Georgia Boater Paul Marks Jr. Takes Lead into Final Day of Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American at Cherokee Lake

Savannah River Division boater catches 13-pound, 6-ounce limit to take 2-pound, 10-ounce lead, final 10 boaters and co-anglers set for Championship FridayJEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (May 30, 2024) – Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Presented by T-H Marine was tough, and Day 2 was even tougher. Limits are a big achievement on Lake Cherokee this week, and a 12-pound bag can rocket an angler up the leaderboard at an astonishing rate.With the Day 1 leaders faltering, Paul Marks, Jr., of Cumming, Georgia, tallied 13 pounds, 6 ounces to jump up to a 26-1 total, which gives him an edge of more than 2 pounds over Dillon Falardeau of Hixson, Tennessee , who weighed 12-2 on Day 2 to bring his total to 23-7. While that’s a commanding lead mathematically for Marks, the way the lake is fishing probably won’t allow anyone to sleep easy.The final 10 boaters and Strike King co-anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Friday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Jefferson County TN, showcases the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000 – and an automatic qualification into REDCREST 2025, MLF’s most prestigious event – and the winning Strike King co-angler a top prize of $50,000.The winner of last year’s regional on Lake Eufaula and runner-up in the most recent Tackle Warehouse Invitationals stop, the 23-year-old Marks entered the event as one of the favorites. Sporting acres of screen on his rig and all the accompanying skills, the Georgia angler is again showing why he’s considered a top prospect.Weighing exclusively smallmouth, Marks has relied on a Zoom Z-Swim in Tennessee shad, picking off smallmouth on various points all over the lake.“I caught a few the first day — I had a really good bag the first day,” he said of practice. “The rest of practice, I pretty much drove around.”Marks seems to know what he’s looking for, which is the presence of bass and particular structural features.“It’s the way the islands are pointing, and the way the points are — from a contour standpoint and a current standpoint,” he said. “And, if there are stripers there, there’s no bass; if there’s bass, usually there are no stripers.”Many local observers have expressed shock at how tough the fishing is, and Marks is surprised as well.“I expected like 14 a day to do good, not whatever I’ve had,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve seen it this bad.  I wasn’t liking it in practice, but now I’m liking it.”He’d really like if things hold up for one more day.“I’d probably cry,” Marks said about the prospect of winning the All-American. “It’s a staple. It’d definitely help kickstart a career for me.”Sitting in second and within striking distance, Falardeau charged up the leaderboard from sixth on Day 2. A full-time guide and lodge owner  at Lake Chickamauga, Falardeau is in hot pursuit of a fishing career after 10 years in the Army — so, winning the All-American would be perfect for him.“I’ve got this one area I’ve found with a good population of fish, and I’m staying in that really small area — I don’t know if there’s enough for tomorrow,” he said. “But I do have one rock with 12, maybe 15 bass on it, and they’re all 3 pounds. I caught a 3-2 yesterday and a 3-4 today off it. Once you catch one, you can give it a couple hours, and they set back up, but I just can’t get another one off of it.”Five off the magic rock would go a long way on Championship Friday. If Falardeau can pull it off, it’d probably be one of the first times the winning spot at the All-American was found in bed.“The big thing on a lake like this with such a big drawdown is an app, Field Maps,” Falardeau explained. “I basically lay down in bed at night and find my spots when the lake is 30-foot low. The rock I’m fishing, I found last night laying in bed.”Tomorrow, he knows what he’s going to do.“Once I have my limit every day, I’ve been pulling the trolling motor and leaving and practicing,” he said. “I did that today, and it was a waste of 2 hours. I know where there’s a 16-pound bag, so I’m going to sit on it all day.”With a little luck (or maybe a lot, considering the tough fishing), this could be a big week for Falardeau.“[Winning the All-American] would be life-changing for me,” he said. “Being a full-time guide, leaving for a full week, I don’t get paid, and I’m scraping by. I love guiding, but this is what I want to do for a living.  This is what I’ve always wanted to do for a living, and that would give me the boost to be able to go to the next level.”The Top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of the All-American on Cherokee Lake are:1st:         Paul Marks Jr., Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 26-12nd:        Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 23-73rd:         Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., 10 bass, 23-44th:         Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 20-12, $5005th:         Pete Saele, New Lenox, Ill., nine bass, 20-86th:         Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., nine bass, 20-87th:         Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 10 bass, 20-28th:         Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 10 bass, 20-19th:         Jason Barnes, Concord, N.C., eight bass, 20-010th:       Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., nine bass, 19-6Finishing in 11th through 49th are:11th:      Eli Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., 10 bass, 19-6, $3,00012th:      Bradley Enfinger, Donalsonville, Ga., nine bass, 18-1, $3,00013th:      Jacob Woods, Loudon, Tenn., eight bass, 17-2, $3,00014th:      Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., seven bass, 16-14, $3,00015th:      Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., eight bass, 16-6, $3,00016th:      Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., seven bass, 15-11, $3,00017th:      Tyler Ivie, West Haven, Utah, six bass, 15-4, $3,00018th:      Thomas Rallo, Eldon, Mo., six bass, 15-4, $3,00019th:      Brian Wilson, Nancy, Ky., six bass, 15-3, $3,00020th:      Jackie Flack, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 14-15, $3,00021st:      Andrew Shufelt, Peterborough, Ontario, seven bass, 14-1, $2,00022nd:     Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, seven bass, 13-15, $2,00023rd:      Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., six bass, 13-13, $2,00024th:      Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 13-11, $2,00025th:      Eldon Newcomb, Mt. Vernon, Ky., six bass, 13-9, $2,00026th:      Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown,Tenn., six bass, 13-8, $2,00027th:      Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., six bass, 12-8, $2,00028th:      Dan Shoraga, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 11-1, $2,00029th:      Donavan Carson, Bluff City, Tenn., six bass, 11-0, $2,00030th:      Michael McMahon, Hackettstown, N.J., five bass, 10-12, $2,00031st:      Evan Eldred, Goodrich, Mich., six bass, 10-9, $1,50032nd:     Jeff Clark, Van Buren, Ark., four bass, 10-5, $1,50033rd:     Vernelle Quinnie, Duncanville, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $1,50034th:      Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., five bass, 9-13, $1,50035th:      Christopher Wilder, Macon, Ga., five bass, 9-12, $1,50036th:      Josh Lee, Powell, Tenn., four bass, 8-15, $1,50037th:      Aspen Martin, White, Ga., four bass, 8-6, $1,50038th:      Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., four bass, 7-14, $1,50039th:      Cody Mackie, McMinnville, Tenn., three bass, 7-12, $1,50040th:      Austin Lawson, Charleston, Ark., three bass, 6-11, $1,50041st:      Brandon Medlock, Lake Placid, Fla., two bass, 5-11, $1,50042nd:     Tyler Wilson, Brooklet, Ga., three bass, 5-6, $1,50042nd:     Aaron Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., three bass, 5-6, $1,50044th:      Cody Carl, Lake Lotawana, Mo., two bass, 5-5, $1,50045th:      Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., one bass, 3-14, $1,50046th:      Randy Williams, New Richmond, Ohio, two bass, 3-8, $1,50047th:      Roger Pope, Statesville, N.C., one bass, 3-0, $1,50048th:      Rick Funk, Middleton, Idaho, zero bass, 0-0, $1,50048th:      Phil Smith, Orange, Texas, zero bass, 0-0, $1,500A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Overall, there were 123 bass weighing 273 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 43 boaters Thursday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.Justin Parchman of Oologah, Oklahoma, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 10-3 to lead the Strike King Co-angler Division at Cherokee Lake after Day 2, with a two-day total of eight bass for 17-7. Justin McGaha of Knoxville, Tennessee, sits second with 16-7, and Ashley Klaus of Thomson, Georgia, finished third with 15-4. With the weights correspondingly low on the co-angler side, Championship Friday is even less of a sure thing for the backseaters.The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers advancing to the final day of competition at the All-American on Cherokee Lake are:1st:          Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla., eight bass, 17-72nd:         Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 16-7, $2503rd:         Ashley Klaus, Thomson, Ga., seven bass, 15-44th:         Caleb Welch, Bolivar, Mo., seven bass, 14-85th:         Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., six bass, 13-66th:         Tyler Nekolny, Coral Springs, Fla., six bass, 13-67th:         Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-18th:         Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., five bass, 11-149th:         Terry Laverack, Martin, S.D., six bass, 11-1210th:       Rodney Tapp, Inman, S.C., six bass, 11-7Finishing in 11th through 49th are:11th:      Brian Carroll, Glencoe, Ala., six bass, 11-7, $1,50012th:      Colby Elliott, Blairsville, Ga., six bass, 11-3, $1,50013th:      Stacy Metz, Staley, N.C., five bass, 10-3, $1,50014th:      Douglas Guidorzi, Fenton, Mo., five bass, 9-15, $1,50015th:      Matthew Strickland, Portsmouth, Ohio, five bass, 9-8, $1,50016th:      Stephen Vick, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 9-7, $1,50017th:      Zion Dunaway, Campbellsburg, Ind., three bass, 9-0, $1,50018th:      Philip James, Benton, Ark., four bass, 9-0, $1,50019th:      Dennis Blakely, Norwalk, Ohio, four bass, 8-11, $1,50020th:      Cody Stokes, Ooltewah, Tenn., four bass, 8-2, $1,50021st:      Larry Elliott, Enoree, S.C., four bass, 8-1, $1,00022nd:     Chase Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., three bass, 6-10, $1,00023rd:     Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., three bass, 6-4, $1,00024th:      Connor Kapp, Benton, Pa., three bass, 6-3, $1,00025th:      Marcus Mann, Benton, Ky., three bass, 6-2, $1,00026th:      William Thomas Cowart, Danielsville, Ga., three bass, 5-15, $1,00027th:      Jerry Vitiello, Wayne, N.J., two bass, 5-13, $1,00028th:      Kris McCarter, Pheba, Miss., two bass, 5-13, $1,00029th:      Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., two bass, 4-14, $1,00030th:      Bart Burford, Loose Creek, Mo., two bass, 4-9, $1,00031st:      Bill Hockaday, Nashville, Ark., two bass, 4-7, $75032nd:     Brian Rodriguez, Orlando, Fla., two bass, 3-14, $75032nd:     Jeff Moss, Oronogo, Mo., two bass, 3-14, $75034th:      Daniel Dobransky, Kuna, Idaho, two bass, 3-10, $75035th:      James Moore Jr., Lampasas, Texas, two bass, 3-8, $75036th:      Josh Kauffman, Marysville, Pa., one bass, 2-9, $75037th:      Jeremiah Toliver, Las Vegas, Nev., one bass, 2-8, $75038th:      Jonathan Ceaser, Maidens, Va., one bass, 2-5, $75039th:      Melvin Veasey, North Little Rock, Ark., one bass, 2-2, $75040th:      Peter Owen, Barnstead, N.H., one bass, 1-15, $75041st:      David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., one bass, 1-14, $75042nd:     Lamar Oxford, Dale, Ind., one bass, 1-11, $75043rd:     Jeremy White, Dittmer, Mo., one bass, 1-11, $75044th:      Ross Turner, Kingston, Ga., zero bass, 0-0, $75045th:      Ryan Legg, Parma, Ohio, zero bass, 0-0, $75046th:      Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., zero bass, 0-0, $75047th:      Keith Westrick, Marietta, Ga., zero bass, 0-0, $75048th:      Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., zero bass, 0-0, $75049th:      Gary Huber II, Saint Charles, Mo., zero bass, 0-0, $750Overall, there were 80 bass weighing 157 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 35 Strike King co-anglers on Thursday. The catch included four five-bass limits.The final 10 boaters and Strike King co-anglers will launch Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET from the TVA Cherokee Dam Boat Launch, located at 2805 N. Highway 92 in Jefferson City. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the boat launch and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Friday from 6:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. Now, after two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete tomorrow on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 41st Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.The 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.Television coverage of the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 16 on CBS Sports. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The post Georgia Boater Paul Marks Jr. Takes Lead into Final Day of Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American at Cherokee Lake appeared first on The Bass Cast.