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Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky, the two competitors accused of attempting to cheat in an Ohio fishing tournament, pleaded not guilty to several felony charges Wednesday.
The two men were charged earlier this month with felony cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools, along with misdemeanor counts of unlawfully owning wild animals after allegedly stuffing walleye with lead weights and fillets at a Lake Erie fishing tournament in September.
If successful, Runyan and Cominsky would have won $28,760 in prizes.
Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament director Jason Fischer suspected Runyan and Cominsky of cheating when their fish weighed significantly more than a typical walleye of their size. Fischer then cut the fish open, finding the weights and fillets stuffed inside.
"It would be like saying a five-foot-tall person weighs 500 pounds, but you look at him and he looks like an athlete," professional angler Ross Robertson told Vimal Patel of the New York Times. "These fish were so bulging."
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confiscated the fish to launch a formal criminal investigation, and Runyan and Cominsky were disqualified from the event.
Neither man has issued a public comment on the matter. They were released Wednesday after each posting a $2,500 bond.
For the second year in a row, Hank Cherry Jr. is the champion of the Bassmaster Classic.
Cherry was crowned the champion of the 2021 tournament on Sunday at Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the fourth angler in the tournament's 51-year history to go back-to-back, and the first since Jordan Lee in 2017-18.
Cherry had a three-day total of 15 fish weighing 50-15 pounds to finish just ahead of Matt Arey, who reeled in 49-1 pounds worth of fish to claim second place.
Here's a look at the top finishers after a weekend at Lake Ray Roberts:
2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard
1. Hank Cherry Jr., 15 / 50-15
2. Matt Arey, 15 / 49-1
3. Chris Jones, 15 / 45-9
4. Justin Kerr, 14 / 45-2
5. Brock Mosley, 13 / 42-0
6. Scott Canterbury, 15 / 42-0
7. Matt Robertson, 14 / 40-3
8. Chris Johnston, 14 / 40-2
9. Drew Cook, 14 / 38-7
10. Patrick Walters, 11 / 38-1
Full leaderboard available at Bassmaster.com.
Defending champion Cherry held the lead after two days, but things changed as the competition came down to the wire.
Arey, who entered Sunday in fifth place—six fish behind Cherry—overtook his fellow North Carolina native early in the day.
But his new lead didn't hold.
Cherry catapulted back to the top of the board with his fourth catch of the day, which weighed in at one pound, eight ounces. Despite a quiet morning, the defending champion had done enough work through the first part of the weekend to hang on.
Arey got back toward the top with a pair of two-pounders to pull ahead of Justin Kerr for second place.
Brock Mosley's whopping six-pound, eight-ounce bass that he nabbed at 11:17 a.m. gave him the title of Berkley Big Bass leader of the day, blowing Arey's four-pound, 12-ouncer that previously held the title out of contention. Mosley, a Mississippi native, finished the day in fifth place.
It was a big step up for the 32-year-old, who struggled through the first part of the weekend and had just eight keepers heading into Sunday, when he started in 16th place.
Steve Kennedy entered the final day in third place, but after a slow outing, he finished in 13th. The Alabama native owed much of his success to a strong Day 1, when he found five bass that weighed in at a total of 23 pounds to take the lead.
The 2022 Bassmaster Classic will be held March 4-6, 2022 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.
Through two days of competition at the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, Hank Cherry Jr. is closing in on his second straight victory.
Cherry moved up two spots into sole possession of first place. His two-day total of 37 pounds, 14 ounces is over four pounds clear of everyone else in the field.
Steve Kennedy, who was in the top spot after Friday, dropped to third place. His Saturday haul only consisted of four fish that weighed a total of nine pounds, 11 ounces.
There are a total of five fishermen who have caught at least 30 pounds of fish during the first two days.
Saturday's 2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard
1. Hank Cherry Jr. (37 pounds, 14 ounces)
2. Justin Kerr (33 pounds, 2 ounces)
3. Steve Kennedy (32 pounds, 11 ounces)
4. Chris Jones (32 pounds, 9 ounces)
5. Matt Arey (31 pounds, 1 ounces)
6. Chris Johnston (29 pounds, 9 ounces)
7. Drew Cook (29 pounds, 2 ounces)
8. Scott Canterbury (29 pounds, 1 ounce)
9. Todd Auten (26 pounds, 11 ounces)
10. Cody Bird (25 pounds, 13 ounces)
11. Matt Robertson (25 pounds, 6 ounces)
12. Paul Mueller (24 pounds, 15 ounces)
13. Patrick Walters (24 pounds, 13 ounces)
14. Frank Talley (23 pounds, 14 ounces)
15. Ed Loughran III (23 pounds, 5 ounces)
Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com.
Cherry wasted no time making his move Saturday morning. The North Carolina native landed a six-pound bass for his first catch of the day. He followed up by adding another one that came in just under five pounds.
While Cherry is in the driver's seat after two days, he didn't have the most impressive haul Saturday. That honor belonged to Justin Kerr, who was in 22nd place when he went onto the water today.
Kerr only caught four fish on Day 2, but they were big enough to weigh a total of 19 pounds, 12 ounces. The Bassmaster Classic rookie was the only person in the 54-man field who broke the 18-pound mark Saturday.
Things didn't go as well for Kennedy. He also caught four fish during today's round, but they didn't even crack the 10-pound mark (nine pounds, 11 ounces).
Chad Pipkens had the biggest catch of the day with a bass that weighed in at eight pounds, one ounce. That was enough to move him into the top 20 overall with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 15 ounces.
Heading into Sunday's competition, the field will be reduced dramatically. Only the top 25 competitors after the first two days are advancing to the championship round.
If Cherry can close things out tomorrow, he will join Rick Clunn (1976-77), Kevin VanDam (2010-11) and Jordan Lee (2017-18) as the only fishermen to win back-to-back Bassmaster Classics.
Steve Kennedy leads the field after the first day of the 2021 Bassmaster Classic.
Kennedy's five fish weighed 23 pounds. He has an edge of only nine ounces over the second-place Patrick Walters (22 pounds, 7 ounces). Defending champion Hank Cherry Jr. sits in third place (20 pounds, 4 ounces).
The leaderboard behind Cherry is bunched together with less than two pounds separating Nos. 4 through 17.
Friday's 2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard
1. Steve Kennedy (23 pounds, 0 ounces)
2. Patrick Walters (22 pounds, 7 ounces)
3. Hank Cherry Jr. (20 pounds, 4 ounces)
4. Chris Jones (17 pounds, 2 ounces)
5. Drew Cook (16 pounds, 10 ounces)
T6. Jamie Hartman (16 pounds, 4 ounces)
T6. Matt Robertson (16 pounds, 4 ounces)
8. Jordan Wiggins (16 pounds, 3 ounces)
9. Cory Johnston (16 pounds, 2 ounces)
10. Chris Johnston (16 pounds, 0 ounces)
T11. Drew Benton (15 pounds, 14 ounces)
T11. Hunter Shryock (15 pounds, 14 ounces)
13. Todd Auten (15 pounds, 12 ounces)
14. Frank Talley (15 pounds, 10 ounces)
15. Cody Bird (15 pounds, 8 ounces)
Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com.
Kennedy was consistent on the water to occupy the top spot. The crown jewel of his collection was a five-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught late in the morning.
The Day 1 haul bodes well as he chases his first career Bassmaster Classic win.
Each of the past two leaders at the end of the opening day of competition captured the title. Jordan Lee went from third on the first day to first when he won in 2018.
Cherry, who was the wire-to-wire winner last year, didn't get off to as strong a start this time around. He began the 2020 event with a haul of 29 pounds, three ounces. The 47-year-old is firmly in the mix to repeat as champion.
The biggest individual catch of the day belonged to Frank Talley. He caught a bass that weighed eight pounds, three ounces. The Texan had three other fish that combined to weigh seven pounds, seven ounces.
Competition will resume Saturday morning, with the top 25 finishers advancing to championship Sunday.
Hank Cherry Jr. topped the 50th annual Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday afternoon.
The 46-year-old entered Championship Sunday atop the leaderboard with 45 pounds, 13 ounces to his name. Cherry had suffered an arm injury during Friday's opening round of action, according to Carolina Sportsman's Brian Cope, after falling in his boat. While Cherry said he will probably get his arm checked by a doctor, it did not inhibit him in the Classic.
Cherry earned his first career Bassmaster Classic championship in his fifth appearance. The closest he came previously was as a third-place finish at the 2013 event.
It was not a foregone conclusion that Cherry would parlay his two-day lead into a title, however, as there were four lead changes Sunday. Ultimately, the North Carolina native's 19 pounds, eight ounces on Day 3 secured the trophy.
Bassmaster Classic Top 10 Anglers
1. Hank Cherry Jr. (65 pounds-5 ounces)
2. Todd Auten (58-10)
3. Stetson Blaylock (58-1)
4. Seth Feider (54-0)
5. Micah Frazier (54-0)
6. John Crews Jr. (53-13)
7. Brandon Lester (53-9)
8. Lee Livesay (52-12)
9. Brandon Card (50-4)
10. Matt Herren (49-5)
Full results available at Bassmaster.com with payout information courtesy of the tournament's live stream.
Seth Feider and Lee Livesay tied for Day 3's best weigh-in at 21 pounds, 13 ounces across five fish. It was Stetson Blaylock and John Crews Jr. who appeared to be giving Cherry the most trouble while the anglers were still out on the water, though, as Crews reeled in the day's heaviest bass at six pounds even:
This was Blaylock's first time qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic and Crews' 12th. Both will have to wait at least another year to contend because Cherry would not be denied:
Brandon Lester was in second place, four pounds and 13 ounces behind Cherry through Saturday's action, but posted just 12 pounds, nine ounces on Sunday to slide down to seventh place.
Cherry won $300,000 for claiming first place, per the Bassmaster official live stream, while Todd Auten banked $50,000 for second and Blaylock collected $40,000 for third. There is a payout from the tournament's $1 million purse for every angler through 53rd place.
Day 2 of the Bassmaster Classic looked a lot like Day 1 with a few notable differences. Brandon Lester jumped from fourth to second place, Skylar Hamilton fell from seventh to 16th and Clent Davis dropped even further—from a tie for second to 17th.
The only constant was the success of Hank Cherry Jr., who ended the day right where he started it: atop the leaderboard.
Here's a look at the standings following Saturday with all 25 anglers who advanced to Sunday's final round:
1. Hank Cherry Jr. (45 pounds-13 ounces)
2. Brandon Lester (41-0)
3. John Crews Jr. (38-3)
4. Todd Auten (38-0)
5. Stetson Blaylock (37-9)
6. Brandon Card (37-2)
7. Micah Frazier (36-0)
8. David Mullins (35-5)
9. Jason Williamson (34-3)
10. Matt Herren (32-12)
11-25: Seth Feider, Luke Palmer, Keith Combs, Bill Lowen, Lee Livesay, Skylar Hamilton, Clent Davis, John Cox, Drew Cook, Caleb Kuphall, Greg DiPalma, Cody Huff, Chris Zaldain, Hunter Shryock, Grae Buck
Cherry seemed on track to run away with the tournament after taking a nearly eight-pound lead Friday, but a furious moving day saw that lead quickly dwindle. Each of the top 12 anglers on the leaderboard has now caught a total of 10 bass with all but six of the final 25 reeling in five fish Saturday.
That will set up a furious finish Sunday at Lake Guntersville in Birmingham, Alabama, where Cherry can capture his first Bassmaster Classic title.
Either way, the tournament is set to have a brand new champion in 2020. None of the top 10 anglers after Saturday have won the Bassmaster Classic before.
Sunday's action begins at 8:30 a.m. ET. The final weigh-in is scheduled to take place at 5:30 p.m. ET, after which a new champion will be crowned.
The first day of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic was a big one for Hank Cherry Jr., who hauled in five fish for a total weight of 29 pounds, three ounces to take a commanding lead over the field.
John Crews Jr. and Clent Davis are tied for second place after matching 21-pound, eight-ounce days.
Here is how the leaderboard looks after Day 1:
1. Hank Cherry Jr. (29 pounds-3 ounces)
T-2. John Crews Jr. (21-8)
T-2. Clent Davis (21-8)
4. Brandon Lester (20-15)
T-5. Todd Auten (20-0)
T-5. Micah Frazier (20-0)
7. Skylar Hamilton (19-11)
8. Matt Herren (18-12)
9. David Mullins (18-8)
10. Hunter Shyrock (18-6)
Cherry, who nearly won the 2013 Classic during his Rookie of the Year season, averaged nearly six pounds per bass in a consistent overall day. His top fish came out at seven pounds and two ounces.
Todd Auten had the largest bass of the day, bringing in a seven-pound, nine-ouncer during the early morning hours.
The 2020 Bassmaster Classic looks destined to crown a first-time winner due in part to the split between the Bass Pro Tour and Elite Series. Defending champion Ott DeFoe did not qualify for the 2020 Classic because he chose to fish on the Pro Tour rather than the Elite Series. He released a statement (h/t Wired2Fish) in January confirming he would not be participating.
Anglers looking up on the field will have to act fast. Only the top 25 competitors compete in the third and final day of the event.
If Day 1 is any indication, it appears they're all out for second place.
The latest edition of the Bassmaster Classic gets underway on Friday, with 53 of the finest anglers around competing for their share of the $1 million prize pot.
This year's competition will be staged at Lake Guntersville at BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama, over the course of three action-packed days.
Ott DeFoe was the winner in 2019, with his three-day total registering 49 pounds and three ounces. However, he will not be back to be defend his crown this year, nor will other big names like two-time winner Jordan Lee and four-time champion Kevin VanDam.
Date: Friday, March 6 - Sunday, March 8
TV Info: ESPN 3
Live Stream: ESPN app, Bassmaster.com
Prize Money: $1,000,000 (overall), $300,000 (winner)
Prize money details courtesy of AL.com.
Preview
The Bassmaster Twitter account provided a look at what's to be expected over the course of the weekend:
With a number of big names missing due to their commitment to different tours, the field is wide open in Birmingham this year.
As a result, anglers with local knowledge of Lake Guntersville may have an advantage over the rest of the field. One of those is Scott Canterbury, who resides around 60 miles from the setting for this weekend's showdown, per Travis Smola of Wide Open Spaces.
In his rookie season on the tour in 2019, he was named the Bassmaster Angler of the Year, with six top-10 finishes registered. Victory here would cement his position as one of the best anglers in the world at the moment.
Seth Feider is one of the most prestigious competitors in the field, with three B.A.S.S. titles to his name already. In 2019 he was a winner three times too.
Brandon Lester is another who will be vying for success and speaking to Bassmaster (h/t Smola), Lester outlined what he thinks will be important to secure victory this year in regards to conditions.
"You have the pre-spawn leading into the spawn, and there could even be a few fish spawning during that tournament," he said. "I've seen it happen on Guntersville that early before. It all depends on what kind of weather we have."
Meteorologist James Spann showed the expected conditions at the lake on Wednesday:
According to Weather.com, there's a mainly sunny forecast for the weekend, with temperatures potentially reaching a high of 62 degrees on Sunday.
Ott DeFoe was the top angler in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee.
DeFoe's three-day total registered 49 pounds, three ounces, putting him well ahead of second-place finisher Jacob Wheeler, whose haul measured at 45 pounds, five ounces.
Here are the top 10 finishers, with the full results available on Bassmaster's official site:
2019 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard
1. Ott DeFoe, 15 fish (49 pounds, three ounces)
2. Jacob Wheeler, 15 (45-5)
3. Jesse Wiggins, 15 (43-14)
4. Michael Iaconelli, 15 (42-9)
5. Mark Daniels Jr., 15 (41-12)
6. Brandon Lester, 15 (40-5)
7. Wesley Strader, 15 (39-8)
8. Edwin Evers, 15 (39-7)
9. Dean Rojas, 15 (35-6)
10. Brandon Palaniuk, 12 (34-15)
DeFoe is a Knoxville native, so Sunday's win will be even sweeter coming in his hometown. Wheeler had a similar emotional pull, growing up in Harrison, Tennessee, which is a little over 100 miles southeast of Knoxville.
DeFoe was firmly in the driver's seat after the first day, as his five fish tipped the scales at 20 pounds. He only added 10 pounds, five ounces, Saturday, though, opening the door for Wheeler.
"Dude, I was so mad yesterday," DeFoe said Sunday, per the Knoxville News Sentinel's Travis Dorman. "I was so mad. After that first day, I was on top of the world. But God will humble you sometimes exactly when you need it."
DeFoe avoided a heartbreaking defeat, catching five fish Sunday that weighed a total of 18 pounds, 14 ounces. Wheeler, on the other hand, reeled in 12 pounds, 15 ounces.
Mark Daniels Jr. was in second place (31 pounds, 14 ounces) after Saturday. His title challenge fell by the wayside Sunday. Although he caught five fish, he settled for nine pounds, 14 ounces, putting him well off the pace set by DeFoe.
Jordan Lee was a two-time defending champion in the Bassmaster Classic, but luck abandoned him this weekend. He had 13 pounds, 10 ounces, to his name through the first two days and didn't make it to Sunday.
Four-time champion Kevin VanDam made it to the final day but was never much of a threat after a 10-pound, two-ounce catch Friday. He placed 20th (30 pounds, one ounce).
