Thirty MLF Anglers Qualify for 2021 Challenge Cup - Major League Fishing

Thirty MLF Anglers Qualify for 2021 Challenge Cup

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Britt Myers qualified for his first-ever MLF Cup event thanks to strong finishes in Stages One and Two of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour. Photo by Jesse Schultz
March 21, 2020 • Mason Prince • Cup Events

After two events on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour, the first group of qualifiers for the first MLF Cup event of 2021 has been identified. These 30 anglers were the Top 30 point-earners through Stage One in Eufaula, Alabama and Stage Two in Okeechobee, Florida, and will compete in the 2021 Challenge Cup.

The qualifiers are as follows:

  1. Jacob Wheeler: 158 pts.
  2. Ott DeFoe: 147 pts.
  3. Takahiro Omori: 147 pts.
  4. Jordan Lee: 146 pts.
  5. Jacob Powroznik: 142 pts.
  6. Randall Tharp: 141 pts.
  7. Fletcher Shryock: 135 pts.
  8. Brent Chapman: 132 pts.
  9. Kevin VanDam: 131 pts.
  10. Andy Montgomery: 131 pts.
  11. Adrian Avena: 130 pts.
  12. Michael Neal: 129 pts.
  13. Dustin Connell: 127 pts.
  14. Britt Myers: 124 pts.
  15. Jeff Sprague: 122 pts.
  16. Mike McClelland: 117 pts.
  17. Wesley Strader: 116 pts.
  18. Andy Morgan: 116 pts.
  19. Greg Hackney: 116 pts.
  20. Anthony Gagliardi: 113 pts.
  21. Zack Birge: 112 pts.
  22. Chris Lane: 110 pts.
  23. Mark Rose: 106 pts.
  24. Alton Jones, Jr: 106 pts
  25. Scott Suggs: 105 pts.
  26. Stephen Browning: 105 pts.
  27. David Dudley: 100 pts.
  28. Dave Lefebre: 100 pts.
  29. Edwin Evers: 99 pts.
  30. Josh Bertrand: 98 pts.

New to the “No Information”

The most unique aspect of the MLF Cup events is the “no practice/no information” policy. The anglers are given no information about what body of water they will be fishing for the day until they arrive at the boat ramp. While that may seem like a tall task, it’s actually some of the anglers’ favorite part of Cup competition.

“I’ve always liked the no-information rule because it is the purest form of the sport,” said Greg Hackney, the 2018 General Tire World Champion. “Most of the time we go fish somewhere that we’ve never been before. I think the people new to the Cup format will adjust quicker than I did because they’ve really studied it over the years. Watching all the episodes from your couch and then fishing in the Bass Pro Tour I think will equip these guys to handle the pressure.”

There will be two new pros making their MLF Cup debut in the 2021 Challenge Cup: David Dudley and Britt Myers. Dudley, in his first season on the Bass Pro Tour after a storied career with FLW, earned a spot in the Top 30 thanks to 22nd– and a 40th-place finishes in the first two Stages.

After a difficult year in his first season fishing the MLF format in 2019, Myers is happy to get a shot at his first Cup event thanks to two solid finishes—a 12th place and a 26th—to start the 2020 season.

“I’m absolutely stoked,” Myers said. “I’ve always wanted to fish Cup events. That fact that you get no information about where you’re fishing until you show up to the ramp is one of the most interesting things in our sport. I’ve seen all the episodes and have watched the ones airing on Outdoor Channel right now. It shows you who the real instinctual anglers are, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

The point totals will “reset” for 2021 Heritage Cup qualification starting with General Tire Stage Three Presented by TrueTimber at Lake Fork, Texas. The Top 30 anglers in points will qualify for the 2021 Heritage Cup based on their finishes in Stages Three and Four.