Anglers Ready to Cast Off in Columbia, SC

Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament organization, is set to head to Columbia, South Carolina, April 22-25, for the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray. This is the third event of the 2021 Pro Circuit season – hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board – offering competitors the opportunity to compete for a total purse of more than $900,000.
“Capital City Lake Murray Country is proud to welcome Major League Fishing's Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit to our region and to Lake Murray,” said Miriam Atira, President/CEO of Capital City Lake Murray Country RTB. “Our continued relationship with this national tournament organization provides a significant economic impact to our region and plays a vital role in our efforts to promote tourism and outdoor recreation.”
In its 26^th season, the circuit formerly known as the FLW Tour features 163 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing across six regular-season events, each with a top award of up to $135,000. The field will also compete for valuable points to qualify for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, and the opportunity to compete for up to $235,000.
This event will mark the eighth time the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit has visited the fishery in the Palmetto State.
Most of the MLF history on Lake Murray has taken place in the summertime, when the fishing is somewhat tough, with the most recent being Justin Atkins’ win in 2017. However, next week’s event will be a true testament of what Lake Murray really has to offer with prespawn, postspawn and spawning fish up for grabs.
Prior to Atkins’ win, Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, won the FLW Cup in 2014, tallying up 51-2 to win by 1 ounce in front of his hometown fans. Gagliardi had a previous win on Lake Murray in February 2006 when he hauled in 89-2 over four days, with a 26-pound bag on day one and a 28-pound limit on the final day.
“Lake Murray has been really good to me over the years, but I won’t have an advantage this time of year,” said Gagliardi. “With it being spawning season, the fish will be more accessible and that really levels the playing field.”
Gagliardi said he expects to see guys throwing a little bit of everything at this event, from pitching and flipping wacky-rigged worms and creature baits like the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Wormand a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General Worm in stained water to throwing topwater buzzbaits and popper baits.
“Anything goes this time of year and you can find fish just about any way you like to catch them,” said Gagliardi. “If we get a lot of sun and no wind, the sight-fishing might play a little more into it, but if it’s cloudy and overcast, we’ll probably have to do a little more strategic fishing.
“If it gets real slick and sunny, the weights will also fall off a bit, but they should be up more if we have some inclement weather roll in towards the end of the event.”
Gagliardi said as far as winning weights go, again, this time of year makes things a bit tricky to predict.
“I’ve thought a lot about what kind of weight it’s going to take to win this tournament and it’s really hard to know until I get out there and fish. If an angler can average 18 pounds a day over four days, he’d be positioned pretty well for the win,” continued Gagliardi. “I think it will take slightly under 80 pounds to win, but it will be close. I don’t foresee much separation between the weights at the top of the scoreboard.”
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET, Thursday through Sunday, from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing at Lake Murraywill feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where the top 48 pros in the points standings plus 2020 TITLE Champion Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, and 2020 Angler of the Year Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, will compete for at top prize of $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook,  Twitter,  Instagram and YouTube.
About MLF BIG5
MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers.