CULLMAN, Ala. — Sept. 7, 2025 — The family of Jeffrey C. Little, one of three men killed in an April boat collision during a Major League Fishing tournament on Lewis Smith Lake, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging negligence by the league, its president Boyd Duckett, competing angler Flint Davis, and fishing guide Gary Holcombe. The complaint was electronically filed in Cullman County Circuit Court on Sept. 5.
The suit claims Major League Fishing (“MLF”) fostered a tournament environment that incentivized high-speed travel in congested waters without adequate safety protocols, and that Davis struck the guide boat carrying Little at a “high rate of speed.” It further alleges Davis lacked a valid home-state boating license and an Alabama non-resident boater safety certification at the time. The filing seeks punitive damages under Alabama Code § 6-5-410.
Holcombe is accused of negligent operation, including failing to maintain a proper lookout. In a separate filing tied to the same April incident, Holcombe has denied responsibility, according to prior court records.
The April crash during the Tackle Warehouse Invitational left three dead—Joey M. Broom, John K. Clark, and Jeffrey C. Little—and prompted MLF to cancel the remainder of the event. Authorities said a Nitro bass boat collided with a center-console vessel shortly after launch.
Lisa Little’s case is at least the second wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the collision; the family of Joey Broom previously filed a similar claim earlier this year.