REESE GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES TOURNAMENT ON POTOMAC RIVER
Maryland Pro Wins First Event as a Boater in Costa FLW Series Competition, Takes Home $38,026
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (Aug. 24, 2019) – Pro Marvin Reese of Randallstown, Maryland, caught four bass weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Northern Division tournament on the Potomac River presented by Lowrance. Reese’s three-day total of 14 bass weighing 38 pounds, 15 ounces, was enough to earn him the victory by a 1-pound, 6-ounce margin and a cash prize of $38,026. Reese also tallied 250 points in the Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits Angler of the Year (AOY) standings.
“This is my first win as a boater – it feels pretty special,” said Reese, who earned his fifth career victory in FLW competition – third on the Potomac River. “I’ve been in this position [to win] before as a co-angler and it always seems like things don’t go right the last day and you fall short. I had two fish break off today, and two other fish hooked up. I had the bites and I’m like ‘I blew it.’ It shouldn’t have been this close, but I’ll tell you what, this win feels great.”
Reese caught a fish or two in grass on days one and two and caught a couple on shallower hard cover up near Washington, D.C., but the vast bulk of his weight came from one particular structure.
“It was a pier in 20 feet of water in D.C., and I just fished simple. I threw up on the side of it, and they would hit the bait on the fall,” said Reese. “I was feeding the lure line so it could get down to the bottom – it was nothing more complicated than that.
“It had two key spots on it that accounted for 12 of the 14 bass I weighed-in,” continued Reese. “The two corners are the sweet spots, and I had stuff pretty dialed in on that dock. That structure is hollow underneath, and once that tide gets to a certain level they sit under there and they’d come out and hit it [the bait] on the fall. Not a fish we caught there all week hit it on the bottom.”
Reese cited a jig and a shaky-head rig as key lures this week. He preferred a ½-ounce handmade green-pumpkin-colored jig with a Strike King Rage Tail Craw trailer of the same color and a green-pumpkin/green-flake Zoom Trick Worm on a 3/16-ounce Spot Remover shaky-head hook. He said he caught six keepers Thursday and Friday, with each lure catching an equal amount of fish.
On Saturday, Reese struggled a bit, but managed to scrape up three late in the day, with his third fish coming from an area called the Spoils. He added that the shaky-head rig was what produced for him on the final day of the tournament.
“I thought if I could get one more fish I would run back up there to that dock to try and get a kicker,” said Reese. “I fished and fished and didn’t catch one, so with 15 minutes left I ran back up there anyway. With three fish in the boat and 15 or 20 minutes to fish I pulled up on it and caught one, and that ended up being the difference.”
The top 10 pros on the Potomac River finished:
1st: Marvin Reese, Randallstown, Md., 14 bass, 38-15, $38,026
2nd: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 15 bass, 37-9, $14,932
3rd: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 37-3, $12,948
4th: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W. Va., 15 bass, 36-3, $9,457
5th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 36-3, $9,511
6th: Robert Grike, Dumfries, Va., 14 bass, 36-0, $7,565
7th: Jordan Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 15 bass, 33-10, $6,620
8th: Nitro pro Dylan Hays, El Dorado, Ark., 14 bass, 31-12, $5,874
9th: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., 14 bass, 30-9, $4,728
10th: Wil Dieffenbauch, Morgantown, W. Va., 12 bass, 30-1, $3,783
A complete list of results will be posted at FLWFishing.com.
Chris Moxley of Strasburg, Virginia, weighed a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass Friday – the heaviest fish of the tournament in the Pro Division. The catch earned Moxley the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $272.
Jim Short of Ocean Pines, Maryland, won the Co-angler Division with a three-day total catch of 13 bass weighing 29 pounds, 9 ounces. For his win, Short took home a $32,350 prize package, including a Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on the Potomac River finished:
1st: Jim Short, Ocean Pines, Md., 13 bass, 29-9, $27,350 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Ted Kephart, Philipsburg, Pa., 13 bass, 28-10, $4,800
3rd: Austin Archer, Anniston, Ala., 12 bass, 26-11, $3,840
4th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., 14 bass, 26-1, $3,410
5th: Ryan Bauman, Fleetwood, Pa., 14 bass, 23-1, $3,030
6th: Dennis Blakely, Norwalk, Ohio, 13 bass, 22-7, $2,400
7th: William Puduski, Portsmouth, N.H., 10 bass, 19-4, $1,920
8th: Daniel Taylor, Elizabethton, Tenn., 6 bass, 17-6, $1,861
9th: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., 9 bass, 17-1, $1,440
10th: Sakae Ushio, Tonawanda, N.Y., 8 bass, 17-0, $1,200
Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces. For his catch, Mellott earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $181.
The Costa FLW Series on the Potomac River presented by Lowrance was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. It was the second Northern Division tournament of the 2019 regular season. The next tournament for FLW Series anglers will be the Costa FLW Series at the St. Lawrence River presented by Realtree Fishing, held Sept. 19-21, in Massena, New York. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The "Invading Intern" - Special Edition
In this Special Edition of the AC Insider Podcast, Intern David takes on the Major League Fishing RedCrest Cup in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and talks to MLF Pro's such as James Watson, Brandon Palaniuk, MDJ, Jeff Sprague, Zack Birge, Ike, J-Pow, Jason Christie, Jordan Lee and more! Its an action packed special episode, check it out!!
Gustafson Cracks 25 Pounds, Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Cayuga Lake
|
|
|
Vinson, Powroznik, Neal, Iaconelli, Evers advance to Championship Round of REDCREST Presented by Venmo
|
(Left to right) Greg Vinson, Michael Neal, Jacob Powroznik, Mike Iaconelli, and Edwin Evers advance to Championship Round of Redcrest at La Crosse, Wis. They will be joined by today's Top 5 in the Sunday finale.
|
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Aug. 23, 2019) - Round 1 of the Knockout Round at REDCREST Presented by Venmo did not disappoint. After yesterday's Elimination Round featured little to no drama near the Elimination Line, we had plenty of it today.
The 10 anglers battling to survive made it exciting down to the last second, and it truly came down to the wire. Edwin Evers was the last man in thanks to a Period 3 rally that bumped Stephen Browning to the wrong side of the Top 5.
Here's what we know: Stephen Browning, Mark Daniels, Jr., Jeff Sprague, Andy Morgan, and Jacob Wheeler were eliminated, but each of them had their chances and they made valiant attempts to survive.
Greg Vinson, Michael Neal, Jacob Powroznik, Mike Iaconelli, and Edwin Evers have advanced. These five will be joined by five anglers from tomorrow's Knockout Round - Round 2 and will compete for the REDCREST title at Sunday's Championship Round on Pool 7.
Vinson Cruises
During the Shotgun and Elimination Rounds, Vinson was the most consistent angler in the field, weighing 48-7 and 50-4, respectively. He continued his solid tournament with 40 bass for 63-10 today, with the bulk of his weight coming on a jerkbait and topwater walking bait.
He took over the lead from Powroznik late in the day and then continued to catch fish until "lines out".
Vinson credits the management of his locations for his success.
"I had a really good first day of practice there and saw other anglers fishing in the same area, but they were not keying on the same things," he said. "I had to be careful not to be seen fishing the way I was the first two days."
Pool 7 - site of the Championship Round - features a slightly different layout, and it is unclear if Vinson can run the same pattern, but he's happy to have a chance.
"I'll keep an open mind during my ride around and see what catches my eye," he said. "It's awesome to have a shot against nine other guys for the title of the first REDCREST champion," he said.
Neal Stays Steady
Over the first two rounds, Neal was a solid performer with 82-7 during the first two days to land in 10th place. Today, he weighed over 60 pounds doing the same thing, mostly in the same location.
"I started there every day, and it is one of those 'magical spots' that seems to always have fish there," said Neal. "It is what got me through each round."
When he left his primary area and then returned, the bass were biting.
"I came back to it and caught nine fish in the afternoon with four on consecutive casts," Neal added.
Powroznik Rides Massive Morning
Early on, Powroznik could do no wrong. He had an area stacked with fish and went to work with a wacky-rig to build his lead. The majority of his 53-13 came in Period 1, and it was enough for him to advance.
Iaconelli Survives
Iaconelli had plenty of peaks and valleys as he occupied every place from 10th to 4th at some point today. He made a switch to a small buzzbait in the final 30 minutes, and it was the difference-maker as he landed key bass that cemented his spot in the Championship Round.
Edwin Squeaks In
Evers, the 2019 Points Champion, shook off a slow morning and stayed focused all day, even with a tense close to Period 3.
"This format is so intense and exciting knowing exactly where you stand," he said.
His final 3 minutes consisted of two fish catches and one two-minute fish landing violation. It was a crazy finish, but it worked out just fine for Evers.
Browning Falls Late
Stephen Browning had the unfortunate distinction of being the first man out. He had stayed in the top five the entire day, until when it mattered most. In the final 30 minutes, he was bumped by Evers. Browning caught a solid keeper in the final moments, but it was not enough as Evers also placed a bass on the scale in the last minute.
Browning was speechless as he was informed that he was eliminated by less than 2 pounds. Instead of addressing the MLF NOW! cameras, he strapped down his rods and prepared to leave.
MDJ's Rally Comes Up Short
Late in Period 3, Mark Daniels Jr. had a shot and was within striking distance of the fifth position, but couldn't get over the hump and finished just over 3 pounds out of the final spot. He remained unflappable even after hooking his official, having to remove the hook and then losing another bass in the final moments.
Daily Winners
Shotgun Round daily awards were:
* The Berkley Big Bass of the day was Stephen Browning's 3-15 largemouth.
* Michael Neal won the Berkley Catch Count award with 42 bass on the day.
* Greg Vinson's 63-10 earned him the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award.
Looking Ahead
Knockout Round 2 commences tomorrow with the remaining 10 anglers vying for five spots to advance. They will be joined by today's top finishers for the Championship Round on Pool 7 this Sunday.
- Saturday, Aug. 24: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 25: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
- REDCREST Midway: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-25; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Postgame Show Presented by Berkley: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24-25; approximately 4 p.m.
https://majorleaguefishing.com/event/redcrest-bass-pro-tour-championship-la-crosse-wi/results/
YETI INTRODUCES THE HOPPER M30 TO ITS PREMIUM SOFT COOLER LINE
NEWEST COOLER FEATURES HYDROSHIELD™ MAGNETIZED CLOSURE FOR OPTIMAL ICE RETENTION
Austin, Texas (August 22, 2019) — YETI® Holdings, Inc. (“YETI”) (NYSE: YETI), a leading premium outdoor brand, today launched the latest evolution of its soft cooler collection, the Hopper® M30®. The Hopper M30 features a new leak-resistant HydroShield™ magnetized closure that provides superior ice retention and usability.
“We’re committed to providing our customers with the most innovative and highest quality gear on the market to use as they pursue their active adventures,” says YETI President and CEO, Matt Reintjes. “We know the Hopper M30 design will deliver incredible portability, durability, and ice retention, and we’re excited to officially introduce it to consumers.”
The Hopper M30 is completely waterproof and uses high-density fabric that resists punctures, abrasions, mildew, and UV rays for unmatched durability. It offers superior thermal performance due to its closed-cell foam insulation and is engineered with a 50 percent wider opening for increased ease of use.
The Hopper M30 is the latest product within the YETI soft-sided Hopper family and joins the Hopper Flip™ 8, the Hopper Flip 12, and the Hopper Flip 18. While it’s the first Hopper product to use a novel magnet technology, YETI began incorporating magnetic closures in 2017, first with the Rambler® MagSlider™ Lid and most recently within the SideKick Dry™ and Daytrip™ Lunch Bag.
The Hopper M30 retails for $299.99 and is available in Charcoal, Navy, and, for a limited time, River Green. For more information regarding the Hopper M30, and YETI’s other premium products, please visit yeti.com.
Berkley® Delivers High-Performing New Hardbaits for 2019 with the Tournament-Proven Frittside and the new Berkley SPY
Berkley has introduced a number hardbaits over the last two years that have become proven tournament winners, including some dynamic crankbaits and topwater baits. This year, anglers will have even more options to choose from as they look to take advantage of Berkley’s years of designing, testing and proving its lures with pros who know what it takes to make a fish bite.
“Our team is dedicated to making the best hardbaits in the world,” said Kevin Malone, brand manager for Berkley. “It is evident in our new baits, especially the Berkley Frittside and SPY. These baits represent years of hard work, prototyping, tank testing and proving their performance on the water and it is evident every time you pull one out of the tackle box.”
The Berkley Frittside crankbait features the same proven action that won David Fritts the Bassmaster Classic and made waves at the 2019 Bassmaster Classic earlier this year. Delivering balsa actions with the durability and casting performance of a plastic bait, the Frittside is a key bait for tough conditions when fish are sluggish or heavily pressured. The classic flat side profile mimics a variety of species and creates the most flash of any Berkley crankbait. Balanced weight design makes for improved tracking accuracy at higher speeds and the bait is designed to be cast well, even on bait casting set-ups.
The Frittside comes in 18 colors across three sizes, five, seven and nine which run five, seven and nine feet deep respectively. The seven and nine models feature a weighted bill to get the bait down to running depth quickly. The bait has sticking power thanks to sharp Fusion19 hooks. All models retail for $8.99.
Delivering a new level of Berkley finesse, the SPY has been fine-tuned by professional angler Josh Bertrand to perform in the toughest clear water situations. The compact profile offers a slightly different and wide-ranging baitfish profile. Fitted with easy spinning props and a tailor-made tight shimmying action, the SPY delivers an ideal spybait action on the fall and throughout the slowest retrieves. The bait features a compact profile for bullet-like casts.
The bait comes in two fall rate options, including a standard fall rate model and a slow-fall model designed to fish in shallower water than a traditional spybait. Each version comes in twelve dynamic colors and the baits feature high-detail finish and cosmetics for finicky fish. All the baits are equipped with super-sharp Fusion19 treble hooks. The SPY retails for $9.99.
A variety of popular Berkley baits will benefit from new size offerings. The popular Berkley Warpig is now available in a smaller, two-inch version called the Warpig Junior. This bait is perfect for pond anglers and is likely to get a workout from plenty of ice anglers this coming winter. The Berkley Choppo, currently available in a 90-millimeter and 120-millimeter version is now available in a 105-millimeter bait that fills in the middle ground and gives anglers a sought-after size option. The Berkley Bad Shad is the premier casting shad bait on the market and is now available in a new, larger 8cm size in addition to the existing 5-centimeter and 7-centimeter size, giving anglers a larger-profile bait.
The Berkley line of Flicker baits gets updated with new colors this year. Most notable are the additions of the popular firetail colors launched in 2018 for the Flicker Shad Jointed range, now available in standard Flicker Shad and Flicker Minnow bodies.
The 2019 lineup of new Berkley hardbaits will be available in retail stores nationwide in September 2019.
90 kids get a fishing lesson from Kevin VanDam
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Imagine getting the very first fishing tips of your life from the world’s greatest bass anger of all time.
Well, that was pretty much the case in La Crosse, Wisconsin Thursday afternoon as Team Toyota’s Kevin VanDam and several other MLF pros took time to share their expert knowledge with 90 kids from the local Boys & Girls Club.
While a small handful of the youth had some fishing experience, the vast majority had none, so comical questions like “Is that a jellyfish?” surfaced early as VanDam held up a skirted jig.
“We’re going to talk about artificial lures that are made to look like the real thing, but unlike real live minnows and worms, you have to cast these and make them wiggle and jiggle,” VanDam explained.
VanDam’s illustrious career of wiggling and jiggling began at age three on an ice fishing trip with his dad, and to this day, he says the chilly trip set the course for the rest of his life and highly decorated career.
La Crosse offers a water rich landscape surrounded by fishing opportunities, so taking time to educate its young residents about the sport VanDam and his peers love passionately made great sense.
“We thought it was real important to bring you here today, because you live in a city where water is everywhere, and you have so many neat opportunities to catch a fish,” VanDam told his students.
VanDam knows first hand from raising twin sons that getting bites is the key to hooking young anglers on fishing. He stresses the importance of an earthworm under a bobber to generate bites from bluegill and plenty of action, versus trying to teach somebody how to catch a bass or walleye on their first outings.
Nine-year-old Emma had actually caught a bluegill on a recent trip but she said VanDam taught her, “You can’t just sit in one place, you need to move around, even if you’re fishing from shore until you find where the fish are biting.”
Fitting advice from VanDam who is well known for his ultra fast fishing style, but young Kenzie was most concerned with the smell of the plastic topwater frog on the picnic table.
“Why does this frog smell like white rice,” she asked.
Comical inquiries were as plentiful as 2-pound bass in the Upper Mississippi, but mostly VanDam and other pros like Keith Poche, Gary Klein, and Kelly Jordan shared their love of the game they play at the highest level with 90 potential anglers while hitting the Boys & Girls Club Mission spot-on … “Inspire and empower all young people to reach their full potential as productive responsible and caring citizens.”
VanDam and his fellow pros indeed did just that Thursday afternoon.
Upper Mississippi River Elimination Round - Birge Continues Onslaught, Rose Rolls at REDCREST
|
MLF pro Brandon Palaniuk was one of the Top 20 anglers to advance to the next round of competitions at the REDCREST on the Upper Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis. (Photo by Garrick Dixon)
|
- The Berkley Big Bass of the day was Jacob Wheeler's 4-0 smallmouth.
- Mark Rose won the Berkley Catch Count award with 44 bass on the day.
- Rose's 67-8 earned him the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award.
- Friday, Aug. 23: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 24: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 25: 6:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Postgame Show at approximately 4 p.m.
- REDCREST Midway: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-25; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Postgame Show Presented by Berkley: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24-25; approximately 4 p.m.
Wheeler is fishing the hard stuff
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Jacob Wheeler may not be the first angler you think of when salty “river rats” are discussed, but actually, the mega-talented young angler cut his teeth pitching a Texas rigged tube to log jams on the White River in his hometown of Indianapolis.
“When I was 14, I’d ride my bike two miles to the boat ramp with five rods, a bag full of tackle trays, and 10-bucks for boat gas money for whoever was kind enough to take me along as their partner in the Wednesday night jackpots,” says Wheeler.
Fourteen years later, lessons learned in “Indy” continue to translate well as he climbs steadily through the rounds of MLF’s inaugural REDCREST Championship on the Upper Mississippi in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
However, unlike most anglers who are fishing thousands of acres of milfoil, eel grass, and duckweed around the Mississippi’s shoreline – Wheeler is fishing the hard stuff like seawalls, river barges, rocky banks, barge tie ups, and industrial man made stuff.
“I just never found a good group of fish in the vegetation. But my experience on rivers has taught me you can always get bites around the barges, seawalls, and that type of stuff,” he says.
“You’re not typically going to get a lot of bites off one particular dock or barge, or whatever, but I know if I hit 20 of those places a day, six or eight of them will produce fish,” he adds.
Wheeler is not partial to one or two lures when running and gunning the rough stuff, instead it’s sort of a junk fishing approach that involves jigs, buzz toads, finesse worms, small cranks and Chatterbaits.
Of course, you know, if he sees a log jam mixed in, he’ll pitch an old skool tube in there laced with memories of his childhood. And you can be certain he’d have ample anglers itching to take his $10 donation for boat gas money, for a chance to be his partner these days at any given Wednesday night jackpot.
, Zaldain Takes Day 1 Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Cayuga Lake
|
|
|
REESE LEADS NORTHERN COSTA ON THE POTOMAC
August 22, 2019 by Jody White
Day one of the Potomac River event, which is the second stop of the Costa FLW Series Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits, featured plenty of limits, but getting quality bites was definitely an issue for some. In the lead after day one, Marvin Reese of Randallstown, Md., weighed 14 pounds, 12 ounces to get things underway. Behind Reese, Justin Atkins and Jason Kervin both weighed 14-5, and Robert Grike rounded out the 14-pound brigade with 14-4. Overall, just 11 pros cracked the 12-pound mark on day one of the tournament, which is presented by Lowrance, but 8- and 9-pound limits weren’t too hard to come by.
Reese is a Potomac local, and though he’s got two Costa FLW Series wins under his belt as a co-angler, he’s relatively new to the front of the boat in high-level competition, having only started fishing T-H Marine Bass Fishing League events as a boater in 2016.
“It went pretty good,” says Reese of his day. “I’ve got a couple of spots where I caught that bag early, and I left them alone by about 9:30 a.m. So hopefully they will reload for me tomorrow.
“Tide is everything on this river system, whether you’re fishing hard cover or grass, and low tide first thing in the morning is perfect for how I’m fishing.”
Catching just six keepers, Reese thinks he’s rationed his fish well. Unless the cool and cloudy weather on tap for tomorrow changes things he thinks he could keep up the pace.
“I found some pretty good quality,” says Reese. “This is my home fishery, and I’ve got a couple of hard-cover spots that usually produce. Right now they’re producing pretty good for me.”
Top 10 pros
1. Marvin Reese – Randallstown, Md. – 14-12 (5)
2. Justin Atkins – Florence, Ala. – 14-5 (5)
2. Jason Kervin – Raymond, Maine – 14-5 (5)
4. Robert Grike – Dumfries, Va. – 14-4 (5)
5. Gregory Wilder – Millersville, Md. – 13-7 (5)
6. Troy Morrow – Eastanollee, Ga. – 13-3 (5)
6. Brian Tyler – Johnsonville, S.C. – 13-3 (5)
8. Aaron Dixon – Bel Alton, Md. – 13-0 (5)
9. Erik Luzak – Fenelon Falls, Ontario – 12-12 (5)
10. Ryan Davidson – Branchland, W.Va. – 12-12 (5)
Co-angler Taylor wallops ‘em
Only eight pros broke the 13-pound mark on day one, but co-angler Daniel Taylor of Elizabethton, Tenn., blew by it with 13-10 on just four fish for the lead in his division. In second, Ted Kephart of Philipsburg, Pa., weighed a limit worth 12-10.
Fishing behind pro Bryan Sisk, Taylor caught a heavy 4-pounder right off the bat and a 3-pounder a little while later to set the pace.
“I had a wonderful day,” says Taylor. “I only got four bites that I could get in, but I got one other bite. I caught them all on a Senko. We’ve been here for five days practicing, and we caught just one bass the first three days.”
Taylor says that he and his travel partner found some fish later on in practice, but Sisk was doing something totally different today. So, Taylor adjusted.
“I feel great about tomorrow,” he says. “I’m versatile. Whoever I get drawn with, I’m going to do whatever I can do to stay in the lead.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Daniel Taylor – Elizabethton, Tenn. – 13-10 (4)
2. Ted Kephart – Philipsburg, Pa. – 12-10 (5)
3. Trevor Holman – Durham, N.C. – 11-0 (4)
4. Sakae Ushio – Tonawanda, N.Y. – 10-3 (4)
5. John Kelley Jr. – Old Forge, Pa. – 10-0 (4)
6. Jim Short – Ocean Pines, Md. – 9-9 (5)
7. Lenny Baird – Stafford, Va. – 9-7 (5)
8. Austin Archer – Anniston, Ala. – 9-6 (4)
9. Paul Georgiou – Rockville, Md. – 8-15 (5)
10. William Puduski – Portsmouth, N.H. – 8-10 (4)
Minn Kota® Continues Legacy of Innovation With New Trolling Motors Featuring Built-In MEGA Side Imaging® From Humminbird®
RACINE, Wis., August 22, 2019 – Minn Kota®, the global leader in trolling motor innovation, debuts Built-In MEGA Side Imaging® in its Ultrex™ and Ulterra® trolling motors this fall, allowing 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.
MEGA Imaging® is the first imaging technology to enter the megahertz range with performance that provides three times greater detail than traditional 455 kHz frequencies. Adding Humminbird’s MEGA Side Imaging to Minn Kota’s trolling motors results in the clearest, sharpest real-time images without the need to run wires which can compromise the use of the trolling motor’s key features such as Spot-Lock™ and i-Pilot® Link™.
Ultrex trolling motors 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. Only Ulterra features auto stow/deploy and power trim, allowing anglers to precisely control their motor with unrivaled ease.
“Fishing from the bow with down and side-imaging has been an imperfect practice with anglers having to deal with external transducers and cords," said Joe Brown, senior director of brand management at Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics. “Minn Kota’s Built-In MEGA Side Imaging houses the transducer directly inside the trolling motor for ultimate protection. It also relays real-time images from directly underneath and to the side of the boat letting anglers focus entirely on the fish.”
With Built-In MEGA Side Imaging, the transducer is housed in the motor’s lower unit and the wiring runs through the indestructible composite shaft providing clean rigging that is protected from damage over time. In addition, having the transducer integrated into the trolling motors allows anglers to see what is directly below the bow and to the side of the boat, rather than the transom, meaning anglers can make better informed decisions in real time.
As part of the One-Boat Network™, the new Ultrex and Ulterra trolling motors with Built-In MEGA Side Imaging feature i-Pilot Link. Anglers can utilize i-Pilot Link to control the motor from a Humminbird unit, the i-Pilot Link mobile app or the i-Pilot Link remote. Both motors include features like “jog” and “follow” – with the press of a button the boat will automatically follow an exact depth contour at a set speed.
The new trolling motors are fully compatible with MEGA Imaging and MEGA Imaging+™ equipped Humminbird fish finders. Anglers fishing with a MEGA Imaging+ Humminbird unit will get 20 percent more detail compared to MEGA Imaging. The new Ultrex and Ulterra trolling motors with Built-In Side Imaging will be available to ship in early 2020. For more information visit MinnKotaMotors.com/MEGA.
Lee has lunch and a lucky penny
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Carhartt pro Jordan Lee didn’t have the day he was hoping for Wednesday in the opening round of the MLF REDCREST Championship on the Upper Mississippi River. He sat 25thout of 30 at days end, but makes no excuses, including the fact he forgot his lunch yesterday.
In reality, the former Auburn college bass fishing champ rarely eats during a tournament anyhow. Plus, his ride along MLF official was kind enough to grab Jordan some jerky and trail mix yesterday to make sure nobody went hungry.
Lee says he munched on the supplementary lunch supplied by his official, but the 13 bass he scored were only good enough for 23 pounds, and a place near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Today is a new day, and Lee’s armed with two strawberry Smucker’s Uncrustables and a pair of protein bars packed by his bride Kristen. But she’s not overly hopeful her lunch will mean much to his catching success.
“The kid won’t eat,” grinned Kristen, beneath her Carhartt hat in the foggy 58-degree air just before takeoff.
That said, she tossed a lucky penny into the chest pocket of his jacket that she found lying heads-up in the Target parking lot yesterday.
“Maybe the penny will help, maybe it won’t,” says her always un-rattled husband. “I knew what I found in practice wasn’t great, but I have no regrets about how I fished yesterday either.”
Lee says he plans to lean a little more on Texas rigged soft plastics today, and will mix-in a drop shot and a Chatterbait too. Mostly, he’ll fish today like a brand new day in nonchalant and carefree fashion – that’s the essence of the mega talented “Jo Lee.”
And hey, if peanut butter and strawberry jam don’t do the trick for a much better place on the leaderboard, maybe Abe Lincoln will.
Brown & Dingledine Win Joe Bass Team Trail Mark Twain event!
Courtesy of JoeBassTeamtrail.com
Typical late summer tough Twain. That was the general consensus as 29 teams gathered at Robert Allen Ramp for the division finale for 2019. Up for grabs wasn’t just the tournament payout, but also valuable points to qualify for the Invitational at Truman Lake in October and finding out who was the 154 Marine Division Points Champion.
The day started out with heavy cloud cover and lightning flashing the sky to the north and west yet throughout the day the anglers stayed dry as the storm front track north of the lake area, giving the anglers cloudy cooler conditions most of the day before the clouds surrendered to sunshine early in the afternoon.
Taking the top spot today was the team of Jim Brown and Gary Dingledine. Jim and Gary fished a tournament on Saturday and struggled all day never connecting with a legal keeper. So with 4th and 40 Jim and Gary punted their fishing area and decided to “Just Go Fishing”. So at take off they turned the boat up lake and fished a point in the mid-lake area that neither one had fished for several years. Dragging worms and jigs around the point the team connected with 3 keepers early, then the bite slowed Jim and Gary moved to an adjacent point and only connected with a few shorts but the plan was to let their primary point rest for a few hours. Jim and Gary felt comfortable doing this as no other boats were in the area. Late morning they returned to their primary point and caught the remainder of their limit. The BPG Inspections, Lavy’s Welding sponsored team topped the field weighing in 12.73 pounds of bass. Included in their bag was the second big bass weighing 3.83 pounds.
Coming in Second today was the team of Jim Coyner and Keith Ostrander. Jim and Keith did their normal summer pattern “Run and Gun” hitting as many as 30 spots on the day, brush piles, ledges, points, main lake pockets were all on the list of things to fish. Like the winners, Jim and Keith also fished soft plastics and jigs catching several keepers on the day with their best 5 weighing 11.99 pounds. Jimmy and Keith are sponsored by 154 Marine and Bulls eye bait and tackle.
Taking the third spot today was team of Keith Hendrix and Greg Zumwalt. Keith and Greg started their day off fishing top water in the lower end of the lake, but with little success. As the sun got higher Keith and Greg moved to drop baits and started hopping points and channel swings working their way back to Robert Allen Ramp. This turned out to be the right move as the team caught 4 keepers and lost number 5 twice. Their 4 fish tipped the scales at 10.46 pounds good enough for third place in the tournament and the team locked down the 154 Marine points championship. Keith and Greg are sponsored by 154 Marine, JC Auto and Truck Parts, HPW Lures, Crop Rotation Services, Dyna Grow Seed, and Jack’s Harbor Marine.
Well for most of the day the team of Bill Kayser and Donnie Seabaugh were scratching their heads wondering where the fish were and if they would ever boat a keeper on the day. Running out of options the team went to the dam to finish the day. Stroaking a jig the team popped 2 keepers in the final hour of the day, one of which wound up being the Ozark Chevrolet Big Joe Bass weighing 4.09 pounds.
| Place | Team Members | Fish | Pnlty | B/F | TotWgt | Pts | Payout |
| 1 | Jim Brown – Gary Dingledine | 5 | 3.83 | 12.73 | 110 | $1,620.00 | |
| 2 | Jim Coyner – Keith Ostrander | 5 | 3.21 | 11.99 | 109 | $980.00 | |
| 3 | Keith Hendrix – Greg Zumwalt | 4 | 3.49 | 10.46 | 108 | $690.00 | |
| 4 | John Thrasher – Jason Kiser | 5 | 10.28 | 107 | $450.00 | ||
| 5 | Chris Janda – J. Rowdy Yates | 5 | 0.5 | 9.98 | 106 | $300.00 | |
| 6 | Wayne Werle – Jim Lomax | 4 | 9.03 | 105 | |||
| 7 | Jason Huskey – Bryan Hulsey | 3 | 8 | 104 | |||
| 8 | Tom Herndon – Jason VanBeers | 4 | 7.56 | 103 | |||
| 9 | John Knudsen – Tom Williams | 4 | 7.15 | 102 | |||
| 10 | Chad Denningmann – Kurt Denningmann | 3 | 6.37 | 101 | |||
| 11 | Bill Kayser – Donnie Seabaugh | 2 | 4.09 | 6.1 | 100 | ||
| 12 | Ryan Hopping – *Chris Schwerdt | 2 | 4.81 | 99 | |||
| 13 | Paul Hager – Phil Allen | 2 | 4.79 | 98 | |||
| 14 | Steve Weber – Sam Phillips | 2 | 4.76 | 97 | |||
| 15 | Kenny Grothoff – Donnie Palmatory | 2 | 4.22 | 96 | |||
| 16 | Mike Tucker – Cory Kunkle | 2 | 4.08 | 95 | |||
| 17 | Brad Dooley – Terry Jones | 2 | 3.94 | 94 | |||
| 18 | Dominic Perotti – Jim Sexton | 2 | 3.9 | 93 | |||
| 19 | Ken Young – John Drury | 2 | 3.86 | 92 | |||
| 20 | Gary Koenig – Robin Hessling | 2 | 3.64 | 91 | |||
| 21 | Todd Hessling – Tom Darnell | 1 | 3.17 | 3.17 | 90 | ||
| 22 | David Kampschroeder – *fished aalone | 1 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 89 | ||
| 23 | Stephan Luckett – *Sean Kelly | 1 | 1.71 | 1.71 | 88 | ||
| 24 | Lee Atwood – Eric Maxey | 0 | 10 | ||||
| Jason Coan – Charlie Bogard | 0 | 10 | |||||
| Lonnie Franklin – Bob Peneston | 0 | 10 | |||||
| Charlie Kunkle – Keith Williams | 0 | 10 | |||||
| *Rick McGuire – Rich Labarge | 0 | 10 | |||||
| Dave Strutman – Denny Lambert | 0 | 10 |
Inaugural FLW KBF Cup Champ - Clint Henderson
Vance McCullough
“It’s really surreal. I can’t believe it happened, can’t believe I did it,” said Clint Henderson, clutching his champion’s plaque backstage after winning the Inaugural Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup presented by YakAttack.
The kayak fishing pro from Rome, GA topped a field of 72 on 40,000-acre Lake Ouachita over two days of competition. Low water and a slow bite, typical of August, awaited the anglers. Henderson solved the problems better than anyone else.
He amassed 81.25 inches in the first round to start the tournament in 3rdplace, following that up with 76.50 inches on Day 2 to take the title with a length total of 157.75, good for a 2.75-inch margin of victory.
“I traveled up here with my real good friend Jim Ware. We did a bunch of homework, watched a lot of FLW Cup coverage and had the exact brush piles where (2018 FLW Cup Champion) Clent Davis caught his big fish last year. I did the ninja skills and said ‘hey, I see those buoys and I remember seeing that on the GPS satellites.’ We found that and fished there first and we did ok, but I think, with them dropping the lake levels like they did, I don’t think it was the same as it was when Clent was here last year.
“So, we hit another spot that we liked, that had some features like back home that we like, and when I went to the first spot I really liked, my screen just lit up - I’ve got a Humminbird Mega 9 on there. They moved from about 12 to 18 feet throughout the tournament, depending on the weather. I wanted more sunshine because I think I could have done better. I caught 3 good fish easy in pre-fishing when we found the spot. We got all this cloud cover during the tournament, so it was a tough bite up there. They scattered out. They weren’t hugged down there all the time like I wanted them, where I knew I could catch ‘em good, but it was still good enough.”
A late fish made the difference for Henderson, “I had a limit easy early yesterday, though I lost a big fish up shallow. Today it was a grind and I let a 12-and-a-half-incher flop off the board. I thought ‘this thing’s gonna bite me.’ I went forever with 4 fish. Almost on the hour, an hour left to fish, I caught my 5thfish of the day, a 19-and-a-quarter. It was already past the lunar peak and I thought ‘this bite is probably over. It ain’t gonna happen,’.”
Henderson was dragging a creature bait on hard bottom 15 feet down on a river ledge. “I fished where I thought I should have got bit and when I went to burn it back up to the boat, he about took the rod out of my hand. I didn’t catch another fish after that one. That was the one.
“When I netted that fish, it felt like I had won. It took me 15 minutes to recompose myself. I cried.”
Henderson is excited about the direction kayak fishing is headed. “I can’t wait to see where it goes. It’s grown so much in the last few years since I started doing it. I used to fish local bass boat tournaments and when I first got into kayak fishing it was just much more lucrative. I came out in the black for the first time,” he said, pointing to the lower operating expenses of angling from a kayak as opposed to a motorboat.
“I cut a check in my first one and I was like ‘this could work’. I love fishing from a kayak. I go out in a boat now and it feels weird. I have trouble landing fish because I don’t have that give. A big fish can pull that kayak around but a 20-plus-foot bass boat, a bass can’t move it.”
Henderson has experienced success before. He has used the platform to spread the word - God’s Word. “I started that Fishers Of Men Kayak Page on Facebook. I put it out there at the forefront: if you want to pull for me, here’s what I am, I’m a Christian and if you want to know about that, then get ahold of me.”
Experiencing the Creator’s handiwork on a deeper level is a huge draw for many who choose to fish from a kayak. Henderson says he’s better connected to his environment and the fish that swim in it for that reason. “The little things - that’s the part of fishing that I really learned from kayak fishing. I see every little baitfish, every little swirl, because I’m sitting down there on the water, tuned-in to it, listening. There’s no trolling motor buzzing. There’s just you and the Creation. Tuned in. Part of the river.”
Fish with Brad Giveaway!
Enter Here to win an All-Expense Paid two night, One day fishing trip with ARE Team Member Brad Knight!
Waterproof Bags for All Your Essentials
|
Technologically advanced GILL Race Team Bags complement the outdoors lifestyle |
|
Buford, GA (August 9, 2019) – We all wish we had the perfect bag to store our essential items for fishing or a simple day on the water with friends and family. Well, look no further than Gill’s new Race Team Bag Max (90-liter) and Race Team Mini (10-liter), building off the popularity of the original 30-liter Race Team Bag. All are the perfect accessory for keeping essential goods safe and dry, and easily stowable for use on any watercraft. And while their design might recall the classic duffel bag so many of us have stuffed with raingear, extra clothing and fishing gear, the similarities end there... |
|
|
For starters, both bags are manufactured of a 100% PVC-free puncture-resistant, waterproof tarpaulin fabric for the ultimate in protection from the very real world of waves, water and weather. Stitch-free, high frequency welded seams only complete the Race Team Bag’s waterproofness, as well as secure Velcro fastening and a roll-down closure for a watertight seal. In terms of sizing, GILL has everyone’s bases covered. Available in an extremely roomy 90-liter Max version as well as the slimmer 10-liter version, you’ll find exactly the right size, whether it’s to pack for a week-long adventure or a simple afternoon junket. Gill didn’t leave aesthetics out of the picture, either. A very attractive design in total, the Race Team Max is available in a flattering graphite, while the Mini comes in graphite, tango, or blue. Looking for luggage that is willing to stand up to your next adventure? Then consider the GILL Race Team Bag Max 90L and Race Team Bag Mini 10L Race Team Bags! |
|
|
Race Team Bag Max 90L Technology:
Race Team Bag Max 90L Features/Benefits:
Fabric Composition:
|
|
|
GILL’s new Race Team Bag Mini 10L
Race Team Bag Max 90L Features/Benefits:
Fabric Composition:
|
|
|
|
To learn more about Gill’s fishing rainwear and additional apparel, visit www.gillfishing.com. |
Berkley® Launches New PowerBait® Designs From Pros Mike Iaconelli and Skeet Reese
Berkley has a strong history of working directly with its stable of pro anglers to design baits that deliver against specific needs and trends. This year is no exception with two of bass fishing’s most exciting and successful anglers designing baits that headline the new product selection. All the new designs, including those designed by Iaconelli and Reese, feature the exclusive Berkley PowerBait formula that drives fish to hold on to a bait 18 times longer* than a traditional soft plastic, giving anglers the time and confidence to feel more bites.
“We can’t wait for more anglers to put these new designs to the test,” said Vice President of Marketing for Berkley, Jon Schlosser. “We are bringing the undeniable power of PowerBait to some of the most exciting and on-trend fishing styles and applications on the market today.”
The new pro-designed additions to the PowerBait lineup include the Flute Worm and Water Bug by Mike Iaconelli.
The PowerBait Flute Worm is a finesse worm with integrated o-ring locations primarily designed to be fished on a Neko rig. It features a tapered “flute-style” tail that twitches and moves with subtle movements, and a blunt head that is perfect for inserting weights, allowing the bait to be used to stomp the bottom when hopping a Neko rig. The Flute Worm is great on a shaky head or fished wacky rigged and is available in 4.7-inch, 5.7-inch and 6.7-inch lengths and 12 colors.
The new Ca$h Out, The Deal and Straight Money are designed by Skeet Reese. The PowerBait Ca$h Out is a 3-inch, small-profile bait designed to be fished year-round on the popular Ned Rig. The bait features a rudder-style tail which causes more action on the fall. Its ribbed belly kicks up dirt and silt for higher visibility. The Ca$h Out is available in 12 color options.
The Deal is Reese’s idea of the perfect bladed jig trailer. It has a high-sided shad profile, adding bulk and presence to the presentation and is available in 3.5-inch and 4.5-inch options, and 12 colors. Its high action tail mimics fleeing baitfish amping up the action of a bladed jig or is an excellent stand-alone swimbait in open water or around vegetation.
The Straight Money is a straight tail worm showcasing a simple, but important spade tail for generating wide actions, and when combined with the flat belly gives the bait a more seductive gliding action as it is falling. A key feature of the new bait, not found in other straight tail worms, is the hardness of the worm that causes a unique, high quivering action when twitched or hitting cover. The Straight Money is especially suited for Neko rigs and the blunt nose makes it easy to rig on a shaky head. The Straight Money is available in 12 colors, and 5-inch, 6-inch and 7-inch options.
In addition to the new pro-designed shapes, two additional sizes of the PowerBait Power® Swimmer will be available this summer. The Power Swimmer is a multi-purpose, multi-species smaller swimbait that can be used in countless scenarios. The small profile and paddletail action of the bait makes it perfect for fishing on a jighead as a finesse swimbait and it also makes a great swim jig trailer. Known for its durability over other similar style baits, the PowerBait Power Swimmer is also a perfect choice on A-rigs or heavy cover applications. The Power Swimmer is now available in 16 colors and 2.8-inch, 3.3-inch, 3.8-inch and 4.3-inch lengths.
Now available in a 3-inch option and seven colors, the Crazy Legs Chigger Craw has high action pinchers to create more strikes. The crazy legs swim with fast or slow movement and even flutter during a pause in the retrieve while creating additional action of the fall or retrieve that attracts curious fish. It can also be cut at the third leg to fit perfectly on a skirted jig.
The 2019 PowerBait lineup is now available in retail stores nationwide.
New Abu Garcia® IKE Travel Rods Offer Whole New Level of Freedom – Letting Anglers Fish Anytime, Anywhere
Crafted with an easy-to-assemble four piece design, including two separate tips with different actions, the IKE Series Travel Rods live up to Abu Garcia’s expected high level of quality while also granting freedom like never before. Available in both spinning and casting models, the Abu Garcia IKE Series Travel Rods feature actions designed by Iaconelli.
The rods are forged with 36 ton graphite, for a lightweight, balanced design and feature stainless steel guides with Zirconium inserts and a Fuji® reel seat – craftsmanship that promises increased sensitivity and comfort at no loss of durability. The new travel rods come with an IKE-approved hard rod case, designed to hold multiple IKE Series Travel Rods.
“It’s not always easy to find ideal fishing conditions amid a busy life,” said Abu Garcia Global Brand Director, Andrew Wheeler. “That’s why we’ve created the new Abu Garcia Ike Signature Series Travel Rods – to let anglers fish wherever they are, at their own convenience. Travel across the globe to find an exotic species, or switch techniques and street fish in the city on your lunch break—either way, IKE Travel Rods make it possible.”
The new Abu Garcia IKE Signature Series Travel Rods are priced at $149.95 and now available at retailers nationwide. The rods also have a limited three-year warranty.
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Chub™, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Hardy & Greys™, Hodgman®, Johnson™, Mitchell®, PENN®, Pflueger®, Sébile®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.
Abu Garcia® Debuts All-New Veracity™ Rods, Infused with Exclusive 3M Powerlux® Technology
The new Abu Garcia Veracity rod series features 3M Powerlux 300 resin system in its blanks, making the rods on average 30 percent stronger than Veracity rods constructed without 3M Powerlux resin, without sacrificing overall rod balance and sensitivity. Constructed of 40-ton carbon fibers with Cork and EVA grip options, the Abu Garcia Veracity series handles better than ever, and its proprietary custom Fuji® soft touch reel seat makes for improved comfort.
“The Abu Garcia Veracity series marks a turning point for the technology we are able to put into our rods,” said Andrew Wheeler, director of global brands for Abu Garcia. “With the new 3M Powerlux technology, we’ve crafted rods that are durable while remaining perfectly balanced and handling with improved sensitivity. No other rods feel the same as Abu Garcia’s Veracity series. Once people try them, they won’t want to use anything else.”
The 3M Powerlux 300 resin system evenly distributes nanoparticles between each carbon fiber to enhance the rod’s performance and strength by preventing cracks in the in the blank material and dramatically improving the rod tip with its dense yet lightweight construction. The 3M Powerlux technology helps produce rods with higher break strengths and improved impact and fracture resistance.
Available in casting, spinning, and swimbait models, the new Abu Garcia Veracity series is available now and will be priced from $199.95 to $249.95.
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Chub™, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Hardy & Greys™, Hodgman®, Johnson™, Mitchell®, PENN®, Pflueger®, Sébile®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.
*When compared to identically constructed rods without 3M Powerlux resin.
GILL Fishing Shirts Made from Recycled Material
|
Buford, GA (August 9, 2019) – These days, we’re all doing our part to recycle soda bottles and other plastics. Along the lines of growing conservationism, GILL is proud to announce their unique initiative to produce fishing apparel manufactured with performance fabrics made from recycled PET bottles. |
|
|
|
Enter the Men’s and Women’s Holcombe Crew, a comfortable long-sleeve shirt perfect for days on the water. Features include soft ‘cotton touch’ fabric for next-to-skin comfort, quick-drying performance and crease resistance, as well as easy, machine-washable care. And, as mentioned, the fabric contains the byproducts of plastics recycling with 50% polyamide, 48% polyester, and 2% elastane. So, besides home and work recycling efforts, here’s your chance to do your part to support the environment by wearing apparel made from recycled plastic goods! Women’s Holcombe Crew shirts are available in a fashionable grey marl and blue-tinted sky colors and sizes 4 through 12. Men’s Holcombe Crew shirts are available in grey marl, charcoal, and ocean and sizes M-XXL. |
|
|
Holcombe Crew Technology:
Holcombe Crew Features/Benefits:
Fabric Composition:
To learn more about Gill’s fishing rainwear and additional apparel, visit www.gillfishing.com. |
|
|
|
Iaconelli looking for 40 bass, and lots of topwater action
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Action is underway at the inaugural MLF REDCREST Championship on the habitat rich Upper Mississippi, and Team Toyota’s Mike Iaconelli says the bass are biting big time. So much so, he feels he’ll have to boat 40 bass today to score well in MLF’s format.
“This is a place I’ve been to many, many times in my career. The water is really low compared to year’s past, but it’s the same old Upper Mississippi, in terms of tons of habitat, and piles of bass under 3-pounds,” says Iaconelli.
“The fish are flat out biting – but catching a 4-pounder here is worth the excitement of catching a 6-pounder on a lot of other fisheries,” he explains.
“This is a numbers game. So I’m going to start on a spot that I know has tons of bass in it. It’s an area that I probably wouldn’t even list as my second or third best spot in a traditional 5-bass tournament format,” he admits.
“This week it’s about being able to catch as many of the 12 or 13” fish that usually equate to a 1-pound scoreable bass as you can. And there’s tons of them here. So my goal is to boat around 40 bass today,” he says.
To reach that lofty number, Iaconelli plans to lean heavy on a handful of topwaters. “Everybody talks about frog fishing here, but I’ll throw it all. From buzzbaits to small poppers and a Molix Sneaky Frog too,” says “Ike.”
Fact is, it’s been less than 30 days since Iaconelli last claimed victory on a river system. He won the Bassmaster Open on the James River the last week of July, and you can bet he’s carrying that current driven moment with him this week in La Crosse.
“Current is current, whether you’re talking about tidal current like the James River, or here on the Upper Mississippi. You’re still looking for an eddy or a current break where bass will set up to ambush prey. So yea, in that sense, there are definitely some similarities between here and The James River,” he concludes.
Iaconelli says his first stop on Wednesday will be main river focused, versus a backwater. But wherever he lands today, he just hopes it tallies nearly four-dozen scoreabale bass – and if so, you can bet he’ll fool some of them by buzzin’, poppin’ or froggin’.
Mammoth Coolers Announces Sponsorship of Angler Bill Lowen
(Cincinnati, OH) Mammoth Coolers, a leading provider of premium rotomolded and soft sided coolers, drinkware, and accessories is proud to announce their partnership with Bill Lowen. Bill competes in the Bassmaster Elite Series and has earned nine Bassmaster Classic appearances and 18 Top 10 finishes.
As a veteran angler who grew up on the Ohio River surrounding the Cincinnati, Ohio area, Bill has become one of the most respected anglers on tour. He is currently in 2nd place for AOY (Angler of the Year) Elite Series trailing Scott Canterbury by 17 points with three tournaments remaining. He’ll be competing in the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake in Union Springs, NY on August 22nd-25th.
Bob George, Director of Sales at Mammoth Coolers tells us, “Having worked with Bill Lowen in the past and knowing how hard a worker he is it was a natural for him to be our first sponsored angler. Bill is absolutely one of the best brand Ambassadors I have ever worked with in any category. Most importantly Bill is a family man and has his wife Jennifer and children Nevaeh and Fischer travel by camper with him everywhere. The fact that they are avid campers will only enhance our ability to improve and develop more intriguing products for that market in addition to the fishing industry.”
Mammoth and Bill have entered into a multi-year agreement and Mammoth is proud to join the premier line up of Bill’s current sponsors that include Xpress Boats, Mossy Oak Fishing, Yamaha, Lew’s, Strike King, and Buck Knives. As Mammoth continues to expand their brand and commitment to the fishing market, they are confident Bill will be a big contributor to that success. Mammoth wishes Bill the best of luck the rest of this season.
For more information or order inquiries, please contact [email protected]or visit https://mammothcooler.com/. For press or media inquiries, please contact Brittany Maki at [email protected].
About Mammoth Coolers:
Mammoth Coolers is out there in the field, on the water, at the tailgate party and in the backyard learning what works and what doesn’t so we can make all our products work for everyone. Every innovation we make is driven by a desire for performance, price and productivity. From our superior coolers to our Chillski, from our Rover tumbler to the Tusk, all our products were made for every person no matter their passion, no matter their interests. All backed by a Lifetime Warranty.
For More Information About Mammoth:
"The Game Plan" with Ryan Salzman
This week the boys welcome in FLW Cup 8th place Finisher and Alabama Bass Guide Ryan Salzman to the program to talk about his 2019 rookie season, his first cup experience and his new YouTube Series called "The Game Plan". The Circus joins for the Progressive Bass Wrap Up and the Costa Countdown to blast off!
Progressive Bass Wrap Up - Episode 4!
This weeks Progressive Bass Wrap Up brought to you by Sportsmans Warehouse features the Tennessee Team Trail on Douglas Lake, The American Bass Anglers on High Rock and the kick off of the Texas Team Trail on Lake Travis! Tune in! 7:30 am eastern time on the Discovery Channel!
Top 30 Pro Anglers Compete in La Crosse, Wisconsin, August 21-25 for Tour Championship
Lew’s/Strike King is Proud to Award Freshman Scholarships
Lexington, S.C. (August 14th, 2019) – After receiving dozens of applications from a very diverse field of high school anglers, Lew’s and Strike King are proud to announce that five very deserving students have been selected as this year’s scholarship winners.
This year’s winners are:
Alex Gauld
Alex hails from Sweet Home Senior High School in Amherst, New York. Alex plans to attend SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where he will major in Environmental Science. His resume includes an impressive GPA and his list of fishing accomplishments throughout the state of New York are equally as impressive.
Parker Wagner
Of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, Parker plans on majoring Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station next fall. His fishing accomplishments in The Faith Angler Network trail as well as his stellar GPA paved the way for his selection as scholarship recipient.
Sarah Morehead
Sarah attended McCracken County High School in Paducah, Kentucky where she excelled in the classroom as well as her school sanctioned fishing team. Sarah will begin her studies at West Kentucky Technical and Community College and she is focusing her attention on education and horticulture.
Shannon Dodson
Shannon “Cole” Dodson attended Alabama’s Gardendale High School. He was the president of his school’s team for two years and competed in the state’s highly competitive ASABFA trail as well as several other events throughout his career. Cole plans on attending The University of Montevallo where he will study Marketing and Environmental Science.
Lee Rose Koza
Lee Rose attended Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Georgia. As a consistent top ten finisher in almost every event she competed in, she proved herself on the water as well as in the classroom. She will be attending Carson-Newman University in Tennessee where she will major in Communications.
On behalf of Lew’s/Strike King we would like to congratulate these five outstanding high school seniors on their scholarships.
Mike Wallace Wins ABA AFT D10 lake Hopatcong event with over 16 pounds!
|
Lake Hopatcong 08-17-2019
Angler
|
Finish
|
Weight
|
2-Day Total Weight
|
Penalty Weight
|
Big Fish
|
# Fish
|
Points
|
Winnings
|
|
1. Mike Wallace
|
1st
|
16.67
|
*4.17
|
5
|
194
|
$406.00 & $70.00 ( BF)
|
||
|
2. Nick Chaballa
|
2nd
|
12.63
|
.50
|
5
|
193
|
$200.00
|
||
|
3. Don Philpot
|
3rd
|
10.85
|
2.96
|
5
|
192
|
$79.00
|
||
|
4. Al Pallavicini
|
4th
|
10.20
|
3.15
|
5
|
191
|
|||
|
5. Chris Ulrich
|
5th
|
9.25
|
3.09
|
5
|
190
|
|||
|
6. Barry Burner
|
6th
|
8.50
|
5
|
189
|
||||
|
7. Greg Del Russo
|
7th
|
7.38
|
3.19
|
4
|
188
|
|||
|
8. Mike Messina
|
8th
|
7.30
|
2.07
|
5
|
187
|
|||
|
9. John Campos
|
9th
|
3.57
|
2
|
186
|
||||
|
10. John Haffy
|
10th
|
2.04
|
1
|
185
|
||||
|
11. Derrell Downey
|
11th
|
1.57
|
1
|
184
|
||||
|
12. Aaron Carnegie
|
12th
|
1.17
|
1
|
183
|
||||
|
13. Art Vitale
|
13th
|
0.00
|
0
|
50
|
||||
|
14. Len Scharffenberger
|
13th
|
0.00
|
0
|
50
|
Williams & Williams Wins USA Bassin Bull Shoals event
U.S.A. BASSIN - National Tournament Trail
Official Division Tournament Results
Division: MO-11 Bull Shoals / Taneycomo Division
Date: 08/18/2019 @ 6:30 am - 2:30 pm
Teams in Red are Next Generation Teams
Teams in Blue are Coed Teams
| Place | Team | Fish | Live Fish | Weight | Big Fish | Penalty | Net Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams / Williams | 5 | 5 | 8.80 | 3.33 | 0.00 | 8.80 | 100 |
| 2 | Layton / Creson | 3 | 3 | 6.44 | 2.73 | 0.00 | 6.44 | 99 |
| 3 | Scott Mo / Vanhorn | 5 | 5 | 6.10 | 1.76 | 0.00 | 6.10 | 98 |
| 4 | Plummer / Isaacs | 3 | 3 | 4.54 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.54 | 97 |
| 5 | Pitney / None | 2 | 2 | 4.00 | 2.86 | 0.00 | 4.00 | 96 |
| 6 | Nichols / Rogers | 2 | 1 | 4.08 | 1.72 | 0.50 | 3.58 | 95 |
| 7 | Frahm / Bartlett | 3 | 3 | 3.53 | 1.30 | 0.00 | 3.53 | 94 |
| 8 | Purse / Purse | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 8 | Edwards / Brunell | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 8 | Frahm-mo / Prehm | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 8 | Brooks1 / Rhodes | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 8 | Brock / Mueller | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
LANGFORD WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON POTOMAC RIVER
Co-Angler Award Goes to Huwar
MARBURY, Md. (Aug. 19, 2019) – Boater Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the Potomac River Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces. Langford took home $2,600 for his efforts.
Langford said he fished mid-river, in Occoquan Bay. He caught them out of heavy grass mats using a Texas-rigged green-pumpkin-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, paired with a 1¾-ounce weight.
“I really fished one area where you could get bit on– the river is fishing tough right now,” said Langford, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “The area was probably 500 yards, but had key spots within the stretch. There was some moving water in those spots and the high tide helped.”
Langford’s bait was rigged on a straight shank hook via snell knot, tied to 65-pound-test PowerPro Super Slick braided line on a 7-foot, 11-inch Halo Twilite Series heavy–action flipping rod.
“I caught 7 or 8 keepers during the tournament,” said Langford. “They bit best when the water was moving – at the end of the incoming tide and the beginning of the outgoing tide.”
Langford went on to say that he caught a key fish in the very back of a creek during low tide around 1:30 p.m. using a white 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer with a white Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper trailer.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Todd Langford, Great Falls, Va., five bass, 15-2, $2,600
2nd: Thomas Svec, Chesapeake, Va., five bass, 14-1, $1,440
3rd: Greg Lahr, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $900
4th: Ronnie Baker, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 11-0, $810
5th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 10-5, $460
5th: Jim Jarvis, Timberville, Va., three bass, 10-5, $460
7th: Brian Mullaney, New Market, Md., five bass, 10-4, $400
8th: Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 10-0, $510
9th: Dennis Middleton, Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 9-15, $320
10th: Travis Lugar, McGaheysville, Va., five bass, 9-12
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Svec caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $240.
Shawn Huwar of Fredericksburg, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,320 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Shawn Huwar, Fredericksburg, Va., four bass, 11-6, $1,320
2nd: Costas Melendez, Shenandoah, Va., four bass, 8-15, $600
3rd: Michael Taylor, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 8-10, $600
4th: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 7-10, $280
5th: Keith Allen, Sumerduck, Va., five bass, 7-6, $240
6th: John Poos, Manassas, Va., four bass, 7-5, $420
7th: Hayward Thaxton III, Emmitsburg, Md., three bass, 6-14, $200
8th: Barker Plake, Hodges, S.C., three bass, 6-4, $180
9th: John Castro, Lorton, Va., three bass, 6-1, $160
10th: Timothy Patch, Lorton, Va., two bass, 5-14
Huwar also caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $120.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina, presented by Navionics. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL 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 BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Canterbury Takes Toyota Bonus Bucks at the St. Lawrence River
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Scott Canterbury is leaving Waddington, New York heading towards Cayuga Lake with an extra $3,000 of Toyota Bonus Bucks in his wallet thanks to a 3rd place finish this weekend on the St. Lawrence River.
This marks the second time in the 2019 season Canterbury has been the highest finishing participant of the popular contingency program, he earned another Bonus Bucks check for his second place efforts on Winyah Bay a few months ago.
While Canterbury would have loved to capture his first Elite Series trophy this weekend, or back on Winyah Bay, he would gladly trade them both for the Toyota Angler of the Year title at the end of the season. Canterbury currently holds a 17-point lead in the AOY race over Elite Series veteran Bill Lowen.
Canterbury told Bassmaster emcee Dave Mercer he was “just trying to survive” coming in to the St. Lawrence River and keep himself in contention for the Angler of the Year trophy. He had never fished a tournament on this fishery and was nervous the unfamiliarity along with strong currents might throw him a curveball.
The Odenville, Alabama pro drop shotted either a Set the Hook Stumpy Crush Worm and a Drifter to trick 84-lbs and 8-ounces of fat St. Lawrence River smallmouth over the course of four days. Canterbury experimented with several different weight and P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon line sizes each day until he dialed in what the fish preferred to seize his second top five finish of the 2019 season.
One thing Canterbury wasn’t at all concerned about surviving the 1200-mile haul from Alabama to the St. Lawrence River was his Toyota Tundra. Toyota’s reliability is one of Canterbury’s favorite qualities of his tow vehicle.
“I never have to worry about my truck,” Canterbury said. “As long as you keep up with routine maintenance that thing is smooth and steady. It tows my Skeeter Boat like a dream and gets me to the lake without concern. That peace of mind is extremely important.”
Canterbury left the St. Lawrence River boat ramp with his foot on the pedal of his lead in the Toyota Angler of the Year race and of his Tundra, heading to Cayuga Lake in hopes of keeping the momentum rolling forward.
For more information on the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. There you’ll find a full list of sponsored bass and walleye events, including numerous team trail and regional tournaments. If talking on the phone suits you more than surfing the web, give (918) 742-6424 a call and ask for Kendell.
POLLAK WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT PRAIRIE DU CHIEN
Minnesota’s Krienke Claims Co-Angler Award
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 19, 2019) – Boater Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Pollack netted $4,586.
“I was able to catch a limit fairly quick fishing between the middle and the north side of Pool No. 9, south of Lansing,” said Pollak, who logged his second career victory in BFL competition – both on the Mississippi River. “I had a bunch of spots that had schools of fish on them – probably a dozen or so points that were current-related.”
Pollack said he fished in 1 to 5 feet of water, casting a ¼-ounce white and chartreuse-colored Dirty Jigs swimjig with a 4-inch white Zoom Paddle Tail swimbait trailer, as well as some reaction baits including a white Heddon Zara Spook Jr.
“Around 11 [a.m.], I locked back down to [Pool No.] 10 and sat on another current-related point on the north end and was able to cull out two or three fish using the same baits,” said Pollak. “I upgraded by about 2 pounds which gave me enough to win the tournament.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 15-1, $4,586
2nd: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 15-0, $1,793
3rd: Brian Fitzpatrick, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-10, $1,554
4th: Kyler Chelminiak, Franklin, Wis., five bass, 14-9, $1,090
5th: Kyle Von Ruden, Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 14-6, $677
6th: Robby Tufte, Fountain City, Wis., five bass, 14-5, $771
7th: Terry Fitzpatrick, Waukon, Iowa, five bass, 13-15, $536
7th: Steven Johnson, Lake Villa, Ill., five bass, 13-15, $536
9th: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 13-10, $451
10th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $395
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Fitzpatrick caught a bass weighing 3 pounds, 13 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $425.
Kory Krienke of Annandale, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $1,893 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Kory Krienke, Annandale, Minn., five bass, 12-4, $1,893
2nd: Bradley Thacher, Preston, Minn., five bass, 11-8, $846
3rd: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $764
4th: Rene Luis, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 11-3, $395
5th: Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., five bass, 11-0, $439
6th: Thomas Roberts, Waunakee, Wis., five bass, 10-7, $310
7th: Josh Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, five bass, 10-4, $282
8th: Mike Toft, Belleville, Wis., five bass, 9-12, $254
9th: Joe Perez, Chanhassen, Minn., five bass, 9-8, $226
10th: Matt Finkeldei, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 9-6, $198
Jared Greninger of Byron, Illinois, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL 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 BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
MILLS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON OHIO RIVER AT TANNERS CREEK
West Virginia’s Jones Tops Co-Angler Field
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Aug. 19, 2019) – Boater Craig Mills of Hamilton, Ohio, took top honors at Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces. Mills took home $5,466 for his win.
After working in Tanners Creek for the first three hours of the tournament, Mills said he couldn’t get anything going. Around 9:30 a.m., he went and fished three creeks on the lower end near Meldahl Dam.
“I’ve fished those creeks over the years – just shallow, flat creeks. I knew they were in there, I found them in practice,” said Mills, who earned his second career victory in BFL competition. “I caught them here and there – I think I had my limit by 1 [p.m.]. I culled a couple fish and caught my last at about 2 [p.m.].”
Mills said he caught a couple of bass with a black ¼-ounce Strictly Bass Meatheads spinnerbait and a white ¼-ounce Tim Poe Thunder Blade Double Blade spinnerbait with a white Kalin’s Lunker Grub trailer. He also caught four flipping a Texas-rigged Spring Break-colored Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, as well as his heaviest on a black and white Booyah Pad Crasher frog.
“I was throwing around any type of wood,” said Mills. “My biggest came at 1 [p.m.] – that was my fifth fish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Craig Mills, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 10-4, $3,466 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Michael Powell Jr., Greendale, Ind., five bass, 8-10, $1,933
3rd: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, three bass, 7-10, $1,405
4th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $1,059
5th: Dave Lauer, McConnelsville, Ohio, three bass, 7-4, $693
6th: Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 7-1, $635
7th: Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 6-15, $578
8th: Jamie Cunnagin, New Lebanon, Ohio, four bass, 6-13, $491
8th: Brandon Hobbs, Grove City, Ohio, three bass, 6-13, $491
10th: Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, five bass, 6-3, $404
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Michael McCoy of Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $435.
Samuel Jones of Morgantown, West Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,733 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Samuel Jones, Morgantown, W. Va., three bass, 5-2, $1,733
2nd: William Gross, Cleveland, Ohio, two bass, 4-7, $866
3rd: Mark Redman, Pendleton, Ky., one bass, 4-6, $707
3rd: Austin Brock, West Chester, Ohio, three bass, 4-6, $840
5th: Dan Schlegel, Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-13, $397
6th: Billy Senters, New Richmond, Ohio, three bass, 3-12, $318
7th: Ryan Rich, Eaton, Ohio, one bass, 3-11, $289
8th: Tony Baber, Centerville, Ohio, two bass, 3-10, $260
9th: Brent Wilkens, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 3-8, $231
10th: Matthew Hostetter, East Palestine, Ohio, three bass, 3-4, $192
10th: Brandon Fraley, Tipp City, Ohio, two bass, 3-4, $192
Redman caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $217.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL 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 BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Williamson Wins Maine Fisher of Men event with over 18 pounds!!
Courtesy of Maine Fishers of Men
Hass & Patton win US Anglers Choice Ohio River event with over 16 pounds!
 Paducah - 6th St Ramp - 6am-3pm 8/17/2019 Final Results
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dillow & Thoele win USA Bassin Mill Creek event with 12.95 Pounds!
U.S.A. BASSIN - National Tournament Trail
Official Division Tournament Results
Division: IL-03 Mill Creek Spring Division
Date: 08/17/2019 @ 6:00 am - 12:00 pm
Teams in Red are Next Generation Teams
Teams in Blue are Coed Teams
| Place | Team | Fish | Live Fish | Weight | Big Fish | Penalty | Net Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dillow / Thoele | 5 | 5 | 12.95 | 4.25 | 0.00 | 12.95 | 100 |
| 2 | Cox / Flatt | 5 | 5 | 12.35 | 4.75 | 0.00 | 12.35 | 99 |
| 3 | Madison / Pope | 5 | 5 | 11.70 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 11.70 | 98 |
| 4 | Kinney / Cox | 5 | 5 | 11.15 | 3.90 | 0.00 | 11.15 | 97 |
| 5 | Cotton / Popp | 5 | 5 | 11.05 | 3.35 | 0.00 | 11.05 | 96 |
| 6 | Mickey / Bowker | 5 | 5 | 11.00 | 4.40 | 0.00 | 11.00 | 95 |
| 7 | Zimmerman / Shepperd | 5 | 5 | 10.55 | 3.20 | 0.00 | 10.55 | 94 |
| 8 | Seals / Reed | 5 | 5 | 10.15 | 3.35 | 0.00 | 10.15 | 93 |
| 8 | Mclain / Cotten | 5 | 5 | 10.15 | 2.85 | 0.00 | 10.15 | 92 |
| 10 | Mchenry / Bawcum | 5 | 5 | 10.05 | 4.05 | 0.00 | 10.05 | 91 |
| 11 | Judson / Judson | 5 | 5 | 9.80 | 2.90 | 0.00 | 9.80 | 90 |
| 12 | Vanzo / Eaglin | 5 | 5 | 9.40 | 2.35 | 0.00 | 9.40 | 89 |
| 13 | Harpold / Harpold | 5 | 5 | 8.40 | 2.95 | 0.00 | 8.40 | 88 |
| 14 | Workman / Mullinix | 4 | 4 | 7.75 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.75 | 87 |
| 15 | Hamilton / Lawson | 5 | 5 | 7.60 | 2.15 | 0.00 | 7.60 | 86 |
| 15 | Lewis / Hoult | 5 | 5 | 7.60 | 1.60 | 0.00 | 7.60 | 85 |
| 17 | Clausman / Seals | 5 | 5 | 7.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.50 | 84 |
| 18 | Davis / Markell | 5 | 5 | 6.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.60 | 83 |
| 19 | Hensley / Holloway | 4 | 4 | 4.75 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.75 | 82 |
| 20 | Walker / Schoelkopf | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 20 | Clark 2 / Hoare | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
| 20 | Fields / Fields | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50 |
Frazier Catapults To Victory At St. Lawrence With Massive Final-Day Limit
|
|
|
Johnston Clings To Day 3 St. Lawrence Lead, Zaldain Surges
|
|
|
Chris Johnston Maintains Slim Day 2 Lead At St. Lawrence
|
|
|
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Sells Out, Breaks Registration Record
North and south divisions sell out with a total of 450 teams.
Decatur, Ala. (August 16, 2019) – Tournament officials announce registration is closed for the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series (ABTTS), with all 450 of the available boat entries in the north and south divisions selling out in a record 17 hours. The 2020 tournament series gets underway February 22.
Registration for the 2020 tournament series opened to the public August 15, 2019. The south division reached its limit in three hours after opening to the public and registration for the north division closed in 17 hours. In 2019, registration was full for the south division in 22 hours and in 38 days for the north division.
“Wow is about all I can say. Those who know me know that I am not a person of few words, but on Thursday, August 15, that was the only word I could say as the day progressed and registrations quickly rolled in,” said Kay Donaldson, program director for the Alabama Bass Trail. “Our team is so humbled by the confidence the anglers have shown in us. We will work extremely hard to provide them with a quality tournament experience.”
According to Donaldson, teams will be traveling from 11 states,Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri ad California to compete in the 2020 tournament series. The Alabama Bass Trail creates an estimated economic impact of $4 million dollars for the state of Alabama annually.
Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division.
Dates and locations for the 2020 tournament series are as follows:
North Division:
February 22, 2020Lake Guntersville / hosted by Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau
March 21, 2020Smith Lake / hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
April 18, 2020Neely Henry Lake / hosted by City of Gadsden
May 16, 2020Weiss Lake / hosted by City of Leesburg
June 13, 2020Wheeler Lake / hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
South Division:
February 29, 2020 Lake Jordan / hosted by the City of Wetumpka
March 28, 2020 Lay Lake / hosted by Shelby County Commission
April 25, 2020 Lake Eufaula / hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce
May 9, 2020Logan Martin Lake / hosted by Pell City Chamber of Commerce
June 20, 2020Alabama River/Cooter’s Pond / hosted by City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
Hosted by Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament will be held October 23-24, 2020, on Lake Martin at Wind Creek State park in Alexander City, Ala.
The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student boats, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. The winning team of the no-entry fee championship walks away with a $50,00 cash payout, and there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $580,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2020.
2020 Payout Schedule:
First place$10,000
Second place$ 5,000
Third place$ 4,000
Fourth place$ 3,000
Fifth place$ 2,000
Sixth place$ 1,500
Seventh place$ 1,100
Eighth place$ 1,100
Ninth place$ 1,100
Tenth place$ 1,100
11th – 20th $ 750 each
21st – 40th $ 500 each
2020 Championship Payout:
First place$50,000
Second place$10,000
Third place$ 5,000
Fourth place$ 4,000
Fifth place$ 3,000
Sixth place$ 2,500
Seventh place$ 2,200
Eighth place$ 2,000
Ninth place$ 1,800
Tenth place$ 1,500
11th-15th$ 1,200 each
16th-25th$ 1,100 each
Big Fish$500 daily
ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T-H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Lews Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; Big Bite Baits; YETI and Hydrowave. Angler’s Channel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Fox Sports Southeast and Southern Stream Live will continue the live-streaming and video production services.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Funny socks equal three 5-pounders for Rivet
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Three days before Tyler Rivet had to make one of the longest drives of his young life to a bass fishing tournament, he hurried over to Walker Toyota in Alexandria, Louisiana, and bought a brand new Tundra for the 1,600 mile, 24 hour drive to gorgeous Upstate New York.
Don’t worry though, he remembered to pack his spinning rods and his charismatic socks.
The former 5-time Carhartt College Bassmaster Series National Championship qualifier from Nicholls State in Southern Louisiana had never seen the St. Lawrence River until practice began earlier this week.
However, his colorful socks featuring “The Prez” have been to every Elite Series stop this season, and they may have been a factor in Rivet catching a 19-pound limit yesterday.
“Practice was not great. I was catching fish, but not big ones. So yesterday, on Day 1 of the derby, I just ran to a bunch of new spots and ended up catching three big ones that were all in the 5-pound range. So maybe there is something to the socks,” grins the often-ornery Rivet.
Before any of you get your political hackles in a knot ... chill out. Tyler Rivet is not making a partisan statement. The 25-year-old is simply having fun while living his lifetime dream of being a Bassmaster Elite Series pro.
“I’m not really a political person, but I do love my country,” says Rivet. “My family buys me the socks because we like to have fun. I think my dad got me this particular pair, but I own about four pairs that are similar to these ones,” says the Raceland, LA resident.
When asked if he was wearing the exact same pair on Day 2 that he wore for 19-pounds of bronzeback goodness the day before -- the answer was “Yes.”
“I swear to you I washed them last night,” he laughed.
Actually his sweet girlfriend and travel companion, Amanda washed them Thursday evening. She confirmed so, as she stood in the refreshing 58-degree air, just prior to Friday’s takeoff in Waddington.
If the wise cracking Rivet can flop another 19 or 20 pounds on the scales Friday, Amanda may be doing laundry again tonight. And the other four pair of comical feet covers may have to hang in the sock drawer a while longer as the former Carhartt Bassmaster College Series stud lives-out his dream a really long way from home this week.
Leer Cover Cash and Toyota Bonus Bucks Line Jeremy Lawyer’s Pockets
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Jeremy Lawyer’s 4thplace finish at the FLW Cup on Arkansas’ Lake Hamilton was enough to earn him an extra $1,000 from Leer “Cover Cash”and $3,500 from Toyota Bonus Bucks. The 3rdyear FLW Tour pro used a two-prong approach of fishing shallow with a topwater and probing deep brush piles with a drop shot to notch his best finish in FLW’s championship event.
A Fall Creek Lures custom painted Whopper Plopper proved fruitful for Lawyer in the morning on days one and two of competition, while a Zoom Swamp Crawler (finesse worm) rigged on a drop shot fished in and around brush piles paid dividends for the Sarcoxie, MO pro throughout the event.
Lawyer went into the final day in contention to win thanks to wild catches like hand lining in a kicker on day two,but ultimately fell short of hoisting the Cup on Sunday. He may have narrowly missed the premium goal; but Lawyer was thrilled to learn he finished high enough to win the Leer and Toyota bonuses.
“Fishing is my business and I try to make as much money as possible at each tournament,” Lawyer explained. “If I can cash an extra $4,500 for using products I need no matter what, it’s a no brainer for me. I have to drive a tow vehicle and I’ve since becoming a full time fisherman I’ve learned I absolutely need to have a cover on my truck bed. The additional money from Leer “Cover Cash” and Toyota Bonus Bucks is just icing on the cake.”
Lawyer’s fishing prowess and consistency finds him near the top of the leaderboard often, whether he is competing in an FLW Tour event or in a weekend BFL. In 2019 alone Lawyer has bankrolled an additional ~$10,000 from the popular programs offered by Leer and Toyota.
“I purchased my first Toyota Tundra and Leer cover as a direct result of the contingency programs,” Lawyer said. “But that doesn’t mean they aren’t great products! Both companies support the fishing industry and offer top-notch equipment. I’ve now owned at least three Leer caps or tonneau covers, and I’m currently driving my 4thTundra. Heck even my wife and dad drive Toyotas nowadays, they are just great vehicles.”
Lawyer’s finish at the 2019 FLW Cup is proof you don’t need to win an event to be eligible for contingency money from Toyota or Leer. You just need to be the highest finishing registered participant competing in a sponsored event for either program.
There are hundreds of events covered under each program. Whether you fish team tournaments, FLW BFLs, B.A.S.S. Nation events, or numerous others – you can earn extra money through Leer “Cover Cash” or Toyota Bonus Bucks.
If you own ANY Leer truck cap or tonneau cover head to https://leercovercash.com/. You can get yourself registered; find a full list of eligible events or more information on the program there.
Likewise for a full list of Toyota Bonus Bucks sponsored events, for more information or to get yourself registered follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. If you’d rather talk to someone on the phone as opposed to registering online, give (918) 742-6424 a ring and ask for Kendell.
Elites Expecting Different Scene For Cayuga Return
|
|
Chris Johnston Smashes St. Lawrence Smallmouth For Day 1 Lead
|
|
|
Broken collar bone put Pipkens on a path of success
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Pro angler Chad Pipkens, the man with the spikey hair and a primary sponsorship from Douglas J Salons wouldn’t recommend breaking your collarbone to launch a streak of top tournament finishes and Toyota Bonus Bucks checks. But for the always-positive Pipkens, that’s exactly the prosperous path he’s been on this season.
“Life is good. I’m making a living fishing, and I think the broken collarbone earlier this year has actually helped in a really weird way. Because when you’re basically competing with one arm, you sort of lower your expectations, and that took a lot of pressure off me. I fished a whole lot freer and ultimately better,” says Pipkens.
The broken collarbone occurred during a bad fall into the boards of a hockey rink while Pipkens was enjoying his other favorite sport. It happened after the second Elite Series event this year and just before the third event at Lake Hartwell. The bone was broken in three places, and required an orthopedic plate and seven screws.
The fact he was able to compete with one arm against the best anglers in the world was amazing enough, but to finish in the Top 10 and haul home $15,000 from B.A.S.S. and $2,000 in Toyota Bonus Bucks was very possibly one of the greatest storylines of this season.
The collarbone has healed well, aside from what Pipkens describes as a scar worthy of a good story at the beach…and he’s not slowed one bit since Hartwell in his tournament performance either. He’s now notched five Top 10s in Bassmaster Elite and Open events this year.
“I’ve learned to listen to myself. To fish free of pressure. And to fish my style – which is away from the bank – ignoring all the visible targets on the bank – reading my sonar more – and doing what I’ve got the most confidence in,” he reflects gratefully.
“I’ve been cleaning up on the Toyota Bonus Bucks checks lately. I won Bonus Bucks at Hartwell, Chickamauga, and The James River. I’m on the phone a lot with Kendell (the Bonus Bucks program director in Tulsa),” he grins.
If Pipkens isn’t on your Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing team this week at the St. Lawrence River…he should be.
The dude is from Michigan. He can flat-out catch smallmouth, and confessed he caught what is likely his personal best smallie ever in practice this week – a goby-stuffed beast he believes was 7-pounds.
So indeed Pipkens’ uncanny path to success this season looks to continue in gorgeous Upstate New York – where the morning air in August is cool enough to require a Carhartt hoodie at launch.
St. Lawrence County is also a place where the pretty girls drink wine slushies, and the local people are as sweet and kind as anywhere in America. And apparently for Chad Pipkens, it’s a world-class fishery where seven screws in your collarbone can eventually equate to a 7-pound smallmouth on the end of your line.
Yelas and Arey talk ice cream, gobies, and football at St. Lawrence Elite Series
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Jay Yelas won the 2002 Bassmaster Classic and Matt Arey has won $1 Million in his relatively short pro angling career. They are two of the Elite Series’ true class acts both on and off the water. And this week they find themselves among the amazingly genuine and giving people of rural Upstate New York, competing on what is arguably the greatest smallmouth fishery in the world. They graciously took a few minutes to preview the Berkley Bassmaster Elite Series on the St. Lawrence River that kicks off Thursday.
Q: Smallmouth love eating gobies as much as you love eating ___________ ?
Yelas: Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream
Arey: A medium rare ribeye steak
Q: How many of the 75 pros will catch a limit that weighs 25 pounds or more on Day 1?
Yelas: I’ll say 3.
Arey: I’ll guess 2.
Q: What are your two favorite things about the St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence County?
Yelas: World-class smallmouth fishing and fantastic summer weather.
Arey: People that have never been here have totally the wrong perception. This is not New York City. Instead, this is some of the prettiest, ‘countrified’ ground in America. And the people that live here are some of the most giving and genuine people you’ll ever meet in your life.
Q: There were no Bassmaster Elite events in the month of July. What’s your favorite memory from your time off last month?
Yelas: Oh, no doubt, it was hosting a C.A.S.T. for Kids event for 40 special needs children in my hometown of Newport, Oregon. We took them crabbing and fishing. My buddies helped a ton. It was just awesome.
Arey: Seeing my sweet wife, Emily and our two young daughters, Reese and Wren, enjoy everything there is to love about the beaches and dunes of Pawleys Island, SC.
Q: The official start of football season is only a couple weeks away, who will you be cheering for?
Yelas: The Oregon State Beavers, of course – I played baseball there for a little while.
Arey: My alma mater – the North Carolina Wolfpack and the Carolina Panthers.
Q: Other than a drop shot, name two lures fans can expect pros to throw a bunch this week?
Yelas: A spy bait and a tube.
Arey: A Ned Rig and a tube.
Join Sportsman’s Warehouse at Murfreesboro Grand Opening Celebration
Free giveaways, demonstrations and more start 8/22/19 at www.sportsmans.com
MIDVALE, Utah, August 15, 2019 – Join Sportsman’s Warehouse (NASDAQ:SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, for a grand opening celebration of their new store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, August 22-24, 2019. Enjoy giveaways, vendor demonstrations and fun for the entire family.
“Now, our Tennessee customers can visit our current store in Chattanooga and our new store in Murfreesboro with over 30,000 square feet of quality brand-name hunting, shooting sports, fishing, camping, apparel, and footwear merchandise,” states Jon Barker, Sportsman’s Warehouse CEO. “We invite everyone to come out and have a great time at our grand opening celebration.”
The new Sportsman’s Warehouse store is located at The Oaks Shopping Center at 468 N. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37129.
Known for its American Civil War history, the Stones River National Battlefield, Oaklands Mansion, and Connonsburby Village, Murfreesboro is just 34 miles from Nashville. Throughout the year, locals enjoy archery, camping, hiking, shooting, off-road riding, fishing, and more, right in their own backyard.
The grand opening celebration starts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store Thursday, August 22, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. at 468 N. Thompson Lane. Attendees can:
This new location will be the 95th Sportsman’s Warehouse store in 25 states.
In addition to all of the exciting activities at the grand opening celebration, store visitors can participate in ongoingseminars and special events and choose from an assortment of over 60,000 items with region-specific products for local, outdoor activities.
“We hope to be a valuable part of the community by hiring passionate employees in the local region and offering unique workshops, events and more,” states Barker. “Customers will enjoy our high-level of service and our guaranteed best prices.”
For more information, visit www.sportsmans.com.
FLW Cup Rewind
The boys are back from the FLW Cup in Hot Springs with good and bad news..... They welcome in 2nd place finisher Kyle Walters and 3rd place Finisher Dakota Ebare to give us the 411 on their week on Hamilton. All of this and more!
Lineberger looking to erase a bad taste
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
North Carolina pro Shane Lineberger had a really bad taste in his mouth the last time he competed in a Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence in 2017.
Literally.
Lineberger vividly remembers buying a Gatorade and a pack of Pop Tarts on the way to the water, launching his boat to begin the first day of practice, feeling terribly sick at his stomach soon after, and returning to the Super 8 in Massena, never to make another cast in practice, and instead kneeling with his face in the toilet for the next three days.
“I called my wife and told her the tournament was probably going to be a disaster. I had never seen this place, and got zero practice thanks to possibly the worst stomach bug of my life,” remembers the longtime Toyota Bonus Bucks participant.
Lineberger’s predictions to his wife Hope were on point. He finished next to dead last and unfortunately lost so many points in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings that it cost him a Bassmaster Classic qualification. But worst of all...an invitation back to the 2018 Elite Series.
Perseverance has paid off for the former factory worker who made bearings for 18 years. Lineberger not only returned to the Elite Series, but now sits within easy range of qualifying for the 2020 Bassmaster Classic.
Three official days of practice this week have treated him reasonably well, not that it would take much to upgrade from his three days next to the flusher at the Super 8 two years ago, but really, he feels good and he’s getting dialed-in.
Of course he’ll lean on the standard offering of bottom bouncing lures like nearly every angler in the field, but he’ll also toss-in some shallow running power lures like the 3-bladed compact spinnerbait he spent two years designing for True South Custom Lures, and also a 5” Skinny Dipper swimbait.
“Both of these lures offer a totally different look than what most everybody will be throwing. If it’s cloudy, I’ll burn the little three bladed spinnerbait in the riffles just under the surface, but if it’s sunny, the Skinny Dipper is a great choice for burning just a little deeper in those same riffles,” says Lineberger.
The riffles he’s referring to are much like a trout angler would target in streams far smaller than the massively large St. Lawrence, but the concept is the same. Natural islands splice swift current, and in turn, riffles are formed to carry bait past ambush points where fat smallmouth lay waiting to pounce.
For Lineberger, this week offers a chance to pounce too. It’s a chance to get back all that was lost to a highly unfortunate, career altering stomach bug two years ago.
So be warned, oh smallmouth of the St. Lawrence, the big fella from Lincolnton, NC is coming for you. He’s looking to get back the Classic qualifying points that washed away in your swift currents back in 2017, and he’s got a whole host of people cheering for him.
Prince hopes his Florida red snapper success equates to St. Lawrence Smallmouth
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Florida pro Cliff Prince is the kind of guy you’d love to have as your neighbor or fishing buddy.
Always kind-spirited, helpful, and quick with a laugh, he’s qualified for two Bassmaster Classics and cashed his share of Toyota Bonus Bucks and Leer Cover Cash checks. But, trips to the St. Lawrence have left him a pound shy and a dollar short too many times in recent Elite Series events.
However, if you’d have been fortunate enough to be invited saltwater fishing last month with the highly likeable St. Johns River pro from Palatka, you’d still be wearing a grin as wide as his Tundra, and your belly would be real full too.
“We absolutely train wrecked the red snapper last month out of Cedar Key in the Gulf, as well as near St. Augustine in the Atlantic closer to my home,” said Prince on the final official day of practice for the Elite Series at the St. Lawrence River.
Stringent fisheries laws limit anglers to one legal red snapper per day on from the Atlantic and two from the Gulf, but Prince is never alone, and instead always with people he loves on the ocean, including his bride, Kelley and their kids, as well as hometown buddies, and even other Elite Series pros who show-up as guests.
Prince just hopes all the salty fun with red snapper last month equates to similar vertical fishing success on the St. Lawrence this time around.
Certainly, the presentation is comparable. Bait the hook and drop it straight down. Only in the ocean, Prince uses cut up shad for bait, where as for St. Lawrence smallies it’ll likely be a finesse-sized soft plastic. Plus the magical depth range for red snapper is from 80 to 150 feet, compared to 20 or 30 feet on the St. Lawrence.
“So far, I haven’t found the smallmouth to be as grouped-up as they were last year,” says Prince.
Winds are calmer on the final day of practice. So hopefully that will help him get dialed-in a bit better than the first two days of practice that were hampered by sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph.
If so, may the catching be as good this week for the former rodeo cowboy and current porta-potty rental business owner as it was last month when he was “train-wrecking” red snapper.
