What goes down this year on the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals?

Year two of the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals is sure to be an interesting one. The schedule is pretty exciting, the field is filled with big names and unknowns and there are some incredible locals lined up to fish live on MLFNOW! on their home fisheries. Beyond some fascinating individual events, there are tons of season-long implications – Fishing Clash Angler of the Year takes home $50,000 and the top five pros will qualify for the Bass Pro Tour.

To weigh in on the season ahead, we assembled the best minds in fishing: Brandon Rowan, Jody White and Mitchell Forde of the web team, MLFNOW! analyst JT Kenney and pros Kyle Cortiana and Brett Carnright.

Here are our best guesses at the year ahead.

Who wins AOY?

Picking for Fishing Clash Angler of the Year was interesting this year, in part because there are a limited number of candidates in the field who are historically AOY-caliber and fishing all the events. That means picking an AOY came down to a bit of a gamble, or tabbing one of the few who have definitely proven capable in years past.

Prediction analysis: Mitchell Forde

My initial inclination was to go with Drew Gill based on his consistency last year and what figures to be a pretty LiveScope-heavy schedule. But I figure he’ll devote more time and energy to his Bass Pro Tour debut. So I’m going with Kyle Hall, another super ‘Scoper who feels due to break through to the top level of the sport.

Prediction analysis: Brett Carnright

 I was on the fence between Drew Gill and Keith Carson, but I feel the schedule suits Gill, which is why I chose him. It’s hard to bet against him because the schedule sets up 100% for LiveScope fishing to play across all six events, and with success in his rookie year I predict he will only get better as he gains even more experience. Seeing the events Gill has excelled in over the past few years and from watching him fish on MLFNOW!, I predict he should have a very good year.

This year’s Polaris Rookie of the Year

While there are not a lot of slam-dunk AOY candidates, the field is overflowing with potential Polaris Rookie of the Year contenders. With more than 50 rookies fishing all six events in 2024, there are a lot of options to choose from. If there’s a favorite going into the season, it appears to be Alec Morrison, but he’s sure to have plenty of competition.

Prediction analysis: Kyle Cortiana

No doubt, Alec Morrison can catch ’em up pretty good up north, but he also has shown that he can catch ’em down south in Ozark-style lakes. And, he just looks like a guy that likes to fish shallow, so I’m gonna guess he can go flipping as well. He should have a great season and be in contention for ROY.

Prediction analysis: Brett Carnright

Jake Lawrence doesn’t have a lot of MLF events under his belt, but when he fishes them he wins a lot, especially in 2023. Across the country, there are tournament guys whose names you just recognize, and he is one of them. He does really well on those Tennessee River bodies of water, and that area of the world seems to build the best all-around bass fishermen coast to coast. There are many other names on the list like Jordan Wiggins, Alec Morrison and Brody Campbell that jump out at me as well. I will try my best to take the prize though.

What does it take to break the scales?

With no zeroed weights on the Invitationals, there’s no reason not to drop the hammer when you can. Most of our pickers expect the biggest bag of the season to come from Sam Rayburn, which is very reasonable when you consider some of the past wintertime highlights there. Still, there’s disagreement on how big it will be, and one person has high hopes for the showdown on the Alabama/Georgia border.

Prediction analysis: Jody White

I’m interested to see if Kenney knows something we don’t about Eufaula. It certainly was good in the Bassmaster Open last winter, but as far as top-end weight goes, it is hard to bet against Big Sam. Even if whoever catches the big bag doesn’t do it again, Rayburn just has a ton of potential to kick out a couple of real giants to make a day. Plus, if you look at the roster, there are a pile of extremely good Texas anglers, which creates a squadron of locals that may not be equaled until the season turns north to Champlain.

Where does the slugfest go down?

This year, there are some really good lakes on the schedule, but not necessarily one perfect storm for huge weight. While Sam Rayburn is amazing, it can be hard to maintain consistency there. The same could be said for the Detroit River – wind can put the kibosh on even the best-laid plans. So, stay tuned on this one.

Prediction analysis: Brett Carnright

I’m really up in the air on this one between Sam Rayburn and the Detroit River. This one pick might shock people, but I feel both events will probably be in the high 60s for weight. Sam Rayburn seems to be all over the place for winning weights – you could have a three-day total of 80 pounds all the way down to the mid 50-pound range. But for consistency and time of year, I’m going to choose smallmouth and the Detroit River with 67 pounds, 2 ounces.

Comeback AOY is up for debate

Prediction analysis: Mitchell Forde

When you consider Chad Mrazek’s Toyota Series success, he had a pretty spectacular 2023. But his rookie season on the Invitationals circuit saw more downs than ups, as he had three finishes of 95^th place or worse and wound up 75^th in the points. Mrazek has shown he can catch ‘em anywhere, and with a year of national tour experience under his belt and momentum from his Toyota Series Championship win, I see him faring much better in 2024. Plus, he has logged solid finishes on Sam Rayburn, Eufaula and Champlain within the past two years.

Prediction analysis: Jody White

In 2022 on the Pro Circuit, Cortiana finished 21st in the points, and he dropped to 49th in the points last year on the Invitationals. To me, Cortiana is an excellent angler with a good chance to be back in the Top 20 and perhaps fighting for a BPT spot. I think this year he’s got a good opportunity to bounce back, and finishing the year on smallmouth should be good to him – he’s spent a lot of time up north and seems to have a real aptitude for brown fish.

Who makes the most Top 10s?

Making a bunch of Top 10s often goes hand-in-hand with an AOY contender, but that’s not always a lock. This year, there are a few anglers fishing less than a full season, plus some of the best prospects are rookies, which could lead to some volatility. For this question, our pickers are all over the place, but one consensus is clear: Dakota Ebare is extremely good, and there are some rookies we think very highly of.

Prediction analysis: Jody White

I went with Jake Lawrence here, in part to spread the love, and partially because I think he’s perfect for several events on the schedule. I think he has a chance to do very well almost everywhere that LiveScope will play, which should be just about every event. Plus, I think he should be a shoo-in for a Top 10 on Kentucky Lake, where he won last year. Personally, I had a hard time picking a rookie for AOY outright, because I think there’s a chance they all stub a toe here and there, but Lawrence and a few others seem good enough to be in the conversation at just about every event.

This is the one to tune in for!

When it came time to pick the best event of the season, some went for novelty, some went for big bass, and everyone will come out a winner. This year, there is no bad derby, and just about every stop has a sterling storyline.

Prediction analysis: Brett Carnright

The best event all year will be Lake Champlain. Champlain is not only my home lake, but probably the best tournament lake in the country. Everyone that comes to Champlain loves it. Our timing will be ideal for prespawn/spawn and postspawn fishing. You will have guys fishing in 2 feet of water and possibly 30 to 40 feet. Now, we have some record high water levels for December; currently, it’s about 4 feet higher than it normally is for the winter, and that could affect our event without a doubt. If the water stays high and dirty, Ticonderoga could really show out. Local events saw the power of high water and Ticonderoga in the summer of 2023 with multiple bags in the 25- to 26-pound range. In 2019, we had higher water and the top 10 was dominated by “Ti.” June on Champlain means shallow bluegill beds for big largemouth, floggers for spawning smallies and big topwater baits. We will be here before the LiveScope game really takes over for the summer, so there will be a variety of techniques, and it could be action-packed and won many ways.

Prediction analysis: Kyle Cortiana

I’m super curious about the Detroit River since we aren’t going out of Metropark, and I’m curious about the possibility of Lake Erie being a much bigger player than it has been in the past. I believe Canadian waters will also be open – them being closed really hindered the fish catching the last time we went out of Sandusky. Will St. Clair still dominate?