Banks Shaw Claims First Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Win on Pickwick Lake
COUNCE, Tenn. (May 11, 2025) – Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel delivered big catches and a thrilling finish on Pickwick Lake. Pro angler Banks Shaw of Harrison, Tennessee, clinched his first Invitational win with consistent daily totals: 26 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1, 21-11 on Day 2, and 23 pounds on the final day. His 71-1 total bested Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, who tied with Jacob Walker (Springville, Alabama) at 67-15 but secured second place via tiebreaker.
Career-High Payday and Angler of the Year Lead
This marks Shaw’s fourth MLF win across the College, Toyota Series, and Invitationals. His $115,000 payout, including the Phoenix MLF Bonus, is his biggest yet. With this win, Shaw also takes the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year standings with 783 points. Pro Mitchell Robinson, who placed 19th, moved to second in points.
→ View Photo of Winner Banks Shaw
→ Championship Sunday Weigh-In Gallery
→ On-the-Water Highlights from Day 3
→ Day 3 Catch Highlights Video
A Pickwick Masterclass Without Sonar
Shaw previously won the 2024 Toyota Series on Chickamauga—his home lake—with a record margin and 82-12 total, fishing offshore. Now, thanks to his time at the University of North Alabama, Shaw has a deep familiarity with Pickwick, which he leveraged into a masterclass in Tennessee River strategy, even without forward-facing sonar on Day 2.
Day-by-Day: From Deep Schools to Shad Spawn
On Day 1, Shaw focused on a few deep offshore schools. Day 2 required adjustment: he switched to a shallow-water shad spawn. On the final day, Shaw blended both techniques to seal the win.
“In practice I could catch some fish off a shad spawn, but at the same time, I also just tried going shallow, getting on the bank,” Shaw said. “I caught a handful of fish doing that, but nothing good. I was really worried about [Day 2] because if it was sunny, then I might not even have had a limit… I knew I could catch fish, and it turned into more than what I thought it was.”
Lure Selection and Key Zones
Fishing 2–8 feet, Shaw used a Scottsboro Tackle Top Hook Swimbait, a ¾-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer, and a minnow to target the shad spawn bass.
“It was shallow bars that had really rough shell on it,” he said. “You just had to go down it and cover water, making as many long casts as you can to find the fish.”
Offshore, Shaw caught most of his weight in 12–14 feet of water near the Natchez Trace Bridge, citing it as a less-pressured zone.
“It was definitely the area of the lake that was playing going into the event… one of the main reasons I keyed in on that area is I just thought there were more fish.”
His go-to bait offshore was a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader on a jighead.
Young Anglers Excel on the Tennessee River
Shaw represents a new generation of anglers excelling with side scan and forward-facing sonar. His skills reflect a wider trend in the Tennessee River Valley, which is producing elite young talent.
“LiveScope’s definitely the dominant way of fishing,” Shaw said. “I understand what’s going on, where fish are, what they’re relating to, how big fish are.”
Near Misses and Tournament-Defining Moments
Despite a strong final result, Day 1 nearly derailed his event.
“I went straight offshore and I rotated my four or five best places three times,” he said. “…the last rotation through, my fish just started biting. If that wouldn’t have happened, then I would have probably just had a rough day.”
Learning from Chickamauga to Win on Pickwick
Shaw’s 2024 Chickamauga win laid the foundation for this performance.
“All the Tennessee River lakes are similar… Chickamauga is not really a good shad spawn lake. That’s something I strictly learned here recently.”
Unlike his easy win on Chickamauga, this tournament came with stress.
“(At Chickamauga), I knew that I probably had it… Today, I wasn’t confident really with anything I had. So it was definitely a very tough mental day… I thought I definitely threw it away when I lost those fish.”
Top 30 Final Results – Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake
| Rank | Angler | Hometown | Bass | Total Weight | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banks Shaw | Harrison, TN | 15 | 71-1 | $115,000 |
| 2 | Jake Lawrence | Paris, TN | 15 | 67-15 | $30,000 |
| 3 | Jacob Walker | Springville, AL | 15 | 67-15 | $20,500 |
| 4 | Kyle Cortiana | Broken Arrow, OK | 15 | 62-6 | $18,000 |
| 5 | Jimmy Washam | Stantonville, TN | 15 | 59-10 | $17,000 |
| 6 | Colby Miller | Elmer, LA | 14 | 59-4 | $16,000 |
| 7 | Andrew Nordbye | Guntersville, AL | 15 | 59-0 | $15,000 |
| 8 | Ken Thompson | Roaring Springs, PA | 15 | 57-11 | $14,000 |
| 9 | Lane Olson | Forest Grove, OR | 15 | 55-10 | $13,000 |
| 10 | Levi Thibodaux | Thibodaux, LA | 15 | 55-4 | $12,000 |
| 11 | Bobby Lane | Lakeland, FL | 15 | 54-0 | $10,000 |
| 12 | Thomas Wooten | Huddleston, VA | 15 | 52-14 | $10,000 |
| 13 | Tyler Stewart | Dubach, LA | 15 | 52-13 | $10,000 |
| 14 | Terry Fisher | Decatur, AL | 15 | 52-9 | $10,000 |
| 15 | Carter Nutt | Nashville, TN | 15 | 52-6 | $10,000 |
| 16 | Chad Mrazek | Montgomery, TX | 15 | 51-10 | $10,000 |
| 17 | Ethan Greene | Eufaula, AL | 15 | 50-11 | $10,000 |
| 18 | Austin Swindle | Parrish, AL | 15 | 50-6 | $10,000 |
| 19 | Mitchell Robinson | Landrum, SC | 15 | 50-5 | $10,000 |
| 20 | Blake Hall | Rogersville, AL | 15 | 48-7 | $10,000 |
| 21 | Brian Latimer | Belton, SC | 15 | 48-6 | $9,000 |
| 22 | Ricky Robinson | Greenback, TN | 13 | 47-14 | $9,000 |
| 23 | Jack Daniel Williams | Kingsport, TN | 15 | 47-14 | $9,000 |
| 24 | Keith Poche | Cecil, AL | 13 | 47-9 | $9,000 |
| 25 | Kyle Glasgow | Guin, AL | 15 | 47-7 | $9,000 |
| 26 | Shaw Grigsby | Gainesville, FL | 15 | 47-0 | $9,000 |
| 27 | Samuel Fish | Chelsea, AL | 15 | 46-14 | $9,000 |
| 28 | Jon Canada | Helena, AL | 13 | 46-4 | $9,000 |
| 29 | Todd Walters | Kernersville, NC | 14 | 44-7 | $10,000 |
| 30 | Chris Lane | Guntersville, AL | 14 | 42-5 | $9,000 |
Full results are available at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Event Summary and Next Stop
Hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism, the tournament featured a three-day format with the top 30 advancing to Championship Sunday. On the final day, 142 bass totaling 507 pounds 2 ounces were weighed, including 25 full limits.
Television coverage airs as a two-hour episode on CBS Sports Network, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. ET.
Up next: Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 5 at James River Presented by 7Brew Coffee, June 20–22, in Richmond, Virginia.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
See more bass tournament news here
Discover the ultimate resource for bass fishing enthusiasts with Bass Angler Magazine! Packed with expert tips, the latest cutting-edge techniques, and in-depth articles, our magazine is your go-to guide for mastering the art of bass fishing. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, Bass Angler Magazine delivers the insights and inspiration you need to reel in the big ones. Subscribe today and elevate your angling game!
.aioseo-author-bio-compact{display:flex;gap:40px;padding:12px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #000;border-radius:5px;color:#111;background-color:#FFF}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-left{flex:0 0 120px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right{flex:1 1 auto}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-left .aioseo-author-bio-compact-image{width:120px;height:120px;border-radius:5px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-header{display:flex;align-items:center}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-header .author-name{font-size:22px;font-weight:600}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-header .author-job-title{margin-left:12px;padding-left:12px;font-size:18px;border-left:1px solid gray}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-main{margin:12px 0;font-size:18px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-main>p:last-of-type{display:inline}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-main .author-bio-link{display:inline-flex}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-main .author-bio-link a{display:flex;align-items:center}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-main .author-bio-link a svg{fill:#000}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-footer .author-expertises{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-footer .author-expertises .author-expertise{padding:4px 8px;font-size:14px;border-radius:4px;background-color:#DCDDE1;color:inherit}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-footer .author-socials{margin-top:12px;display:flex;gap:6px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-footer .author-socials .aioseo-social-icon-tumblrUrl{margin-left:-2px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-site-editor-disclaimer{color:#000;margin-bottom:12px;font-style:italic}@media screen and (max-width:430px){.aioseo-author-bio-compact{flex-direction:column;gap:20px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-left .aioseo-author-bio-compact-image{display:block;margin:0 auto;width:160px;height:160px}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right{text-align:center}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-header{justify-content:center}.aioseo-author-bio-compact-right .aioseo-author-bio-compact-footer .author-socials{justify-content:center}}
$post[‘post_content’] .= ‘Source‘;
