Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Thursday the details for the 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops, which kicks off Aug. 25-30, and local fishing fans will be excited to see that Erie, Pa., is the host of the first event – the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota.
“We are extremely excited and honored to be selected as a Challenge Cup location for Major League Fishing’s General Tire Team Series,” said Mark Jeanneret, Executive Director of the Erie Sports Commission. “We are confident that the world’s best professional anglers will find success during the Challenge Cup, while at the same time introduce our world-class bass fisheries to thousands of fishing enthusiasts across the country.”
For the first time ever, the General Tire Team Series will be livestreamed daily, meaning every cast and every catch will be covered live and fans can watch teammates work together to break down a brand new body of water in real time. The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live all six days of competition at the Challenge Cup from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and on Rumble.
In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, Erie, Pa., was not revealed to Team Series anglers until 30 days prior to the start of the tournament. All fishable waters within 60 miles of Erie then went off limits to anglers, and the competitors will discover exactly where they’re competing only after arriving at the boat ramp on the morning of competition. Fans watching the MLFNOW! livestream will find out the fishery right along with the anglers and watch all the action unfold live as teams work together and share their knowledge to break down each fishery in real time.
The 2024 General Tire Team Series revives the highly successful MLF Cup events of prior years, while adding a team-style twist. The 2024 Team Series season is comprised of four Cup events, featuring two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour pros competing from the same boat, and working together to claim part of a season purse of more than $720,000.
The B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota in Erie is the first of the four-event series.
“After a successful transition from the extremely popular MLF Cup events to the General Tire Team Series in 2022, it has been exciting to watch our Bass Pro Tour anglers strategize and work together to find and catch the winning bass,” said Kathy Fennell, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “With the dynamic of two-man teams fishing from the same boat, and livestream coverage of every moment, we’re thrilled to offer fans a never-before-seen front row seat to the action and drama that the General Tire Team Series creates.”
Fans will have an inside look as teammates like 2022 Team Series Champion Jacob Wheeler and two-time REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell join forces on Team Kubota to compete against Team Star Tron, comprised of pro Jacob Wall and 2022 REDCREST Champion Bobby Lane, or Team Knighten Industries, made up of pros Wesley Strader and Scott Suggs – two-thirds of the winning team from the 2023 Team Series.
“This type of team event is the most relatable way to fish,” Wheeler said of the new format. “Team tournaments are literally what got me started in bass fishing, just those weeknight tournaments with your buddies. That’s some of the most fun fishing.
“Out of everyone in the field, I’ve had the most experience fishing with Dustin, so we’re looking forward to working together,” Wheeler continued. “There will definitely be some shenanigans, but it’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m beyond excited.”
The 12 teams that will compete in the General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota in Erie, Pa. are:
Team 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team Builders FirstSource:
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Coign:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Matt Stefan, Junction City, Wis.
Team Ferguson:
Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Team Knighten Industries:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Team Kubota:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Team REDCON1:
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
Team Star Tron:
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Team U.S. Air Force:
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team WIX Filters:
Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.
The MLF General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Jan. 4, 2025, airing from 2-4 p.m. EDT. The complete television schedule for the 2024 General Tire Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA Scales, Builders FirstSource, Coign, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, REDCON1, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, Star brite, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on the General Tire Team Series visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
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