Pro Staff

After earning a spot in the Bassmaster Elite Series lineup for 2021 via the Opens, Justin had two Top 15 finishes at the Tennessee River (14) and Lake Champlain (10), and finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. Justin won the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors on Grand Lake O' The Cherokees.

Bobby Bakewell, a lifelong resident of Orlando, FL, is a passionate tournament angler whose roots run deep in the fishing culture. Born into a family of avid anglers, Bobby owes his love for the water and fishing to his father, who nurtured his talent by spending countless hours with him on the water. At the age of eight, Bobby began fishing tournaments, and by the time he entered high school, he was competing in larger events. Bobby's dedication and talent paid off as he qualified for several national tournaments while still in high school, propelling him towards his dream of becoming a professional angler. Bobby's journey as a co-angler in the MLF Toyota Series and Bassmaster Open Tournaments began in 2018, where he gained valuable experience and honed his skills as a competitor. His success as a co-angler paved the way for his transition to a boater in the Toyota Series, where he quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with, securing numerous top ten finishes. As of today, Bobby is only twenty-five years old and is competing in his first year competing in the Bassmaster Open EQs. Bobby has spent most of the EQ season in the top nine in AOY points and is shooting for an elite qualification at the end of the year.

I graduated from Bryan College in May 2021 with an MBA in marketing and a 4.0 GPA. As my college fishing career was coming to an end, I decided to further my fishing career by fishing the Bassmaster Southern Opens in 2021. I had two great top-12 finishes that season but missed qualifying for the elites because of a bomb at the first tournament. I entered the 2022 season hungrier than ever to make the Bassmaster Elite Series and because of that I decided to enter all 9 Bassmaster Opens. The season was full of ups and downs, but consistency led to me finishing in 3rd place in the overall angler of the year race to qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Ron grew up in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin where his passion for fishing and the outdoors started when he was very young. His family had a cabin on a lake in the Northern part of the state where Ron would spend countless hours on the water learning and developing his fishing knowledge and skills. In his teenage years Ron dedicated himself to become a very well rounded angler fishing everything from Walleye to Musky, but fishing for Bass is what he loved the most. “There is nothing more exhilarating to watch than a bass blow up on your lure as you bring it across the surface of the water…. if that doesn’t do anything for you, I doubt anything will!

MLF Pro circuit angler
2 time MLF Toyota series Angler of the year title
3 time MLF Toyota series Champion
9 Professional wins
$1,000,000 career earnings
Live in Northern California by Clearlake, married with 3 children 
Owner of Reese Ranch Retreat which includes our Zebra Marvin!
Favorite fishing technique is top water Yozuri pencil and a frog
Favorite lakes are Clearlake and St Lawrence River
Biggest bass 10.80 lbs.

 When I graduated from college I immediately began spending as much time as possible on all the North Alabama Lakes to start my guide service. I have been working hard for you learning every detail possible on these North Alabama Lakes!  I have had to balance military with guiding and it has been a challenge. I had an extremely successful year guiding as Salzy's Guide Service with all my clients placing in the top ten in tournaments after a guide trip with Salzy. Alabama Bass Guide is the new face of Salzy Bass Fishing. I want to offer more than my guide service. I want to provide all of you with the most up to date fishing information that is available! Ranging from bass reports, new patterns, new baits, new spots, locations, how to get sponsors, and everything you need to work your way up to the pro level. Notice I say "WORK." Its not easy ladies and gentlemen, but is anything worth having is ever easy? I live to work for you guys. The great news is that I am still climbing that ladder. Let me tell you whats worked and my mistakes, so that you don't have to make the same ones. Get a great game plan going for you as an angler. Each angler is different, so why should each angler have the same game plan!

"Son of legendary FLW angler Ron Shuffield, Spencer fished alongside his dad on the FLW Tour for several years, racking up success as a co-angler that could be described as nothing short of remarkable: Shuffield finished in the top-10 Co-angler of the Year standings in all five years. He moved to the pro division in 2012, and has gradually become an AOY threat on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, finishing in the top five in the 2020 AOY race while racking up three top-10 finishes. When not on tour fishing, Spencer likes to fish local tournaments, go crappie fishing, hunt and play golf. He also enjoys spending time with his wife Kristin, and children Aubree, Grayson and Kennedy." - Major League Fishing

When Captain George Gozdz isn’t filming for his television show “Unfathomed” you’ll find him guiding on the Indian River Lagoon and St.Lucie River system. A resident of Florida for all but five months of his life, Capt. George Gozdz is as native as native gets. This United States Coast Guard Licensed Master Captain has vast knowledge of the game fish of the Indian River Lagoon that comes literally from thousands of hours spent on the waterway he calls home.

Zack Birge burst onto the professional fishing scene in 2014 winning the FLW EverStart Series Championship. He followed up that up winning the 2015 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year and capturing his first top-10 in the Forrest Wood Cup. Zack fished 4 seasons on the FLW Tour qualifying for 3 Forrest Wood Cups, and earning 14 Top-10 finishes. Zack is a product of the college fishing program; while a part of the Oklahoma State Cowboy Fishing Team he won the 2012 B.A.S.S College Championship. Zack has been a part of Yo-Zuri since 2019 while competing in the inaugural season of the Major League Fishing BPT. 

When off the water he spends his time back home in Oklahoma doing crossfit, duck hunting, and time with his family. 

Captain Shane Jarvis is the owner/operator of Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge.  From his lodge located 12-miles off of the Pacific coast on the undeveloped jungle island of Isla Parida, inside Panama’s Chiriquí National Marine Park, in the heart of the Gulf of Chiriqui he uses Yo-Zuri line, leader and big game lures to put anglers on the catch of lifetime.  He has over 15 years of experience guiding clients for world class size Yellowfin Tuna, Blue and Black Marlin, Roosterfish and Cubera Snapper and a variety of more than twenty other prized gamefish. 

Max LaGaipa born and raised in Montreal, QC Canada. I was hooked on fishing at a very young age – fishing in salt water in Cape Cod to fresh water throughout North America. Eventually, my passion for fishing drew me to became a competitor tournament angler.  I fished in a few local trails in Quebec, Ontario and even New York. In 2010, I won my biggest event in the proBass Canada classic and until today, I still hold the largest registered winning bag of monster smallmouth on the St. Lawrence river weighing in 28.05lbs.  

In my spare time, when winter sets in and I can no longer fish, I keep myself busy with painting custom painting fishing baits and try to match the hatch in all body of waters that I’ve fished in. This has become a hobby of mine for the last few years. I also have my own web site, www.canadianbassmaster.com, where my baits are displayed. I do have a weakness as I’m very reluctant to fish or sell the baits I personally paint. I guess I’m what people call a fishing junkie addict.

I’ve joined the Yo-zuri team since 2016 and since then, I only fish with a Yo-zuri bait. I’ve fished with many hard baits, but when I take Yo-zuri bait out of a box and I don’t have to tune it, that when you know that their slogan ‘Fish the Best’ runs true. 
 

Braxton Setzer is a 2016 FLW Tour Rookie. He began fishing at a young age. Growing up in central Alabama, he spent many days fishing the Coosa River. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was one of the founding members of the UAB fishing team. A few years later, he transferred to Auburn University where he graduated with a degree in Fisheries Biology. He started his FLW career on the back deck in 2013, and remained in the back of the boat through the 2015 season. During that time, he notched a win on Lake Pickwick, as well as the 2014 Co-Angler of The Year title. Those two accomplishments were a driving factor for his ascent to the front of the boat in 2016.

Mike Surman has been fishing professionally since 1990. He won the first FLW Tour event on Lake Okeechobee in January of 1996. Over the years, he has earned 19 Top-10 finishes in FLW tournaments and has won over 50 local and regional tournaments. Mike hosted “All About Fishing,” which aired on The Outdoor Channel from 2003-2006.

Surman has been with FLW since its conception in 1996. In 2004, he recorded a career-high third-place finish in the Angler of the Year race just a year after finishing seventh. In his rookie year, Surman won his first Tour event on his favorite body of water, Lake Okeechobee, smashing the competition by several pounds. This Floridian’s go-to technique is flipping and pitching and when he’s not competing on the water, Surman can often be found on the golf course.

Brandon started fishing for bass at a very early age.  Growing up only a few miles from Norris Lake, TN, Brandon stayed on the lake every chance he had.  He competed in his first bass tournament at 14, and bought his first bass boat at age 16.  Brandon honed his bass fishing skills by competing in many local and regional events throughout his high school years, including BFL tournaments and Bassmaster Weekend Series.
Following high school, he enrolled in the University of Kentucky’s landscape architecture program.  Brandon joined the University of Kentucky Bass Fishing Team in 2005 and competed in his first college national championship that very year.  The following season, he was appointed president of the UK Bass Fishing Team and served as president for the following three years.  Throughout college, Brandon competed in six national championship events, including 2006, 2007, 2009 BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championships, 2007 Ultimate Match Fishing College Edition, and 2008, 2009 Under Armour College Bass Championships.
In June 2007, Brandon won the Ultimate Match Fishing College Edition tournament on Oneida Lake, NY.  Through that championship win, Brandon gained national exposure as he was featured in five episodes that aired on the Outdoor Channel.  That win also gave him the confidence to pursue bass fishing as a career. Since graduating from college in May of 2009, Brandon has made great strides toward achieving his dream of becoming a professional angler.
Shortly following graduation, Brandon qualified and competed in the 2009 BASS Federation Nation Championship.  The very next season, he won the 2010 BASS Federation Southern Divisional.  That win re-qualified him to fish the BASS Federation Nation Championship for the second consecutive season.
Brandon competed in the 2011 BASS Southern Opens where he posted 4th, 9th, and 13th finishes in all three of the Southern Open tournaments.  He finished 2nd place in Angler of the Year standings and received an invitation to compete in the 2012 Bassmaster Elites Series.
In 2012, Brandon’s first year on tour, he won the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title.  He finished 22 in the AOY standings and qualified for the Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake (Feb. 22-24/13).
 

Carter “Big Boy” Andrews is plagued by a single obsession: fishing. He has a fly fishing resume that reads like a Hall of Famer’s: three wins of the Jackson Hole One Fly, countless video and print references, and a keystone spot on the US Fly Fishing Team. He has helped to build fishing lodges, train guides and lead exploratory fishing expeditions across the globe. Carter became the cover shot of nearly every saltwater and fishing magazine in print. He is a favored guest on fishing shows and videos.

Brandon Cobb is currently competing in his first season of the Bassmaster Elite Series. Brandon’s tournament fishing career began very early in life, fishing local tournaments with his father until the age of 15 when he could compete at the BFL level.  Brandon graduated from Clemson University, where he received a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. He also competed on the Clemson Bass Fishing team.  The BFL tournament trail and college fishing aided as a stepping stone to the FLW tour. After double qualifying for the 2014 BFL All- American, he moved to the front as an FLW Tour pro in 2014.  In 2015 Brandon qualified for the Forest Wood Cup with a 17th place finish in points standings. He captured his best finish on tour with a 3rd place finish at Lake Ouachita, AR.

Clent Davis is currently competing in his third season on the Bassmaster Elite Series. He started his fishing career on the collegiate level then moved to the back deck on the FLW Tour. He quickly moved to the front of the boat as a pro and secured the 2012 FLW Rookie of the Year title.
After winning Rookie of the Year on the Walmart FLW Tour in 2012, Davis is now a regular force to be reckoned with on Tour. Although he’s considered one of the “Young Guns” of the FLW Tour, Davis has quite a bit of tournament experience. Davis first started fishing tournaments at 10 years old, and decided that this was his dream career at the ripe age of 12. Davis fished in numerous tournaments on the Coosa River chain throughout his high school days before starting a bass club at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. In their first season, the club became Southern Conference Champions. Davis began competing at the Rayovac level, then fished for one season as a co-angler before moving to the front of the boat. Davis fished his rookie season as a pro in 2012 and hasn’t looked back. In 2018 Clent's career hit an all time high, winning the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas.