Major League Fishing hosts Folds of Honor Patriot Cup at Early for the first time

EARLY, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) hosts the Honor Patriot Cup at Early for the first time in the league’s history. According to the MLF , they are bringing the 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops on October 24-29 for the third Team Series event of the season.

Visit Early hosts; the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup, presented by Recteq, features 12 two-man teams of professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour who compete at fisheries in the regions unknown to competitors until they get to the launch ramp each morning.

The Tourism Director for Visit Early, Denise Hudson-Brian, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Major League Fishing and some of the world’s best anglers to Early, Texas,” Hudson-Brian also added, “It’s exciting to feature the best in the sport, showcasing their skills in our area’s diverse fisheries and exploring the fantastic experiences that Early and Brown County offers. We’re confident this event will have a substantial economic impact on our local hotels, restaurants, and businesses throughout the competition and into the future.”

The General Tire Team Series will be streamed live daily, covering every catch and cast live as fans watch teammates work together to break down a new body of water in real time. The MLFNOW! is streamed on the Major League Fishing website, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, and on Rumble. The tournament will be broadcast by Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney, breaking down the extended action live on all six days of competition at the Patriot Cup from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

As the fishers will compete for the Patriot Cup, they’ll also compete for the $720,000.

Bryan Thrift from Team Coign shared his excitement about the fishing tournament and said, “This is a really exciting Team Series event to go to. It won’t be like the northern fisheries, where you catch 100 fish a day. But we have the potential to see some absolute giants here.”

Jeff Sprague (Thrift’s teammate) added that he expects the fish will be fully into their fall patterns by the time the tournament begins.

Fishers also value the weather. Sprague said, “We have a cool system coming this week, which is really going to change things up.” He also added, “Water temperatures are already down into the high 70s, and that cold front is going to drop the temperatures a bit more. It will really set those fall patterns in motion.”

Sprague and Thrift fished together at the last Heritage Cup tournament in Neenah, Wis. Despite their disappointing event and not moving past the elimination event, Sprague said he’s excited to be on the boat again with Thrift.

The Honor Patriot Cup will host 12 General Tire Team Series teams. Folds of Honor Patriot Cup presented by recteq in Early, Texas are:

Team 7 Brew Coffee:

Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.

Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:

Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.

Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas

Team Builders FirstSource:

Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas

Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.

Team Coign:

Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas

Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.

Team Ferguson:

Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.

Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.

Team Knighten Industries:

Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.

Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.

Team Kubota:

Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.

Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.

Team Lucas Oil:

Jacob Wheeler, Harrison Tenn.

Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.

Team REDCON1:

Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.

Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.

Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:

Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.

Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va.

Team Star brite:

Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.

Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.

Team U.S. Air Force:

Gerald Spohrer, Gonzalez, La.

James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.

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