 22 states plus Japan. Alabama has the most competitors with 16, followed by Tennessee with eight and Arkansas with seven. New to the Bass Pro Tour for 2023 are Matt Becker, Josh Butler, Mitch Crane, John Hunter, Nick LeBrun, Spencer Shuffield and Jacob Wall.
Invitations to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour are earned by performance in the previous year’s Bass Pro Tour, overall lifetime BPT average and performance in the previous year’s Tackle Warehouse Invitationals.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour will kick off Feb. 13-18, with Stage One at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida. The regular season will conclude with the crowning of the Bally Bet Angler of the Year at Stage Seven at Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Michigan, Aug. 1-6.
In addition to millions of dollars in cash prizes, the 2023 Bass Pro Tour anglers are vying for big bass and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST V, 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. Fans can also follow the on-the-water action as it unfolds on the live SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on the Discovery Channel beginning in July 2023 and the Outdoor Channel in early 2024.
For compete details and up-to-date tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
The 80 professional anglers that will compete on the 2023 Bass Pro Tour are:
- Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
- Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
- *Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa.
- Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
- Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
- Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
- Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
- *Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala.
- Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
- Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
- Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
- Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
- *Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss.
- 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.
- Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
- Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
- Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
- Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan
- Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
- Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
- Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
- Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.
- *John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
- Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
- Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas
- Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas
- Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
- Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
- Chris Lane, Guntersville, Fla.
- Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
- Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.
- *Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
- Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala.
- Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.
- Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.
- Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
- Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
- Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho
- 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.
- *Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
- 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.
- *Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
- James Watson, Lampe, Mo.
- Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
- Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.
* Denotes 2023 Bass Pro Tour Rookie
2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule:
Feb. 13-18 Stage One at Kissimmee Chain Kissimmee, Fla.
Hosted by the Kissimmee Sports Commission
March 8-12 REDCREST IV at Lake Norman Charlotte, N.C.
Hosted by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
March 18-23 Stage Two at Lake Cherokee & Douglas Lake Jefferson County, Tenn.
Hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism
April 2-7 Stage Three at Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
Hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
April 24-29 General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star Event Monroe, La.
Caney Creek Reservoir & Bussey Brake Wildlife Management Area
Hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe and the Louisiana Office of Tourism
May 16-21 Stage Four at Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Hosted by Marshall County Tourism & Sports
June 6-11 Stage Five at Lake Cayuga Union Springs, N.Y.
Hosted by the Union Springs/Springport Chamber, Village of Union Springs, and Cayuga County
June 24-29 Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Harrison Township, Mich.
Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County, Michigan, and Lake St. Clair Metro Parks
Aug. 1-6 Stage Seven at Saginaw Bay Bay City, Mich.
Hosted by Bay City, Michigan
About Major League Fishing
About Major League FishingMajor League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement, and fish care.
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