Land O’ Lakes, FL- The 2023 season of the Xtreme Bass Series is full speed ahead as we head into March. The fishing is hot, participation is high, and the season has just begun!
A record setting 74 teams showed up for the first divisional event of the season for the Orange Lake division on January 21st. Johnny Key & Joey Key topped the crowd with a 23.75 pound, 5 bass limit to take home $1,930.00. Second place went to the team of Mike Crosby & Ryan Crosby with 23.18 pounds, worth $1,130.00. Cory Kempton & Winston Kicklighter weighed 22.06 for a third place finish to take home $830.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Tray Bozeman & Woody Bozeman with 20.01 pounds in fourth place- $610.00, and Jessie Nash & Joe Riley in fifth place with 17.84 pounds- $450.00. Benny Beckham & Paul Braun weighed the Big Bass of the event, an 8.29 pound lunker to win $740.00.
Richard Anthony & Gary Munchler topped a 15 boat field for the Lake Tarpon season kick off event on January 21st. Anthony & Munchler swept the field, weighing a 16.25 pound, 5 bass limit, anchored by the event’s Big Bass, a 7.19 pound kicker. They took home a collective $800.00 for their efforts. Ricky Teschendorf & Blake Mead took home a second place finish and $280.00 with a 14.68 pound, 5 bass limit. Kyle Turner & John Horsefield earned $180.00 on a third place finish with a 14.05 pound, 5 bass limit.
Trever Stephens & Andrew Ready inked their first victory of the season at the Central Florida division season opener on January 22nd. The traveling circuit started the year out on Lake Parker with 26 teams. Stephens and Ready weighed a 24.39 pound, 5 bass limit for their win and took home $980.00. Gary Yearry, Jr. and Aaron Phillips finished in second place with a 22.38 pound, 5 bass limit worth $520.00. Bryce Lashley and Chris Lashley took home $300.00 on a third place finish with a 22.28 pound, 5 bass limit. Rounding out the Top 5 were Robby Wright & Vince Pennington with 19.72 pounds in fourth place- $200.00, and John White & Justin Jones in fifth place with 19.12 pounds. White and Jones also weighed the event’s Big Bass, a 9.06 pound TrophyCatch- $270.00.
The Toho division had 31 teams for the first divisional event of the season on January 22nd. Chad Schroeder and Anthony Cilladi secured the win and Big Bass honors for the day. Schroeder and Cilladi weighed a 26.59 pound, 5 bass limit to win, anchored by a 9.65 pound TrophyCatch, to earn a total of $1,390.00. Ken Lucas and Danny Lanier finished the day in second place with a 22.65 pound, 5 bass limit, taking home $600.00. Terry Segraves & Charlie Hartley took home a third place finish with a 21.80 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $400.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Dylan Westhelle & Joey Bloom with 19.43 pounds in fourth place- $200.00, and Jason Foss & Anthony Crabtree in fifth place with 18.39 pounds- $120.00.
Scott Paul & Kevin Walton topped a 32 boat field for the first Citrus divisional event on January 29th at Lake Panasoffkee. Paul and Walton brought a 26.29 pound, 5 bass limit to the scales to secure the win and $1,080.00. Kenny Blake & Will Von Kuehlman finished the day in second place with a 22.00 pound, 5 bass limit to take home $600.00. Derrick Daniels and Tyler Griffis put a 20.56 pound 5 bass limit together to finish in third place and took home $400.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Steve Boggs & Mark Trudell with 19.21 pounds in fourth place- $200.00, and James Green & Taylor Green in fifth place with 18.84 pounds- $120.00. Big Bass went to the team of Bo Gallent and Dillon Webb with an 8.01 pound TrophyCatch to take home $300.00.
The Suwannee River division held their second event of the season on January 29th with a 35 boat field out of the Sandy Point boat ramp. Donnie Feagle & Josh Lester bested the field with a 19.26 pound, 5 bass limit to take home the win and $1,160.00. Dalton Blakley and Michael Blakley took home a second place finish with a 17.38 pound, 5 bass limit. They anchored their bag with a 6.12 pound kicker to take home the Big Bass award and a collective $1,030.00. Richard Chapman and Junior Dice notched a third place finish with 13.74 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $460.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Dennis Hart & Lake Hart with 13.27 pounds in fourth place- $260.00, and Joey Wood & Bryson O’Steen in fifth place with 12.34 pounds- $160.00.
The North River Division set out on the St. John’s River for the second event of the season on February 4th with a 33 boat field. Brandon Williams & Jesse Williams took home a win and Big Bass honors for the day. The Williams’ set a 26.56 pound, 5 bass limit on the scales to take the top spot and anchored their bag with a 9.59 pound TrophyCatch to take home a collective $1,440.00. Joey Pate & William Barnett locked in a second place finish with a 22.10 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $640.00. Allen Hopper & Chad Willoughby secured a third place finish with a 21.37 pound, 5 bass limit worth $440.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Brett Bollinger & Justin Atkinson with 20.56 pounds in fourth place- $220.00, and Lee Stalvey & David Holloway in fifth place with 20.42 pounds- $140.00. The next North River divisional event is scheduled for Saturday March 4th at Rodman Reservoir.
Junior Solis & George Short bested an 18 boat field at the second Garcia divisional event on February 4th. Solis and Short weighed a 17.53 pound, 5 bass limit in their win, collecting $780.00. Jeremy Shekell & Doug Shekell finished the day in second place with a 16.32 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $340.00. Mike Akers & Scott Funnell finished out the Top 3 with a 15.55 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $240.00. Clayton Payne fished solo and earned the day’s Big Bass honor with an 8.39 pound TrophyCatch and took home $170.00. The next Garcia divisional event is scheduled for Saturday March 4th.
28 teams showed up for the second John’s Lake divisional event on February 5th. Don Fisher & Brian Nelson locked in a win with an 18.35 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $1,040.00. Garrett Paquette & Zak Fadden notched a second place finish with a 16.96 pound, 5 bass limit worth $580.00. Kody Keller & Ethan Shelton finished out the Top 3 with a 16.64 pound, 5 bass limit worth $360.00. Big Bass of the event went to the team of Kirt Dunihue, II & Doug Byrd with a 7.33 pound kicker. That fish helped them earn a 4th place finish and $540.00 in total. The next John’s Lake divisional event is scheduled for Sunday March 5th.
The second divisional event for the Istokpoga division on February 5th had a 25 boat field that was topped by the team of Owen Hershberger & Evan Prescott. Hershberger and Prescott weighed a 22.37 pound, 5 bass limit to win the event and take home $960.00. Second place and Big Bass of the event went to Jamie Stephens & Jim Stephens. The father/son duo weighed a 20.25 pound, 5 bass limit, anchored by an 8.29 pound TrophyCatch to earn $740.00 in total. Kyle Wieczorck & Carl Wieczorek ended the day with a third place finish and $280.00 with a 17.83 pound, 5 bass limit. Tom McGinnis & Dave Maurice took home the last money spot in fourth place with a 16.91 pound, 5 bass limit and $200.00. The next Istokpoga divisional event is scheduled for Sunday March 5th.
Dylan Westhelle & Joey Bloom followed up a Top 5 finish at the season opening event for the Toho division with a win in the second event of the South River division out of Lake Monroe on February 5th. The southern portion of the St. John’s River has fished rather tough in the wake of record high waters in the wake of two hurricanes. Westhelle and Bloom were able to put together a 12.58 pound, 5 bass limit to top the 12 boat field and earn $580.00. Thomas Oltorik fished solo and put together a 12.52 pound, 5 bass limit to finish in second place, taking home $160.00. Frank Oliva & Joe Collins notched the last money spot in third place with a 10.71 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $140.00. Steve Bishop & Buddy Cohrs caught the event’s Big Bass, a 4.78 pound kicker worth $110.00. The next South River divisional event is scheduled for Sunday March 5th.
The Orange Lake division raised the bar again with a 79 boat field at the second event of the division on February 18th. Derek Manning & Dillon Robinson bested the field with a 5 bass limit that weighed 28.87 pounds. Their winning bag was anchored by the event’s Big Bass, a 12.59 pound giant to win a total of $2,790.00. Joe Yarborough & Travis Blucher finished the day in second place with a 23.64 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $1,180.00. Phil Cury and Eric Lewis notched a third place finish with a 22.84 pound, 5 bass limit, and took home $880.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Pete Roberson & Rob Roberson with 22.11 pounds in fourth place- $660.00, and Joey Pate & William Barnett in fifth place with 21.52 pounds- $490.00. The next Orange Lake divisional event is scheduled for March 18th.
Richard Anthony & Gary Munchler inked back to back wins at the second Lake Tarpon divisional event. Anthony and Munchler weighed a 17.82 pound, 5 bass limit to top the 11 boat field. They anchored their bag with a 7.52 pound Big Bass to earn $660.00 in total. Greg Swearingen and Houston Swearingen finished the day in second place with a 13.26 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $240.00. Ricky Teschendorf and Blake Mead earned valuable points with a third place finish, weighing a 12.65 pound, 5 bass limit. The next Tarpon divisional event is scheduled for March 18th.
The Central Florida division traveled to Lake Walk-in-Water for the second divisional event of the season. Robby Wright & Travis Clark topped the 17 boat field with a 19.29 pound, 5 bass limit. Wright and Clark anchored their bag with a 7.39 pound kicker to also earn the Big Bass honor for the event, taking home $910.00 in total. Trever Stephens & Kyle Brewer took home a second place finish with an 18.26 pound, 5 bass limit, earning $320.00. Carlos Gonzalez & Brent Ginther finished out the Top 3 with a 16.06 pound, 5 bass limit worth $220.00. The next Central Florida divisional event is scheduled for March 19th at Lake Hamilton.
Jim Folks & Jeremy Smith locked in a win at the second Toho divisional event. Folks and Smith topped a 21 boat field with a 22.79 pound, 5 bass limit en route to victory and $860.00. Ken Lucas & Danny Lanier secured a second place finish with a 20.81 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $420.00. Third place went to the team of Kim Hebb and John Kraine, who anchored their 19.70 pound, 5 bass limit with an 8.20 pound TrophyCatch to also win the Big Bass award for the day, earning them at total of $410.00. Shelton Smith and Eric Andrews secured the last money spot in fourth place with an 18.76 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $120.00. The next Toho divisional event is scheduled for March 19th.
The Citrus division traveled to Lake Rousseau for their second event of the season. Scott Bullard and Tracey Hurst topped the 32 boat field with a 20.72 pound, 5 bass limit for a $1,080.00 payday. Bo Gallent and Dillon Webb notched a second place finish with a 15.54 pound, 5 bass limit to earn $600.00. Third place went to the team of Ricky Grant and James Brooks, who weighed a 14.69 pound, 5 bass limit, earning $400.00. Rounding out the Top 5 were Brian Blake & Tim Parisi with 14.52 pounds in fourth place- $200.00, and JBrady Lunsmann & Maverick Molina in fifth place with 13.38 pounds- $120.00. Big Bass of the event was caught by the team of Mark Strong and Tom Strong, weighing 6.89 pounds, to take home $300.00. The next Citrus divisional event is scheduled for Floral City on March 26th.
Upcoming Events
Saturday March 4th: North River-Rodman
Sunday March 5th: South River-Monroe
Saturday March 18th: Orange Lake
Sunday March 19th: Central Florida-Lake Hamilton
Sunday March 26th: Citrus-Floral City
Announcement of Rescheduled Events
Suwannee River has two dates rescheduled. The February 19th event will now be held on March 26th. The March 5th event will now be held on May 7th.
Citrus Division has one date rescheduled. The April 24th event at Lake Henderson has been pushed to April 30th.
Kissimmee Division had to postpone the February 12th event due to high winds. The makeup event for that event will be held June 4th.
About Xtreme Bass Series
The Xtreme Bass Series is the largest grassroots bass tournament trail across Florida, featuring 12 divisions and 108 events throughout the season. Anglers can compete in close-to-home events on local bodies of water, keeping costs down and affording them the opportunity to compete in the end of season championship. Teams who compete in 7 of 9 events in one division, or 8 events in a combination of divisions will qualify for the end of season championship event. The 2023 Championship will be held November 2-4 on the Harris Chain of Lakes.
Xtreme Bass Series is proud to partner with Blazer Boats, Mercury Marine, Power-Pole, Omnia Fishing, Employer Payroll Solutions, Fitzgerald Fishing, Catch Commander, and Visit Lake County
For complete details and updated information, visit www.XtremeBassSeries.com. For continuous updates, results, photos, information, tournament news, and more, follow Xtreme Bass Series social media on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
