Major League Fishing announces roster for 2024 Bass Pro Tour

Reigning Angler of the Year Matt Becker, six-time BPT winner Jacob Wheeler highlight 80-angler field

BENTON, Ky. — Major League Fishing announced today the roster for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour, the sixth season of professional bass fishing’s preeminent tournament circuit. The field of 80 of the world’s top bass fishing professionals will compete across nine states during the Bass Pro Tour season for a total purse of more than $6.7 million.

The season starts Jan. 30 at the Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Toledo Bend in Many, Louisiana, and ends in August at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, where the 2024 Bass Pro Tour Angler of Year will be crowned and 40 berths into REDCREST 2025 on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville will be determined.

“We’re excited to announce the Bass Pro Tour roster for the 2024 season,” said Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Major League Fishing. “The Bass Pro Tour represents the highest level of competition our sport has to offer, and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of anglers who will be competing in 2024. It’s going to be an extremely competitive season.”

The 2024 field is headlined by 2023 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) Matt Becker, as well as two-time Bass Pro Tour AOY Jacob Wheeler and 2019 AOY and REDCREST champion Edwin Evers. Also returning are multi-time MLF winner Ott DeFoe, REDCREST 2023 champion Bryan Thrift, multi-time Bass Pro Tour winner and REDCREST 2021 champion Dustin Connell, and up-and-coming superstars Alton Jones, Jr. and Dakota Ebare. REDCREST 2022 champion Bobby Lane will also return to the lineup via a champions exemption after a one-year hiatus from the Tour. The 2024 field includes 29 anglers who have won either a major circuit Angler of the Year title or national tour-level championship.

Of the 24 states represented, Alabama, the site of REDCREST 2024 on Lay Lake in Birmingham (March 14-17), leads the way with 13 anglers. Tennessee is home to 10 anglers fishing the Bass Pro Tour, followed by seven pros from Arkansas.

New to the Bass Pro Tour roster for 2024 are 12 rookies who qualified via the 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals: Ron Nelson (Michigan), Matthew Stefan (Wisconsin), Keith Carson (Florida), Martin Villa (Virginia), Grae Buck (Pennsylvania), Nick Hatfield (Tennessee), Marshall Robinson (South Carolina), Drew Gill (Illinois), Colby Schrumpf (Illinois), Jason Vance (Indiana), Justin Cooper (Louisiana) and Joshua Weaver (Georgia).

“Making the jump from the Invitationals to the Bass Pro Tour is one of the most challenging transitions in all of bass fishing,” said MLF Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director Daniel Fennel. “Our 2024 rookies are a very talented group, and they have all had great success as they worked their way through the ranks. I think they’re going to challenge our Bass Pro Tour veterans and provide some stout competition throughout the season.”

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 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Channel beginning in July 2024 and Outdoor Channel in early 2025.

The 80 professional anglers that will compete on the 2024 Bass Pro Tour are: 

·     Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.

·     Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.

·     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.

·     Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.

·     Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.

·     Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.

·     *Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa.

·     *Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.

·     Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.

·     Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.

·     Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.

·     *Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.

·     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, Denham Springs, La.

·     Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.

·     James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.

·     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.

·     Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas

·     Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio

·     Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan

·     Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.

·     *Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.

·     *Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn.

·     Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.

·     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

·     Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.

·     Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.

·     Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.

·     Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.

·     Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.

·     Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.

·     Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif.

·     Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.

·     Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.

·     Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.

·     John Murray, Spring City, Tenn.

·     Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.

·     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.

·     *Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.

·     Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan

·     Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.

·     Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.

·     *Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.

·     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.

·     *Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill.

·     Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.

·     Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.

·     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.

·     Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.

·     Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas

·     *Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis.

·     Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.

·     Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.

·     Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.

·     *Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind.

·     Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.

·     *Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va.

·     Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.

·     David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.

·     Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.

·     James Watson, Lampe, Mo.

·     *Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga.

·     Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.

·     Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.

* Denotes 2024 Bass Pro Tour Rookie

2024 Bass Pro Tour schedule: