Back in 2021, on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs, was the last time the Champions Tour field had the presence of Brad Leuthner. An angler who in 2019 was the first to ever win back to back events, when he did so on Lake Vermilion and Lake Pokegama. Followed by a couple of years of success on the Tour, Leuthner ended up heading south to throw his hat in the ring with the Bassmaster Open EQ race. Hoping for a birth at the Bassmaster Elite Series. Amassing 2 Top-10’s in his time on the road, Leuthner has been ascending in National recognition.
And now he finds himself, coming back home, to fish the Champions Tour once again in 2024.
Chatting with Leuthner, he mentioned that he’s wanted to keep fishing the Champions Tour, but the schedules just haven’t lined up. With the Bassmaster Open EQ’s making a Northern swing to Minnesota this year, local tournament organizations adapted their schedules around these larger events. And now they line up perfectly!
“This is the best circuit around (the Upper Midwest) for publicity and to make money in the Upper Midwest,” Luethner commented.
Now chasing the dream of fishing for a living, payouts and publicity mean a little more to Leuthner as he’s trying to figure out how to make a career fishing tournaments a reality. Looking at coming back north, Leuthner is hoping to bring new tricks he’s learned from the south back up north, and he feels what he’s learned will help them in the Champions Tour format. Learning more and more about Forward Facing Sonar, as well as adjusting on the fly, he feels he will be able to blend right back in, and eventually fall back into his back home roots.
“Every fish isn’t necessarily my favorite (format), but I like it for what it is,” Leuthner commented. “It has taught me how to manage time, and work the clock more than any other event I’ve fished.”
Now having experience from the South, he’s looking to blend his success from his previous stint on the Champions Tour for some more trophies, and maybe a new Skeeter Boat.
Looking at the 2024 Season, Leuthner doesn’t have any particular event he’s looking forward to the most. Having two new bodies of water, that haven’t seen much major tournament pressure at all, has his eyebrows perked. Much like the rest of our field. However, he’s staying even keel and will be looking at the whole season.
“I don’t look forward to certain events because I don’t want to fall asleep behind the wheel after an event I was looking forward to,” Leuthner explained.
With that mindset, a new focus set on 2024, and some new tricks up his sleeve from southern fisheries, it seems as if Leuthner might be poised for a strong Champions Tour season.
