Major League Fishing Championship to feature huge expo at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center this weekend

Top 50 pro anglers battling on Lake Guntersville for $300,000 prize

HUNTSVILLE – The top 50 professional bass fishing anglers from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour will compete for the top prize of $300,000 and to crown bass fishing’s newest world champion at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025. Presented by MillerTech Energy, it will be held on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville Thursday through Sunday.

In conjunction with the event, the free, family- friendly MLF Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place throughout the weekend, April 4-6 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.

The four-day event, hosted by the Huntsville/ Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, and the Madison County Commission, will showcase the top 50 MLF anglers from 2024 – including the top 40 anglers from the Bass Pro Tour – competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship.

“We are excited about bringing the fishing world to Huntsville for REDCREST 2025,” said Jennifer Moore, President and CEO of the Huntsville/ Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Sitting in the middle of one of the great bass fishing areas in the United States, we look forward to welcoming REDCREST to the Rocket City and seeing the Outdoor Sports Expo take over the Von Braun Center as we create a oneof- a-kind experience for everyone interested in the sport.”

Reigning and two-time REDCREST champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who will be among the 50 competitors, said that Lake Guntersville is fishing as good as it’s ever been and that he expects to see some big fish caught all across the lake.

“Lake Guntersville is fishing unbelievable right now,” Connell said. “It’s been that way for the last few years. It’s one of the best, healthiest lakes in the country, and I think we’re going to see some giant fish caught. It’s going to be an awesome tournament, no doubt.”

Lake Guntersville has long been a bucket-list destination among tournament anglers, regularly producing tournament- winning weights of 30 pounds or more. This year’s event presents a little bit of a challenge, taking place during the spring transition.

“We’re right on the verge of things getting a little funky,” Connell ex- plained. “The fish are starting to move up, but it’s a grindy time of year because they’re transitioning from feeding to spawning. If we hit it just right, they might be shallow and ready to bite, but they could also be cruising and a little harder to catch.”

Connell, whose two prior REDCREST victories have come on Alabama’s Lake Eufaula and Lay Lake, knows that adaptability will be key. “There are four or five major creeks that could produce the winning fish – North Sauty, Honeycomb, Seibold, Browns, and Spring,” Connell said. “With only 50 boats on the water, the field will probably be spread out and you could realistically not see another angler all day. That’s what makes REDCREST so special—everybody has a real shot.

“You’ll see guys fishing docks, throwing jerkbaits, ChatterBaits, maybe even frogs,” Connell said. “I’ll definitely be throwing a Rapala Mavrik – I love throwing that jerkbait, and we’re getting to that time of year where we’re really going to catch them on it. And a (Rapala Crush City) Janitor and (Rapala Crush City) Pigstick weightless stick bait for targeting those shallow, structure-oriented fish. Forward-facing sonar is definitely going to play a role in this one, and I’ll definitely be using it when I can. There isn’t a single tournament where I don’t have a (Rapala Crush City) Freeloader tied on and ready to go.”

Connell is eager for a chance to claim an unprecedented third championship title. For Connell, REDCREST represents the pinnacle of the sport.

“This is the one you want to win,” he said. “It’s not just the $300,000 payday – it’s the prestige. Winning REDCREST sets you apart. Lake Guntersville is world-famous, and to win the biggest tournament on that stage? That’s what we do this for and what it’s all about.”

Anglers will launch each morning from Civitan Park, located at 1130 Sunset Drive, in Guntersville, Alabama, at 7:15 a.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW! live stream and SCORETRACKER coverage at Major-LeagueFishing.com.

The free, family-friendly MLF Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place throughout the weekend, April 4-6 at the Von Braun Center, located at 700 Monroe St. SW, in Huntsville. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts are invited to explore an array of booths and vendors, featuring the newest innovations and gear in fishing, boating, and outdoors. Meet some of the biggest names in the industry, including professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour and legendary Bass Fishing Hall of Famers like Kevin VanDam.

The tournament will showcase the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER leaderboard. Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 Presented by MillerTech Energy at Lake Guntersville will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable.

The 2024 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular- season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 Presented by MillerTech Energy.

The full field of anglers will compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the highest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers that finish 2nd through 20th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins professional bass fishing’s top prize of $300,000.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on each day of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. MLFNOW! is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

Television coverage of MLF’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 Presented by MillerTech Energy at Lake Guntersville will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 5 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, July 19. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel and Vice TV.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeague-Fishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.