Arkansans vying for Redcrest title
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three Arkansans will compete for one of the largest prizes in professional bass fishing today through Sunday at the Major League Fishing Redcrest championship on Lake Norman.
Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Stephen Browning of Hot Springs and Mark Rose of West Memphis will be in a field of 40 top anglers from the Major League Fishing Pro Division. The top prize is $300,000.
Major League Fishing, formerly Fishing League Worldwide, has long had a major presence in Arkansas. George Cochran of Hot Springs won the FLW Championship on Lake Hamilton in 2005 and Scott Suggs of Bryant became one of only two anglers to win $1 million in a tournament when he won the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita. The last Forrest Wood Cup was held on Lake Hamilton in 2018. FLW and Major League Fishing merged in 2019.
Instead of weighing in their five biggest bass at the end of a round, anglers in an MLF tournament count every keeper bass they catch. A marshal weighs the fish aboard the boat and releases it immediately after.
In the Redcrest, anglers will be credited with their five largest bass, but they will still release them after weighing them on the boat.
Joe Opager, director of communications for Major League Fishing, said immediate release dovetails with the organization’s strict conservation ethic.
“It has brought fish mortality almost down to zero,” Opager said.
Browning, a longtime fixture in Major League Fishing and the Bassmaster Elite Tour, said Lake Norman will test the anglers to their limits. The lake is deep and clear, with scores of boat docks. However, it contains a low density bass population. Weights are expected to be modest, but Browning said he is comfortable with those fishing conditions. “You can settle into a pattern and let it develop,” Browning said. “Nobody is going to run off and leave everybody behind.”
Instead of attending a weigh-in, Redcrest fans will be able to watch the action live on the water at the Redcrest Expo. The live feed will feature any angler who catches a fish or makes a major move, similar to the fashion of broadcasting a golf tournament.
All 40 anglers will fish the first two days. The 20 anglers with the heaviest cumulative two-day weights will advance to the first Knockout Round. They will start with zero weight, essentially starting a new tournament.
The 15 anglers with the heaviest weight will advance to the second Knockout Round. Their third-day weights will carry over.
The 10 anglers with the heaviest combined weights at the end of the fourth round will advance to the championship round Sunday.