Steve Lopez Wins MLF Championship with Gambler Lures on the Mississippi River

The upper Mississippi River delivered fireworks at the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship, and Steve Lopez came out on top, winning his first-ever MLF event with a 48-15 total weight. The Wisconsin pro leaned on two Gambler favorites — the Gambler Ace and the Gambler Walking Frog — to secure the $100,000 payday and a ticket to REDCREST 2026.

A Game Plan Built on Confidence

Lopez started the tournament with a frog bite, boating key fish on the Gambler Walking Frog. But as the event unfolded, he transitioned to a deadly pattern on eelgrass edges, where a wacky-rigged Gambler Ace helped him put together consistent limits of quality bass.

“The Ace let me keep stacking up 3-pounders when I needed them, and the Walking Frog gave me those explosive topwater bites,” Lopez said. “That one-two punch carried me through the week.”

The Lures That Won It

• Gambler Ace – A versatile soft stick bait with a natural fall, perfect for wacky-rigging in pressured fisheries.

• Gambler Walking Frog – A topwater frog designed for walking action, explosive strikes, and coming through cover clean.

Both baits proved tournament-winning tools on the Mississippi River, helping Lopez outlast a stacked field of pros.

Why It Matters

Lopez had finished runner-up in major events before, but this victory marked his first win at the MLF level — and he did it in front of a home crowd in Wisconsin, making it even more special.

His win also underscores what Gambler anglers already know: our lures aren’t just for fun fishing — they’re built to perform when the stakes are highest.

Check out Steve's winning lures. Shop the Gambler Ace and Gambler Walking Frog now, and take tournament-winning confidence to your home waters.