Photo by Jody White MLF
BassFan - COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour is set to visit Columbia, South Carolina, and Lake Murray beginning Sunday for the third regular-season event of the 2023 season.
The six-day tournament will feature 80 anglers competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000.
The Jewel of South Carolina has hosted prior MLF Cup events and numerous events with FLW and MLF over the years, but the Bass Pro Tour’s arrival for Stage Three marks the tour’s first trip to the famed lake.
Lake Murray’s most recent professional event was a Pro Circuit tournament in 2021. That event, also in April, was won by Bass Pro Tour rookie Matt Becker. Second place in that event went to Anthony Gagliardi, who also won the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup on his home waters.
Gagliardi says that historically, the first week of April is dead center in the bass spawn.
“There will be fish spawning, but still plenty of fish that are in the prespawn mode and feeding heavily,” Gagliardi said. “It should be a fun event and there will be various ways to catch fish. The lake is in good shape and full of 3- to 5-pound fish.”
While the lake is known for the blueback herring and the nomadic bass that chase them in open water, Gagliardi believes the event’s timing will make them less of a factor.
“It’s awful early for them to be on the bluebacks,” Gagliardi said. “Anything could happen, but I believe most of the bass will be on the bank. You should be able to target the prespawn fish or also try to catch spawners.”
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Each day’s takeout will be held at the launch location, beginning at 4 p.m.
The tournament will feature pros competing under the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday, with the 40 anglers in Group B on the water on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the Top 20 anglers from each group advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round.
In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the Top 10 to advance to the Championship Round, when weight will carry over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW! will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.