Tournament was held at Lake of Ozarks

Contributed photo
John Cox and Keith Carson finished on top of the standings at the 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitational at the Lake of the Ozarks. They are both Crestliner fishing professionals.

Crestliner pros John Cox and Keith Carson went one-two at the 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitational for a historic finish. 

Cox and Carson, longtime friends and Crestliner duo, took the Lake of Ozarks by storm onboard their Crestliner MX 21’s finishing the tournament first and second place, respectively. Cox finished the tournament with a three-day total of 55-14 qualifying for a spot at REDCREST, and Carson finished closely behind with a three-day total of 54-13.

“I felt stuff in that weigh-in that I’ve never felt at any of the other weigh-ins,” Cox said. “I wanted Keith to win; because he’s my buddy, I want him to do well. It’s bittersweet, but it felt good to win, and to get to go to REDCREST. That’s huge, that’s unreal; when I heard that, I was like ‘Please let me win.’ Every time I miss one of those, it’s terrible. I watched it at Norman, and I was heartbroken I wasn’t there.”

As tournament anglers fishing the circuit and longtime friends, Cox and Carson are only a year apart in age and grew up two streets down from each other in DeBary, Flor., making this one-two finish extra special for the duo. Both are noted shallow-water specialists and played to their strengths throughout the tournament to outfish the entire field each day through their sight-fishing expertise. Additionally, both Cox and Carson leverage the synergies of Brunswick Corporation fishing onboard their Crestliner MX 21’s, powered by Mercury Pro XS® 250 outboards and outfitted with Lowrance HDS 16 and HDS 12 electronics.

  “On behalf of all of us at Crestliner, we are incredibly proud of John and Keith for their historic finish this past weekend and for representing the Crestliner team so well,” said Jason Oakes, General Manager, Crestliner Boats. “This was an incredibly special moment for John and Keith to finish first and second. We’re looking forward to seeing their momentum continue and building upon our great partnership.”

  Cox and Carson have a full lineup of tournaments this season representing the Crestliner team fishing the Major League Fishing circuit and the National Professional Fishing League circuit, and Cox will also be representing Crestliner on the Bassmaster Elite series. To learn more about Crestliner and its tournament level models, visit www.crestliner.com.

About Crestliner 

Located in New York Mills, Crestliner boats are crafted with an uncompromising mix of functional design, all-welded aluminum construction and a relentless commitment to excellence.  Since 1946 Crestliner has been making boats forged with strength and defined by durability. As a world-wide leader, Crestliner continues to redefine the industry with boats built to last.  Learn more about Crestliner and its line of boats by visiting www.crestliner.com.  

Crestliner is a division of Brunswick Corporation, a leader in the recreational marine industry, www.brunswick.com