Robinson wins Toyota Series event on Hartwell
March 5, 2020 by Phillip Gentry
Marty Robinson saw his day-one lead drop from nearly three pounds to just 1 pounds, 5 ounces after day two. On Championship Thursday, though, the MLF Bass Pro Tour pro did enough to finish the job with an 11-10 stringer for a three-day total of 47-4 to edge out Derrick Bridges for the win.
With the win, the Lyman, S.C., pro earns his first Toyota Series victory and his third across all FLW competition.
Robinson said at the beginning of the event that he could sure use a win, if for no other reason than to boost his morale after a dismal start to his MLF Bass Pro Tour season. He certainly got that boost today.
Robinson had to go home earlier than he wanted to from Lake Eufaula because the weather turned bad and messed up most of the water he intended to fish. Two weeks later, it was the same deal on Lake Okeechobee when the weather turned bad and his fishing went south.
“I haven’t been fishing bad; I just made some bad decisions that cost me in the tournaments,” he admits. “I was glad we had this deal with FLW now where I could go back home and fish the tournament at Hartwell. I just needed some time to go catch some spotted bass and get my head straight.”
He may not have gotten his wish with the spotted bass, especially on day one when he weighed in a bag of all largemouths that weighed 21-1, but he got the morale boost he was after with the biggest bag of the event. Hartwell is close enough to home that he was comfortable with how he would fish it, regardless of whether or not he considers it his true “home lake.”
“Even back when I fished the [Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine] circuit a lot, Hartwell had always been a hit-or-miss lake for me,” he says. “I could cut a check, but it was the most confusing lake because there are so many patterns that will work on this lake and it fishes so big. Since then, I’ve figured Hartwell out a little better and understand what areas hold better fish and when. Like I said, this week, the first week of March, has always been my favorite time to fish Hartwell.”
To get the job done, Robinson had to figure out which parts of his experience would play this week. The pattern he found did the trick.
“My main pattern was working the ditches down the lake first thing in the morning,” he explains. “I’d hit those with a 3/8-ounce Buckeye Lures Su-Spin and a 1/2-ounce Ballin’ Out jig with a Zoom Creepy Crawler in green pumpkin and get my limit. The bass would hang out in those ditches following the herring after the herring piled in there overnight.”
Robinson’s early-morning ditch pattern held out, just barely, through three days of fishing. He also used the same baits to fish a lot of the secondary points about three-quarters of the way back in the creeks. He found some better fish, too, including a 5-pound kicker largemouth he caught working a couple stretches of docks. Robinson found those fish hanging off the front of docks that had 10 to 12 feet of water off the front end. He didn’t have to fish under the docks due to the mostly inclement weather that moved across the area for the duration of the tournament and kept fish in the mood to roam a bit and not stick so tight to cover.
While working primarily tributaries on the Georgia side of the lake from Andersonville Island south to the dam, spotted bass began showing up in his bag on days two and three. The spots were mixed in with the largemouth and were hanging pretty close to hard clay and rock bottom, again in the 10- to 12-foot range.
“I managed to catch my limit in the ditches on the last day, but the bite was dwindling out,” he says. “I found out this morning another boat was fishing those same ditches, so I had to beat them up pretty bad to get a limit today.
“The herring just weren’t in there this morning like they have been. I don’t know if it was because of the cold weather overnight. They just weren’t there, even though the current flow picked up. Normally, both the herring and the bass like the current flow in those ditches, but it also brought in a little dirty water.”
Robinson had a little bit of a backup plan by moving midway up the Tugaloo River and working docks and points that helped him on day two and also helped him cull a couple fish on day three.
The MLF pro feels the sporadic wind and rain, which was moderately heavy on the first and last days, helped his fishing much more than the milder weather on the second day. He was not sure if cooler weather on day three actually hurt his fish as much as it seemed to hurt the rest of the remaining 10 anglers on the last day.
While the weather both helped and hurt his bite at times – and while other anglers may have griped a bit about fishing all week in the rain – Robinson isn’t complaining.
“The weather wasn’t ideal and today with the rain and all; it was downright cold,” he says. “The most important thing is I got heated seats in this Phoenix and that come into play. It kept my butt warm and my mind sharp. I’ll tell you something else: The boat ran great. That helps when you get there first and ain’t got to worry about nobody beating you to your hole. That helps a lot.”
After being sponsored by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Marine for much of his pro career, Robinson made the switch this season to a Phoenix and Mercury combination and credits his Phoenix 920 Elite and Mercury Pro XS four stroke with helping him get this win.
As for the rest of his equipment, Robinson has very specific setups for the baits that helped earn him the victory. He used a Castaway Rods Taranis Carbon Extreme 7-foot medium-heavy rod paired with a Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spool SLP(6.8:1 ratio) reel spooled with 15-pound-test P-Line fluorocarbon to fish the Su-Spin. He worked the Ballin’ Out jig on a 7-foot heavy Castaway Rods Invicta II casting rod with the same reel and line.
Robinson was thrilled to win at Hartwell in front of a very respectable mid-week crowd full of people who stood in the rain to watch the results. That number included his two sons Mitchell and Marshall, and his wife Iris.
“It was great to fish with a lot of my buddies that I grew up fishing against,” he says. “To me, this deal is a little more laid-back. I get to hang out with old fishing buddies I may not have seen in a while and we get to go out to dinner together and just have fun.”
Of course, it’s always more fun when you can get a win, too.
Top 10 Pros
1. Marty Robinson – Lyman, S.C. – 47-4 (15) – $66,665
2. Derrick Bridges – Greenville, S.C. – 45-12 (15) – $11,689
3. David Williams – Maiden, N.C. – 45-5 (14) – $9,049
4. Cameron Lineback – Mount Airy, N.C. – 42-3 (15) – $8,041
5. Jayme Rampey – Liberty, S.C. – 41-13 (15) – $6,787
6. Cody Pike – Powhatan, Va. – 40-3 (15) – $6,128
7. Rob Digh – Denver, N.C. – 38-15 (15) – $5,279
8. Thomas Guthke – Townville, S.C. – 35-7 (15) – $4,775
9. Trent Palmer – Cumming, Ga. – 35-7 (15) – $3,771
10. Kerry Partain – Elberton, Ga. – 34-15 (15) – $3,016
Zaldain and Sumrall talk Classic Craziness
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Tomorrow morning marks the official start of the 50th Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville and the chance to turn a lifelong dream into reality for someone in the 53-angler field. Classic competitors have battled rain, wind, infamous Guntersville boat traffic, and a restless off-the-water schedule this week. They have officially earned their opportunity to go fishing.
As Classic Media Day was coming to a close, we caught up with Carhartt Elite Series pros Caleb Sumrall and Chris Zaldain to get some last minute insight before they finished their tackle prep and headed to the lake.
Q – What’s the hardest thing about the Bassmaster Classic to deal with, both on and off the water?
Zaldain – “Following the jam-packed agenda is by far the most difficult thing off the water. Our days are planned down to the minute with different events and functions this week, and staying focused on the real reason we are all here is tough. It’s a big time distraction for sure.”
“On the water I’d say all the boat traffic. The Bassmaster Classic is the biggest event in bass fishing, so the competition is more intense and spectator boat traffic is ramped up, too.”
Sumrall – “Off the water it’s easy… time spent away from fishing. The Bassmaster Classic week is hectic so trying to stay mentally focused on fishing with all the hoopla is difficult.
“On the water… I’m not sure really. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!”
Q – What’s one thing you do in your preparation to try and set yourself apart from the competition?
Zaldain – “I try to be as meticulous as possible with all my equipment. I ensure everything is brand new and ready to go. From my boat to my hooks – it all needs to be in the best shape possible.”
Sumrall – “Running. Getting as many miles in leading up to this event got me feeling right mentally and physically. In my mind I want to be working harder than all my competition, I feel like it gives me an edge.”
Q- It’s been a volatile weather week in Alabama, will tomorrow be a ball cap or a beanie type of morning?
Zaldain – “Well we’re going to be facing a strong north wind and a cold-front, so it’ll definitely be a Carhartt beanie type of morning. I’m sure I’ll be thankful for all my Carhartt layers in the morning.”
Sumrall – “It’s going to be a Carhartt A18 beanie entire day as far as I’m concerned! Heck it’ll be a Carhartt base layers day, too. Us Louisiana boys don’t like this cold weather!”
Q – What breakfast meal is going to be key to your success tomorrow?
Zaldain – “I keep it simple. Just one apple Nutrigrain bar and a banana. Then I’ll be snacking hard throughout the day.”
Sumrall – “Everything I can get my hands on. I am a big breakfast guy… I’m going to say I’ll eat about 3 breakfast burritos and a couple bananas. The last thing I want to think at 10:00am is ‘I’m hungry’.”
Mustad Supports Competitive Student Anglers with Major Discount Program
Competitive high school and collegiate fishing has grown exponentially over the past 5 years, making the sport one of the fastest growing programs in the nation. Because Mustad recognizes the crucial role these youth play as our next generation of anglers and the future ambassadors of our sport, Mustad is excited to launch the “Mustad Student Angler Program,” built specifically to offer both high school and collegiate clubs 50% off retail pricing on all Mustad products.
“The new Mustad Student Angler Program will enable these young competitive fishermen to gain access to significantly reduced pricing on all Mustad products. From the best-selling KVD series hooks to the newly released tungsten series, I believe this program will help support hundreds, even thousands of young anglers across the nations,” says Kevin VanDam, Major League Fishing Professional and Mustad Fishing Ambassador.
While the Mustad Student Angler Program helps student athletes significantly reduce costs, it also provides them with a competitive edge on the water, as the discount applies to all professional-tour-level Mustad products including Mustad KVD Elite Trebles—hooks responsible for propelling Kevin VanDam to the top of the leaderboards year after year—as well as the Grip Pin, the game-changing NEKO hook, in addition to the new Mustad Tungsten Weights launching soon. To download Mustad’s full catalog, visit https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/sewXnViQm9
“High school and collegiate competitive fishing programs have helped to develop a true growth system for professional fishing’s brightest young athletes. The professional experience these young athletes gain through competitive fishing significantly boosts their abilities to not only become successful in professional anglers, but serves them well in their personal professional careers,” says President Jordan Davis for Mustad Americas.
For complete details on the high school program, visit https://www.expertvoice.com/mustadhighschoolangler/
For complete details on the college program, visit https://www.expertvoice.com/mustadcollegeangler/
Ranger Boats Returns to B.A.S.S. as Premier Sponsor
| FLIPPIN, Ark. — Ranger Boats today announced it is returning as a Premier Sponsor for B.A.S.S., fittingly as the 50th Anniversary of the sport’s marquee event, the Bassmaster Classic, kicks off this week on Lake Guntersville. |
The partnership extends to the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens Series, Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series as well as the grass-roots B.A.S.S Nation regional tournaments.
Ranger and B.A.S.S. enjoyed parallel growth in the 1960s and 1970s as tournament fishing came of age. While B.A.S.S. set the standard for tournament bass fishing, Ranger pioneered many boat design innovations that are now industry standards. In 2015, Ranger joined White River Marine Group, part of the Bass Pro Shops family. Today, these iconic outdoor brands are coming full circle to promote bass fishing, angler safety, conservation and preserve the heritage of enjoying the outdoors for generations to come.
“Ranger Boats was there in the beginning when B.A.S.S. first became the leading tournament trail for bass anglers,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, a five-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. “Since being named the ‘official Bassmaster Classic boat’ in 1972, Ranger and B.A.S.S. enjoyed a strong partnership growing the sport of fishing. We are excited to return Ranger to its roots and help inspire the next generation to get on the water.”
Reinforcing Ranger’s legacy of innovation, the brand is also set to introduce industry-first technology with the incorporation of lithium batteries as standard equipment on select models. Bassmaster Classic attendees can learn more by visiting the Ranger booth at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo this week in Birmingham.
“Ranger Boats and B.A.S.S. were founded at the same time and have provided much of the foundation for modern-day bass fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are thrilled to have Ranger onboard with B.A.S.S. as we prepare for the next 50 years of growing the sport of fishing and reaching the world’s most avid bass anglers.”
To learn more about Ranger Boats and B.A.S.S. please visit Rangerboats.com and Bassmaster.com.
Academy Sports + Outdoors Announces SEC Legend, Marlon Davidson, as Fishing Tournament Winner
KATY, Texas (March 4th, 2020) Academy Sports + Outdoorsheld its celebrity fishing tournament this week ahead of the 50th Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. Southeastern Conference (SEC) legends and members of the bass community hit the water to battle for the top spot with former Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson’s team edging out the competition to take home the title. The winning team presented the YMCA of Greater Birmingham with a scholarship and product donations including sporting equipment, Onyx life jackets and other water safety equipment for the youth organization’s summer camps.
SEC Network and ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge kicked off theevent on the Coosa River in Gadsden Wednesday morning. The six teams of two were led by pro bass anglers who worked hard to put their teams on fish and the most weight on their score cards in some extremely tough conditions. Teams had to deal with rising water, rain showers and changing temperaturesthat put even the most seasoned angler’s abilities to the test.
Davidson reeled in the winning spotted bass weighing in at 3.5 lbs. on a H2O Xpress Lipless LCR Crankbait for his team. Hislate-morning catch put his partners, Dan O’Sullivan and local fishing pro Tracey Robinson, in the lead resulting in a first-placefinish at the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Celebrity Tournament.
This year’s field of anglers included SEC Network broadcaster Greg McElroy, 2020 NFL draft prospect and former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm, past Cowboys defensive lineman and SEC Network analyst Marcus Spears, and former Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight. These legends joinedAcademy pro Jacob Wheeler and Duck Commander Justin Martin along with other members of the bass community at the event. Video and images from the day are available below.
Academy is the title sponsor of the upcoming Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, where 53 of the world’s best bass anglers will compete on the storied waters of Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.
Academy Sports + Outdoors has 15 locations across the state of Alabama, where customers can find a wide assortment of fishing products including rods and reels, baits, lures, fish finders, tackle, storage, waders, kayaks, sunglasses, fishing apparel, footwear and more. For store locations and to shop Academy’s selection of fishing products, customers can visit academy.com.
Evans’ Jeane Jr. Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Toledo Bend
Trout’s Pearson Wins Co-angler Division
ZWOLLE, La. (March 2, 2020) – Boater George Jeane Jr. of Evans, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle, Louisiana. For his victory, Jeane earned a total of $5,911.
The tournament was the third of five events in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I was in the mid-lake area, fishing ditches and drains with standing timber in it,” said Jeane, who pushed his career earnings to more than $310,000 in FLW competition. “I started off catching them on a sexy blueback herring-colored (Strike King) 10XD, than I went to a P.J.’s jig and a Carolina-rigged 6-inch lizard.
“The key was definitely the 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker that I caught later in the day,” Jeane went on to say. “It’s been awhile since I won one of these. I’ve had a Tour-level win, a Series win, and now this is my second BFL win. It feels good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: George Jeane Jr. of Evans, La., five bass, 24-2, $5,911
2nd: Dwight Abshire of Santa Fe, Texas, five bass, 19-6, $2,561
3rd: Bart Stanisz of Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 17-8, $1,705
4th: John LaFitte of Keithville, La., five bass, 17-0, $1,195
5th: Josh Champagne of Breaux Bridge, La., five bass, 16-9, $1.024
6th: Leon Stone of Carthage, Texas, five bass, 16-5, $939
7th: Scotty Villines of Ponca, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $854
8th: Daniel Blanton of Huntington, Texas, five bass, 15-6, $725
8th: Jim Dillard of West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-6, $725
10th: Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $598
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jeane’s 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker was also the largest bass weighed on the day and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $790.
Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Travis Pearson of Trout, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Travis Pearson of Trout, La., five bass, 12-13, $2,561
2nd: Grayson Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, five bass, 12-7, $1,280
3rd: Loren Rives of Austin, Texas, four bass, 12-2, $854
4th: Brandt Dillon of Houston, Texas, four bass, 11-12, $598
5th: Randy Hitt of Belton, Texas, four bass, 10-12, $512
6th: Ken Ford of Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $469
7th: Jordan Ebarb of Stonewall, La., five bass, 10-7, $427
7th: Cody Laird of Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $384
9th: Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 10-2, $341
9th: Bradley Mock of Ragley, La., five bass, 10-1, $299
Don Johnson of Lufkin, Texas caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $395.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Kayak Anglers Face Tough Test of the Best at First-Ever Bassmaster Tourney
Vance McCullough
With a $10,000 top prize, Bassmaster has attracted 222 of the nation’s best kayak anglers to compete in the first-ever Bassmaster Kayak tournament on Logan Martin Lake.
Competition will take place on Thursday, one day before the Bassmaster Classic kicks off on nearby Guntersville Lake.
Encompassing about 17,000 at full pool, Logan Martin is not a huge lake to start with. Factor in the lake level, which authorities have held at around 460 feet in spite of flash flood warnings in the area, and the playing field shrinks even more this time of year – full summer pool is around 465.
Will the lake fish small? Well, there may be ‘log jams’ at some launch ramps. “The biggest problem with this lake is the access,” said Jody Queen, fresh off a KBF Pro Tour win. So how does an angler separate from the pack? “Fortunately,” notes Queen, “I have a Torqeedo so I found some water about 3 miles from the ramp. I will have my Side scan on and go cover about 6 or 7 miles tomorrow.”
To pull away from the pack on the leaderboard, if not the water, “Flukemaster” Gene Jensen of YouTube fame plans to be more hardheaded than the fish – or at least, the competition. “I marked 93 stumps on my fishfinder on Tuesday and I’m going to hit all 93 of them before the day is over.” It’s a hurry-up and wait approach for Jensen who used his Raymarine Element’s side scanning feature to mark all those stumps. “As muddy as the water has gotten in the last couple of days, they’re going to pull in tight to cover and they’re not going to go anywhere. The guy that will make 15-to-20 casts to the same piece of cover until he hits the fish in the nose, that’s gonna be the guy that’s gonna be catching them. Everybody else is going to be scrambling.”
Clint Henderson won the FLW Kayak tournament held in conjunction with Cup last August. He hopes to ‘unify’ the title with a B.A.S.S. win this week. He notes the difficulty of fishing against such a big field, but more so the difficult conditions. “We’re all going to deal with high, muddy water. I feel like I’m prepared for that. I’m prepared for it to be crowded too,” chuckled the champ. Henderson is no stranger to fishing in this region. “I’m gonna stick to my strengths; stuff that I know works on the Coosa River when it’s muddy like this.”
The Coosa River is famous for the big, mean spotted bass that swim there. They can produce a tournament win. Henderson is looking for mixed results, as far as species are concerned. “It’s going to take a mixed stringer to win, I think everybody will have a limit of spots, but it’s going to take a kicker or two, largemouth, to take it home.”
One angler who’s going all-in on the bigmouth bite is Kristine Fischer. Among the hottest kayak pros on the planet since last May. Fischer landed a pair of 11-plus-pounders last month. She won’t find that on Logan Martin, but the lady betting on largemouth for the win this week. “I’m gonna tell you right now I’m going for largemouth. I think a lot of anglers can play their strengths on this one. I definitely found my strength. It’s in a small area. I think it’s probably going to get a lot of pressure, so I’m just going to go fishing.”
While Fischer prefers two-day events which “eliminate luck,” she will scorch the earth as she moves during Thursday’s lone competition round. “The nice thing about it is you can burn your spot to the ground. Here, you’re going to want to do that. It will be interesting.”
Queen noted he will watch his electronics, but he expects to find a bunch of bass up in the dirt. “If I see a school of spots, I’ll throw at them, but there are a lot of bass up shallow.”
Consensus is the fish are shallow, but the bites may come slow – a true test of the best. Somebody will outrun, or simply outfish, the crowd.
Matt Arey Talks Official Classic Practice Day with Alan McGuckin
Dynamic Sponsorships Alan McGuckin talks with Team Toyota's Matt Arey about how he planned to attack todays Official Practice Day.
Lew’s and Strike King Pros Attack 50th Bassmaster Classic Seven Team Members vie for Historic Title on Lake Guntersville this Week
Springfield, Mo. – March 4, 2020 – As the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by HUK kicks off in Alabama this week at Lake Guntersville, seven members of the Lew’s and / or Strike King pro staff will be attempting to hoist the trophy at this historic 50th Bassmaster Classic at Birmingham’s BJCC Legacy Arena on Sunday, March 8.
Team members that will be representing the brands will be: Shelby, N.C. pro Matt Arey, fishing his first, Josh Busby from Rogersville, Ark., who won the Bassmaster Team Championship in December at Lake Hartwell, Keith Combs, of Huntington, Tex., in his eighth Classic appearance, fellow Texan, from Del Rio, Ray Hanselman, will be making his first appearance. Bill Lowen, of Brookville, Ind. will be appearing in his 10th Bassmaster Classic, and will be joined by Paducah, Kent. Pro Mark Menendez, who is fishing his sixth.
Rounding out the team’s appearances in the Classic is Team Lew’s pro Paul Mueller from Naugatauk, Conn., who set the one-day Bassmaster Classic weight record with 32, pounds, 3 ounces on day two of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville en-route to finishing second place in the event.
Having just completed their practice periods, the bite at Guntersville hasn’t been particularly easy; however, Menendez said to expect decent weights. “The bites haven’t been coming in big numbers this week, but once you find them, they are quality fish,” he said. “It’s going to take some work to pull this thing off, but I’m going to stick my nose in it and go after it; it’s the most important event in our sport, and I’m happy to be here.”
One of the lures that shined in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic was the Strike King Red Eyed Shad lipless crankbait; and that particular category of lures will likely play a role in this year’s event as well. Along with it, a Strike King Thunder Cricket, spinnerbaits like the Premier and Premier Plus models should shine, as will some of the jigs offered by Strike King.
Along with the team members competing in this 50th Bassmaster Classic, other team members will be in the Lew’s and Strike King booths at the Bassmaster Classic Expo Friday through Sunday at the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Center.
Please take the time to visit with the pros, get autographs and photographs with them and see the newest products from Lew’s and Strike King; like the new Custom Lite baitcasting reels and the newly engineered Custom Speed Stick series of rods and the new Tour Grade fishing line in booth number 2141. For complete Bassmaster Classic info visit -https://www.bassmaster.com/news/attend-2020-academy-sports-outdoors-bassmaster-classic-presented-huk.
A.R.E. ACCESSORIES EXPANDS CX CLASSIC TRUCK CAP OFFERING WITH APPLICATION FOR THE JEEP GLADIATOR
The CX Classic Marks the First Fiberglass Truck Cap Available for the Jeep Gladiator in the Aftermarket Accessories Industry
MASSILLON, OH, March 4, 2020 – A.R.E.® Accessories, a Truck Hero® company, and leading fiberglass truck caps and hard truck bed covers manufacturer, today announced the expansion of the CX Classic truck cap product line with an application for the Jeep® Gladiator.
The A.R.E. CX Classic is the first aftermarket fiberglass truck cap available for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator and comes standard with a host of premium features. The CX Classic features factory paint matching, a front picture window, a half slider screened side window and a single t-lock heavy-duty rear door.
This truck cap is highly customizable with over a dozen options catering to an individual’s specific needs, including the popular OTR Option. The OTR Option replaces factory paint matching with a UV resistant LINE-X spray-on protective coating which increases strength in high stress areas while adding an attractive, rugged appearance.
Featured Customization Capabilities:
- LINE-X Coated (OTR Option)
- Yakima JetStream and Core Bar Roof Rack Systems
- Interior Headliner
- LED Encased Rope Light
The CX Classic is made in America and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. See warranty for full details. The CX Classic is available for purchase through one of A.R.E.’s 650 authorized dealers throughout North America.
Classic Countdown with Mark Menendez!
This week the boys welcome in 6 time Classic Qualifier Mr. Mark Menendez to talk about the Classic, the changes in competition at BASS and his 20 year plus career in Professional Bass Fishing. Check it out!
From Counting Quarters, to the Classic
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s good to be Carhartt Bassmaster College Series competitor Cody Huff right now.
Back in August of 2019, Huff won the College Series Classic Bracket on Watts Bar and earned a ticket to compete in the 50th Bassmaster Classic on historic Lake Guntersville this week. Along with a Classic qualification Huff’s win secured a fully rigged, brand new Nitro Z20 bass boat and 2020 Toyota Tundra that are both wrapped in his Alma Mater’s colors.
“Man I can’t tell you how much of a blessing this past 6 months has been,” Huff said humbly. “Bass fishing in general, but specifically college fishing has 100% changed my life. It’s opened so many doors and given me opportunities I could have never dreamed of.”
Huff has had an incredible college fishing career, studying Business at Bethel University in northwest Tennessee while simultaneously chasing bass around the country at an impressively high level. And it’s safe to say the start of Huff’s 2020 season has raised the bar a notch or two.
This 22-year-old aspiring professional angler has competed in three major tournaments in 2020 and has yet to finish below third place. Huff posted a wire-to-wire victory in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series event on Toledo Bend in January, and immediately followed it up with another win in the FLW Toyota Series on the same fishery. He then added a 3rd place finish on Lake Seminole in an FLW College Fishing regional last month.
It’s safe to say Cody Huff is one heck of a fisherman with some serious momentum. But don’t let reading all these accomplishments give you the idea Huff has had his opportunities handed over on a silver platter. This humble young man from Ava, Missouri won’t come right out and tell you, but he has scratched and clawed his way up the proverbial bass fishing ladder.
“Financial struggles is something I’ve always dealt with when it comes to bass fishing,” Huff said honestly. “My parents are extremely supportive and help whenever they can, but funding my fishing dream has always meant work. I’d mow neighbors’ lawns or work on my great Uncle’s farm bailing hay, brush hogging, and anything else that needed done to make a little money. Whatever I scrounged up would go towards fishing in one way or another.
“I can remember my buddy Dalton and I literally scraping up quarters in our trucks so we’d have enough money to pay an entry fee one time. We realized when we got to the lake we didn’t know if we’d have enough gas to get home, but we got lucky and won it! Fishing has definitely helped me make my way, too. Seems like I was always able to find a way to have just enough cash to fish the next weekend, which was all I really cared about.”
Huff’s recent on the water success has afforded him the ability to not be so concerned with his finances, but his mental state remains the same. He is calm and he is hungry, which is a dangerous combination. While the rest of the world may not have some college kid high on their list of favorites, Huff is absolutely fishing this tournament to win.
There has been one Carhartt College B.A.S.S. angler given the opportunity to compete in the Bassmaster Classic since 2012, and the best finish ever posted by a college fisherman was sixth place. That was back in 2014 by some kid named Jordan Lee, coincidentally also on Lake Guntersville.
Records are made to be broken and Huff has as good a chance as any of his predecessors; but whether he comes in first place or last place Huff is already a success story and deserving of all the good fortune that comes his way. #OutWorkThemAll #OutFishThemAll
Lester and Arey talk treble hooks, $300K, and Classic memories
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorhips
Q: What are you most excited about going into this Classic?
Lester: It’s close to home, so I’ll have a ton of family and friends here. I want to do well for them, even more than for myself.
Arey: It’s my first Classic! It’s my childhood dream come true!
Q: What’s your biggest concern going into this Classic?
Lester: We’re in the center of the bass fishing universe, local fishing pressure and boat traffic will impact the outcome of this tournament.
Arey: I hate to say it – but local fishing pressure.
Q: B.A.S.S. is calling this “The Year of the Fan.” We’re all fans at heart. What’s your favorite Classic memory prior to becoming a competitor in this great event.
Lester: Ironically, the last Classic they had at Guntersville. It was 2014, witnessing that first-hand as a fan lit the fire in me, and the next year, I qualified to compete in it.
Arey: The 2004 Classic on Lake Wylie. I was about 22 years old, and my buddy and I followed the competitors on the water.
Q: What’s most likely to be playing on your Tundra’s speakers on your way to the ramp Friday morning, on Day 1 of competition?
Lester: Probably Blackberry Smoke or Cross Canadian Ragweed.
Arey: LANCO’s song “Rival.”
Q: What percentage of the bass you weigh-in this week will be caught on lures featuring treble hooks?
Lester: 60%
Arey: 30%
Q: What might you buy first if you win the $300,000 first place prize?
Lester: I’d love to buy land to hunt on, and build our forever home on ittoo.
Arey: I’d invest it in my retirement funds.
Gleasons catch a pre-Classic miracle
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Two years ago, Toyota Bonus Bucks member, Darold Gleason was a successful full-time fishing guide on Toledo Bend, competing in Bassmaster Open events, chasing dreams of a pro career, and more than anything, refusing to accept the claims of medical experts, who said the love of his life might not live past her early 40s.
The often-comical Gleason - who refers to big bass as “ocean ponies” - wasn’t being naïve or living in a dream world – he’s just never been willing to accept what the textbooks had to say. He refused to ever adopt a mindset that Cystic Fibrosis -- the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States – would steal his and Randi’s dreams, by stepping on her lung function.
Instead, he and Randi have chosen to achieve every goal they’ve shared since high school with a tenacious firepower that would make the spark plugs in his 250 horsepower Yamaha proud.
So just prior to the 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, when the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation asked Randi to be a spokesperson for their “Until It’s Done” campaign, Darold reached out to his fishing friends to help raise money and awareness by selling gray bracelets.
His closest friend, Caleb Sumrall spearheaded the effort. Others like Brandon Palaniuk and Casey Ashley joined in, and even eventual Classic champ, Jordan Lee wore one while hoisting the trophy. Sponsors, fishing guide clients, and many other generous souls also bought and wore the bracelets to raise money for research in Randi’s honor, which eventually totaled more than $10,000.
Still, after 2018’s admirable research fundraiser, just like so many annual fundraisers each year before, Randi then age 34, still had no promise of life much past 40.
“My mom has been doing CF fundraisers every year of my life, and my greatest fear was that all the people who gave their hard-earned money might never get to see it make a true difference,” says Randi, a highly successful Mary Kay cosmetics senior sales director, with six hard earned pink Cadillacs to her credit, despite a lifetime of daily breathing treatments, and more than 25 hospital stays.
Then came 2019, and honestly, there are no adequate words to describe the manner in which miracles both big and small began to take place in Team Gleason’s universe.
In February, Darold won a weather-challenged Bassmaster Central Open on Toledo Bend, and punched a ticket to this week’s Bassmaster Classic – a dream so many can relate to – and one he had carried in his heart since roaming the court as a meekly paid junior high school basketball coach and teacher.
Then, in the months that followed his dream-come-true win, came whispers of a possible life changing ‘miracle drug’ for Cystic Fibrosis patients. Finally on October 21, 2019, those whispers turned into joyous shouts of reality when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Trikafta – the first triple combination pharmaceutical to treat lifetime patients like Randi.
“Six days after I started taking Trikafta, I slept through the night without coughing, and didn’t wake up desperate for a breathing treatment for the first time in my entire life,” says Randi.
Still, twice daily are the chest physical therapy treatments in which Darold takes his hands best known for cranking up “ocean ponies” -- to instead pound on Randi’s upper torso in an effort to dislodge the mucus attempting to drown her lungs.
The same medical community that once doubted CF patients could make it to age 45, is now warning folks like Randi to thicken their retirement funds, as Trikafta promises in miraculous fashion to extend their lives for decades.
“Sharing the miracle of Trikafta with so many people, including those in the fishing community, who gave their money in hopes of making a difference, is my biggest joy,” says a deeply grateful Randi. “And I’ll also tell you, I take those two pills each morning, and one each night, in honor of all those that had CF, but never lived long enough to know the miracle of this drug,” she adds.
Hours before he makes his first cast at the Classic’s $300,000 first place prize, Darold clearly has life in perfect perspective. “This is the biggest tournament in bass fishing, and performing great this week would be a powerful career changer,” he says. “But nothing that happens this week, or in any fishing tournament for that matter, will ever be greater than the value of simply having Randi with me.”
Arkansas’ Blevins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Table Rock Lake
Kansas City’s Ladehoff Wins Co-angler Division
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri. For his victory, Blevins earned a total of $7,000.
The tournament was the first of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group.
“I caught all of my fish today on an Alabama rig and a Strike King Coffee Tube,” said Blevins, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “I weighed in two black bass on the A-rig and three smallmouth on the tube.”
Blevins said his tube of choice was a green pumpkin-melon-colored 3½ inch Strike King Coffee Tube, and he used sexy shad-colored Keitech 3.3 swimbaits on his Alabama rig.
“I was fishing a 15- to 20-minute run from takeoff – near Shell Knob – running windy gravel points, fishing in 25 to 30 foot of water. The smallmouth were in 15 feet,” Blevins said.
“I’ve been so close to winning before,” Blevins went on to say. “I’ve finished second and had a couple of third place finishes, so it feels good to finally get one.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Ark., five bass, 19-5, $7,000
2nd: Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 18-15, $4,000
3rd: Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-6, $2,500
4th: Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 18-0, $1,400
5th: Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., five bass, 17-11, $1,200
6th: Mike Gold of Billings, Mont., five bass, 17-7, $1,100
7th: Rick Johnston of Webb City, Mo., five bass, 17-4, $1,000
8th: Tyler Stewart of Mount Vernon, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850
9th: Brock Reinkemeyer of Lone Jack, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850
10th: Adam Boehle of Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $700
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Kowal brought a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1,000.
Lippe took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $3,000
2nd: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 15-5, $1,650
3rd: Zach Wilson of Kansas City, Kan., four bass, 13-2, $1,000
4th: Christian Singer of Bunceton, Mo., four bass, 12-15, $1,200
5th: Rob Melendez of Bourbonnais, Ill., five bass, 12-4, $600
6th: Dennis Kube of Arnold, Mo., five bass, 11-5, $550
7th: Joseph Lay of Gardner, Kan., five bass, 11-1, $500
7th: Zachery Hanzlik of Basehor, Kan., four bass, 10-12, $450
9th: Jacob Wade of Mountain Grove, Mo., five bass, 10-8, $400
9th: Chris Gebhardt of Columbia, Mo., four bass, 10-7, $350
Singer caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Ozark Division presented by the Tournament Anglers Group based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by the Explore La Crosse. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Matt Wilson & Daniel Herring top 312 teams at Lake Fork with 10.78 lbs to win $20,000
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A Team of Brothers Win it all at Lake Jordan. Noah and Cole Godwin drop a 20 pound bag on Lake Jordan.
By Jason Duran
The first stop of the Alabama Bass Trail Southern division kicked off at Lake Jordan. The Team of brothers, Noah and Cole Godwin, won with 20.33 pounds of Coosa River spotted bass. This is their second year fishing the ABT, and while they are not the first brothers to ever win, they are the youngest team to ever win. They are only 19 and 17 years old.
Their day began on a spot down river about two minutes from take-off. Reflecting on practice they said, “it was pretty rough… we found some fish Friday, caught two of them and left them. They were big ones. We went straight to them Saturday and had a limit in the first 30 minutes. We then culled up until around 9:00 to the 20.33 pounds.” They stayed on that spot until about 1pm and went looking for a big largemouth. With no luck finding a largemouth, they returned to their winning spot and finished the day there.
The spot was a secondary point. They said the spotted bass “would hang out in deeper water, pull up to feed in about four foot of water and drop back down into deep water about every 20 to 30 minutes.” The point was about a 15-yard stretch they worked with a Rapala crankbait in chartreuse and blue. Some were also caught on a shaky head with a Zoom trick worm in green with a chartreuse tip.
The team said, “we put in a lot of time and have worked hard to learn to catch these fish.” Their mom and dad both said they were really proud of them. Mom said, “she never has to worry about them staying out late at night because they always have to get up early in the morning to go fishing.” They only caught about 15 fish, but that was enough to defeat the other 224 teams of highly respected anglers.
Kenny Smith and RJ Thompson claimed the second place along with the $1000 Wedowee Marine Bonus. They “spent the morning putting the trolling motor down, covering water in the river and fishing mostly current related and deeper type spots.” They said, “we threw everything at them from spinner baits to crankbaits to shaky heads and managed only 4 fish.”
About noon they decided to try to go shallow. When they showed up in their shallow area, there were about four or five boats already in there, so they made a U-turn and headed back upriver. At 1:30, still only having four fish, “they decided they were going hero or zero and went shallow,” Kenny said.
This time they were able to get into their shallow area and use a brown beaver style bait to flip cover. They caught three of their biggest fish in an hour to fill out their limit and cull up to 18.76 pounds and a full bag of spots. They said the fish were really moving up with conditions improving and water temps warming up to 55°. “If they had another hour, they would have really had a bigger bag,” they said.
The plan for the team of Clay Harris and Billy Norwalk was to “just show up today and not embarrass themselves.” They made a short run within sight of take-off and had their first fish before the next flight finished taking off. They found those fish on Friday when it was foggy. While waiting for the fog to lift, they just happened to scan over the area and spotted the school of fish. They “fired at them just to see and got a 3.5 pounder off of it pretty quickly and left.” They felt with the amount of fish and shad that was a good place to start.
Within sight of the boat ramp they finished out that limit in just a short time. The spot is best described as two shallow flats at the mouth of a creek that almost meet in one area where the fish headed into spawn funnel through. They were casting up to 4 foot and working it down to twenty-four foot. They targeted those fish using chartreuse and blue black Rapala DT 10 Jenko CD20 and a Strike King series five all in the same color. They did try one other spot in the back of the same creek that produced two more fish allowing them to fill out the bag of all spots for 18.36 pounds.
The top ten standings are below for a full list of results visit. https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lj-results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” This week’s Podcast will be released on Tuesday and will feature winners Noah and Cole Godwin.
The sponsors of the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail include; Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Sweet Home Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Strike King, Buffalo Rock, Mountain Dew, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Lew’s Fishing, Berkley, YETI, Power Pole, Big Bite Bait Company, E3 Apparel and Hydrowave.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Yamaha Offers $50K Power Pay Bonus to Bassmaster Classic® Angler
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
KENNESAW, Ga. – March 2, 2020 – Yamaha Marine will award $50,000 to the highest finishing registered eligible Power Pay angler during the 2020 Bassmaster Classic® in Birmingham, Ala., March 6 to March 8. Yamaha’s new Power Pay contingency program, which launched in the fall of 2019, provides cash bonuses to anglers who place highest in sanctioned salt and freshwater tournaments. The payout for the Classic represents the highest cash bonus opportunity available through the program.
“The potential to get paid for running Yamaha during the 2020 season is tremendous, and nothing will epitomize that more than the upcoming 50th Bassmaster Classic® on Lake Guntersville, Ala. where an eligible Yamaha Power Pay angler will win a $50,000 Power Pay bonus,” said Roxanne Flores, Yamaha Marine Regional Marketing Coordinator.
Anglers don’t have to win the tournament to win the Power Pay money. For example, Pat Schlapper finished 23rd at the B.A.S.S. Eastern Open on the Kissimmee Chain and won $1,000 in Power Pay money, and James Drysdale finished 3rd at a Florida Pro Redfish Tour event in Jacksonville, Fla. and won $2,000.
“From bass to redfish, walleye to kingfish and from high school anglers up to seasoned anglers, Power Pay allows Yamaha to support more tournament anglers powered by Yamaha than ever before,” continued Flores. "It’s going to be really exciting to see who wins the $50,000 Power Pay bonus at the Bassmaster Classic®.”
Competitive anglers who are original owners and run a new 115-425 horsepower Yamaha outboard can register for Power Pay by visiting yamahapowerpay.com. Outboards must be purchased from an authorized Yamaha dealer within 60 months of the completion date of the Power Pay registration form.
The highest placing registered and eligible Yamaha Power Pay angler at each sanctioned event will have the opportunity to earn Power Pay cash. Payouts range from $250 to $50,000.
For more information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.comor call Chip at (918) 742-6424.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
Stephen F. Austin State University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2020) – The Stephen F. Austin State University duo of Christopher Harrison and Ethan LeGare weighed a five-bass limit Friday totaling 20 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at the Harris Chain of Lakes. The win earned the Lumberjacks’ bass club a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Suzuki outboard and automatic entry into the 2020 Toyota Series Championship, Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, where they will compete for a top prize of up to $235,000.
As the weigh-in concluded, it originally appeared that the McKendree University team of Nathan Doty and Jacob Louis were the winners. It was later determined, however, that the pair had inadvertently violated Rule No. 12, which states in part that all fish must be caught in a conventional sporting manner, and their day three catch was disqualified.
The team broke off a bass and approximately an hour later snagged a line. They pulled in the line, which had a bass they believed to be the one they had broken off, hooked to a lure they believe to be their original lure. There is no way, however, to know if the fish on the line was the original fish that broke off, nor was the fish hooked with a rod and reel in a conventional sporting manner when it was brought into the boat. Thus, their catch was disqualified. McKendree University finished in 8th place with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 42-12.
Stephen F. Austin’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-5 gave them the win by just 1-ounce over Sam Houston State University’s Jayce Garrison and Mason Hoke, who finished second with 15 bass weighing 56-4.
“We definitely have mixed feelings right now, but at the end of the day FLW made their decision and we’re excited to be the National Champions,” said LeGare. “The whole experience this week has been a once in a lifetime event.”
“It’s been an incredible week here,” said Harrison. “We went out there today with nothing to lose and busted a big bag. My psyched level is through the roof right now.”
The Texas duo said that they caught their fish targeting grassy flats on points, next to spawning pockets. They had spots in Lake Beauclair, Lake Dora and Lake Eustis.
A 6th Sense squarebill and 6th Sense Provoke jerkbait got it done for the duo on day one. On day two, the cold front forced the team to slow down and they switched to a split-shot rig and Texas-rig with either a Zoom Salty Super Fluke (watermelon red) or soft plastic stick worm (California 420 with gold fleck). Today, they kept things finesse and added a Carolina rig with a ¼-ounce weight and drop-shot to the mix.
“The key this week was keeping our heads down, slowing down and adapting,” said LeGare. “We knew we had the areas to well in this tournament, we just had to pick them apart and today we did that. We didn’t give up and we fished until the last second.”
Along with their Phoenix boat, the pair also advances to the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Lake Cumberland.
“I don’t have a single bit of an idea of where Cumberland is,” laughed Harrison. “I promise, give me two weeks and ask me again and I’ll know something about it. We’re very excited.”
The top 10 teams on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Stephen F. Austin State University – Christopher Harrison, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Ethan Legare, Allen, Texas, 15 bass, 56-5
2nd: Sam Houston State University – Jayce Garrison, Willis, Texas, and Mason Hoke, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 56-4
3rd: Bethel University – Kyle Palmer, McKenzie, Tenn., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-7
4th: Slippery Rock University – Nathan Quince, Imperial, Pa., and Cody Neal, Evans City, Pa., 13 bass, 48-14
5th: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Longwood, Fla., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., 14 bass, 47-13
6th: University of Wisconsin – Sam Medo, Stevens Point, Wis., and Colin Steck, Waunakee, Wis., 15 bass, 47-1
7th: University of Evansville – Noah Whalen and Blake Knies, both of Jasper, Ind., 15 bass, 43-11
8th: McKendree University – Nathan Doty, Decatur, Ill. and Jacob Louis, Pinckneyville, Ill., 10 bass, 42-12
9th: Georgia College – John Garrett Pearson, Perry, Ga., and James Pearson, Columbus, Ga., 13 bass, 40-6
10th: Gannon University – Nolan Pyle, Eastlake, Ohio, and Aaron Bunting, Champion, Pa., 13 bass, 39-10
Full results for the entire field can be found atFLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 38 bass weighing 106 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the final 10 college teams Friday. Five teams brought a five-bass limit to the scale.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance on the Harris Chain of Lakes was hosted by Lake County, Florida.
The three-day event featured the top college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in an internationally televised, no-entry fee tournament for a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Suzuki outboard. In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team now advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship, Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, where they will compete for a top prize of up to $235,000.
Television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2020 on YouTube and broadcast around the globe on the World Fishing Network.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
A Show for Winners!
This week Jason welcomes in newly crowned FLW Tour Winner Laramy Strickland to talk about his recent FLW Tour Victory. Jason also welcomes Darold Gleason to the show, both an FLW Tour Rookie AND a Bassmaster Classic Qualifier. Check it out!
McKendree University Moves to Top at Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance on the Harris Chain
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2020) – Illinois’ McKendree University’s team of Nathan Doty and Jacob Louis moved to the top of the leaderboard Thursday on Day Two of the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance at the Harris Chain of Lakes after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. The Bearcat angler’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 42-12 gives them a 5-pound, 1-ounce lead over the second-place team, Tennessee’s Bryan College, as the event heads into the third and final day of competition Friday.
“We had the exact same gameplan as yesterday – we went to our first spot and we sat there for the entire day,” said Doty, a junior majoring in Environmental Science. “We didn’t have to change our baits, but we definitely changed the technique. Yesterday we were catching quite a few fish on a Speed Worm – cranking it. This morning with the cold front, we had to really slow down.”
“It’d come in a flurry for about five minutes – bite after bite after bite – than it’d be dead for an hour,” said Louis, who recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Science. “It’s an offshore grass area with a transition into a little spawning bay. I think the fish our sitting are out there, waiting to pull up.”
The McKendree duo said that all of their keepers Thursday came on the Zoom Speed Worm, but mentioned that they had added a few key bass earlier in the week on a spinnerbait. They estimated that they caught around a dozen fish throughout the day and left early hoping to conserve fish for the final day.
“Everything that we caught today seemed to be the same quality-size of fish,” Louis said. “Once we had our weight we laid off them and were done fishing by 12:30.
“We’ve got a similar spot right across the lake that we caught a couple of keepers on yesterday as an option for tomorrow,” Louis went on to say.
“It’s Jacob’s last tournament, so we’re going to give it our all tomorrow, no matter what,” Doty added.
The three-day event features the top college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in an internationally televised, no-entry fee tournament for a $30,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Suzuki outboard. In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team will advance to the 2020 FLW Series Championship, Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000.
The full field of 156 teams competed on Wednesday and Thursday, with only the top-10 – based on two-day cumulative weight – advancing to Championship Friday. The National Champions will be crowned Friday based on the cumulative three-day weight total.
The top 10 teams that now advance to Championship Friday on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: McKendree University – Nathan Doty, Decatur, Ill. and Jacob Louis, Pinckneyville, Ill., 10 bass, 42-12
2nd: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Longwood, Fla., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-11
3rd: Sam Houston State University – Jayce Garrison, Willis, Texas, and Mason Hoke, Montgomery, Texas, 10 bass, 37-3
4th: Georgia College – John Garrett Pearson, Perry, Ga., and James Pearson, Columbus, Ga., 10 bass, 37-2
5th: Slippery Rock University – Nathan Quince, Imperial, Pa., and Cody Neal, Evans City, Pa., 10 bass, 36-6
6th: Stephen F. Austin State University – Christopher Harrison, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Ethan Legare, Allen, Texas, 10 bass, 35-13
7th: Gannon University – Nolan Pyle, Eastlake, Ohio, and Aaron Bunting, Champion, Pa., 10 bass, 34-15
8th: University of Wisconsin – Sam Medo, Stevens Point, Wis., and Colin Steck, Waunakee, Wis., 10 bass, 34-15
9th: University of Evansville – Noah Whalen and Blake Knies, both of Jasper, Ind., 10 bass, 34-15
10th: Bethel University – Kyle Palmer, McKenzie, Tenn., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., 10 bass, 34-13
For a full list of results, visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 626 bass weighing 1,516 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 143 college teams Thursday. The catch included 99 five-bass limits.
The final 10 teams will launch Championship Friday from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg at 7 a.m. EDT. Friday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the Venetian Gardens beginning at 3 p.m. The final takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance on the Harris Chain of Lakes is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
Television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2020 on YouTube and broadcast around the globe on the World Fishing Network.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
BUTLER, BURGHOFF TIED FOR CHICKAMAUGA LEAD
February 27, 2020 by Richard Simms
The first day of the 2020 Toyota Series Central Division tournament on Lake Chickamauga ended in a dead heat. Miles Burghoff from Soddy Daisy, Tenn., and Brent Butler from Vonore, Tenn., both ended up with exactly 21 pounds, 9 ounces. The only difference was Burghoff caught his fish early while Butler waited until the last minute.
“I had a limit, and I told my co-angler, ‘I’m going to pull a gamble right here. We’ve got 30 minutes left,’” says Butler. “I made the 10-minute run to the spot and about three casts in I caught that 8-12.”
It seemed to be a day for locals, or at least folks from Tennessee. Every one of the top 10 anglers hails from Tennessee, and six of the 10 live close enough to consider Chickamauga their home lake.
Based on the anglers who were in later flights for takeoff and weighed in last, it appeared that the bite picked up in the afternoon. Freezing temperatures in the morning turned fishing into what most anglers described as “a grind.”
Burghoff camped out in an area he found during practice, a shallow neck behind a sandbar, protected from the heavy current in the main river channel.
“I’m fishing current breaks off the main river with a lipless crankbait – red, Rayburn red,” he says. “It’s all about finding the right structures and the right retrieve.”
Burghoff was adamant that the right retrieve was critical.
“One hundred and ten percent,” he says. “Today they were biting it real finicky, and you had to present it the exact right way, a little bit of an unconventional way. They were choking it once you found that right retrieve. But throughout the day I had to adjust that retrieve. Later in the day they just kind of wanted a straight retrieve.”
Nearly every angler on the lake was throwing a lipless crankbait. But many said finding the right place to throw it was difficult.
“It’s what we call hodgepodging, junk-fishing,” says Butler. “I ran a lot of stuff today. It’s hard to repeat. I’m just fishing by the seat of my pants. Tomorrow I’m going to do the same thing ... just get me a limit and then go fish for big ones. It’s all a timing issue, and it may flip-flop tomorrow. I may zero because I’m not on anything solid. I’ve had a rough practice, and I’ve just been scrambling.”
Top 10 pros
1 (tie). Brent Butler – Vonore, Tenn. – 21-9 (5)
1 (tie). Miles Burghoff – Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. – 21-9 (5)
3. Josh Norris – Spring City, Tenn. – 21-0 (5)
4. Tommy Brown – Louisville, Tenn. – 20-6 (5)
5. Nick Cupps – Chattanooga, Tenn. – 18-15 (5)
6. Jim Neece Jr. – Bristol, Tenn. – 18-11 (5)
7. Gavin Ainslie – Harrison, Tenn. – 18-10 (5)
8. Michael Neal – Dayton, Tenn. – 18-6 (5)
9. Ricky Robinson – Greenback, Tenn. – 17-15 (5)
10. Steve Barnes – Harrison, Tenn. – 17-12 (5)
Mississippi co-angler Williams takes lead with 19-9
Co-angler Roger Williams broke the Tennessee pattern. Williams is from Moss Point, Miss., and ended the day with 19-9, a weight that would have put him in the top five on the pro side.
“The Lord blessed me today,” says Williams. “That’s probably the biggest bag I’ve caught in a long time from the back of the boat or the front of the boat.
Williams was paired with pro angler Jimmy Gayhart.
“He put us on them,” says Williams. “I just put the bait on I thought they were going to hit ... a ChatterBait. It’s just what I’ve had the best luck on while I’ve been practicing the last three days – just swimming it.”
Big bass of the day was a 9-11, caught by co-angler Scott Ostmann (below) from Cincinnati, Ohio.
“That’s exactly what I came [to Chickamauga] for,” says Ostmann with a big smile. “It hit kind of soft, and the line just loaded up. I had no idea how big it was until I got it to the side of the boat. That is my personal best. My last one was a 9-3 at Guntersville, so I was pretty pumped up. I was hoping for a 10-pounder, but, hey, I’ll take a 9-11, right?”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Roger Williams – Moss Point, Miss. – 19-9 (5)
2. Travis Akers – Morehead, Ky. – 16-15 (5)
3. Jason Cook – Ooltewah, Tenn. – 15-7 (5)
4. Scott Ostmann – Cincinnati, Ohio – 12-15 (2)
5. Robert Ostmann – Cincinnati, Ohio – 12-11 (4)
6. Josh Lockard – Somerset, Ky. – 12-9 (5)
7 (tie). Christopher Morgan – Greendale, Wis. – 11-13 (4)
7 (tie). Larry Klaber – Nicholasville, Ky. – 11-13 (4)
9 (tie). James Roten – West Jefferson, N.C. – 11-12 (5)
9 (tie). Rodney James – Soddy Daisy, Tenn. – 11-12 (3)
McKendree University Duo Takes Lead In Bassmaster College Series At Smith Lake
| CULLMAN, Ala. — While spotted bass dominated the weigh-in stage Thursday afternoon, Ethan Jones and Andrew Althoff of McKendree University weighed in four largemouth and one spotted bass to take the lead after Day 1 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops.
The duo’s bag weighed 19 pounds, 13 ounces, giving them a 4-pound advantage over the second-place team of Landon Lawson and Donavan Carson from King University in Bristol, Tenn.
During the 2019 event at Smith, Jones and his partner Trevor McKinney targeted largemouth and came home with a fifth-place finish. This year, Jones intended to target spotted bass, but that plan was put on hold.
“Being early and colder (this year), I was like ‘Man, largemouth are not going to be a key player. It’s going to be all spotted bass,’” Jones said. “I spent a lot of time graphing and looking in practice, but I went back to some of those areas we had because we weren’t really finding any spots, at least nothing with size.”
After not finding a decent area to catch spotted bass, Jones and Althoff tried a few of the areas that worked for Jones last year, and caught several good largemouth. Jones said he was confident those places could produce a bag that would put them near the top, but didn’t expect to catch nearly 20 pounds.
After catching two big fish in the opening hours of the tournament, Althoff said he and Jones had to overcome a mid-day lull.
“We caught those two 4-pounders, one was at about 8:45 a.m. and the second one about 9:30. Then we went several hours without a bite,” he said. “He lost a keeper at about 1:30 p.m. and we thought, ‘Gosh that’s gonna be huge.’ We pulled up on a spot and ended up catching the spotted bass. He caught a couple keepers and we ended up culling a couple times.”
Jones said he and Althoff have had success with two key baits in 8 to 12 feet of water. While other boats have been in the same area, Jones added he doesn’t think that will affect their chances on the second day.
“We are really shallow for this lake. I think we will be alright,” he said. “They aren’t fishing the same way or the same specific spots we are fishing. I think it is just a matter of capitalizing on our bites. We only had six keeper bites today, so just going out and capitalizing will be the main goal this week.”
Lawson and Carson said they were hoping to fish for largemouth this event as well, but decided on spotted bass. The decision paid off as they weighed in the second largest bag of the tournament.
“(In practice) we didn’t really have much. We thought we could catch a limit each day, but nothing like that,” Carson said.
Blake Spradlin and William Phillips from Auburn University ended the day in third place with 14 pounds, 14 ounces of spotted bass, one of two teams from Alabama to place in the Top 10 on Day 1. Phillips said their day did not start well, as they watched a team fishing the same area catch three keeper fish.
Fortunes changed quickly, however.
“We went to the next place and within 10 casts we had all of our weight,” Phillips said. “We left that spot as soon as we caught the fifth one and tried to find other things. We had three or four other schools marked and we didn’t go to those today.”
After all, competitors practiced in 50-degree weather at the beginning of the week. But a cold front rushed through Wednesday afternoon, dropping the temperature to the low 30s overnight with a daytime high of only 46 Thursday.
Despite the weather, weights were consistent for the top half of the field. The fourth-place team of Nick Montilino and Chris Armstrong from Murray State caught 14-9, but have a 3-pound advantage over the four teams tied for 31st.
East Carolina’s Curtis Dillon and Aaron Digh caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, a largemouth bass weighing 5-14, flipping in shallow water.
The full field will take to the water again Friday with takeoff scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT from Smith Lake Park in Cullman. Weigh-in will be held back at the park 2:30 p.m. The Top 12 teams will advance to Championship Saturday and will weigh in at Wallace State College in Hanceville.
The tournament is being hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. |
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Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Announce 50th Bassmaster Classic Pro Team Contenders
RACINE, Wis., February 27, 2020 – Fourteen anglers competing in the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will be utilizing the One-Boat Network™ from Humminbird® and Minn Kota® as they compete do battle for top honors in the bass fishing world.
Seasoned anglers like Chris Zaldain, Keith Combs, and Matt Herren as well as newer faces will be running Humminbird SOLIX G2 and HELIX G3N units with MEGA Imaging+. Beyond having unmatched detail and clarity from Down Imaging® and Side Imaging® views at their fingertips, these anglers will be armed with MEGA 360 Imaging™ mounted to their Ultrex trolling motors, showing them fish and structure in every direction.
Their arsenal also includes the iconic Minn Kota Ultrex™ trolling motor, Minn Kota Talon shallow-water anchors and best-in-class mapping on Lake Guntersville thanks to Humminbird LakeMaster. With the power of Humminbird and Minn Kota products working together, these anglers will compete for bass fishing’s top honors with the most advanced fishing system on the water, the One-Boat Network.
The Humminbird and Minn Kota pro team members competing in the Bassmaster Classic, which runs March 6-8th on Lake Guntersville near Birmingham, Alabama, include Chris Zaldain, Matt Herren, Keith Combs, Seth Feider, Patrick Walters, Bill Lowen, Chad Pipkens, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Greg DiPalma, Ray Hanselman, Lee Livesay, Luke Palmer, Mike Huff, and Bob Downey. The power of the One-Boat Network and its ability to allow anglers to find, stay on, and catch more fish will put these competitors at a significant advantage as they set out to capture professional bass fishing’s most prestigious title.
“We’ve got a strong lineup contending for this year’s 50th Bassmaster Classic title spot and we’re looking forward to a great event,” said Tim Price, Humminbird and Minn Kota Field Promotions Manager.
“Lake Guntersville is familiar water for some, but our technologies can help anglers break down the lake, control the control the boat and will help even the new guys on the tournament trail compete at a high level. With these tools at their disposal, it will certainly help anglers make better decisions, as well as find and stay on fish that can make a difference in this event,” added Price.
Continuing its legacy of innovation in this 50th year of the Bassmaster Classic, Minn Kota debuted the Built-In MEGA Side Imaging® in its Ultrex trolling motor last fall, which allows anglers to run their boats confidently while seeing the clearest, most precise images of structure and fish in real time directly below and to either side of their boat. The Minn Kota Ultrex changed the way anglers approach boat control by combining Spot-Lock — a GPS anchoring system with unparalleled accuracy — with power steering in an intuitive and responsive heel-toe foot pedal.
New for the 2020 season, these anglers can spend more time fishing the most productive water and see fish more clearly with Humminbird’s MEGA 360 Imaging. MEGA 360 Imaging provides sonar clarity more than three-times traditional 455 kHz frequencies and is the only sonar option delivering a high-resolution, 360-degree view out to 125 feet around the boat and is exclusively designed to allow full use of the trolling motor.
MEGA 360 Imaging delivers a unique tool to see around the boat while fishing, which can be used simultaneously with and other Minn Kota features.
For more information visit www.humminbird.com or www.minnkotamotors.com.
Sam Houston State University Takes Early Lead at Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship on the Harris Chain
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2020) – The Sam Houston State University duo of Bryton Kurtz and Jackson Carrell grabbed the early lead Wednesday after Day One of the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance. The Bearkats team brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces, giving them a 2-pound, 1-ounce cushion over the second-place team of Nathan Doty and Jacob Louis from Illinois’ McKendree University.
“It’s Bryton’s 24th birthday today, and I was joking with him this morning saying ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome if we caught 24 on your 24th?’, said Carrell, a senior majoring in Agricultural Engineering. “We caught six of the right fish today, and hopefully we can do it again tomorrow.”
Although they didn’t want to divulge much information after just the first day, the duo did say that they had their most success Thursday in one canal. They caught one fish early off a bed, but the rest were caught off one 150-yard stretch in a 700-yard canal.
“We had missed a couple of bites this morning, and we only had one 12-inch squeaker in the boat at 10 o’clock, so we decided to just go fishing,” said Kurtz, also a senior majoring in Agricultural Engineering. “We rolled into the canal where we had a couple of bites in practice, and Jackson got bit fairly quickly. Then I pitched right back in there and got a 4-pounder.
“We kept on fishing, bite-after-bite on this 150-yard stretch,” Kurtz continued. “We were done after we caught our limit.”
The Texas team said that they caught all their fish on just one bait. They remained tight-lipped on specifics but mentioned that each were throwing a different color. They hope that their bite can hold up for the rest of the week, despite the cooler temperatures being forecast.
“This is our first time to Florida, so we don’t know exactly how the fish are going to react,” Carrell said. “Hopefully the cold temps don’t make them back out of the canal too far, and the fish will be coming back in to that spot.”
The three-day event features the top college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in an internationally televised, no-entry fee tournament for a $30,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. In addition to the boat package, both members of the winning team will advance to the 2020 FLW Series Championship, Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000.
The full field of 156 teams compete on Wednesday and Thursday, with only the top-10 – based on two-day cumulative weight – advancing to Championship Friday. The National Champions will be crowned Friday based on the cumulative three-day weight total.
The top 10 teams after Day One on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: Sam Houston State University – Bryton Kurtz, The Woodlands, Texas, and Jackson Carrell, Anderson, Texas, five bass, 24-11
2nd: McKendree University – Nathan Doty, Decatur, Ill. and Jacob Louis, Pinckneyville, Ill., five bass, 22-10
3rd: Stephen F. Austin State University – Christopher Harrison, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Ethan Legare, Allen, Texas, five bass, 21-15
4th: Sam Houston State University – Jayce Garrison, Willis, Texas, and Mason Hoke, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 20-9
5th: Sam Houston State University – Matthew Sewell, Tomball, Texas, and Joshua Perrin, Houston, Texas, five bass, 20-1
6th: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Longwood, Fla., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 19-14
7th: Columbus State University – Jacob Wood, LaGrange, Ga., and Doug Stephens, Waverly Hall, Ga., five bass, 19-9
8th: Bethel University – Kyle Palmer, McKenzie, Tenn., and John Coble Garrett, Union City, Tenn., five bass, 19-3
9th: Florida State University – Garret Sanders, Woodstock, Ga., and Owen Kuhn, Tallahassee, Fla., five bass, 18-0
10th: Georgia College – John Garrett Pearson, Perry, Ga., and James Pearson, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 17-14
For a full list of results, visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 696 bass weighing 1,633 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 151 college teams Wednesday. The catch included 123 five-bass limits.
Anglers will launch each morning from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg at 7 a.m. EDT. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the Venetian Gardens beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance on the Harris Chain of Lakes is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
Television coverage of the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance will premiere in 2020 on YouTube and broadcast around the globe on the World Fishing Network.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Powroznik Makes a Period 3 Power Play to Win:
February 26, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jacob Powroznik rose to the top of the leaderboard by catching half his day’s fish in the final Period to win. The Virginia-native tallied 49 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest competitor by 11 pounds, six ounces and win $100,000. With sunny skies and a third day of warming air temperature, Lake Okeechobee emerged into an exciting, action-packed playing field for the final day of the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Jacob Wheeler led for a time midday after catching 10 of his 12 fish before noon but fell short of back-to-back Bass Pro Tour Titles. The Bass Pro Tour continues March 13-18 on Lake Fork near Emory Texas.
“Words just can’t describe it,” said Powroznik moments after returning to shore. “You put yourself in a position and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. For a period of 15 minutes in the third period I think I caught about 15 pounds and that’s momentum; momentum drives us and that’s what this sport’s all about.”
Like Powroznik, Michael Neal found a productive area and worked it for all he could. SCORETRACKER® looked as if the two were playing “strike, counter-strike” all day long. The 29-year-old Tennessean recorded his first bass, weighing in at six pounds, one ounce, at the exact same time as Powroznik. Neal had a more productive first period than Powroznik but ultimately lost the lead with only three catches in the Period 3 for a total of 38 pounds, five ounces on the day.
Midday it appeared that Jacob Wheeler might be on his way to back-to-back Bass Pro Tour Titles after catching nine of 12 fish for the day in the first period. With only one catch each in Periods 2 and 3 respectively, Wheeler fell to third place with 34 pounds, six ounces.
“I gave it all that I had,” he said as time ran. “I was focusing on really shallow pockets where the fish were pulling up to spawn. The water had to be shallow enough that it wouldn’t even register a depth on my electronics, the shallower, the better.”
Jeff Sprague caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day at six pounds, 12 ounces. Jacob Powroznik had the most fish on SCORETRACKER® with 15, as well as earning the Phoenix First award with a total weight of 49-11.
The Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat Championship Round, hosted by Okeechobee County Tourism Development Board, finished as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total Bass | Largest Bass | Winnings |
| 1 | Jacob Powroznik | 49-11 | 15 | 5-05 | $100,000 |
| 2 | Michael Neal | 38-05 | 14 | 6-01 | $42,000 |
| 3 | Jacob Wheeler | 34-06 | 12 | 6-00 | $30,000 |
| 4 | Randall Tharp | 32-06 | 11 | 3-15 | $24,000 |
| 5 | Jeff Sprague | 31-06 | 8 | 6-12 | $18,000 |
| 6 | Fletcher Shryock | 31-00 | 11 | 5-07 | $16,800 |
| 7 | Jordan Lee | 15-15 | 3 | 6-00 | $15,600 |
| 8 | Takahiro Omori | 9-12 | 4 | 3-00 | $14,400 |
| 9 | Zack Birge | 6-06 | 2 | 3-04 | $13,200 |
| 10 | James Elam | 4-06 | 2 | 2-05 | $12,000 |
For complete results from the entire week, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
The Bass Pro Tour continues March 13-18, 2020, with General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork (Texas). Each day begins with launch 7:15 a.m. local time before lines-in at 8:00 a.m.Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and interact with fans.
Abu Garcia® Announces 2020 Pro Staff Additions
Legendary rod and reel maker adds eight new pros to its B.A.S.S. and FLW teams
COLUMBIA, S.C. (February 26, 2020) — Abu Garcia announces the most recent additions to its esteemed pro staff, adding eight top-flight anglers competing on either the B.A.S.S. or FLW tours.
Beginning with the 2020 professional bass fishing seasons, the following pros will be competing in their respective tours using Abu Garcia rods and/or reels, as well as testing and evaluating new products and making appearances on behalf of Abu Garcia at consumer events and tradeshows.
Bassmaster Elite Series
Clent Davis — Montevallo, Alabama
Destin DeMarion — Grove City, Pennsylvania
Kelley Jaye — Dadeville, Alabama
Luke Palmer — Coalgate, Oklahoma
Jake Whitaker — Fairview, North Carolina
Jason Williamson — Wagener, South Carolina
FLW Pro Circuit
Blake Smith — Lakeland, Florida
Joseph Webster — Winfield, Alabama
“Abu Garcia’s leadership position in bass fishing mandates that the brand be represented by the sport’s leading anglers,” said Abu Garcia Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “The addition of these eight pros help to strengthen our already stout line up of professional anglers fishing B.A.S.S., FLW and MLF events. It’s a great group of competitors who are ideal ambassadors for the brand. We expect great things in 2020 from our lineup of Abu Garcia pros.”
For more information about Abu Garcia, go to abugarcia.com.
An Off Day with Jordan Lee plus Dirty 30's and Monster Bags!!
This week the guys get stiffed by two guests, but circle the wagons to get MLF BPT Pro Jordan Lee while he sits on the bank during his off day at the BPT on Okeechobee. The guys discuss a few MLF gripes and get into the Monster bags caught over the weekend across the country! Check it out!
Donate $10 and get a custom Carhartt Classic beanie to help keep Guntersville clean
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Adding to the goodness and excitement of the 50th Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham will be the chance to help keep Lake Guntersville and other Tennessee River reservoirs clean by making a $10 donation to the Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful organization at the Carhartt booth in exchange for a custom Carhartt Classic beanie.
During the 3-day 2020 Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo on March 6 - 8, hard working folks from the Carhartt manufacturing plant will be in the Carhartt exhibit booth sewing the iconic B.A.S.S. logo on Carhartt’s famous “A18” acrylic watch cap.
Keep the TN River Beautiful organization performs inspiring work. Thus far, they have collected 99,000 pounds of trash from popular Tennessee River bass fisheries such as Guntersville and Pickwick through 30 planned cleanup outings to date.
The custom Carhartt beanie project is an ongoing annual effort by Carhartt to partner with B.A.S.S. and avid fans at the Classic each year to support conservation agencies and projects in the host state of the Classic each year.
Generous support from a record crowd of 153,000 fans in Knoxville last year, led to a $6,400 donation to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation.
If you’re attending the 2020 Bassmaster Classic, be sure to stop by the Carhartt booth for a chance to show your love of bass fishing and conservation by supporting this simple $10 initiative.
Toyota expands support of Arey and Scroggins
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Matt Arey, a North Carolina native, with $1 Million in prize winnings and a 2020 Bassmaster Classic qualification to his credit, had a fantastic inaugural year as part of the Toyota team in 2019. Scroggins’ provided the same admirable level of sponsored athlete professionalism that he has displayed the past 14 seasons, as an original member of Toyota’s professional bass angling team.
“Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is the ultimate team player,” says Matt Ozawa, Engagement Marketing Manager, Toyota North America. “Not only is Terry one of the world’s best bass anglers, but he’s also exceptional in his constant willingness to help grow our brand with a perpetual smile and great attitude away from the water. He’s a great ambassador and we’re happy to have him on Team Toyota.”
Fans who noticed Matt Arey rack-up a highly impressive six Top 20 tournament finishes during his first season as a Toyota pro last year on the Bassmaster Elite Series will notice a much larger logo presence for Toyota on his boat in 2020.
“I was absolutely honored that Toyota chose to sponsor me last year. The fact they want to increase their presence this season is really humbling to me,” says Arey. “Toyota is an incredible company filled with super talented, yet very kind and respectful leadership. It means the world to my family and I to be welcomed as an official member of Team Toyota.”
Arey and Scroggins represent two of the seven total anglers Toyota proudly supports in bass fishing, now entering its 15th season.
“We appreciate the relationships we’ve formed with the thousands of Toyota Bonus Bucks anglers who compete at all levels of tournament angling and faithfully choose to tow their boats with our vehicles,” said Ozawa. “We look forward to an incredible year with Matt, Terry and the rest of our Team Toyota world-class anglers and wish everyone good luck out there on the water.”
Toyota’s support of Major League Fishing soundly showcases the Texas-based automotive manufacturer’s heartfelt commitment to building reliable vehicles that help people enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle. However, the company’s support of bass fishing is not limited to tournament organization sponsorship, but also includes the popular Toyota Bonus Bucks program, as well as their support of youth fishing.
As the official vehicle of MLF and FLW, Toyota will host interactive fan events at upcoming bass fishing tournaments throughout the 2020 season. From behind-the-scenes to live broadcasts, and angler interviews, tips and more, check out all the action at 2020 MLF Bass Pro Tour. For more information on the league and anglers, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information on FLW visit FLWFishing.com and follow on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Jordan Lee Leaps from Last to First, Advances Directly to the Championship Round:
38-Angler Field Set for Tuesday's Knockout Round
Lee said that he began the day with nothing to lose. After a scoreless Saturday, Lee opened his day with three, four-plus-pound largemouth bass in the first Period for a total weight of 13 pounds, five ounces. Lee retained his lead through a scoreless third Period after a catching one weighing six pounds, seven ounces late in Period Two.
“Today is a day for the history books; it was special,” said Lee as he returned to the ramp for the General Tire Takeout show on MLFNOW! “I went to a place I hadn’t fished since college; I had to work for them, but it was just the right move.”
When asked if his scoreless first day impacted his outlook going into today, Lee shared that he had hope starting today and decided to listen to his instincts, a strategy that also paid off for him in Eufaula at Stage One of the Bass Pro Tour earlier this month.
“Last night I was thinking about how I had gone with my gut already this season and it paid off big,” said Lee. “So, I went someplace today that I hadn’t been in a long time again and it worked. I could tell halfway through the day I had something special.”
Dean Rojas made the most of difficult lake conditions on Saturday to begin today with a two-pound lead over Britt Myers. Despite best efforts, Rojas caught only three scoreable bass weighing in collectively at seven pounds even to finish second, just missing the automatic berth to the Championship.
“I tried my hardest; I just never had a big bite,” reflected Rojas. “I’m going to think about my game plan and will have to make an adjustment. I missed an opportunity to qualify for the Championship Round, but I plan to change areas for tomorrow and see what I can make happen.”
Stephen Browning made a run in Period 3 catching six scoreable bass in only 38 minutes. These, plus the one he caught midway through today’s second Period, gave him a two-day total of 18 pounds, two ounces after catching no scoreable bass on Day one of the Qualifying Round. Enough to secure 12th place, Browning advances to the Knockout Round.
“The area I fished on Saturday suffered a major temperature change in only two feet of water,” said Browning. “Then late in the third Period, I hit a flurry – a fisherman’s dream.”
Much of the day’s drama unfolded on the elimination line as anglers battled for their place in Tuesday’s Knockout Round. Chris Lane snuck into 17th place with two, two-pound bass within the last 30 minutes of the day. With only five minutes left in the day, Alton Jones caught a three-pound, two-ounce bass, which moved him to 18th place and knocked Boyd Duckett out of the Knockout Round into 21st place.
The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group B finished day two as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total 2-Day Weight | Day Two Weight Total | Biggest Bass |
| 1 | Jordan Lee | 32-10 | 32-10 | 6-07 |
| 2 | Dean Rojas | 27-08 | 7-03 | 3-13 |
| 3 | Josh Bertrand | 25-07 | 16-10 | 6-03 |
| 4 | Jacob Powroznik | 24-11 | 13-06 | 3-11 |
| 5 | Scott Suggs | 22-15 | 16-04 | 6-11 |
| 6 | Anthony Gagliardi | 20-04 | 7-12 | 6-09 |
| 7 | Jeff Sprague | 20-03 | 20-03 | 3-07 |
| 8 | Andy Montgomery | 19-13 | 2-11 | 6-06 |
| 9 | Todd Faircloth | 19-05 | 15-05 | 5-07 |
| 10 | Britt Myers | 18-04 | 0-00 | 5-12 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
Scott Suggs caught the Berkley Big Bass of the Day weighing in at six pounds, 11 ounces. Suggs finished 5th overall and will advance into the Knockout Round with a strong showing toward his Heavy Hitters qualifying weight. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.
Today’s event concluded the Qualifying Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Two anglers advanced directly into the Championship Round on Wednesday: Takahiro Omori, winner of Group A and Jordan Lee, winner of Group B. The remaining eight spots in the Championship Round will be determined in Tuesday’s Knockout Round, in which the anglers who finished in places 2-20 on their respective days will compete in a field of 38 for the top eight spots.
The 38 anglers competing in the Knockout Round include:
Zack Birge
Ott DeFoe
Cody Meyer
Michael Neal
Mike McClelland
Ish Monroe
Shaw Grigsby
Dustin Connell
Dave Lefebre
Jacob Wheeler
David Dudley
Randall Tharp
Jason Lambert
Adrian Avena
Fred Roumbanis
Kevin VanDam
Fletcher Shyrock
Gerald Spohrer
Dean Rojas
Josh Bertrand
Jacob Powroznik
Scott Suggs
Anthony Gagliardi
Jeff Sprague
Andy Montgomery
Todd Faircloth
Britt Myers
Greg Hackney
Stephen Browning
Mark Rose
Brent Chapman
Cliff Pace
Andy Morgan
Chris Lane
James Elam
Alton Jones
Mark Daniels Jr.
Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins on Lake Okeechobee (Eastern Standard Time) with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m.as anglers return to the ramp.
Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream beginning at 7:45 a.m. ETon MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Shook & Iles win Texas Team Trail with MONSTER 49 Pound Limit!!!
Partain Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Hartwell
Flowery Branch’s Macleod Claims Co-angler Title
LAVONIA, Ga. (Feb. 24, 2020) – Boater Kerry Partain of Elberton, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Hartwell in Lavonia. For his victory, Partain earned $5,336.
“I know a lot about this lake – I’ve camped here a lot with my family and my mom used to take me all around it with a trolling motor,” said Partain, who earned his second career victory at Lake Hartwell in Phoenix Bass Fishing League competition. “I was fishing deeper ditches – 20-feet deep – throwing a De-railer Blade (underspin) right over them with a Zoom Fluke.
“Later in the day I switched to a Carolina-rigged watermelon-candyZoom Baby Brush Hog,” Partain continued. “I also added a few on a shaky-head rig with a Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler.”
Partain said he fished on the lower end of the lake, a 30-minute run from takeoff, and managed to catch around 20 keepers throughout the day.
“I hadn’t been on Hartwell since November. I was able to get in one day of practice for this event, and I found a school of fish that were still there during the tournament. I never thought I’d win with my weight, but this one was just meant to be,” Partain went on to say.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Kerry Partain of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 15-5, $5,336
2nd: Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $2,668
3rd: Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 14-0, $1,780
4th: Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 12-7, $1,445
5th: Derek Freeman of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-5, $1,667
6th: Shannon Poore of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $978
7th: Mick Rhinehart of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $844
7th: Carl Whitfield of Anderson, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $844
9th: Greg Glouse of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $712
10th: Travis Garrett of Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Freeman took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Tony Holliday of Piedmont, South Carolina, brought a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $840.
David Macleod of Flowery Branch, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,668 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: David Macleod of Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 11-10, $2,668
2nd: Kyle Rogers of Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 9-14, $1,334
3rd: Russell Woodson of Jonesville, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $888
4th: Jason Clauss of Ball Ground, Ga., five bass, 9-12, $623
5th: Cody Coker of Comer, Ga., five bass, 9-11, $489
5th: Thomas Pennell III of Boiling Springs, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $489
5th: Scott Coussou of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $489
8th: Bryan Lesley of Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $400
9th: Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 8-13, $356
10th: James Blackwell of Blairsville, Ga., four bass, 8-10, $461
Westley Denny of Westminster, South Carolina, earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $420 after bringing a bass weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces to the scale.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the City of Lavonia. The tournament was the second of five events in the Savannah River Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Registration Now Open for 2020 Wiley X High School Fishing Camp presented by Tackle Warehouse
FLW Partners with Wiley X and Tackle Warehouse to Offer Students, Coaches and Parents the Summer Camp Experience of a Lifetime on the Shores of Kentucky Lake
BENTON, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2020) – FLW announced today that registration is now open for the third annual Wiley X High School Fishing Camp presented by Tackle Warehouse, scheduled for July 22-24, on the Murray State University campus in Murray, Kentucky.
The all-inclusive three-day camp, with daily activities on the shores of Kentucky Lake, is designed for serious high school anglers, parents and coaches who want to gain an edge on the competition by getting hands-on bass fishing experience alongside the biggest names in the industry. Students will receive instruction from top professionals and industry executives to take their fishing and fishing-career readiness to the next level.
“The Wiley X High School Fishing Camp is an experience like no other for these young anglers. From making spinnerbaits and eating lunch with Jimmy Houston to exploring seasonal techniques with Larry Nixon and Bryan Thrift, you never know what excitement each day will bring. FLW’s home waters of Kentucky Lake and Murray State University offer the perfect setting to develop talented young anglers. We believe this camp is extremely beneficial to students and also gives parents and coaches a great opportunity to learn and network,” said FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager Kathy Fennel.
Adults have the option to drop off their students or stay throughout the camp and participate in special panel discussions aimed atidentifying best practices to give a High School Fishing team the edge it needs to thrive.
Following the week’s activities, campers are invited to put their skills to the test in the FLW Foundation benefit tournament. All proceeds from the tournament go toward High School Fishing scholarships to help get more teams and students out on the water. The tournament, held Saturday, July 25, on Kentucky Lake, features two divisions – a boat division and a kayak division – and two lucky campers will be selected to fish with an FLW pro. Participants are eligible for thousands of dollars in cash prizes.
Registration for the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp presented by Tackle Warehouse will close Tuesday, June 30, or when the camp reaches capacity, whichever comes first. Cost for the camp is $300 per person, which includes all housing, meals and accommodations at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. To sign up for camp, or for more information visit FLWFishing.com/camp.
Darold Gleason is First Angler to Cash in on Yamaha Power Pay
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Kennesaw, Ga. – February 21, 2020 – Darold Gleason became the first angler in America to cash-in on Yamaha’s new Power Pay contingency program for tournament anglers when he finished third in the FLW®Tackle Warehouse® Pro event on Sam Rayburn, Texas on Jan. 26.
“Yamaha is known for power and incredible reliability, but the fact you can now earn a cash bonus through the Power Pay program makes running a Yamaha outboard an absolute no-brainer,” said Gleason.
Competitive anglers who are original owners and own and run a new 115-425 horsepower Yamaha outboard purchased from authorized Yamaha dealers within 60 months from the date of the Yamaha Power Pay Registration Form can register for Power Pay by visiting yamahapowerpay.com.
The highest placing registered Power Pay angler at each sanctioned event will have the opportunity to earn Power Pay cash. Payouts range from $250 to $50,000.
During the 2020 B.A.S.S.® season, Power Pay registered and eligible anglers not currently under a supported contract with Yamaha have the opportunity to earn the following amounts for the highest place finish in the following tournaments:
- $50,000 for the 2020 Bassmaster Classic®
- $20,000 for 2020 Angler of the Year
- $10,000 for 2020 B.A.S.S. Nation®
- $10,000 for the 2020 B.A.S.S. ® College Championship
- $10,000 for the 2020 B.A.S.S. ® High School Championship
- $1,000/$500 for first/second highest finishers in 2020 Bassmaster® Elite Series
- $1,000/$500 for first/second highest finishers in 2020 Bassmaster® Open Series
For more information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.comor call Chip at (918) 742-6424.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
Lake Hartwell Set to Host Toyota FLW Series Tournament
SENECA, S.C. (Feb. 24, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series will continue its season next week at Lake Hartwell, March 3-5, with the Toyota Series at Lake Hartwell tournament. Hosted by Visit Oconee, the three-day tournament will feature the best regional bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
“The fish are still in their wintertime patterns – we haven’t had much warm weather yet, and we’ve even had some snow recently – so I think we’re going to see a good mixture of fish caught out of ditches and stuff like that. Any areas where they can chase the bait up shallow,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro David Williams of Maiden, North Carolina, who has eight top-10 finishes on Lake Hartwell in FLW competition.
“Finding the baitfish will be the key in this tournament,” continued Williams. “We’re going to see anglers throwing a lot of crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs and shaky-head rigs. Within the next few weeks we’ll start to see fish move up shallow, but the normal wintertime patterns will be in play for this one.
“I think it’s going to take 14½ to 15 pounds a day to be there at the end,” Williams went on to say. “I predict that the three-day winner is going to have right around 45 pounds”
Anglers will take off from the Clemson Beach and Recreation Area, located at 275 YMCA Circle in Seneca at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at the Recreation Area beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
"Visit Oconee SC is excited to welcome the 2020 Toyota Series to Lake Hartwell,” said Charlotte Waters, Sales/Event Manager with Visit Oconee. “The economic impact of this event is significant to our community. We wish all the anglers a memorable and safe time throughout the event on Lake Hartwell and we hope to show them why Oconee County is well known for our natural resources and outdoor adventure.”
Anglers and fans attending the event will have the free opportunity to win a new a Polaris Sportsman® 570 EPS, valued at approximately $7,799. To enter, fans can complete an official entry form on-site and deposit into an official ballot box at participating FLW tournaments from March 2 through November 14, 2020.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a full field, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers will cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500).
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Robinson and Carter drop "Dirty Thirty" on the Scales to Won Alabama Bass Trail North Division Opener!
The Alabama Bass Trail North Division is off to Chilly Start from Guntersville
By Jason Duran
February 22, 2020 Guntersville, AL– It was a very chilly start to the Alabama Bass Trail North Division from Lake Guntersville with temps below freezing at takeoff. The predictions at the meeting on Friday night were that someone would catch over 30 pounds. February and pre-spawn conditions typically mean big bags, but the weather conditions were not going make it easy.
The team of Tracy Robinson and Mike Carter put a limit in the boat within the first 20 minutes of fishing their spot way up the lake. That quick limit included a fish weighing 8.69 and a second fish over 7 pounds. They fished shallow grass in the 2-4 feet range targeting fish with jigs, crankbaits and bladed jigs. They noticed, “about mid-morning the water began to drop in the area, and it shut down the bite in those upper river creeks.” They worked their way back down river “fishing traditional points and high places” using crankbaits. The final upgrade was made to their limit about 1:00 with a 4 pound cull putting them over the 30 pound mark.
Wesley Sams and Jordan Wiggins returned to Guntersville after winning the ABT Championship here back in October 2019. Jordan said he “stumbled upon the spot they fished today a couple of months ago while practicing.” He described it as a “shallow ditch with about six feet of water and filled full of eelgrass. It was just one of those places we came to at the mouth of a spawning bay packed full of shad.” They said, “these fish have been there for months. When we went back in there Thursday during practice to check them and caught two over 5 pounds, we knew they were still there.” Even though the water temps dropped over 5 degrees, Wesley and Jordan believe the colder temps actually made their fishing better. “It just made the fish stack up in there even more.” They primarily caught their fish on a bladed jig swapping up some with a rattle trap. They caught the 24.67 pound limit all on that one spot. They tried to run around some in the last few hours to upgrade and get the 30 pounds they knew it would take to win, but just couldn’t find any solid upgrades.
Danny Shell and Anthony Land have fished the ABT since the beginning and have placed as high as 4th place. They claimed the 3rd place spot. The team fished scattered grass in 6-8 feet deep water in the backs of pockets and the main river, targeting fish with only three baits: a bladed jig, DT 6 and a rattle bait. They moved around a lot rotating through six spots getting only 5 bites all day long. They caught all five, but one was a sixteenth of an inch too short. That fish weighed a little over two pounds but was released. The 4 bass bag of 24.07 was anchored by Danny with the Moutain Dew big bass of the tournament caught on a DT 6 weighing 8.93 pounds.
Tracy and Mike said they “talked all day long saying, we need one more 5 pounder because we are close, but don’t think we have it won.” They both agree that winning an ABT tournament is a “great accomplishment considering it is against the best fishermen in Alabama.” Especially after only catching one fish in practice, they were a little worried going into the event. Both said, “we had a blast and a great time fishing.”
The top ten standings are above, for a full list of results visit. https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lg-results/
The sponsors of the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail include; Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Sweet Home Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Strike King, Buffalo Rock, Mountain Dew, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Lew’s Fishing, Berkley, YETI, Power Pole, Big Bite Bait Company, E3 Apparel and Hydrowave.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
William Blaine & Ross Jewell win over $20,000 on a tough & windy Lake Amistad with 21.91 lbs.
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | WILLIAM BLAINE SAN ANGELO , TX |
ROSS JEWELL SAN ANGELO , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.91 |
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| 2 |  |
DUSTIN PERRY MIDLAND , TX |
MICKEY PERRY IRAAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.83 |
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| 3 | MITCH GOODALL BOERNE , TX |
FOY OSBURN BOERNE , TX |
5 | 10.94 | 18.35 |
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| 4 | MIKE YERBY CARLSBAD , NM |
CLINT KIRKES CARLSBAD , NM |
5 | 0 | 18.34 |
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| 5 | DAVID ADKINS MONTGOMERY , TX |
GARY GILLIHAN BIG SPRING , TX |
5 | 10.17 | 17.89 |
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| 6 | RANDY DIXON BORGER , TX |
STEPHEN WINTER MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.87 |
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| 7 | KEITH COUNTS CARLSBAD , NM |
KOOPER COUNTS CARLSBAD , NM |
5 | 0 | 17.64 |
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| 8 | RAMIRO ORTIZ JR DEL RIO , TX |
RUDY ORTIZ DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.20 |
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| 9 |  |
RICK SHOCK VICTORIA , TX |
TED SPRENCEL PORT LAVACA , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.99 |
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| 10 | |
CORY WHISMAN MIDLAND , TX |
RANDALL EDWARDS MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.88 |
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| 11 | |
CHANCE WOODS MILLERSVIEW , TX |
JUSTIN LAMPIER SAN ANGELO , TX |
5 | 7.45 | 16.49 |
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| 12 |  |
RICARDO CARRILLO LAREDO , TX |
ORLANDO SEGOVIA LAREDO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.46 |
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| 13 | |
TIM RENEAU RICHLAND SPINGS , TX |
JUDY RENEAU RICHLAND SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.35 |
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| 14 | ERIC CAVANAGH DEL RIO , TX |
RIDGY GRAHAM DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.11 |
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| 15 | ERIC TAUER KIRBY , TX |
WAYNE BROOKS ODESSA , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.89 |
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| 16 | |
CHAD BLACK CANYON LAKE , TX |
LUPE LOPEZ JR UVALDE , TX |
5 | 7.86 | 15.68 |
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| 17 | |
LARRY FILLMON DEL RIO , TX |
BILL FILLMON DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.67 |
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| 18 | |
BUFORD ESTEP JR THREE RIVERS , TX |
BUFORD ESTEP SR THREE RIVERS , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.41 |
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| 19 | |
GARY SCHMITT MIDLAND , TX |
EARL ARMSTRONG MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.35 |
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| 20 | |
ANDREW STANCO DEL RIO , TX |
BILL KINGSBERY DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.26 |
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| 21 | |
CARLOS GUEVARA EAGLE PASS , TX |
CARLOS MORENO EAGLE PASS |
5 | 0 | 15.09 |
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| 22 | |
CRAIG SCHUFF SPRINGTOWN , TX |
COLE MASSEY JUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.07 |
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| 23 | RICK SCHEEN AUSTIN , TX |
MIKE HARMAN BASTROP , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.72 |
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| 24 | |
KENNY ROOKE JUNCTION , TX |
JEFFREY BADDERS HARPER , TX |
5 | 7.20 | 14.47 |
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| 25 | |
CRAIG ALEXANDER DEL RIO , TX |
RAYMOND BENOIT DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.31 |
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| 26 | RONALD PIGG FRITCH , TX |
DANNY MITCHELL AMARILLO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.14 |
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| 27 | |
JASON SCHNEEMANN D'HANIS , TX |
WAYNE JACKSON RIO FRIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.10 |
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| 28 | CHRIS BORDEN EAGLE PASS , TX |
CODY METZ LA VERNIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.08 |
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|||
| 29 | BRET FISHER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
RICK CATHEY SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.95 |
|
|||
| 30 | |
JAKE SZOT MIDLAND , TX |
MATT WEATHERLY MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.89 |
|
||
| 30 | OLAF MUNCH SAN ANTONIO , TX |
ALEX MUNCH SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.89 |
|
|||
| 32 | |
|
ROBERT LOPEZ DEL RIO , TX |
JEFF BUTTERS DEL RIO , TX |
4 | 8.41 | 13.71 |
|
|
| 33 | JIMMY STEED ZAPATA , TX |
CHARLIE HARALSON DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.23 |
|
|||
| 34 | BRITTEN GAMBREL DEL RIO , TX |
RUSSEL GAMBREL DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.11 |
|
|||
| 35 | |
BRADLEY JAMESON LOVINGTON , NM |
TODD TOWN AMARILLO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.96 |
|
||
| 36 | RANDY CADDELL ANDREWS , TX |
MARIO MARTINEZ DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.87 |
|
|||
| 37 | DANNY THOMPSON DEL RIO , TX |
DYLAN THOMPSON DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.71 |
|
|||
| 38 | |
GARY CARR SAN ANGELO , TX |
JJ DUCHARME BRACKETTVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.69 |
|
||
| 39 | |
RICHARD STRINGER ODESSA , TX |
CHISHOLM CARRUTH ODESSA , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.65 |
|
||
| 40 | |
WENDELL RAMSEY SR SAN ANGELO , TX |
RONNIE WALLACE SAN ANGELO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.61 |
|
||
| 41 | ROBERT BALBOA DEL RIO , TX |
ELENO BALBOA JR DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.60 |
|
|||
| 42 | JOHN FROESE SEMINOLE , TX |
ARTIE GIESBRECHT SEMINOLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.44 |
|
|||
| 43 | |
CODY GREANEY MANCHACA , TX |
BILL MCCOUN AMARILLO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.22 |
|
||
| 44 | |
TIM FLOWERS MIDLAND , TX |
BRIAN ANKRUM NATALIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.16 |
|
||
| 45 | DANNY PUENTE DEL RIO , TX |
HECTOR RUBIO DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.93 |
|
|||
| 46 | DEAN ALEXANDER GEORGETOWN , TX |
THOMAS MARTENS CEDAR PARK , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.85 |
|
|||
| 47 | |
 |
CHANS MARTIN FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
STERLING MARTIN COMFORT , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.73 |
|
|
| 48 | |
LEE LEONARD MARTINDALE , TX |
SCOTT BRONDER FALLS CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.70 |
|
||
| 49 | JIMMY SHELTON DUBLIN , TX |
CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.66 |
|
|||
| 50 | |
|
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
JEFF MASSEY JUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.62 |
|
|
| 51 | STEVIE RAY RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
RAY RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.55 |
|
|||
| 52 | BRADLEY DRAKE PARIS , TX |
TOBY REID LOVING , NM |
5 | 0 | 11.51 |
|
|||
| 53 | MIKE KATZER KYLE , TX |
DAVID IMMEL BOERNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.42 |
|
|||
| 54 | |
BRUCE WHITE LA WARD , TX |
CORY LEITA VICTORIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.36 |
|
||
| 55 | BRIAN HALL BRONTE , TX |
JACOB BECK STERLING CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.34 |
|
|||
| 56 | MIKE PERKINS DALLAS , TX |
STAN GERZENYI DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.14 |
|
|||
| 57 | |
KYLE KELLER RIO MEDINA , TX |
JOSHUA SPENCER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.84 |
|
||
| 58 | EDDIE LERO BRYAN , TX |
TERRY WIESE BRYAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.75 |
|
|||
| 59 | FRED WASHINGTON KERRVILLE , TX |
DON STEHLING KERRVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.54 |
|
|||
| 60 | |
DANIEL RODRIGUEZ NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
CRAIG CRIM VICTORIA , TX |
4 | 0 | 10.49 |
|
||
| 61 | |
TREVOR ROBERTSON KERRVILLE , TX |
JARRETT ROBERTSON KERRVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.32 |
|
||
| 62 | MIKE GUEVARA LEON VALLEY , TX |
RICHARD MARTINEZ SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.18 |
|
|||
| 63 | RICHARD CREMO LAREDO , TX |
ROBERTO GONZALEZ LAREDO , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.17 |
|
|||
| 63 | CLAUDE SIMS BOERNE , TX |
CARSON SIMS BOERNE , TX |
4 | 0 | 10.17 |
|
|||
| 65 | DARRELL BRITSCH FLORESVILLE , TX |
JOE GARCIA HOBSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.05 |
|
|||
| 66 | |
CODY DAY GOLIAD , TX |
DAVID DAY GOLIAD , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.84 |
|
||
| 67 | |
TONY FERDINANDO SPICEWOOD , TX |
SHANE LOGAN BUDA , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.62 |
|
||
| 68 | COLEY WOOD MIDLAND , TX |
JAMES BURKEEN DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.51 |
|
|||
| 69 | |
MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
LUPE RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.45 |
|
||
| 70 | |
RICHARD BACON BASILE , LA |
CLAY TREADAWAY DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.33 |
|
||
| 71 | |
TIM BLANCHETTE BLESSING , TX |
TOMMIE COLLIER VICTORIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.28 |
|
||
| 72 | RICHARD DRAKE FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
CHRISTOPHER EYHORN SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.08 |
|
|||
| 73 | GARRETT ROSE PIPE CREEK , TX |
DAVID ROSE PIPE CREEK , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.05 |
|
|||
| 74 | JOHNNY SKIPWITH CARLSBAD , NM |
DAVID WALKER CARLSBAD , NM |
5 | 0 | 9.02 |
|
|||
| 75 | BRIAN FLEMING JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
MIKE FLEMING NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.91 |
|
|||
| 76 | |
|
TRAVIS MCGUIRE SEMINOLE , TX |
CHRIS SNYDER CIBOLO , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.88 |
|
|
| 77 | DONALD BRADSHAW JR BOERNE , TX |
DARIO GUERRA IV SAN ANTONIO , TX |
2 | 6.72 | 8.80 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
RAYMOND ZETKA EDNA , TX |
KENNETH LAND EDNA , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.74 |
|
||
| 79 | |
REID FARRIS ADKINS , TX |
GAVIN HODGE STOCKDALE , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.71 |
|
||
| 80 | SPIKE STOKER STEPHENVILLE , TX |
STUART JEFFREY ANSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.66 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
JEREMY FUENTES CARLSBAD , NM |
MICHAEL HILL CARLSBAD , NM |
5 | 0 | 8.63 |
|
||
| 82 | DEVIN GIBSON GONZALES , TX |
ROBERT PRESCOTT SEGUIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.55 |
|
|||
| 83 | JULIAN MACHUCA PECOS , TX |
EDDIE KIDD EL PASO , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.42 |
|
|||
| 84 | LATHAN BRINKER MIDLAND , TX |
BRIK BRINKER MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.33 |
|
|||
| 85 | |
BEAU SCHOTT HONDO , TX |
MICHELLE SCHOTT HONDO , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.27 |
|
||
| 86 | |
|
WILLIAM FESLER LAMPASAS , TX |
BRENT SMITH BERTRAM , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.21 |
|
|
| 87 | JEFF WILSON COMFORT , TX |
BASIL WILSON COMFORT , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.14 |
|
|||
| 88 | |
JAKE SALVAGNO BEEVILLE , TX |
RODNEY MARBACH SPRING BRANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.11 |
|
||
| 89 | |
JONATHAN BOSSOM CASTOVILLE , TX |
BEN BOSSOM DAYTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.99 |
|
||
| 90 | CHUCK HAUCK BANDERA , TX |
PETE POWELL BANDERA , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.73 |
|
|||
| 91 | |
RONNIE RENO ODESSA , TX |
SAMMY RENO ARTESIA , NM |
4 | 0 | 7.72 |
|
||
| 92 | RICK DANIELL SAN ANGELO , TX |
MELODY DIXON DEL RIO , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.65 |
|
|||
| 93 | RAYMOND NEWTON JUNCTION , TX |
STEVEN CRAVEY JUNCTION , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.57 |
|
|||
| 94 | KENNETH LEINBERGER CLOVIS , NM |
TABETHA LEINBERGER CLOVIS , NM |
5 | 0 | 7.54 |
|
|||
| 95 | |
BEN ACOSTA MIDLAND , TX |
ROGER MONTEJANO DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.43 |
|
||
| 96 | |
RYLAND KIRCHOFF CORPUS CHRISTI , TX |
JOHN KIRCHOFF CORPUS CHRISTI , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.22 |
|
||
| 97 | |
DOUGLAS TATE ANDREWS , TX |
ADAM SPRINKLE ANDREWS , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.44 |
|
||
| 98 | |
MIKE BATES CANYON LAKE , TX |
GERALD DELAFUENTE CASTROVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.36 |
|
||
| 99 | |
BOBBY GARDUNO MONAHANS , TX |
TOM SCHULER MONAHANS , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.32 |
|
||
| 100 | JOSE MEDRANO DEL RIO , TX |
DOLORES ROBLES DEL RIO , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.04 |
|
|||
| 101 | CLAY CREAMER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
WES FARRIS ODESSA , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.02 |
|
|||
| 102 | DUSTIN STACEY MIDLAND , TX |
BILL CHEEK MIDLAND , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.95 |
|
|||
| 103 | |
|
SCOTTY GALBREAITH WEATHERFORD , TX |
JASON GALBREAITH BURLESON , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.89 |
|
|
| 104 | LANDON DENTON ALMOGORDO , NM |
JERRY DENTON ALMOGORDO , NM |
4 | 0 | 5.65 |
|
|||
| 105 | |
OWEN SELLERS JUNCTION , TX |
AUDREY SELLERS JUNCTION , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.57 |
|
||
| 106 | |
BUDDY BOONE SAN ANTONIO , TX |
RALPH CELEDON ALAMO , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.62 |
|
||
| 107 | |
KENNETH FAIRLY LOCKHART , TX |
TOMMY LAW TYE , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.49 |
|
||
| 108 | |
JOSE SAUCEDO UVALDE , TX |
JONATHAN JONES DEL RIO , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.36 |
|
||
| 109 | CALVIN PHIPPS MONAHANS , TX |
CLINT PHIPPS BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.22 |
|
|||
| 110 | |
DENNIS ODELL TUSCOLA , TX |
BILLY MELTON ALPINE , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.72 |
|
||
| 111 | |
SHANE KEESE MEDINA , TX |
DARYL BURGER MEDINA , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.53 |
|
||
| 112 | TOM CAUTHEN INGRAM , TX |
RONNY GAZAWAY KERRVILLE , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.02 |
|
|||
| 113 | |
KENNETH HENRY KARNES CITY , TX |
FRANK GARCIA LA PRYOR , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.98 |
|
||
| 114 | |
JUAN PUENTES MIDLAND , TX |
ALEJANDRO MORENO MIDLAND , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.53 |
|
||
| 115 | |
TIM DOEGE NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
KENNY HENZE BULVERDE , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.52 |
|
||
| 116 | ZACH BIBB FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
BRENDON KENNELL BOERNE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | LOGAN MCDONALD SAN ANGELO , TX |
JERRY MCDONALD COLEMAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
ROBERT ABSHER GRANBURY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
ROBERT WORRELL JR LONGVIEW , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
TINO PRUNEDA DEL RIO , TX |
CODY WHITE DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | MATT SCRIBNER ROSWELL , NM |
WESLEY WALKER LOS LUNAS , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
|
JOHN MILLS CIBOLO , TX |
SCOTT BURRIS CIBOLO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 116 | |
CHANCE HUNDLEY CASTROVILLE , TX |
CODY HUNDLEY RIO MEDINA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | ADOLFO GARCIA EAGLE PASS , TX |
FRANCISCO ORTEGA EAGLE PASS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
KEN PARKER BOERNE , TX |
JASON GALLAS BLANCO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
MICHAEL ENRIQUEZ MONAHANS , TX |
DYLAN ANDERSON MONAHANS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | JUSTIN WOMACK MIDLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 116 | MIKE STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
BRADY STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | CHARLES MURRAY WEATHERFORD , TX |
ALLAN BINDER ROWENA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | WILL JONES PIPE CREEK , TX |
CASTULO ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | RICARDO LANDA PECOS , TX |
JOSE LANDA PECOS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | JEREMY MARTIN ANDREWS , TX |
GARRETT MCCRACKEN ANDREWS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | WARREN BURROWS BORGER , TX |
DUSTIN STOVALL BUSHLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
JOSE JIMENEZ DEL RIO , TX |
RAYMOND JIMENEZ DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
MIKE CONES DEL RIO , TX |
RON WADE DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | ROY HALL ANDREWS , TX |
DYLAN DOCKERY ANDREWS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
MIKE SAWYER HAMMOND , IL |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | GUY VELEZ SAN ANGELO , TX |
ABEL SANTILLAN SAN ANGELO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
JAMES DISLER LEANDER , TX |
DAVID DISLER CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
MARK HANCOCK SAN ANTONIO , TX |
BRANDON RIDDLE NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | GARY LAFRENIERE MIDLAND , TX |
WILLIAM GILES DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
CORY PETREE MONAHANS , TX |
LANCE PORTER MONAHANS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
KYLE BROWN CARLSBAD , NM |
LUPE BROWN CARLSBAD , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | JOSE DIAZ DEL RIO , TX |
FRANCISCO LOPEZ DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | CASS ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
DONNA ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | BRANDON SPAULDING MIDLAND , TX |
JASON COLLIER MIDLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
GENE NAQUIN D HANIS , TX |
TONY WILLIAMS PALESTINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
ADAM PEREIRA SEGUIN , TX |
MIKE LANGE SEGUIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | EDWARD SCALES SEGUIN , TX |
GERALD SCHULTZ MCQUEENEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
JAMES GRIMLEY TAFT , TX |
KIMBERLY SUBIA TAFT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | JUSTIN BROUGHTON GRANBURY , TX |
STEVE PETERSON DEVINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
ARLEN HAUSCHILD SEGUIN , TX |
CHRISTOPHER HAUSCHILD CANYON LAKE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | HUMBERTO DELEON SAN ANTONIO , TX |
MARCO NAVARRO DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
SPEEDY COLLETT ZAPATA , TX |
ROBERT COLLETT JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
WAYLON BULLARD DEL RIO , TX |
RON CARTER UNIVERSAL CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | MIKE REID ANDREWS , TX |
MICHAEL REID ANDREWS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
MICHAEL CARROLL NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
CHARLES GUTHRIE CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | RICHARD PHIPPS MONAHANS , TX |
SPENSOR PHIPPS FLORESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
MIKE COON KERRVILLE , TX |
WESLEY GRAHAM EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | KENNETH EWALD KINGSBURY , TX |
RUDY MEDINA JR SEGUIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX |
FORREST WILSON SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
JOSEPH TOMPKINS BOERNE , TX |
JAMES CLAUSER JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | CHRISTOPHER NORDTVEDT DEL RIO , TX |
RUDY MEDRANO DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | MICHAEL HETTICK CORPUS CHRISTI , TX |
KAPPY ALLEN ROBSTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | CURTIS WHITT INGRAM , TX |
ROBERTO ROMAN INGRAM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
BILL GARZA JR FLORESVILLE , TX |
IRA LYNN ADKINS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
AYDEN REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
CODY ROBERSON CIBOLO , TX |
DON BAILEY SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
JOHN CASPARIS SONORA , TX |
WELDON MCGUIRE ODESSA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | |
SECILIO LUNA SEGUIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | ROBBY ROBINSON BLANCO , TX |
DOUGLAS BAKER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | CODY CARTMEL PEARSALL , TX |
CORD CARTMEL UTOPIA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | JOSE RIOJAS EAGLE PASS , TX |
ELISEO RIOJAS EAGLE PASS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | JAMES TOOMER ABILENE , TX |
JOHNNY RAY BURLESON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | JOSEPH LANE CARLSBAD , NM |
MELISSA LANE CARLSBAD , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
MADISON MCCONAUGHEY MIDLAND , TX |
ANDRES MADRID ODESSA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | CRUZ ISAAC III SEGUIN , TX |
AUSTIN ISAAC SEGUIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 116 | |
DUSTIN SMITH LEANDER , TX |
JARED SMITH LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 116 | IGNACIO IBARRA DEL RIO , TX |
ROLAND HERNANDEZ DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Takahiro Omori Climbs Leaderboard to Win and Advance to the Championship Round:
Zack Birge Surges 31 Places after a Scoreless First Day
Ranger Boats Pro Omori opened his day with an eight-pound-four-ounce bass in the second half of the first period. He then sealed his first-place position throughout the day with a steady pace of two-pound catches. By winning “Group A” of the Qualifying Round with a two-day total of 33 pounds, nine ounces, Omori skips the Knockout Round and advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. This guarantees him a minimum payout of $12,000.
Tennessee-resident Strader moved from 14th place on Friday to 2nd place today. He caught six of seven before noon and said he found a rhythm that didn’t necessarily align with his original plan.
“Today was about having an open mind,” said Strader. “I had to go into today doing things that are not usual to Florida fishing but rather getting back to how I like to fish. I found an area that wasn’t exactly my original plan, but I stayed and figured a few more things out.”
Zack Birge credits fellow MLF Pro Mike Iaconelli with inspiring him to go into today with a winning attitude despite a scoreless first day on Friday. Iaconelli ended his first day of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour without a catch and then surged forward in day two of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Qualifying Round with a one-day total of 23 pounds, three ounces to make the Knockout Round.
“You’re never out of it in this game,” said Birge. “I thought about how Ike caught nothing on the first day in Eufaula and then came back with a ‘big bag’ on the second day. I got a little momentum this morning and then (Ike’s success) kept me motivated.”
After finishing 78th out of 80 anglers in 2019 - the first season with the Bass Pro Tour, Mike McClelland continued his 2020 renaissance today by earning a second top-twenty finish. He caught 19 pounds, three ounces Sunday – the third highest weight of the day behind Strader and Omori. McClelland finished seventh overall with a two-day total of 25 pounds, two ounces. One of the first anglers to join MLF, McClelland expressed his enthusiasm for both the MLF format and the variable minimum weight rule change in 2020 as energizing to him as well as the sport of competitive bass fishing.
“This is the most stressful, intense, and exciting format I’ve ever fished,” said McClelland. “When we started MLF where every fish counts and no limits, we raised the bar for competitive fishing and now with a two-pound minimum on Lake Okeechobee our fans get to see the best pros in the world compete at the highest level in the history of bass fishing.”
Pennsylvania native Dave Lefebre landed today’s big bass weighing in at nine pounds. He ended the day in 11th place and will advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round. This catch will also improve his position to qualify for Heavy Hitters when added with the four-pound-nine-ounce bass from Stage One in Eufaula. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.
The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group A finished day two as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total 2-Day Weight | Day Two Weight Total | Largest Fish over Qualifying Round |
| 1 | Takahiro Omori | 33-09 | 19-13 | 8-04 |
| 2 | Wesley Strader | 28-00 | 18-11 | 3-09 |
| 3 | Zack Birge | 27-03 | 27-03 | 5-13 |
| 4 | Ott DeFoe | 25-13 | 5-09 | 5-07 |
| 5 | Cody Meyer | 25-13 | 4-14 | 6-03 |
| 6 | Michael Neal | 25-09 | 0-00 | 4-09 |
| 7 | Mike McClelland | 25-02 | 19-03 | 3-11 |
| 8 | Ish Monroe | 23-02 | 18-15 | 3-01 |
| 9 | Shaw Grigsby | 23-00 | 15-13 | 4-10 |
| 10 | Dustin Connell | 23-00 | 10-11 | 3-03 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m.as anglers return to the ramp.
Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Rookie Strickland Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Harris Chain of Lakes
TBF/FLW High School Fishing 2015 Florida State Champion Claims First Career Pro Victory, Wins $100,000
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2020) – Pro Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Florida, brought five bass to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers Sunday. Strickland’s three-day total of 15 bass totaling 61 pounds, 4 ounces gave him the win by a 4-pound, 6-ounce margin over second place angler Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tennessee. For his victory, Strickland took home a top prize of $100,000.
The tournament, originally scheduled for four days, was shortened to three after strong winds forced a postponement of competition on Friday. The full field of 154 anglers competed on Thursday and Saturday and only the top 30 anglers advanced to Championship Sunday.
“This is unbelievable – just as awesome as I always dreamed it was going to be,” said Strickland, a former FLW/TBF High School Fishing Florida State Champion fishing in just his second event as a professional on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. “If I was going to win just one, ever, in my whole career, I would have wanted it to be right here. There was so much family and friends here, the crowd was humongous. This still doesn’t even feel real.”
Strickland caught his fish this week fishing an area in Lake Griffin called the marsh. He described the marsh as “a 500- to 600-acre duck marsh, with hydrilla everywhere and full of cattails and hyacinth mats.” As a local angler he knew that big fish had been in there for months, and when he went there during the official practice period the big fish were still there.
“I caught them this week flipping mats with a Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver (Tramp Stamp), but also added two big ones on a (Reaction Innovations) Machete Worm,” Strickland said. “Those were the only two baits I used all week – just flipped and threw that worm. I caught 12 fish on the first day. On the second day, I caught 8. Today I caught around 8 as well – they were just the right bites.”
Strickland said he threw the Spicy Beaver on a 7-foot, 6-inch Fitzgerald Rods hydrilla rod with a Shimano reeland 70-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa braided line. He threw the worm on a new all-purpose 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Fitzgerald rod, with 17-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa fluorocarbon line and pegged with a 1/16-ounce weight.
“I fished fairly clean all week. I lost a couple that I really thought were going to haunt me, but my fish held up,” Strickland said. “I just kind of stuck in that area and luckily I had it all to myself this week.
“Two years ago, when the Pro Circuit was here, the boat that I won out of today was sitting in the parking lot as the demo boat for Ranger,” Strickland went on to say. “I bought that boat and here we are two years later. I’m on the big stage, and I won. I don’t even know what else to say. This has been surreal.”
The top 10 pros on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Fla., 15 bass, 61-4, $100,000
2nd: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-14, $30,000
3rd: Hunter Freeman of Monroe, La., 13 bass, 54-6, $25,000
4th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 14 bass, 52-11, $20,000
5th: Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 15 bass, 51-15, $19,000
6th: Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-5, $18,000
7th: Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 50-5, $17,000
8th: Chad Warren of Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 50-0, $16,000
9th: Casey Scanlon of Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 49-7, $15,000
10th: Brandon McMillan of Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 49-7, $14,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 145 bass weighing 366 pounds, 9 ounces, caught by the pros Sunday. Of the final 30 pros, 27 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers was hosted by Lake County, Florida. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Martin, March 19-22, in Alexander City, Alabama. The tournament will be hosted by the Alexander City Chamber.
In normal Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 154 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition. After Friday’s weather postponement the format was changed to a three-day event, the full field fished the first two days of competition (Thursday and Saturday) and the top 30 pros advanced to Sunday, the final day of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship. The 2020 FLW TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 8-13 and is hosted by the Town of Massena.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Local pro Strickland Catches Mega Limit, Takes Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2020) – Local pro angler Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Florida, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 31 pounds, 6 ounces, to vault to the top of the leaderboard at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers. His two-day total of 10 bass weighing 46 pounds even will give him a 4-pound, 3-ounce lead over second place pro Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tennessee (41-13) and more than a 6½-pound advantage over third place pro Hunter Freeman of Monroe, Louisiana (39-6).
The tournament, originally scheduled for four days, was shortened to three after strong winds forced a postponement of competition on Friday. With a top prize of up to $135,000 on the line, the full field of 154 anglers competed on Thursday and Saturday and now only the top 30 anglers advance to Championship Sunday.
While a 4+ pound lead would be very substantial on most bodies of water, the giant bass that lurk at the Harris Chain of Lakes mean that Strickland’s lead is by no means safe and many anglers remain in contention to take home the top prize. However, what is perhaps most interesting about Strickland’s magical day on Saturday is that the Florida pro thinks he might be able to duplicate it on Sunday.
“On Thursday I only caught 14 pounds, but I had three swimmers and I lost two or three giants,” said Strickland, a rookie who is fishing his second tournament at FLW’s top level. “Today, I caught my giants and was out of there by 10 (a.m.). I really laid off my fish – there is so much there that I haven’t fished yet.
“I’m really excited because I know what’s happening, and I believe it’s going to hold for at least another day. We’re just going to go fishing tomorrow and see if I can catch a dirty 30 again.”
Although Strickland was tight-lipped about his specific details and presentations, he did mention that he has caught all of his fish this week – except one that he weighed today – on just one bait. He said he was flipping and casting.
“I thought I would maybe catch around 20 pounds today, but the bigguns bit for me,” Strickland said. “I caught six fish today and left it. Just fishing around I caught a couple of little dinks, but I never caught anything else that could help.
“Things are lining up to get good again, and I think tomorrow I’m going to either hero or zero,” Strickland went on to say. “I’m just going to go fishing and do what I know how to do to catch them.”
The top 30 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Fla., 10 bass, 46-0
2nd: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-13
3rd: Hunter Freeman of Monroe, La., 10 bass, 39-6
4th: Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-15
5th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 10 bass, 36-12
6th: Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 35-15
7th: Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 35-11
8th: Casey Scanlon of Lake Ozark, Mo., 10 bass, 35-4
9th: Rusty Salewske of Alpine, Calif., 10 bass, 34-3
10th: Chad Warren of Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 34-1
11th: John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 33-13
12th: Brandon McMillan of Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 33-4
13th: Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 10 bass, 33-3
14th: Jacob Wall of New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 32-13
15th: Bill McDonald of Greenwood, Ind., 10 bass, 32-10
16th: Lance Crawford of Broken Bow, Okla., nine bass, 32-9
17th: James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, 10 bass, 32-6
18th: Erik Luzak of Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 32-4
19th: Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minn., 10 bass, 31-12
20th: Tim Frederick of Leesburg, Fla., 10 bass, 31-10
21st: Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 10 bass, 30-15
22nd: Dylan Hays of El Dorado, Ark., 10 bass, 30-10
23rd: Robert Nakatomi of Sacramento, Calif., 10 bass, 30-5
24th: Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 10 bass, 29-15
25th: Terry Bolton of Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 29-11
26th: Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 29-8
27th: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 28-7
28th: Dakota Ebare of Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 28-4
29th: Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla., 10 bass, 28-3
30th: Tyler Woolcott of Port Orange, Fla., 10 bass, 28-1
Full results for the entire field can be found atFLWFishing.com.
Strickland’s biggest bass of the day – a 9-pound, 4-ounce largemouth – also claimed the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award.
Overall there were 696 bass weighing 1,608 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 153 pros Saturday. The catch included 122 five-bass limits.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
In normal Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 154 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition. After Friday’s weather postponement the format was changed to a three-day event, with the full field fishing the first two days of competition (Thursday and Saturday) and the top 30 pros advancing to Sunday, the final day of competition.
The final 10 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST Sundayfrom the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will be held at the Gardens, beginning at 4 p.m.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed onFLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
AC Rookie Podcast with Elite Series Pro Destin DeMarion
Jason welcomes in Elite Series Rookie Destin DeMarion to this weeks show to talk about getting the call to the Big Show and kicking off his 2020 Rookie Elite Season.
Day Two of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Harris Chain of Lakes Postponed Due to High Winds
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2020) – Day Two of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers has been canceled due to inclement weather. With a lake wind advisory in effect from 10 a.m. ET until later this evening, conditions on the lake were deemed unsafe by Daniel Fennel, FLW Senior Director of Tournament Operations.
"With the present and forecasted conditions, we have deemed it unsafe for our anglers to head out today,” Fennel said. “Safety is our main priority. Everyone will stay in today and get back after it again Saturday."
The tournament will resume Saturday with the full field of 154 pros competing. Following Saturday’s weigh-in, the top 30 pros will continue competition on Championship Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the three days of competition.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the Gardens, beginning at 4 p.m.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship. The 2020 FLW TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 8-13 and is hosted by the Town of Massena.
For youth, the FLW Foundation’s Youth Fishing Derby will be held at the Venetian Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. The event is hosted by Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers and is free and open to any youth 14 and under. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Pro Circuit stage, just prior to the pros weighing in. The first 50 youth registered will receive a free goodie bag. Youth can register on-site or pre-register by emailingscott.ellison@flwfishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.
The FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
California’s Salewske Leads Day One of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2020) – Pro Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 26 pounds, 10 ounces, to jump out to the early lead after Day One of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Pro Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee (26-8) and Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Florida (22-1) are behind Salewske in second and third place as the four-day tournament, which features 154 of the world’s top bass-fishing professionals casting for a top prize of up to $135,000, heads into Day Two.
“Today was an amazing day,” said Salewske, who is fishing in his first season back at FLW’s top-level circuit since 2011. “I’m fishing an area – I call it offshore, but it’s not a long way offshore. I found the spot during the first day of practice and caught 15 fish there – a 6-pounder, two 4-pounders, and a bunch of little ones. The next two days there, I shook every fish off.
“I’m not a Florida guy and I don’t really know this place well enough to know exactly what they’re doing, but I think it is a staging area,” Salewske continued. “I had seven quality fish there today, and around 8:30 I culled out a 3-pounder with a 4-pounder and decided I needed to leave. I don’t know if there are more there, or if a school just swam up, or if they’re staging there. But I’ll find out tomorrow.”
Salewske said his key area was about 200 feet off the bank. His most effective baits were dark-colored Zoom Speed Worms, Zoom Trick Worms and a Zoom Brush Hog.
“After 8:30, I spent the day practicing and I found a secondary pattern that was working for me,” Salewske said. “I had four spots coming into this event that I thought could be good, but I only fished one today. Now, if those four are no good, I’ve got another pattern that I can run and I’m excited about that. You’ve got to be around fish to get bit – and I know I’m around them – so we’ll see what tomorrow brings. I can’t wait to get back out there.”
The top 10 pros after day one on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: Rusty Salewske of Alpine, Calif., five bass, 26-10
2nd: Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 26-8
3rd: Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 22-1
4th: Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., five bass, 21-7
5th: Robert Nakatomi of Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 21-5
6th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 21-3
7th: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., five bass, 20-0
8th: Tim Frederick of Leesburg, Fla., five bass, 19-9
9th: Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., five bass, 19-7
10th: Erik Luzak of Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 18-1
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Saint Augustine, Florida’s Jason Meninger won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces to the scale.
Overall there were 741 bass weighing 1,828 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 153 pros Thursday. The catch included 139 five-bass limits.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 154 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship. The 2020 FLW TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 8-13 and is hosted by the Town of Massena.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 20-21, will be held at the Gardens beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 22-23, will also be held at the Gardens, but will begin at 4 p.m.
For youth, the FLW Foundation’s Youth Fishing Derby will be held at the Venetian Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. The event is hosted by Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers and is free and open to any youth 14 and under. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Pro Circuit stage, just prior to the pros weighing in. The first 50 youth registered will receive a free goodie bag. Youth can register on-site or pre-register by emailing scott.ellison@flwfishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed onFLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Costa Countdown to Blastoff - Florida Sunshine State Kayak Trail!
Vance McCullough and Florida Fishing Pro Peter T talk about the upcoming Sunshine State Kayak Trail event on Salt Run Lake in Florida.
RAILBLAZA announced its official sponsorship of professional angler Ott DeFoe.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston, Texas – February 19, 2020
“Thrilling” (adjective) – The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this word as “causing a feeling of great excitement or happiness.”
Thrilling – it’s not a term used every day. Typically, this word describes rare moments in time where excitement can barely be bottled up during an incredible journey. For the last ten years, the growth and expansion of RAILBLAZA, a New Zealand-based manufacturer of marine components, has been nothing short of just that -- thrilling. In celebrating this key milestone in the company’s life, why not celebrate it with some equally thrilling news!
As the 2020 Major League Fishing season kicks off, RAILBLAZA is proud to announce its partnership with one of the fishing industry’s premiere top talents, Ott DeFoe.
“We at RAILBLAZA headquarters are really excited to have Ott DeFoe joining our team,” says Ross Pratt, CEO of RAILBLAZA Ltd. “We have been looking for a partner for some time to help us establish RAILBLAZA products in the U.S. bass boat market. Ott checked off all the boxes, and we are very impressed with his professional approach. We look forward to working with him on both pushing our existing product range, helping guide our R&D program efforts, and further strengthening our relationship with White River Marine Group.”
The RAILBLAZA crew recently spent a day with Ott in his East Tennessee home. Most of that time was spent in the garage, exploring Ott’s boats in-depth.
Several breakthroughs related to the Versatrack system in Ott’s Tracker aluminum rig, and perhaps even more exciting were breakthroughs on DeFoe’s Nitro Z21 bass boat. DeFoe put many of those items to use in last week’s first Bass Pro Tour event of the season on Lake Eufaula. He finished third. DeFoe utilized StarPort™ mounts on his Nitro to capture the action on his Go Pros.
RAILBLAZA has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of DeFoe’s YouTube channel. DeFoe recently chronicled his first Bass Pro Tour tournament of the season. His first third-place finish is viewable here -- https://youtu.be/rVvIAise6BU
Ott was impressed with the spirit of innovation at RAILBLAZA and their dedication to growing their business in the fiberglass boat market. “These guys are really doing their homework on what boaters need each day. I have no doubt that through working together, we will bring some truly innovative and resourceful products to market that anglers will truly appreciate.”
ABOUT RAILBLAZA: RAILBLAZA, based in Auckland, New Zealand, and founded in 2010, is a designer and manufacturer of marine components. Since its inception, RAILBLAZA has experienced exponential growth and now ships product to over 50 countries.
The patented StarPort™ mount gives RAILBLAZA products’ unrivaled versatility.
RAILBLAZA is committed to bringing diverse, durable, and user-friendly mounting systems, and accessories that make outfitting a boat quick and easy.
Being a company built on the love of the outdoors, RAILBLAZA maintains a strong commitment to the environment. At all stages in their design process, they consider sustainability. All packaging is recyclable, and over the past three years, has introduced recycling machinery in its plastics plant, and now divert many tons of plastic each year from landfill, back into its products.
For more information, visit www.Railblaza.com.
ABOUT OTT DEFOE
The 2019 Bassmaster Classic Champion, Ott DeFoe, has seven national wins to his credit and over $2MM in career earnings. He hosts the Hunt for Monster Bass on the Outdoor Channel and competes on Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour. He lives in Blaine, Tenn. with the wife and three children. His website is www.OttDeFoe.com
B&W Trailer Hitches Sponsors B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament Trail
February 19, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B&W Trailer Hitches, an employee-owned manufacturer of trailer hitches and aftermarket truck and trailer accessories, has signed a deal to become a grass-roots sponsor of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series and Bassmaster Team Championship.
The B.A.S.S. Nation series includes five regional championships, a national championship and the Bassmaster Team Championship. The Top 3 Championship finishers and winner of the Team Championship Classic Fish-Off will qualify for the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
“It is an honor to have B&W Trailer Hitches partnering with the B.A.S.S. Nation as we expand this tournament series and the opportunities it offers for both weekend anglers and those anglers who aspire to one day fish professionally,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin.
It is an opportunity to reach anglers across all competitive levels that has B&W particularly excited to sponsor the B.A.S.S. Nation.
“Like the anglers in the B.A.S.S. Nation, B&W is a group of folks who are passionate about what they do, and it shows in the results they get,” said Beth Marlow, Marketing Director for B&W. “So many B&W employees are avid fishermen who live for weekends and a chance to get out on the water.”
Founded in 1987, B&W made headlines in 2008, when owner Joe Works paid his employees their full salary to perform work around Humboldt, Kan., including refurbishing baseball diamonds and restoring buildings.
Wiley X Named Official Sunglass Provider of FLW
Premium Protective Eyewear Brand Becomes Title Sponsor of FLW High School Camp,
Presenting Sponsor of MLF College Faceoffs
BENTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Wiley X, one of the most trusted brands in the world for safety eyewear, high-performance sunglasses, and optical/protective sports eyewear for youth.
“FLW members, anglers and fans are known as being extremely brand loyal, outdoor-focused consumers, and we are excited that Wiley X has joined our sponsorship lineup to provide these passionate and dedicated users with premium protective eyewear while on the water. We look forward to building a mutually beneficial partnership over the coming years,” said FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager Kathy Fennel.
Effective immediately, Wiley X becomes the official sunglass provider of FLW and assumes title sponsorship of the FLW High School Fishing Camp, the ultimate summer camp for serious high school anglers, their parents, boat captains and coaches. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
In addition to the High School Fishing Camp, Wiley X has also been named the presenting sponsor of the new Major League Fishing (MLF) College Faceoff events. These events will give Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI anglers the opportunity to compete against their peers using MLF’s exciting catch-weigh-immediate release format. The events will be held in conjunction with stops on the 2020 MLF Bass Pro Tour. Additional details on the MLF College Faceoff tournaments will be announced soon.
“We are thrilled to partner with FLW and consider ourselves honored to protect the vision of some of the best anglers in the world with our eyewear,” said Dan Freeman, Co-Owner and President of Marketing and Product Development for Wiley X. “Our Captivate lenses will absolutely give each angler a competitive edge when it comes to optical detail and clarity.”
The Wiley X brand will receive exposure and have prominent presence across multiple FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) platforms, including on-site signage and activation at FLW tournaments and Expos, Bass Fishing Magazine, social media promotions, FLWFishing.com, FLW Live on-the-water and weigh-in streams, MLF: All Angles, which analyzes each competition day from the viewpoint of the anglers in the event, and “FLW” television programming which airs on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
Registration for the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp is now open. Taking place on July 22-25 on the beautiful Murray State University campus with daily activities on the shores of Kentucky Lake, students and coaches will receive instruction from top professionals and industry executives to take their fishing and fishing-career readiness to the next level. For more information on the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp presented by Tackle Warehouse, visit FLWFishing.com/camp.
Hercules Tire Open Mic Night!!!!
Hit play and listen as the boys welcome Intern David back from his trip to Japan. Although anxious to see what goodies David has brought them they kick off this months Open mic night live on Facebook! Check it out!!Hercules Tire Open Mic Night!!!!
ANTICIPATION RUNNING HIGH FOR 2020 HOBIE B.O.S. ON LAKE FORK, TX
Might the B.O.S. All-Time Single-Day Record Be Broken Yet Again?
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (February 14, 2020) - Anticipation! That’s the buzzword among those planning to participate in the second installment of the 2020 Hobie Bass Open Series(B.O.S.), scheduled for February 22-23 on Lake Fork Reservoir, TX. Listen carefully and you can almost hear it dripping from the end of every sentence as the kayak faithful gather to discuss their plans of attack for the 27,264-acre impoundment, and the heavy-shouldered bass that call these waters home.
“We visited Lake Fork last year in June and it produced some really great fishing,” said Hobie BOS tournament director, A.J. McWhorter. “It’s a true trophy bass fishery with high-end potential and we’re hitting it at a great time of year for anglers to catch big limits and some potentially huge fish.”
Indeed, many consider Lake Fork to be the premiere trophy largemouth lake in the Lone Star State. It has three distinct tributaries (Lake Fork, Big Caney and Little Caney creeks), plenty of channel swings, abundant grass flats, hydrilla, Eurasian milfoil and water hyacinth, plus tons of stumps, standing timber, old roadbeds and foundations that were present before the lake was impounded back in 1980. With a maximum depth of 70’ and miles of shallow flats, coves, nooks and crannies to explore, the bassin’ possibilities are limitless. Numerous hawgs topping the 15-pound mark have been recorded here, including the Texas state record of 18.18 pounds. In fact, more than half of the fish listed on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Top 50 Largemouth Bass list have come from these waters, which offer over two-dozen public launch ramps plus several parklands to provide ample access.
“I absolutely love Lake Fork,” says Brian Howell, 27, of Rowlett, TX, who finished second in last year’s BOS on the big lake. “This is actually my favorite bass spot and it has amazing big fish potential. There’s so many 4- to 6-pound fish that the leader board can change several times in a matter of minutes if a few anglers get hot. Depending on the weather, it might take 100 inches of bass or more on both days to win this tourney. A cold front could tamper expectations, of course, but if we have fair weather leading into day one, watch out because it could be a slugfest.”
Last year’s Lake Fork BOS winner was Matt Ramey, 26, of Carlsbad, NM, with 194.25 total inches of bass caught, photographed and released. Like Howell, he’s ready to launch his ‘yak and get the competition underway.
“I like Lake Fork because it offers a super mix of structure and weeds, abundant fish and plenty of lunkers,” said Ramey. “I’ve pulled two personal best bass here in previous Hobie Tournament of Champions competitions, so the opportunity for a trophy definitely excites me. I also enjoy that it’s a completely different type of ecosystem from what I fish back home. I’m used to working hard, rocky bottom, clear, deep waters, and maybe a few mesquite trees if I’m lucky. Here, there’s tons of timber, extensive grass lines, creeks and coves. I can’t wait to get started.”
Both Howell and Ramey expect the Lake Fork event will pan out somewhat differently than last year since it’s being held earlier in the season. They agree that the bass are likely to be in a late winter or pre-spawn patterns for this tourney, calling for different approaches than they used last June.
“Last year I was throwing a 1.5 and 1-ounce Strike King punch jig on day one, working it mostly around water hyacinth,” revealed Ramey. “Day two was cloudy, cooler and brought some short bites so I switched to a 2-ounce Tungsten jig tipped with a Strike King Rodent to better punch through the matts. This year, with the fish probably in a pre-spawn pattern, I’ll be searching for clean water that’s a degree or two warmer than the surrounding area. I’ll push all the way back into the creeks and look for shell beds. They can be one of the first areas to hold bait in the spring. Mussels feed on algae and detritus, just like small baitfish, so I use them as a tip-off to possible productive feeding zones. Find some shellfish with a spawning flat nearby and you can be in pretty good shape this time of year.”
A member of the New Mexico Hobie Pro Team out of Zia Kayak Outfitters in Elephant Butte, NM, Ramey also notes that his Hobie 360 can provide an edge, especially on the grassy flats of Lake Fork. “With that 360 maneuverability I can get in and out of the weeds without ever dipping a paddle, even if there’s some wind,” he stated. “That makes it easier to work edges or even move in and out of thick matts without spooking my quarry. It really helps when the water is clean and the fish are shy, as is often the case in late winter and early spring.”
Howell plans to fish shallow so long as a cold front doesn’t squeeze through immediately before the tourney. “If I find the fish are in a pre-spawn pattern as expected, I’ll run at least half-way up some creeks to look for staging areas with a lot of timber,” he explained. “I’ll hit those areas with Chatterbaits, crankbaits and maybe some Texas-rigged soft plastics.”
Ramey and Howell are both big fans of the Hobie BOS format, noting that in addition to substantial cash prizes, there are plenty of giveaways for participants, a clear set for rules for all to follow, a highly competitive field and plenty of camaraderie to go with numerous events held across the country. That means anglers can compete hard and still have fun, meet up with friends, rub elbows with top competitors, and learn from some of the best kayak bass anglers in the country.
Not only did the Hobie BOS Lake Seminole tournament provide plenty of drama, it paid out some nice prize money as well, with Harshman taking home $7,000, Counce, $3,700 and Smitts, $2,000. Total payouts tallied $23,125 and covered up to 13th place. In addition to their cash prizes, the top three anglers also qualified for Hobie’s 50-angler end-of-year Tournament of Champions.
“The Hobie BOS really is a great tournament series,” noted Nakada. “It’s open to anyone with a kayak, offers great competition, surprisingly large cash prizes, a chance to test your skills against top level competition, plus opportunities to learn and network with others in the kayak fishing community.”
The next Hobie BOS event is scheduled for legendary Lake Fork in Wood County, Texas, February 22-23. Visit www.HobieBOS.com for the full schedule and registration details.
The 2020 Hobie Bass Open Series is open to anglers fishing in any brand of kayak and consists of nine individual tournaments. Cost for the two-day, weekend, open tournaments is $235, with a maximum of 200 boats per event. The top 10% of the field in each event receive cash payouts while the top three non-qualified anglers from each open qualify for the Hobie Tournament of Champions (T.O.C).
January’s opening 2020 Hobie BOS event, held on Lake Seminole, GA, witnessed Jake Harshman of Harrisburg, PA literally inch out Josh Counce, of Sopchoppy, FL, 179.75” to 178.75” after Counce broke the BOS single day record in the first hour of competition with an amazing 101 inches for his five-fish catch and release limit. Ironically, the record had belonged to Ramey.
Can the Lake Fork, TX Hobie BOS event match or even surpass those marks? An entire fleet of kayak bass fishing fans - especially Ramey - can’t wait to test the waters and find out.
Special thanks to host site Lake Fork Marina & Hotel for supporting the Hobie B.O.S.’s second stop in 2020.
Meet Nebo: The Zaldain’s highly entertaining good luck pup
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
About the only thing Chris and Trait Zaldain’s dog Nebo won’t eat is fruit, but he will lick a largemouth bass if one gets within range of his tiny tongue, and for the past seven seasons there aren’t many tournament fisheries he hasn’t visited.
In fact, the Zaldain’s acquired Nebo in unplanned fashion during a Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Dardanelle in 2014.
“I was sitting in my boat working on tackle at that Dardanelle Elite, the door on my truck was open, and the next thing I know, a little dog comes out of a patch of woods and jumps into the cab of my truck,” recalls Chris.
Turns out, that little dog was in pretty rough shape. He had worms, ticks, and someone had obviously abandoned him. So Trait and Chris followed their animal loving hearts, consulted with locals to make sure he didn’t have an owner, and began making plans to show the undernourished pup a better life.
“We were pretty broke back then, so I was worried about how much the veterinarian might charge us,” says Trait. “But the clinic there in Russellville was sweet enough to only charge me $5 to treat him for ticks and worms if I promised to take great care of him.”
“For the first few days, I think we fed him the same ramen noodles and lasagna we were living on,” grins Trait, who competes in Bassmaster Open events. “But the generous treatment the vet clinic gave him really got him pointed toward being way healthier than when we found him.”
Actually, it’s probably more accurate to say Nebo found the Zaldains, and you could argue he’s been a pretty darn good 4-legged token of good luck ever since that fateful day in Russellville six years ago.
Chris actually finished 8th in that Elite Series event a few days after the abandoned pup found them, and the Zaldains left Lake Dardanelle with a prize check of $12,500. They decided it was only fitting their new dog should be named “Nebo” after well-known Mount Nebo State Park located near the cabin they stayed in that week.
The veterinarian guessed him to be roughly two years old the day Trait first took him for a visit, so the Zaldains think “Nebo” is about 8-years-old.
One thing’s for certain, Nebo is now a highly confident, cattle chasing, very entertaining, 18-pound, treasured traveling companion to two of the most recognized anglers at every Bassmaster Open and Elite Series event he attends.