In what could be called one of the best runs in years in tournament fishing, Matthew and father Bruce Rogers put a stamp on it by winning the Crappie Masters sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association “Ethanol Fueled With Pride”, American Ethanol, and Bass Pro Shops Truman Lake National Qualifier and One Pole Ultimate Challenge hosted by Clinton Tourism and sponsored by Midsouth Tackle Company Friday, August 30th and 31st. The Rogers knew coming into the tournament that a win would basically guarantee they would be the Crappie Masters Angler Team of the Year and they delivered with a nearly 2 pound advantage over the field weighing in 14 fish for the tournament that topped the scale at 22.83 pounds with a 2.09 pound kicker fish. This has nearly completed a dream season as Matthew in a 12 month span has claimed a Crappie Masters National Championship, Missouri State Championship, One Pole Ultimate Challenge Championship, and the 2019 Crappie Masters Angler Team of the Year solidifying he is a force on the tournament trail to be reckoned with. However it was just about lost after a rocky start literally on Crappie Masters Championship Saturday as the Rogers had a boat malfunction and ended up on shore rocks. Fortunately everyone was alright and with the help of Kevin and Clint Pipes the team was able to fish and took advantage being the only team to break 11 pounds both tournament days. Matthew and Bruce caught most fish primarily on custom hair Jigs fishing 8 to 18 feet deep, catching their bigger fish at a 10 to 12 foot depth. Matthew had found the fish two weeks earlier and left them alone until tournament days, which proved to be a smart idea. Of course Matthew credited his electronics, Minn Kota Trolling Motor, and Mercury Motor along with not over reacting to detrimental situations and stay the course. The team took home $6,000.00 for the win plus the $500.00 Missouri Corn Merchandising Council E10 bonus for using E10 fuel, and the $100.00 Jenko Fishing bonus for using their products. Matthew and Bruce Rogers are sponsored by Outlaw Rods, Garmin, Anglers Port Marine, and MR Baits.
The runner up position turned out to be one of the most dramatic of the weigh in as the team of Joey Johnson and Chris
Coffman were in the Millennium Marine Hot Seats when another team in the race for Angler Team of the Year, Frank Haidusek and Mark McClure came to the scale looking to sit in the seats themselves, but wound up tying Johnson and Coffman with a two day weight of 20.94 pounds each taking home $2,500.00. Haidusek and Mark McClure wound up also tied for 3rd in the Angler Team of the Year race while Johnson and Coffman secured the Crappie Masters Rookie Team of the Year Award. Johnson and Coffman caught their weigh fish on a white and chartreuse Bobby Garland 2 inch Slab Slayer on a 1/32-ounce jig head fishing 14 to 16 foot of water catching the fish suspended in 7 to 11 foot deep. The also credited their Minn Kota Trolling Motor and Mercury Motor for keeping them in quality fish areas. Joey Johnson and Chris Coffman are sponsored by Bobby Garland, Huckabee Rods, ProBuilt Jigs, and Garmin.
Haidusek and McClure stayed in an 8 to 18 foot depth catching their fish on HH and Ozark Rods 8 to 14 feet in the water column. Using multiple electronics including Humminbird and Minn Kota Trolling Motor along with a Mercury powered Nitro boat, the team completed a successful 2019 Crappie Masters campaign including a win at Lake Fork Texas in the One Pole Ultimate Challenge there. Frank Haidusek and Mark McClure are sponsored by HH Rods and Reels, Ozark Rods, Spike-It, Midsouth Tackle, Dietz Family Buffet, Crappieholic, Rod Sox, Wyld Gear, and Dairy Queen.
Fourth place went to the eventual runner up Angler Team of the Year, Oklahoma’s Robert Carlile and Craig Nichols who
not only brought in 20.63 pounds of fish but also took home second big fish honors with a 2.10 pound dandy. Carlile and Nichols also have the honor of being the only team to win 3 Crappie masters events in 2019. The team took home $1,500.00 for fourth place plus $348.00 for second place big fish.
Settling into the fifth place spot was the team of Kevin and Charlie Rogers who made a big Crappie Masters Championship Saturday run landing them in the Millennium Marine Hot Seats where they stayed through the first half of the day one top ten teams. The second day jump was aided by the big fish of the tournament, a 2.22 pound Truman toad good for $812.00 plus the $1,250.00 fifth place prize.
Male/Female team honors went to the Ozark Rods team of David and Kim Cox who took home a Humminbird Helix 5 for their weekend work.
The top Adult/Youth Team Award went to the years Crappie Masters Adult/Youth Angler Team of the Year TJ and Alex Palmer who took home a $100.00 Everharts Outdoor Store gift card, a Minn Kota Trolling Motor and $600.00 for their 11th place finish.
Crappie Masters would like to thank Doyle and Phyllis Hudson with Midsouth Tackle as a great long time sponsor of Crappie Masters along with Clinton Tourism.
Special thanks to local sponsors that include: Clinton Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Inn, Westbridge Inn and Suites,
Bucksaw Resort & Marina, Everharts Outdoor Store, Hawthorn Bank, Benson Center, The Wood Shed, Puddle Jumper’s, Walmart, Slugger’s 66, Dietz Family Buffet, Mallards Roadhouse, El Camino Real, and Tightwad Bait & Tackle.
Special thanks to our National Sponsors that include: Renewable Fuels Association, American Ethanol, Bass Pro Shops, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Ozark Rods, Mercury Motors, Power-Pole, Millennium Marine, Muddy Water Baits, Jenko Fishing, Wyld Gear Coolers, Everharts Outdoor Store, HH Rods and Reels, Off Shore Tackle, Navionics, B’n’M Poles, Bobby Garland Crappie Baits, Midsouth Tackle, American Angler, Crappieholic, Frontier Metal, Valley Fashions, Crappie Now, Slider, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, The Original Rod Sox, Marine Metal Products, Timmy Tom’s Jig Company, Crappie.com, Ardent, Fish-D-Funk, Skipper’s Jigs, Foxy Fishing Gear, ProBuilt Jigs, Sure Life, Pautzke Bait Company, Mossback Fish Habitat, Freaky Frank’s Custom Tackle, Fish N Tools, Quickfire, Monster Crappie Media and Huffman Publishing, and KMMO Brad & Brian in the Outdoors.
