ANTICIPATION RUNNING HIGH FOR 2020 HOBIE B.O.S. ON LAKE FORK, TX

Might the B.O.S. All-Time Single-Day Record Be Broken Yet Again?

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (February 14, 2020) - Anticipation! That’s the buzzword among those planning to participate in the second installment of the 2020 Hobie Bass Open Series(B.O.S.), scheduled for February 22-23 on Lake Fork Reservoir, TX. Listen carefully and you can almost hear it dripping from the end of every sentence as the kayak faithful gather to discuss their plans of attack for the 27,264-acre impoundment, and the heavy-shouldered bass that call these waters home.

“We visited Lake Fork last year in June and it produced some really great fishing,” said Hobie BOS tournament director, A.J. McWhorter. “It’s a true trophy bass fishery with high-end potential and we’re hitting it at a great time of year for anglers to catch big limits and some potentially huge fish.”

Indeed, many consider Lake Fork to be the premiere trophy largemouth lake in the Lone Star State. It has three distinct tributaries (Lake Fork, Big Caney and Little Caney creeks), plenty of channel swings, abundant grass flats, hydrilla, Eurasian milfoil and water hyacinth, plus tons of stumps, standing timber, old roadbeds and foundations that were present before the lake was impounded back in 1980. With a maximum depth of 70’ and miles of shallow flats, coves, nooks and crannies to explore, the bassin’ possibilities are limitless. Numerous hawgs topping the 15-pound mark have been recorded here, including the Texas state record of 18.18 pounds. In fact, more than half of the fish listed on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Top 50 Largemouth Bass list have come from these waters, which offer over two-dozen public launch ramps plus several parklands to provide ample access.

“I absolutely love Lake Fork,” says Brian Howell, 27, of Rowlett, TX, who finished second in last year’s BOS on the big lake. “This is actually my favorite bass spot and it has amazing big fish potential. There’s so many 4- to 6-pound fish that the leader board can change several times in a matter of minutes if a few anglers get hot. Depending on the weather, it might take 100 inches of bass or more on both days to win this tourney. A cold front could tamper expectations, of course, but if we have fair weather leading into day one, watch out because it could be a slugfest.”

Last year’s Lake Fork BOS winner was Matt Ramey, 26, of Carlsbad, NM, with 194.25 total inches of bass caught, photographed and released. Like Howell, he’s ready to launch his ‘yak and get the competition underway.

“I like Lake Fork because it offers a super mix of structure and weeds, abundant fish and plenty of lunkers,” said Ramey. “I’ve pulled two personal best bass here in previous Hobie Tournament of Champions competitions, so the opportunity for a trophy definitely excites me. I also enjoy that it’s a completely different type of ecosystem from what I fish back home. I’m used to working hard, rocky bottom, clear, deep waters, and maybe a few mesquite trees if I’m lucky. Here, there’s tons of timber, extensive grass lines, creeks and coves. I can’t wait to get started.”

Both Howell and Ramey expect the Lake Fork event will pan out somewhat differently than last year since it’s being held earlier in the season. They agree that the bass are likely to be in a late winter or pre-spawn patterns for this tourney, calling for different approaches than they used last June.

“Last year I was throwing a 1.5 and 1-ounce Strike King punch jig on day one, working it mostly around water hyacinth,” revealed Ramey. “Day two was cloudy, cooler and brought some short bites so I switched to a 2-ounce Tungsten jig tipped with a Strike King Rodent to better punch through the matts. This year, with the fish probably in a pre-spawn pattern, I’ll be searching for clean water that’s a degree or two warmer than the surrounding area. I’ll push all the way back into the creeks and look for shell beds. They can be one of the first areas to hold bait in the spring. Mussels feed on algae and detritus, just like small baitfish, so I use them as a tip-off to possible productive feeding zones. Find some shellfish with a spawning flat nearby and you can be in pretty good shape this time of year.”

A member of the New Mexico Hobie Pro Team out of Zia Kayak Outfitters in Elephant Butte, NM, Ramey also notes that his Hobie 360 can provide an edge, especially on the grassy flats of Lake Fork. “With that 360 maneuverability I can get in and out of the weeds without ever dipping a paddle, even if there’s some wind,” he stated. “That makes it easier to work edges or even move in and out of thick matts without spooking my quarry. It really helps when the water is clean and the fish are shy, as is often the case in late winter and early spring.”

Howell plans to fish shallow so long as a cold front doesn’t squeeze through immediately before the tourney. “If I find the fish are in a pre-spawn pattern as expected, I’ll run at least half-way up some creeks to look for staging areas with a lot of timber,” he explained. “I’ll hit those areas with Chatterbaits, crankbaits and maybe some Texas-rigged soft plastics.”

Ramey and Howell are both big fans of the Hobie BOS format, noting that in addition to substantial cash prizes, there are plenty of giveaways for participants, a clear set for rules for all to follow, a highly competitive field and plenty of camaraderie to go with numerous events held across the country. That means anglers can compete hard and still have fun, meet up with friends, rub elbows with top competitors, and learn from some of the best kayak bass anglers in the country.

Not only did the Hobie BOS Lake Seminole tournament provide plenty of drama, it paid out some nice prize money as well, with Harshman taking home $7,000, Counce, $3,700 and Smitts, $2,000. Total payouts tallied $23,125 and covered up to 13th place. In addition to their cash prizes, the top three anglers also qualified for Hobie’s 50-angler end-of-year Tournament of Champions.

“The Hobie BOS really is a great tournament series,” noted Nakada. “It’s open to anyone with a kayak, offers great competition, surprisingly large cash prizes, a chance to test your skills against top level competition, plus opportunities to learn and network with others in the kayak fishing community.”

The next Hobie BOS event is scheduled for legendary Lake Fork in Wood County, Texas, February 22-23. Visit www.HobieBOS.com for the full schedule and registration details.

The 2020 Hobie Bass Open Series is open to anglers fishing in any brand of kayak and consists of nine individual tournaments. Cost for the two-day, weekend, open tournaments is $235, with a maximum of 200 boats per event. The top 10% of the field in each event receive cash payouts while the top three non-qualified anglers from each open qualify for the Hobie Tournament of Champions (T.O.C).

January’s opening 2020 Hobie BOS event, held on Lake Seminole, GA, witnessed Jake Harshman of Harrisburg, PA literally inch out Josh Counce, of Sopchoppy, FL, 179.75” to 178.75” after Counce broke the BOS single day record in the first hour of competition with an amazing 101 inches for his five-fish catch and release limit. Ironically, the record had belonged to Ramey.

Can the Lake Fork, TX Hobie BOS event match or even surpass those marks? An entire fleet of kayak bass fishing fans - especially Ramey - can’t wait to test the waters and find out.

Special thanks to host site Lake Fork Marina & Hotel for supporting the Hobie B.O.S.’s second stop in 2020.


Meet Nebo: The Zaldain’s highly entertaining good luck pup

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

 

About the only thing Chris and Trait Zaldain’s dog Nebo won’t eat is fruit, but he will lick a largemouth bass if one gets within range of his tiny tongue, and for the past seven seasons there aren’t many tournament fisheries he hasn’t visited.

In fact, the Zaldain’s acquired Nebo in unplanned fashion during a Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Dardanelle in 2014.

“I was sitting in my boat working on tackle at that Dardanelle Elite, the door on my truck was open, and the next thing I know, a little dog comes out of a patch of woods and jumps into the cab of my truck,” recalls Chris.

Turns out, that little dog was in pretty rough shape. He had worms, ticks, and someone had obviously abandoned him. So Trait and Chris followed their animal loving hearts, consulted with locals to make sure he didn’t have an owner, and began making plans to show the undernourished pup a better life.

“We were pretty broke back then, so I was worried about how much the veterinarian might charge us,” says Trait. “But the clinic there in Russellville was sweet enough to only charge me $5 to treat him for ticks and worms if I promised to take great care of him.”

“For the first few days, I think we fed him the same ramen noodles and lasagna we were living on,” grins Trait, who competes in Bassmaster Open events.  “But the generous treatment the vet clinic gave him really got him pointed toward being way healthier than when we found him.”

Actually, it’s probably more accurate to say Nebo found the Zaldains, and you could argue he’s been a pretty darn good 4-legged token of good luck ever since that fateful day in Russellville six years ago.

Chris actually finished 8th in that Elite Series event a few days after the abandoned pup found them, and the Zaldains left Lake Dardanelle with a prize check of $12,500. They decided it was only fitting their new dog should be named “Nebo” after well-known Mount Nebo State Park located near the cabin they stayed in that week.

The veterinarian guessed him to be roughly two years old the day Trait first took him for a visit, so the Zaldains think “Nebo” is about 8-years-old.

One thing’s for certain, Nebo is now a highly confident, cattle chasing, very entertaining, 18-pound, treasured traveling companion to two of the most recognized anglers at every Bassmaster Open and Elite Series event he attends.


Dawson & Cloide drop over 25 pound limit on scales to Win Bass Champs on Toledo Bend

Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt.
1 WESLEY DAWSON
CHESTER , TX
TEDDY CLOIDE
VIDOR , TX
5 0 25.61
$20,200.00 with SureLife
2 RICHARD STEPHENS
HINESTON , LA
RUSSELL MILLER
ELMER , LA
5 0 20.77
$5000.00
3 KIRK LELEUX
KIRBYVILLE , TX
ROGER JOHNSON JR
VIDOR , TX
5 10.10 20.04
$5500.00 with Big Bass, AbuGarcia, Amphibia
4 IKE STEPHENS
SIMPSON , LA
LEE BROWN
LEESVILLE , LA
5 0 19.84
$3000.00
5 CORY RAMBO
ORANGE , TX
RUSTY CLARK
SAM RAYBURN , TX
5 0 19.21
$5200.00 with Skeeter Bonus and Berkley Cash
6 CHRIS LEWIS
LONGVIEW , TX
KEITH JONES
WHITE OAK , TX
5 0 19.16
$2000.00
7 SHANNON HALE
NACOGDOCHES , TX
TODD NEWMAN
NACOGDOCHES , TX
5 0 18.20
$1300.00
8 MICHAEL MITCHELL
LAKE CHARLES , LA
NATHAN MITCHELL
LAKE CHARLES , LA
5 7.18 17.94
$1200.00
9 JAMES BOUDREAUX
IOWA , LA
GREGORY GUIDRY
SULPHUR , LA
5 0 17.91
$1100.00
10 JACOB JOHNSON
LAKE CHARLES , LA
SHANE CORMIER
RAGLEY , LA
5 0 17.45
$1050.00
11 ANDREW FATERKOWSKI
MONTGOMERY , TX
BILLY DRIGGERS
HUNTSVILLE , TX
5 0 17.44
$1040.00
12 WARREN WHITAKER
WOODVILLE , MS
TERRY MOFFETT
NATCHEZ , MS
5 0 17.20
$1030.00
13 MALCOLM WILLIAMS
BRONSON , TX
STEVE SMART
BRONSON , TX
3 8.55 16.83
$1020.00
14 JOSPEH NORRIS
BOSSIER CITY , LA
BARTON BLAKELOCK
WAELDER , TX
5 0 16.81
$1010.00
15 MIKE EDWARDS
ETOILE , TX
MIKE GREER
DERIDDER , LA
5 0 16.55
$1000.00
16 ANDREW GOLDEN
CENTER , TX
JOHN BARRERA
MILAM , TX
5 0 16.54
$1000.00
16 KEITH DELANEY
POLLOCK , LA
TED PATE
ALEXANDRIA , LA
5 0 16.54
$2000.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash
18 BENJAMIN GULETT
CONVERSE , LA
DUSTIN RIVERS
NOBLE , LA
5 0 16.53
$1000.00
19 SAM HUCKABEE
SHREVEPORT , LA
TOBY JOHNSON
BOSSIER , LA
5 0 16.26
$1000.00
20 BRANNON MIRE
BLOUSSARD , LA
DENNIS NARCISSE
ST MARTINVILLE , LA
5 0 16.06
$1000.00
21 PHILIP HANKS
BUNA , TX
RODNEY SAMMONS
BUNA , TX
5 0 16.04
$1400.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash
22 RICKY MADOLE
MANY , LA
RONNIE MADOLE
SHREVEPORT , LA
5 0 15.89
$850.00
23 ARCHIE DORE II
NATCHITOCHES , LA
SYLVAN BARNES
NATCHITOCHES , LA
5 0 15.78
$800.00
24 BOB SIGNORIN
OAKHURST , TX
TRAVIS SIGNORIN
WILLIS , TX
5 0 15.77
$800.00
25 JASON BAKER
CROSBY , TX
CADE CORMIER
HUFFMAN , TX
5 0 15.40
$800.00
26 ERIC BRIGMAN
BRYAN , TX
HAROLD MOORE
CALDWELL , TX
5 0 15.34
$750.00
27 GARRY JEFFERSON
CENTER , TX
ANDREW DELANO
BUNA , TX
5 0 15.12
$750.00
28 CHRIS HUEBEL
NEDERLAND , TX
DON GOULD
MAURICEVILLE , TX
5 0 14.92
$750.00
29 CLINT WEST
BEAUMONT , TX
NATHAN PRINE
BUNA , TX
4 0 14.83
30 DANIEL BARNES
BELTON , TX
BILLY FORD
BELTON , TX
5 0 14.33
31 CHRIS HARVEY
JASPER , TX
RUSTY HARVEY
LUMBERTON , TX
5 0 14.32
32 BRADLEY HILLEBRANDT
RAGLEY , LA
JORDAN BREAUX
SULPHUR , LA
5 0 14.22
33 JERE BICE
LAKE CHARLES , LA
MICHAEL MCDONALD
IOWA , LA
4 0 14.21
34 BYRON BIONDI
KENNEDALE , TX
MARK BIONDI SR
BURLESON , TX
5 0 14.19
35 KRIS WILSON
MONTGOMERY , TX
BRYAN LOHR
LUMBERTON , TX
5 0 14.16
36 JOSHUA SMITH
SULPHUR , LA
RUDY VAUSSINE
LAKE CHARLES , LA
5 0 14.13
37 MARTIN ELSHOUT
ABITA SPRINGS , LA
MARK PRICE
RUSTON , LA
5 0 14.11
38 CHAD KEMP
BRIDGE CITY , TX
BRENT KEMP
ORANGE , TX
5 0 14.06
39 DONNIE MARTIN
JOAQUIN , TX
MATTHEW JONES
HUMBLE , TX
5 0 13.91
40 LANCE DUFF
LUMBERTON , TX
COLE COSTLOW
LIBERTY , TX
5 0 13.66
41 CHET SLAYDON
DE RIDDER , LA
JOHNNIE FRANKS
HEMPHILL , TX
4 0 13.49
42 ANDRE MARTIN
LENA , LA
GLEN FREEMAN
ZWOLLE , LA
5 0 13.47
43 RICHARD CUNNINGHAM
RAGLEY , LA
MICHAEL WINGATE
DERIDDER , LA
5 0 13.34
44 GERALD MITCHELL
JENA , LA
JASON LEBRUN
CHOUDRANT , LA
5 0 13.23
45 BILL DAIGLE
LAFAYETTE , LA
ANDRE CHAPMAN
CHURCH POINT , LA
5 0 13.22
45 DON DICKERSON
PINEVILLE , LA
JASON FOUNTAIN
PINEVILLE , LA
5 0 13.22
47 JEREMY BERGERON
RAYNE , LA
FRANK BERGERON
RAYNE , LA
5 0 13.13
48 JOHN WALKER
BROOKELAND , TX
KIRK MCCARTY
BROOKELAND , TX
5 0 12.96
49 JONATHON ZELL
DRY PRONG , LA
JACKSON COOPER
DRY PRONG , LA
5 0 12.87
50 JIM PROTHRO
GILMER , TX
TOMMY MORRISON
GRANBURY , TX
5 0 12.81
51 BRIAN SHOOK
CHINA , TX
JOHN ILES
LUFKIN , TX
5 0 12.80
52 JOHNNY WINFREE
MANSFIELD , LA
JOSHUA WINFREE
CONVERSE , LA
5 0 12.74
53 SEAN MECHE
LAKE CHARLES , LA
RODNEY OWENS
RAGLEY , LA
5 0 12.66
54 RICARDO GUZMAN
SUNRISE BEACH , MO
DENNIS CAMPBELL
COLUMBIA , MO
5 0 12.61
55 MICHAEL RISINGER
WEST MONROE , LA
SONTUS MITCHELL
RUSTON , LA
5 0 12.60
56 DOUG MCCAIN
LAKE CHARLES , LA
MASON MCCAIN
LAKE CHARLES , LA
5 0 12.40
57 RICKEY ELLIOTT
SPRING , TX
JOHNNY GRICE
ARP , TX
4 0 12.13
58 JADEN PARRISH
LIBERTY , TX
CODY PARRISH
LIBERTY , TX
4 0 12.07
59 SEAN KENNON
DEQUINCY , LA
JORDAN HOLLINGSWORTH
VINTON , LA
5 0 11.89
60 SHELBY SHAW
HUNTSVILLE , TX
WESLEY LEWIS
KIRBYVILLE , TX
5 0 11.87
61 DAVE REDINGTON
WINNSBORO , TX
LEE SANDERS
HILLSBORO , TX
5 0 11.75
62 JASON RILEY
MONTGOMERY , TX
BRIAN RISH
MONTGOMERY , TX
5 0 11.67
63 SCOOTER CLARK
CENTER , TX
RYAN PINKSTON
CENTER , TX
5 0 11.61
64 NATHAN STROUP
WILLIS , TX
WELSEY JOHNSON
WILLIS , TX
5 0 11.56
65 YARRI SCHREIBVOGEL
BROOKLAND , TX
5 0 11.54
66 LEE SHEARIN
BRIDGE CITY , TX
TYLER SHEARIN
BRIDGE CITY , TX
4 0 11.45
67 NORMAN LAND
CLEVELAND , TX
TRAVIS MOORE
CLEVELAND , TX
5 0 11.08
68 MIKE LOTT
MONTGOMERY , TX
JIMMY ROZELLE JR
PORTER , TX
5 0 10.94
69 THOMAS DECLET JR
THIBODAUX , LA
THOMAS DECLET SR
HEMPHILL , TX
4 0 10.91
70 COLE BREWER
LEESVILLE , LA
ROB RICHARDS
SPRING , TX
5 0 10.64
71 ERIC PLEDGER
TIMPSON , TX
WILLIAM LLOYD
SHELBYVILLE , TX
4 0 10.62
72 DEAN LEWIS
BOSSIER , LA
JOHNNY COSTELLO
BOSSIER CITY , LA
5 0 10.56
73 MIKE SOLIZ
ORANGE , TX
EDDIE CHOATE
BEAUMONT , TX
5 0 10.52
74 DAVID PICKETT
SHREVEPORT , LA
KRISTOPHER PICKETT
COUSHATTA , LA
5 0 10.22
75 ROBERT MORE
LEESVILLE , LA
JERRY COUTEE
MONTGOMERY , LA
4 0 10.02
76 JIMMY DUCK III
CENTER , LA
BENJI DUMAS
MINDEN , LA
3 0 9.87
77 RAY BECK
BROOKELAND , TX
CJ NICHOLS
ALEXANDRIA , LA
1 8.99 8.99
78 DUANE PITTMAN
PRAIRIEVILLE , LA
DWIGHT MINOGUE
KEITHVILLE , LA
3 0 8.81
79 TOMMY WOODARD
CONROE , TX
DUNDE HARRIS
MAGNOLIA , TX
2 0 7.74
80 DALE BOREN
FORT WORTH , TX
RICK SCOTT
HUMBLE , TX
3 0 7.48
80 KALEB LASYONE
DRY PRONG , LA
JOHN BENOIT
POLLOCK , LA
3 0 7.48
82 CHRIS GABLE
BILOXI , MS
STEVEN RAMSEY
DIBERVILLE , MS
4 0 6.81
83 KEVIN HOFFPAUIR
CROWLEY , LA
BRIAN MARTIN
CROWLEY , LA
2 0 5.72
84 CODY NAQUIN
THIBODAUX , LA
BLAKE NAQUIN
THIBODAUX , LA
2 0 4.01
85 KEN SMITH
DALLAS , TX
KEVIN LASYONE
DRY PRONG , LA
1 0 3.05
86 PERRY CLARK
POINT BLANK , TX
KASEN CLARK
POINTBLANK , TX
1 0 1.90
87 JOSH RODGERS
BEAUMONT , TX
CASEY BURLEIGH
ORANGE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JACK TINDEL III
ORANGE , TX
DALTON SOLIZ
ORANGE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 MATTHEW WRIGHT
ORANGE , TX
CAMERON MALLETT
BUNA , TX
0 0 0.00
87 HEATH CROCKER
CALHOUN , LA
JUSTIN WEBB
CALHOUN , LA
0 0 0.00
87 LUKE OGDEN
DELHI , LA
JAKE OGDEN
DELHI , LA
0 0 0.00
87 ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TX
STRIDER BROWNING
TIMPSON , TX
0 0 0.00
87 NATHAN BYRD
MIDLOTHIAN , TX
JOE BYRD
SPRING , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHANCE ARCENEAUX
LAKE CHARLES , LA
DWIGHT ABSHIRE
SANTA FE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHAD SENSAT
LAKE CHARLES , LA
KYLE REED
SCOTT , LA
0 0 0.00
87 WILLIAM WALKER
JENA , LA
SAMUEL CANOE
GEORGETOWN , LA
0 0 0.00
87 MATHEW ARMAND
HESSMER , LA
JARRED WILLIAMS
BUNKIE , LA
0 0 0.00
87 CHRISTOPHER GORDON
CLARENCE , LA
0 0 0.00
87 BRYAN CARETHERS
SILSBEE , TX
JUSTIN HOLMES
LUMBERTON , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JOHN MADDOX
LUFKIN , TX
JEFFERY WISE
LUFKIN , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHRIS MCCLAIN
NEED INFO
PERRY NELMS
ORANGE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 BUBBA NUGENT
POLLOCK , LA
DANA NUGENT
GEORGETOWN , LA
0 0 0.00
87 CODY PITT
MANY , LA
LANE MASTERS
FISHER , LA
0 0 0.00
87 DUSTIN GUNSTREAM
VIDOR , TX
PRUITT PERKINS
ORANGE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHRIS CLEMENS
LUFKIN , TX
DALLAS COLE
LEESVILLE , LA
0 0 0.00
87 ADAM DUNN
HOUSTON , TX
JOSHUA WARE
NEW CANEY , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHRIS GALLENDER
VILLAGE MILLS , TX
DOUGLAS SCHYSM
RAGLEY , LA
0 0 0.00
87 HAROLD ALLEN
SHELBYVILLE , TX
MATT LOETSCHER
MANY , LA
0 0 0.00
87 PHILLIP CRELIA
CENTER , TX
TJ GOODWYN
CENTER , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHAD PRIMOS
SHREVEPORT , LA
BRIAN HEADRICK
DEBERRY , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JUSTIN CHILDRESS
MANSFIELD , LA
ROY LOVE JR
STONEWALL , LA
0 0 0.00
87 LARRY BYRD
LAKE CHARLES , LA
TRAVIS BROUSSARD
LAKE CHARLES , LA
0 0 0.00
87 BRIAN BAYLESS
PORTER , TX
CHRIS CAVITT
PORTER , TX
0 0 0.00
87 MATT MORRIS
SHREVEPORT , LA
BILLY GASTON
SHREVEPORT , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JODY GOODRUM
DAYTON , TX
JAKE GOODRUM
CLEVELAND , TX
0 0 0.00
87 LAMARCUS MCCRAY
HOUSTON , TX
JAMES ROZELL
HOUSTON , TX
0 0 0.00
$500 Conservation Cash
87 CRAIG MASSEY
HOUSTON , TX
SCOTT HOLIFIELD
GRAND BAY , AL
0 0 0.00
87 JOHNNY VINES
GROVES , TX
SHANNON PRICE
PORT ARTHUR , TX
0 0 0.00
87 MARKUS ELDER
NEW WAVERLY , TX
ROBERT MIKES
SHINER , TX
0 0 0.00
87 BRANDON DAVIDSON
LITTLE ELM , TX
JIM FURR
HEMPHILL , TX
0 0 0.00
87 MATTHEW BENEFIELD
HUFFMAN , TX
LARRY BENEFIELD
HUFFMAN , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JAMES BLYTHE JR
ELM GROVE , LA
RICKY SIMS
CENTER , TX
0 0 0.00
87 DANIEL HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TX
PATRICK GAMMILL
LUFKIN , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CHARLES HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TX
TERRY HICKMAN
KINGWOOD , TX
0 0 0.00
87 RICKY BLANKINSHIP
MANY , LA
DAVID CURTIS
BROOKLAND , TX
0 0 0.00
87 CLAY DARDEAU
RAGLEY , LA
CRAIG BEAN
LAKE CHARLES , LA
0 0 0.00
87 DENNIS COURTNEY
LAKE CHARLES , LA
GRADY MAYEAUX
RAGLEY , LA
0 0 0.00
87 ERIC WILSON
MARSHALL , TX
HOWARD WILSON
NACOGDOCHES , TX
0 0 0.00
87 TYLER WALKER
BURTON , TX
STEVEN WALKER
BURTON , TX
0 0 0.00
87 KEITH HAWKINS
LAKE PROVIDENCE , LA
J. DUCK HAWKINS
IRVING , TX
0 0 0.00
87 MICHAEL OATES
BUNA , TX
ROBERT MCKINLEY
KIRBYVILLE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 BILL STARK
EVADALE , TX
DAVID MORGAN
SILSBEE , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JOEL MAYFIELD
PERKINSTON , MS
RYAN PATTERSON
PASCAGOULA , MS
0 0 0.00
87 SCOTT DEAN
TERRELL , TX
TERRY PEACOCK
ROYSE CITY , TX
0 0 0.00
87 WILL CARSTENS
ALEXANDRIA , LA
ROSS BRYANT
ALEXANDRIA , LA
0 0 0.00
87 ROBERT VANZANDT
MONTGOMERY , TX
JOE DAW
MONTGOMERY , TX
0 0 0.00
87 GENE BAGLEY
BEAUMONT , TX
MITCH STEPHENSON
BEAUMONT , TX
0 0 0.00
87 DOUG PERKINS
PORTER , TX
BRAD HENSLEY
CLEVELAND , TX
0 0 0.00
87 JASON MOORE
BUNA , TX
JOHN SINGLETARY
FRED , TX
0 0 0.00
87 RONNIE BLAND
BURKEVILLE , TX
MALCOLM FRANKS
FLORIEN , LA
0 0 0.00
87 JOE MAZZURCO
LUFKIN , TX
TERRI MAZZURCO
LUFKIN , TX
0 0 0.00
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Guyot Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Murray

Elgin’s Locklear Wins Co-angler Division

PROSPERITY, S.C. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Boater Scott Guyot of Fayetteville, North Carolina, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 23 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. For his victory, Guyot earned a total of $4,359.

“The key was that I was in the right place at the right time,” said Guyot, who earned his first career victory as a boater in Bass Fishing League competition. “I was fishing stained water in Bear Creek – from the mouth all the way to the back of the creek.”

Guyot said that his most effective bait for the majority of the day was crawdad-colored shallow crankbaits, but his biggest fish came on a chartreuse and white-colored ½-ounce spinnerbait with double willow blades.

“The wind was tough in a few spots, but it really worked to our advantage later in the day,” Guyot went on to say. “We had to adapt to it, but I made some good decisions and every spot that we went to, it worked out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Scott Guyot, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 23-8, $4,359

2nd:      Greg Rikard of Leesville, S.C., five bass, 21-9, $2,379

3rd:       Cody Hoyle of Rutherfordton, N.C., five bass, 21-2, $1,452

4th:       Wesley Story of Clarks Hill, S.C., five bass, 20-9, $1,517

5th:       Michael Fuller of Pacolet, S.C., five bass, 20-6, $872

6th:       Gary Michaud of Chesnee, S.C., five bass, 18-15, $799

7th:       Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 18-12, $726

8th:       Mark Collins of Inman, S.C., five bass, 18-9, $654

9th:       Charles Clark of Camden, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $681

10th:     Patrick Cook of Hemingway, S.C., five bass, 18-5, $1,134

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Cook brought an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $625.

Story was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Dylan Locklear of Elgin, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,157 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       Dylan Locklear of Elgin, S.C., five bass, 18-1, $2,157

2nd:      Ronald Harris of Jefferson, Ga., four bass, 12-12, $1,079

3rd:       Matthew Dangerfield of Summerville, S.C., four bass, 11-12, $717

4th:       Brandon Jeffcoat of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 11-4, $503

5th:       Ken Hodges of Hodges, S.C., two bass, 10-13, $736

6th:       Jared Wallace of Leesville, S.C., three bass, 10-5, $396

7th:       Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 10-1, $510

8th:       Paul Dunn of Prosperity, S.C., three bass, 9-9, $324

9th:       Josh Kirby of Gaffney, S.C., four bass, 9-6, $288

9th:       Trey Brafford of Kings Mountain, N.C., three bass, 8-13, $252

Hodges caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Murray was the first of five qualifying events in the South Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Wes Logan Joins Fishlife Pro Staff Springville, Alabama Angler to rely on Fishlife Products to Care for Catch

Maplesville, Ala. – February 6, 2020 – Having made a splash when they announced the signing of 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury, Fishlife Fish Care Products adds Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie pro Wes Logan to the team as well.

Logan, who competed on the FLW Tour for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, decided to pursue qualifying for the Elite Series through the Bassmaster Opens in 2019 as well.  The young pro from Springville, Alabama managed to not only qualify for the Elite Series, but he won the Bassmaster Central Opens Angler of the Year title along the way.  In his FLW career, Logan managed to put together career earnings of $157,000, two BFL wins, and a total of eight top 10 finishes.

Logan said that taking care of his catch is vital, and having Fishlife Fish Care Products will be a huge asset.  “We spend a lot of time and effort trying to locate and catch fish, and not taking care of them is irresponsible, he said. “I believe fish care is a huge deal when it comes to tournament fishing, and all of the great Fishlife Fish Care products working as first aid, I am confident that every fish I catch will be returned to the water healthy to thrive and live to be caught another day.  I believe in the products and am proud to be representing them in my rookie year on the Elite Series.”

Randall Carter, owner of Fishlife Fish Care Products has followed Logan’s career, and said the company loves having him on the team. “We are extremely proud to have Wes join the FishLife Fish Care team,” said Carter. “He knows the importance of fish care and we couldn't be more proud to have him representing our products; we wish Wes the very best on his Elite Series debut, and look forward to helping him make the most of every opportunity.”

Fishlife Fish Care products can be found at Tackle Warehouse and many independent dealers throughout the country – dealer inquiries are welcome.


Flack Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lewis Smith Lake

Mississippi’s Underwood Wins Co-angler Division

CULLMAN, Ala. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Local boater Jackie Flack of Cullman, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman. For his victory, Flack earned a total of $6,011.

“It feels great to get the win here – this is my home lake, and the field of anglers in this tournament was so tough,” said Flack, who earned his second career victory in Bass Fishing League competition. “There were a lot of really good fisherman out there so to get this win really means a lot. I am tickled to death.”

Flack said he caught his fish running a typical Smith Lake pattern for this time of the year.

“I was fishing ditches with shaky-head rigs and Ned rigs,” he said. “I was setting up in 40 to 45 feet of water and throwing into 25 to 30 feet. I found a few areas where the fish were stacked up and I got lucky with a couple of 4-pound bites that really helped me.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Jackie Flack of Cullman, Ala., five bass, 17-3, $6,011

2nd:      Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., five bass, 16-11, $3,506

3rd:       Kyle Glasgow of Guin, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $2,001

4th:       Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-12, $1,403

5th:       Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $1,152

5th:       Billy Brindle of Calhoun, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $1,152

7th:       Tim Arnold of Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-7, $1,002

8th:       Jody Brooks of Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 14-2, $902

9th:       Jason Sloan of Warrior, Ala., five bass, 14-1, $802

10th:     Colton Chambers of Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $701

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Butler took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Jason Berrong of Crossville, Alabama, brought a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $995.

Kenneth Underwood of Columbus, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $3,486 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       Kenneth Underwood of Columbus, Miss., five bass, 12-13, $3,486

2nd:      Michael Matlock of Olivehill, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $1,495

3rd:       Don Bible of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-0, $998

4th:       Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $698

5th:       Justin Stephenson of Jasper, Ala., five bass, 11-11, $598

6th:       Jason Smith of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 11-7, $548

7th:       Richard Pugh of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-11, $498

8th:       Jacob Pospy of Morris, Ala., five bass, 10-9, $449

9th:       Nathan Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $374

9th:       Cameron Gatlin of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $524

Underwood also earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $495 after bringing a bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith Lake was hosted by Cullman County Parks and Recreation. The tournament was the second of five events in the Choo Choo Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.


Sharp Catches Record-Breaking 40-Pound Limit, Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Sam Rayburn

Third-Largest Limit Ever and Largest Margin of Victory in Bass Fishing League History, Largest Limit Ever at Sam Rayburn in FLW Competition

BROOKELAND, Texas (Feb. 17, 2020) – Boater Anthony Sharp of Village Mills, Texas, had a day Saturday that most bass fishing tournament anglers only dream about. Sharp brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 40 pounds, 6 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. For his victory, Sharp earned a total of $7,000.

The tournament was the second of five events in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

Sharp’s massive five-bass limit broke multiple Phoenix Bass Fishing League records. His 21-pound, 5-ounce margin of victory was the largest in Bass Fishing League history. His limit was the third-largest limit ever weighed in Bass Fishing League competition – topped only by Rogne Brown in 2011 (Lake Chickamauga, 40 pounds, 14 ounces) and Casey Martin in 2015 (Lake Guntersville, 40 pounds, 11 ounces). His five bass were also the heaviest limit ever weighed in FLW history – across all circuits – at Sam Rayburn.

"I’ll be honest, when he [the tournament director] sat the sack up there I was praying that I had maybe mid-30s,” said Sharp. “I’ve caught a couple 30-pound limits up here, but never in a tournament. When he said 40 pounds, I couldn’t hardly answer his questions. I kind of got flushed.”

The spot Sharp found was a pretty classic offshore area – a flat section topping out in about 20 feet, with a drop that went down to about 40 feet. It turned out that was all he’d need to find to have the tournament day of a lifetime.

“Friday, when we started practice, I ran right there and idled over the spot, and there was a lot of fish,” said Sharp. “I idled over them four or five different times, just to make sure I was seeing fish, because they were stuck to the bottom. So, I backed off them and started easing up to them on the trolling motor, and I was still 100 yards from my waypoint and on my very first cast I caught an 8-pounder.”

On tournament morning, Sharp ran right to his honey hole.

“We blasted off at about 7:15, and I made a 15-minute run up the lake,” said Sharp. “At 8:35, I called Mr. Callahan [the tournament director] and asked if I could use my co-angler’s livewell because I couldn’t fit all my fish in one livewell. So, in about an hour I was done.”

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/be3dd2c6-1b78-408f-ac23-dfb71de6dcd8" alt="A person holding a fish Description automatically generated" width="247.5" align="left" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 3.4375in; height: 1.9375in; opacity: 1;">Deciding not to idle over his fish to check on them, Sharp simply eased up to where he thought they would be and tossed a Carolina rig with a 1-ounce weight and a Zoom Baby Brush Hog in green pumpkin magic with the tails dyed chartreuse.

“On my second cast I caught one that I told my co-angler was about 6 pounds,” said Sharp. “Then I fished a little while, and my next fish was about 5 pounds. I got a bite about every 10 or 12 minutes for the first three fish, and I was fan-casting around the bow of my boat, kind of in the middle of the flat spot.”

After catching a short and then another 6-pounder, Sharp picked up a Strike King 8XD in chartreuse and blue.

“I probably threw it 15 or 20 minutes, and I caught one that was probably 8 pounds, and I caught one over 9. I put my rod down and told my co-angler, ‘That’s it. I think I’ve got high 20s right there.’

“I don’t know what I was even thinking,” continued Sharp. “After I sat about 10 minutes in the boat, letting him fish the area, I thought it would really be cool if I could cull that 5-pounder. I made three more casts with that crankbait and caught my biggest fish, and that was all before 8:45.”

And that was it. Though Sharp hung around the spot to try to give his co-angler a shot at some, neither caught anything else. Throughout the rest of the day, when Sharp ran around for his co-angler, he said he only made about 50 casts. He knew he’d done something special already, even if it’d take the scale to tell him exactly how special it was.

“It’s incredibly special. I can’t even describe it,” Sharp went on to say. “I was just praying I could catch one or two fish like that. I really had no idea that was going to happen.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Anthony Sharp of Village Mills, Texas, five bass, 40-6, $7,000

2nd:      Randy Deaver of Blanchard, La., five bass, 19-1, $3,200

3rd:       Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 17-8, $2,000

4th:       Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., five bass, 17-4, $1,400

5th:       Shaine Campbell of Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 16-9, $1,200

6th:       Mathew Dorcz of Huffman, Texas, five bass, 16-1, $1,100

7th:       Cole Moore of Anacoco, La., five bass, 15-15, $1,500

8th:       Aaron Johnson of Shreveport, La., five bass, 15-11, $900

9th:       Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $800

10th:     Bart Doty of Kilgore, Texas, five bass, 15-4, $700

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Sharp also earned the day’s $1,000 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 9-pound, 14-ounce kicker bass.

Moore took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Wyatt Stout of Altura, Minnesota, and Doug Rush of Midlothian, Texas, tied for the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after both catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces. Each angler brought home $2,250 for their wins.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       Wyatt Stout of Altura, Minn., five bass, 15-7, $2,250

1st:       Doug Rush of Midlothian, Texas, five bass, 15-7, $2,250

3rd:       Sieg Kilby of Kilgore, Texas, five bass, 14-15, $1,150

4th:       Michael McCollum of Wimberley, Texas, four bass, 14-4, $700

5th:       Logan Slaughter of Dallas, Texas, five bass, 13-4, $600

6th:       Mitchel Martin of Washington, La., four bass, 13-2, $1,050

7th:       Cade Nelson of Long Branch, Texas, five bass, 12-9, $500

8th:       Cody Brown of Saratoga, Texas, five bass, 12-6, $450

9th:       Nick Morris of Princeton, Mo., five bass, 12-5, $400

10th:     Justin Shelton of Kemp, Texas, five bass, 12-4, $350

Martin caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


Soft plastic tubes still charting year round hits

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

 

The Garland brothers introduced the first tube to bass fishing in 1982, and for about the next 15 years it was used mostly as a finesse lure tied to spinning tackle in clear water, and around spawning beds.  Then, Arkansas’ Doug Garrett kinda let the cat out of the bag about the scary good effectiveness of pitching tubes to shallow habitat following his 1997 MegaBucks win with a 3.5” smoke red tube on stingy White Rock Lake in Dallas.

The next summer, legendary shallow water pitcher/flipper Denny Brauer won the 1998 Bassmaster Classic using a very similar 3.5” tube, and pitchin’ tubes launched skyward to a level of popularity on par with the last seven singles country singer Luke Combs has released.

Brauer actually found his Classic winning fish on a jig the month before the Classic. He caught them around slick logs on a shallow flat. But when he returned on a practice day during Classic week, he couldn’t buy a bite. As fate would dictate, desperate to find out if the highly promising school of fish were still living there, he put down the bulkier jig and reached for a tube.

“I thought to myself, “I’m gonna see if they’ll eat this goofy thing” -- and the first tree I pitched the tube to I got the kinda of good bite I had when I found those fish a month earlier,” reflects Brauer.

Brauer says he’s not sure if it was because shad had moved into that area, and the tube better emulated the shad than a jig, or exactly what the reason was, but using 25-pound monofilament, he even ‘boat flipped’ a 7 pound 12 ounce fish on a tube that ended up being the anchor fish of his 1998 Bassmaster Classic victory.

 

Unlimited Seasonal Use

 Much like a Senko, along with a tube’s magical way of getting bites when nothing else will, a tube also seems to have no seasonal limitations. Brauer’s win came in early August in the hottest shallow waters High Rock Lake, NC had to offer. Yet, I’ve caught bass recently on a super soft Big Bite Bait Tour Flipping Tube from the frigid winter waters of Northeastern Oklahoma.

“I think it’s definitely a year round bait,” says Brauer. “As anglers, we initially got conditioned to think tubes were a spawning season bait. But shoot, it’s very productive year round. As much as anything, it’s simply a finesse tool to pitch anytime the conditions call for it.”

Hook size and rigging are critical

 More often than not, for 20 years now, I’ve always gravitated toward the 3.5” tube rigged with a 3/0 Mustad hook. Interestingly, and very intentionally, following his Classic win on the 3.5” tube, Brauer had Strike King design a larger 4.5” tube so he could match it with a larger 4/0 Mustad hook he felt would put more fish in the boat than the smaller 3/0 hook.

The bottom line is, pitch the size you’re most comfortable with. But one thing is absolutely certain, it’s imperative you match the tube size to the hook size. In my experience a 3.5” tube demands a 3/0 hook, and a 4” or 4.5” tube marries best to a 4/0 hook.

Lastly, do not, I repeat, do not bury the hook point into the tube, or you’ll say bad words over the number of fish you lose after setting the hook. Instead, simply lay the hook point level on the back of the tube when Texas rigged – it will still perform plenty snag-free, and lead to far better landing ratios.

 

You can choose to rattle, but let the bass choose the weight

Lure rattles are kind of like Las Vegas or sushi. Some people love it, some people hate it. Personally, I believe there’s goodness to adding sound to these little finesse style morsels. So I stuff a glass rattle inside the body of my tubes about 80-percent of the time.

Like rattles, line size and worm weight size are also a personal preferences that ultimately come down to water clarity and whatever preferred fall rate the bass seem to favor. A lot of anglers use 20-pound test with a ¼ ounce weight as a pretty standard set-up. Brauer goes much meatier with 3/8 or ½ ounce weight and 25 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, while yours truly has caught ‘em for years with a 1/8 ounce weight and 15 pound old skool Big Game mono that’s as tough as the titanium in Brauer’s recent shoulder replacement.

 

Be a “line watcher”

No matter what size tube, line size, or worm weight you choose – learn to be a “line watcher.” You need to make a vigilant habit of watching the behavior of your line where it meets the water after every single pitch or flip. Tube bites are often a bit unique. Very seldom do bass just thump a tube. My theory is a tube gently glides into their space, and it’s kind of like they’re eating a potato chip rather than chomping on a bite of rib eye steak. Often times your line will just kinda stop falling like it’s been razor-bladed or attached to a feather – if so, set the hook!

 

Still charting hits

Lures are like country music artists. Some bust on to the scene, score a couple hits, and soon fade from popularity. Others score hits early, and may fade from glory for just a bit, but make a solid rebound to prove true talent never goes away.

That said, it’s fair to say pitchin tubes have proven to be a whole lot like George Strait, Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn – all were mega stars about the same time Brauer won the ’98 Classic, and they’re still playing to sell out crowds 20 years later.


John Murray Joins Sixgill Fishing Products Pro Staff

Spring City. Tenn. – February 5, 2020 – John Murray, MLF Bass Pro Tour pro from Spring City, Tenn. announces his inclusion to the Sixgill Fishing Products pro staff.  Murray, one of the most accomplished anglers to ever come from the Western United States will be using Sixgill rods and reels as he competes in 2020.

 

Murray joins a Sixgill Fishing Products pro staff that counts fellow Major League Fishing Pro Fred Roumbanis and Bassmaster Elite Series pros Tyler Carriere, Tyler Rivet, Randy Sullivan and Dale Hightower among its members.

 

Murray said that the gear itself has been a joy to use, and that he is looking forward to working with the company.  “The best thing about a company like Sixgill, is that they make great products for every level of angler,” said Murray.  “They have series that will help beginning anglers who hire my guide service and high-end, advanced gear that fills my needs on the Bass Pro Tour; and they are so great to work with, that I look forward to every communication.”

 

Murray is currently utilizing the Sixgill Siren Rods matched with the Wraith baitcasting reels and Banshee spinning reels.  He said that while he has found products to rely on, he looks forward to being more involved in development in the future.  “The products are very light, very sensitive, but strong enough to handle anything I’ve thrown at them,” he said.  “There are products that I use for everything that I do, and I look forward to working to help them develop new products along the way.”

 

Aaron Hansen, Professional Angler Manager for Sixgill Fishing Products likes what Murray brings to the table.  “John brings a vast range of knowledge to the fishing community and is known around the world to be one of the best anglers in the business,” said Hansen. “With all of his career accomplishments, he adds a lot to the brand. We are more than excited to have him join our Professional Staff for the 2020 season and we look forward to a great year with John on and off the water.”

 

About Sixgill Fishing Products - Sixgill Fishing Products is an extension of our brand family of outdoor and fishing products.  Our brands include Allen Fly Fishing, Exterus Outdoor Development, and Sixgill Fishing Products.

After establishing our loyal customer base with Allen Fly Fishing, we wanted to expand our product lines to include all of the outdoor passions shared within our company.  Using the same unique business model that made Allen Fly Fishing quickly grow in to a favorite in the fly fishing industry, we are bringing our outstanding customer service, product quality, and simple direct to consumer business model to the conventional fishing tackle world. Visit Sixgill on the web at: https://sixgillfishing.com/

About John Murray – Murray has been a full time professional angler since 1985 fishing local, regional and national tournament circuits like Won Bass, FLW and the Bassmaster Elite Series; he is currently a competitor on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. At one time, Murray was being called the ironman since he was fishing both FLW and the Bassmaster Elite Series the same year. John is the only professional angler to win a fully rigged bass boat on every major western waterway from New Mexico to Washington totaling 31. He has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic 7 times and is a 2 time US Open Champion and has earned $2.5 Million during his career. Follow Murray on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JohnMurrayProfessionalAngler/.


Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Set for Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Bad Boy Mowers

 

LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2020) – The second event of the 2020 season for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, professional bass fishing’s premier five-fish limit tournament series, kicks off next week, Feb. 20-23 with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Hosted by Lake County, the tournament will feature 154 bass-fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top award of up to $135,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship.

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/eccad8b5-a12a-4b91-bea4-2991b6652879" alt="A view of a body of water Description automatically generated" width="288" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 2.25in; opacity: 1;">“This is going to be a really fun tournament,” said Pro Circuit pro Tim Frederick of Leesburg, who has four career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “We’re going to see fish in all three phases – prespawn, spawn and postspawn – and guys are going to be able to fish in a multitude of ways and have success.”

Beside Lake Harris, tournament waters include Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Carlton, Horseshoe Lake, Little Lake Harris, Lake Denham and Lake Beauclair. In addition to providing plenty of water to fish, there are miles of canals around each lake that competitors can access.

“I think we’ll see the field really split up, and I expect that there will be tournament boats in every lake,” Frederick continued. “The key will be finding an area that has fish steady coming to you – moving in to spawn or back out after they spawn. A staging area where the fish are migrating in and out of will be the winning spot.”

With all three stages of the spawn expected to be in play, Frederick expects shallow-water cranking – squarebill and lipless crankbaits – to be strong, along with flipping and casting soft-plastics. He said if the weather cooperates a topwater bite could come into play.

“The bedding fish will be important,” Frederick said. “I think the canals will be extremely popular. Guys are going to see 7-, 8- and 10-pounders on beds and that will draw them in like a magnet. But, it’s really tough to win on bed fish alone.

“I’m going to be a little conservative and predict that the winner is going to end with a four-day total right around 80 pounds,” Frederick went on to say. “The exciting thing about the Harris Chain is that you can catch a 10-pounder on any cast. I think we’ll see at least a half a dozen limits over 25 pounds.”

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 20-21, will be held at the Gardens beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 22-23, will also be held at the Gardens, but will begin at 4 p.m.

“Lake County is excited to welcome back the Tackle Warehouse FLW Pro Circuit to the Harris Chain of Lakes for the third time in four years,” said Brandon Matulka, Executive Director, Lake County Agency for Economic Prosperity. “The economic impact of this event is significant to our community and we are proud to have been selected to host the Circuit again alongside our great partners with the City of Leesburg. We wish all of the anglers a safe and memorable time throughout the event on the Harris Chain and we hope to show them, and the rest of the country, why we are called ‘Lake Big Bass!’”

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

For youth, the FLW Foundation’s Youth Fishing Derby will be held at the Venetian Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. The event is hosted by Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers and is free and open to any youth 14 and under. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Pro Circuit stage, just prior to the pros weighing in. The first 50 youth registered will receive a free goodie bag. Youth can register on-site or pre-register by emailing scott.ellison@flwfishing.com.

As part of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit’s community outreach initiative, Pro Circuit anglers will visit teenage anglers at the Lake County Teen Sportfishing Association. The appearance will take place at the Lake Harris Shores Club House, located at 13102 Country Club Drive in Tavares, Florida. Anglers will visit with the youth anglers, give tips and tactics for local fisheries, snap photos, sign autographs and share fishing stories.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 155 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship. The 2020 FLW TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 8-13 and is hosted by the Town of Massena.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.


Fitzgerald Wins Toyota Series Tournament on St. Johns River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PALATKA, Fla.(Feb. 16, 2020) – Pro Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Florida, brought a 19-pound, 8-ounce limit to the weigh-in scale Saturday to reclaim the top spot on the leaderboard and win the three-day Toyota Series at the St. Johns River. Fitzgerald’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 57-12 gave him the win by a 6-pound margin and earned him a payout of $38,048 in the Toyota Series Southern Division 2020 opener.

“I’ve been wanting this one for a while,” said Fitzgerald, who earned his first career Toyota Series victory after five previous top-10 finishes. “I seem to do okay in one-day tournaments, but I excel in these multi-day tournaments because I don’t typically go out and catch a giant bag. I usually find stuff that is more consistent.”

The first day, Fitzgerald caught multiple sight fish on aReaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, fished on a Fitzgerald Stunner 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy and Stunner reel.

“On day two I didn’t have any spawners left, so I went to running the bank and found a little depression that I’d known about, but I came to realize there was a lot more fish sitting in it than I realized.”

What Fitzgerald was fishing was basically a long sand bar at the far south end of Lake George, which served as a staging area for fish coming to the bank to spawn. No one else seemed to find it, potentially due to how shallow it was.

“It’s just a depression surrounded by super-shallow water. I used to put in at that boat ramp right there when I was a kid, so I was kind of familiar with the way the bottom lays out.”

Fitzgerald caught his fish on a shaky-head rig tipped with a Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket in black and blue, which he threw on a Fitzgerald Stunner spinning rod and spinning reel and 12-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa fluorocarbon. Prior to that, he was mostly dragging a black and blue Reaction Innovations Machete on a 7-foot, 3-inch, medium-heavy Fitzgerald Stunner casting rod paired with a Fitzgerald Stunner casting reel (7:1) and 17-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa fluorocarbon.

“I grew up about 20 minutes from the south end of Lake George, and I’ve been fishing here my whole life,” Fitzgerald went on to say. “I love fishing the St. Johns River and it is awesome to win here.”

The top 10 pros on the St. Johns River finished:

1st:       Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Fla., 15 bass, 57-12, $38,048

2nd:      Jason Blair of West Palm Beach, Fla., 15 bass, 51-12, $14,550

3rd:       Steven Hatala of Harrison Township, Mich., 13 bass, 50-6, $11,265

4th:       Rodney Marks of Apopka, Fla., 15 bass, 45-0, $9,387

5th:       Keith Carson of DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 43-6, $8,833

6th:       Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, 12 bass, 38-8, $8,510

7th:       Jonathan Kelley of Old Forge, Pa., 12 bass, 37-12, $6,571

8th:       Frank Kitchens III of Oxford, Ga., 11 bass, 37-8, $5,632

9th:       Jason Meninger of St. Augustine, Fla., 12 bass, 36-3, $4,694

10th:     Chris Hensley of Marbury, Ala., 10 bass, 33-11, $3,755

A complete list of results can be found atFLWFishing.com.

Carson brought a 9-pound largemouth bass to the scale Friday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event – to earn the day’s Big Bass award of $135.

Gallelli took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Edwin Bartlett of Casco, Maine, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces. For his win, Bartlett took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor, worth $33,500.

The top 10 co-anglers on the St. Johns River finished:

1st:       Edwin Bartlett of Casco, Maine, 12 bass, 29-12, $33,500

2nd:      Cole Hewett of Orlando, Fla., 14 bass, 28-8, $4,929

3rd:       Blaine Bucy of Weirton, W. Va., eight bass, 25-13, $3,783

4th:       Roger Hughes of Bartlesville, Okla., eight bass, 25-12, $3,400

5th:       David Wareham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., 12 bass, 25-11, $2,837

6th:       Chris Holland of Vero Beach, Fla., 11 bass, 22-1, $2,364

7th:       Andy Niles of Ocean Springs, Miss., 11 bass, 20-9, $1,891

8th:       Kevin Thomas of Miramar, Fla., eight bass, 19-11, $1,655

9th:       Early Whitaker of Iron City, Ga., 11 bass, 18-13, $1,419

10th:     Michael Harrelson of Conway, S.C., nine bass, 18-5, $1,182

Alan Carver of East Point, Georgia caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday, a fish weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces. He earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $90.

The Toyota Series at the St. Johns River was hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Southern Division anglers. The next tournament for Toyota Series anglers will be the Central Division opener – the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga, held Feb. 27-29 in Dayton, Tennessee. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook,TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.

FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at FacebookTwitterInstagram and YouTube.


Back to Basics with Bassmaster Elite Rookies Austin Felix and Caleb Kuphall

 

Professor Duran welcomes in Bassmaster Elite Series Rookies Austin Felix and Caleb Kuphall to this weeks show to talk about life as an Elite Rookie with one derby down and the Classic in the truck windshield.


Fitzgerald Leads Day 1 of Toyota FLW Series Event on St Johns

Courtesy of FLWfishing.com

Trevor Fitzgerald has a lot of history on the St. Johns River. He’s from Belleview, Fla., just an hour or so away, and one of his 11 career top 10s in FLW competition was a win on the sprawling river system in 2008. He’s also a hammer in local derbies, though his experience only goes so far, considering the conditions this week in the Toyota Series Southern Division opener, which Fitzgerald leads after day one.

“The thing is, a lot of my areas got changed with this wind,” says the 37-year-old pro. “Parts of the river are really muddy right now, so I’m just trying to find clean water.”

So much so, in fact, that Fitzgerald thinks he might only have a couple spots left for the rest of the tournament, and he’ll potentially be in scramble mode come tomorrow.

“If I start catching them, I’ll just hunker down and stay, because I don’t know if I have that many spots left to run like I did today,” he adds.

While scrambling isn’t exactly ideal for Fitzgerald, he was already on a junk-fishing deal on day one, mostly in response to dirty, low water. Even so, he managed to sack up 21 pounds, 2 ounces, which says a lot about his feel for the St. Johns and his experience on the fishery.

“I was pretty much just doing a lot of different things,” Fitzgerald explains. “I caught a couple off the bed, a couple on bars, and caught a couple just fishing shallow dragging a worm and stuff.”

For the task, Fitzgerald employed a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver in green pumpkin and a Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket in black and blue, Texas-rigged, which he dragged on a 3/8-ounce weight.

Being the founder of Fitzgerald Rods, Fitzgerald of course utilized all Fitzgerald Stunner 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy rods with Fitzgerald Stunner reels on Fitzgerald Vursa line.

“Almost everything I was using was made by us except the soft plastic and the hook,” he says.

With water levels lower than usual, finding fish that have moved up on beds has been a tall task for much of the field this week during practice and the tournament. Anglers with secondary stuff, like Fitzgerald, are in good position to adapt to those conditions. But with a minor cold front moving in tonight – paired with shifting winds – Fitzgerald is more likely than not to find himself junk-fishing again on Friday.

The conditions might be bad news for the rest of the field, too, but Fitzgerald knows the St. Johns well enough to be uniquely positioned to carry his momentum into a potential top-10 showing.

“I just know it,” he says of the fishery. “I live not far from here, and I have a lot of spots; a lot of history.”

Whether conditions bring Fitzgerald’s tournament to a screaming halt tomorrow or he’s able to power through to fish on Saturday, he still gets to sleep in his own bed this week – and fish a river he’s done so well on in the past.

Complete results

 

Top 10 pros

1. Trevor Fitzgerald – Belleview, Fla. – 21-2 (5)

2. Michael Conley – Bainbridge, Ga. – 20-11 (5)

3. Kyle Welcher – Opelika, Ala. – 19-14 (5)

4. Eddie Carper – Valliant, Okla. – 19-6 (5)

5. Tim Frederick – Leesburg, Fla. – 19-1 (5)

6. Andrew Warbington – Coker, Ala. – 17-14 (5)

7. Jason Blair – West Palm Beach, Fla. – 17-12 (5)

8. Keith Carson – DeBary, Fla. – 16-11 (5)

9. Zak Fadden – Plymouth, Mich. – 16-9 (5)

10. Jacopo Gallelli – Florence, Italy – 16-8 (5)

 

BUCY GRABS CO-ANGLER LEAD WITH BIG BAG

Blaine Bucy traveled a long way to sack up 17 pounds, 10 ounces of St. Johns River fish, and while the Weirton, W.Va., co-angler makes regular trips to fish Florida’s famed fisheries, his experience this week might top them all.

“I’ve been fishing FLW for about 15 years, and I wanted to fish the Southern Division because I love coming to Florida,” he says. “We had 4 inches of snow last Thursday [back home].

“I fished the St. Johns eight or nine years ago; I fished a Bassmaster Open down here. That was the only time I’ve ever fished it.”

You wouldn’t know it by the big stringer he weighed in on Thursday, anchored by an 8-pounder his boater, Joey Thigpen, put him around. With that big limit, Bucy finds himself nearly 5 pounds ahead of Edwin Bartlett heading into day two.

Despite his successful first day, Bucy is more than happy to give credit to three other major factors: his faith, his day one boater and his bait of choice.

“He’s an awesome, awesome, awesome boater and awesome man; really, really a good man,” he says of Thigpen. “I hope I draw someone tomorrow that’s as nice as he is, whether we’re on fish or not.

“I’m thrilled. If it wasn’t for Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t have anything. He smiled on me today. He may not smile on me tomorrow, but I’m awful thankful for today.”

As for the bait, Bucy had to really work hard to make sure he had some on hand this week. His favorite Florida staple is a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm in junebug, which he couldn’t find in the store before he left. After checking around, he found seven packs and bought them all.

“Down here, that’s my favorite bait,” he says. “I throw that junebug Speed Worm and the Gambler Fat Ace, 6-inch, in black blue flake. That’s pretty much it down here for me.”

The Speed Worm is what he did all his damage with on day one, and Bucy says he’s so confident in it he might only take two rods with him tomorrow.

That is, of course, provided his day two boater presents him with an opportunity to use the same soft plastic offering. On day one, Thigpen spent his time fishing around dock pilings and a “hole” in a creek that was holding some quality fish.

If Bucy is around similar stuff on day two, there’s no question what he’ll be throwing.

 

Top 10 co-anglers

1. Blaine Bucy – Weirton, W.Va. – 17-10 (5)

2. Edwin Bartlett – Casco, Maine – 12-13 (5)

3. Paul Gelles – Pingree, Idaho – 12-9 (4)

4. Ron Wiggins – Palatka, Fla. – 11-6 (5)

5. Michael Robel – Bradenton, Fla. – 10-15 (3)

5. Charles Dubroc – Hessmer, La. – 10-15 (4)

7. Andy Niles – Ocean Springs, Miss. – 10-14 (5)

8. Moses Wilson – Clewiston, Fla. – 10-13 (3)

9. Kenneth Hunnicutt – Jacksonville, Fla. – 10-10 (5)

10. David Wareham – Port Saint Lucie, Fla. – 10-5 (5)

 

Complete results


VanDam picks SweeTARTS and a Thunder Cricket

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

 

Editors note: This is the first installment of a new series themed “Two from the Tundra” – in which the author asks a Toyota Tundra driving pro angler to pick one special possession, and one special piece of tackle to share with fans.

 

While driving alone in his Toyota Tundra to tournaments and sponsor events, the tall slender man many consider to be the greatest bass angler of all time admits he’s often had a habit of keeping sweet or sour packs of candy within arm’s reach.

Hence, when asked to share one item from his Tundra that’s close to his heart, he chose a pack of SweeTARTS that his best friend and bride of 27 years, Sherry gave him before he made the first big drive of the year to the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour event at Lake Eufaula, AL.

Not only did the sweet and sour candies that hit the market in 1962 satisfy a craving and remind VanDam of home along the 14 hour drive, but they also served as a bit of a Valentine’s Day gift from Sherry.

Now, when it comes to a piece of fishing tackle he’s treasuring these days – VanDam chose a Strike King Thunder Cricket.

“Over the next few months, most anglers across America will face cold, off colored water in the their spring fishing. Bass are forced to rely on their lateral lines to sense vibrations from prey in those conditions – so the huge vibration produced by a 3/8 or ½ ounce Thunder Cricket is a great choice,” says VanDam.

He says the presence of submerged vegetation is optimal, but certainly not critical, and the Thunder Cricket is also awesome around boat docks.

VanDam ties the high-vibration lure to 20 pound line spooled on a 7.5:1 Lew’s HyperMag reel, and uses a 7-foot medium heavy rod with enough flex in the tip to make accurate casts.

Of course, never to be outdone, VanDam made sure he volleyed back a Valentine’s gift of his own to Sherry. “I got her favorite Junior Mints and some chocolate covered marshmallow hearts, along with a card, but I told her she couldn’t open it until Friday,” he winked.


Wheeler Wins Big on Lake Eufaula: B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Champion Led the Field by 27 Pounds

February 12, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala.) Team Toyota pro Jacob Wheeler won the Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole with 24 bass weighing in at 68 pounds, the highest one-day total for the week. MLF Rookie Bryan Thrift led the field handsomely early in Period 1 with five catches in the first 30 minutes of competition. Ott DeFoe landed scorable bass on a steady pace all day long, including holding the lead at the of Periods 1 and 2.  Ultimately Wheeler secured a solid lead with an 11-fish run as the clock wound down.

With cameras rolling on MLFNOW! at the end of Period 3, Jacob Wheeler paused to take in the reality that he had won.

“Unbelievable,” he exclaimed. “To start off this 2020 Bass Pro Tour season with a win here on Lake Eufaula; it’s unbelievable. I owe it to everyone who supports me, especially my wife, Alicia.”

Wheeler, winner of Qualifying Round Group B and Thrift, winner of Qualifying Round Group A, each earned a Championship Round berth skipping the Knockout Round on Tuesday. A new Bass Pro Tour rule for 2020, there was some uncertainty on how a day off would fair for the advanced anglers. Thrift and Wheeler coming in first and second on Championship Round suggests that a day off is nothing to worry about.

“Second place feels like a win to me,” Thrift said. “My hat’s off to Jacob, and I have no complaints about my week. It’s a great feeling to finish well in my first Major League Fishing event.”

press release cont'd:

Ott DeFoe rode a strong morning bite to a commanding lead in the second period. He caught the Berkley Big Bass of the Day, weighing in at six pounds 15 ounces, within 90 minutes of Period 1.  As the sun passed overhead, Thrift assumed a seemingly comfortable lead before Wheeler took control for good with an impressive flurry of fish catches:11 in one hour, 24 for the day.

“I caught two right away and then the first spot dried up,” DeFoe said. “They weren’t set up the same as they were yesterday, and I couldn’t get them fired up.”

The Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award went to Jacob Wheeler with 68 pounds.

The B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Championship Round finished as follows:

Place Angler Total Weight Total Fish Largest Fish Winnings
1 Jacob Wheeler 68-00 24 4-10 $100,000
2 Bryan Thrift 40-11 13 5-11 $42,000
3 Ott DeFoe 34-09 10 6-15 $30,000
4 Alton Jones, Jr. 26-12 9 4-08 $24,000
5 Dustin Connell 24-00 6 5-11 $18,000
6 Brent Chapman 20-10 8 3-12 $16,800
7 Takahiro Omori 16-04 5 4-08 $15,600
8 Brett Hite 9-13 3 3-11 $14,400
9 Jordan Lee 5-10 2 3-08 $13,200
10 Adrian Avena 4-03 2 2-03 $12,000

For complete results from the entire week, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The Bass Pro Tour continues next week, February 21-26, with Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat on Lake Okeechobee (Fla.).  Each day begins with launch 7:15 a.m. local time before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and interact with fans.

Fans around the world can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).


AC Insider Podcast - All the feels with Paul Mueller and Brayden Rakes!

 

With it being Valentines week, the boys welcome in 2-time Elite Series Champ Paul Mueller to talk about his recent win on a crazy St. Johns River. They also welcome in long-time Big Bass Tour Angler Brayden Rakes who secured his first BBT Win on the Harris Chain this past weekend! Check it out!


Eclectic’s Robinson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Martin

Bonaire’s Denney Wins Co-angler Division

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama. For his victory, Robinson earned a total of $5,686, including a $1,000 Mercury contingency award.

“I started my day out with a spinnerbait in my hand, and I didn’t put it down throughout the entire day,” said Robinson, who earned his first career Phoenix Bass Fishing League victory. “I caught around 20 keepers all day long, fishing in the Hog Pen Slough area – around the D.A.R.E. Power Park.”

Robinson’s key lure was a 3/8-ounce purple shad-coloredWar Eagle Spinnerbait with a white Zoom Split Tail Trailer.

“I caught them anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet deep,” Robinson said. “The Hog Pen Slough is a main feeder creek, about mid-river. I was targeting the blowdowns and rocky secondary points. If I didn’t get bit on the bank, I’d slow roll it all the way back to the boat.

“The bite was really hot from 9:30 to 10:30 (a.m.), then there was a lull until about 1:15 (p.m.). Then it really picked up again,” Robinson continued. “The key was definitely slowing down and being patient.

“I’ve been battling against these hammers in the Bama Division for three years now, and I’ve been one bite away from the win a couple of times. It was shocking that the weights were this low – I didn’t expect to win – but it was an awesome day and I’m glad I did.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $5,686

2nd:      Thomas Frink of Cedartown, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $2,843

3rd:       Kip Balkcom of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-2, $1,562

4th:       Brad Jones of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $1,093

5th:       Mason Franklin of Mulga, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

6th:       Steven Ingram of Tallassee, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

7th:       Anthony Goggins of Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $742

8th:       Ken Morris of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $942

9th:       Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $625

10th:     Greg Bearden of Oxford, Ala., five bass, 11-3, $547

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chris Rutland of Wetumpka, Alabama, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $690.

Frink took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Mark Denney of Bonaire, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,493 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       Mark Denney of Bonaire, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $2,493

2nd:      Lew Moore of Roanoke, Ala., five bass, 11-1, $1,517

3rd:       Andrew Fisher of Anniston, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $781

4th:       Jacob Hays of Marbury, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $547

5th:       Justin Foster of Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 10-0, $469

6th:       Jim Laster of Newnan, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $410

7th:       Scott Carpenter of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $410

8th:       Bill Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 9-10, $351

9th:       Gary Marlowe of Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $312

10th:     Chance Hebert of Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 9-5, $273

Moore caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $345.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin was hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Bama division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


HUK Adds Pro's for 2020 Roster

Fishing Apparel Manufacturer Expands Presence in MLF, BASS, High School and Regional Tournaments

Charleston, SC (February 11, 2020)  – Huk, a leading manufacturer of performance fishing apparel, is expanding its presence in competitive freshwater fishing.  In concert with Huk’s values of making the best gear for all anglers, the brand has invested in adding team members from various professional and amateur tournament trails to supplement its current roster of bass fishing pros.

This year’s lineup of Huk pros include previous team members Ott DeFoe, Greg Hackney, Jacob Powrzonik, Clif Crochet, Brock Mosley, and Brad Knight.  Along with these veteran anglers, this year’s lineup of Huk pros includes top performers as well as up and comers from the Bassmaster Elite, MLF, and FLW Pro Circuits. Huk is extremely excited to add Bassmaster Elite anglers Drew Benton, Brandon Lester, Lee Livesay, Tyler Rivet, and Shane Lineberger in addition to FLW Pro Circuit anglers Tyler Stewart, Kyle Hall, and Jake Morris.  Bryan Thrift will be competing for Huk on the MLF circuit, and he is sure to be a huge threat there as he has been on the FLW Tour in the past.  Numerous other regional amateurs and high school anglers will be competing under the Huk name this year.  A few key regional additions include Jason Bonds, Chris Jones and Joe Uribe Jr, who compete regionally in FLW Series events as well as numerous team and individual events in their home states of Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona.

“This season’s team will be the most diversified group we’ve ever had, representing Huk across all the major tours as well as regional trails,” states Melinda Hays, Freshwater Community Manager for Huk. “We’re really proud of all the support and encouragement we’ve received from recreational and amateur anglers over the years.  We’re fired up to be able to help them achieve their competitive goals on all levels.”

 

In addition to the expansion of the team, Huk is also sponsoring numerous additional tournament trails in 2020.  Much like the new team anglers, these new trails represent Huk’s commitment to being a part of all anglers’ journeys.  At this time, the brand is the title sponsor of the Huk TTO Team Trail and the Huk Bassmaster Kayak Series.  Additional sponsorships include numerous regional high school series, youth trails and regional amateur events such as Sealy’s Big Bass Splash, the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association tournaments and the Wild West Bass Trail.

“The amateur trails represent the vast majority of competitive anglers in this country, so it only makes sense to expand our 2020 team,” said Pete Angle, Chief Marketing Officer for Marolina, parent company of Huk and Nomad Hunting.  “Our next great bass fishing icons will likely come from the current generation of high school competitors, so supporting these relationships now and in the future aligns perfectly with Huk’s values of making the best gear for all anglers.”

Huk has plans to support additional tournament trails and add even more anglers to the team in 2020.  With an evolved product line for the spring/summer and fall collections, and an increased presence in the competitive world, there should be no shortage of exciting news coming from Huk this year.

 

For more information about Huk Gear, please visit www.hukgear.com.


South Forsyth High School Wins 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole Open

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The South Forsyth High School duo of Brett Morlanne and Michael Landernaeu, both of Cumming, Georgia, brought four bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole Open.

A field of 29 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin. The tournament was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. In FLW and TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top two teams on Lake Seminole that advanced to the 2020 High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship were:

1st:    South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Ga. – Brett Morlanne and Michael Landernaeu, four bass, 12-5

2nd:   Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Brock Lewis and Gage Sellars, five bass, 12-2

Rounding out the top 10 were:

3rd:    Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Caleb Reynolds and Lex Thompson, four bass, 11-8

4th:    Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Shane Dill and Bowynn Brown, five bass, 9-11

5th:    Double Trouble Bass Team – Brunson Fain, Donalsonville, Ga., and Jackson Conley, Bainbridge, Ga., four bass, 7-13

6th:    Brookwood High School, Snellville, Ga. – Ben Sanders and Levi Singletary, five bass, 7-5

7th:    Brevard High School, Brevard, N.C. – Matthew Case and Andrew Howell, three bass, 7-5

8th:    Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Gunner Thomas and Brody Thomas, three bass, 6-11

9th:    North South Anglers – Brandon Martin, Lula, Ga., and Parker Guy, Ocilla, Ga., three bass, 5-10

10th:  Harris County High School, Hamilton, Ga. – Cole Reynolds and Colby Koon, two bass, 5-6

Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole Open was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2020 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2020 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2019 World Finals more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.

 


Buford, Georgia’s Dover Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Keowee

Gainesville’s Grizzle Wins Co-angler Division

WALHALLA, S.C. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Randy Dover of Buford, Georgia, brought five to the scale Saturday totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina. For his victory, Dover earned a total of $5,627.

Weather was a factor for the Savannah River division anglers, as cold, snowy conditions hampered a lot of plans and strategies for competitors. Dover said that he did the majority of his damage close to Seneca, only a mile to a mile and a half from takeoff.

“The places that I caught them in practice really got stained, so I had to move out to clearer water,” said Dover, who earned his first career victory in just his third career Phoenix Bass Fishing League event. “I ended up catching them on roadbeds and ditches.”

Dover said his two key baits throughout the day were a Ned rig and a shaky-head rig.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:       Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $5,627

2nd:      Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

3rd:       Jimmy Gooch of Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

4th:       Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $1,813

5th:       Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $1,125

6th:       Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $1,942

7th:       Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $938

8th:       Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

9th:       Russell Clark of Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

10th:     Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-11, $623

10th:     Brad Benfield of Demorest, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rampey brought a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $910.

For the second week in a row, boater Jason Johnson was highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $3,268 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:       Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 17-6, $3,268

2nd:      Fisher Rodgers of Camden, S.C., five bass, 12-6, $1,407

3rd:       Sawyer Redmond of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $938

4th:       Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $656

5th:       Bruce Faulkner of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-10, $563

6th:       Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $516

7th:       Stephen McCoy of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $469

8th:       Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-2, $572

9th:       John Wilson of Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $351

9th:       Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $351

Grizzle also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $455.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee was hosted by Visit Oconee. It was the first of five qualifying events in the Savannah River Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


Bethel University Finishes Top Three Teams at Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Season Opener on Lake Seminole

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The Bethel University duo of Brad Ableman of Latham, New York, and Wilson Smith of Southaven, Mississippi, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Seminole Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the Wildcats’ bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

It was an impressive event for the Bethel University fishing club, as the school placed three teams in the top three spots – and were the only three teams to catch a limit weighing more than 15 pounds. The tournament launched from the Earle May Boat Bain in Bainbridge, Georgia.

The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments advance to the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI College Championship presented by Lowrance. Per FLW rules, additional teams qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. A field of 140 teams competed at Lake Seminole, so 14 teams now advance to the Championship.

The top 14 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st:       Bethel University – Brad Ableman, Latham, N.Y., and Wilson Smith, Southaven, Miss., five bass, 19-1, $2,000

2nd:      Bethel University – Dax Ewart, Humboldt, Tenn., and Kyle Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 16-13, $1,000

3rd:       Bethel University – Dakota Pierce and Cody Huff, both of Ava, Mo., five bass, 15-1, $500

4th:       Pearl River Community College – Dylan Herrington and Tanner Gregory, both of Picayune, Miss., five bass, 13-15, $500

5th:       Troy University – Evan Rice and Dillon Butcher, both of Troy, Ala., five bass, 12-15, $500

6th:       Georgetown College – Blake Quinn, Danville, Ky., and Dillon Sizemore, Georgetown, Ky., five bass, 12-12

7th:       University of Montevallo – Hunter Ward, Rockford, Ala., and Solomon Glenn, Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 12-9

8th:       Bryan College – Thaddeus Simerly, Talbot, Tenn., and Ethan Shaw, Carmel, Ind., three bass, 12-9

9th:       Florida State University – Loc Cassida and Nick Whibbs, both of Pensacola, Fla., five bass, 12-8

10th:     University of Montevallo – Weston Hollar, Dadeville, Ala., and Wesley Gore, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-4

11th:     Kennesaw State University – Garrett Guinan, Marietta, Ga., and Jake Haggerty, Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 11-3

12th:     University of Montevallo – Bradley Martin, Chelsea, Ala., and Jack Baron, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 11-3

13th:     Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Dayton, Tenn., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., four bass, 11-1

14th:     Polk State College – Justin Bun, Lake Alfred, Fla., and Kyle Brewer, Dundee, Fla., five bass, 10-14

Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournament for Southeastern Conference anglers and the first College Fishing event of 2020. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship on the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance in Leesburg, Florida, Feb. 26-28, which will showcase college teams that qualified from the 2019 regular season.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.

Both members of the winning team at the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000. Both members of the second, third and fourth-place teams will advance to the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American to compete as boaters where they are guaranteed $1,500 plus a shot at winning the top prize of $100,000. Both members of the fifth and sixth-place teams advance to the 2020 All-American to compete as co-anglers where they are guaranteed $750 plus a shot at winning $50,000.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook,TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


Cape Coral’s Littich Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Okeechobee

Bradenton’s Hibbs Wins Co-angler Division

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. For his victory, Littich earned a total of $7,220, including a $2,500 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award.

The tournament was the second of five events in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I’ve fished these tournaments for six years, and this is the first time that I’ve gotten to hold one of these fancy winner trophies up,” said Littich, who was fishing in his 36th career Bass Fishing League event. “The feeling that I got when I knew I had the win was absolutely awesome.

“I started my day up north, near the Monkey Box area, then I ended up around Observation Shoal,” Littich continued. “Those were the two main areas that I fished. I bounced to one spot about halfway down the shoal, then came back in at the end of the day.”

Littich said that he caught his fish on a variety of baits. His first bass – a 7-pounder – came on a Z-Man ChatterBait. An hour and a half later, Littich boated a 6-pounder on a black and blue-colored Yamamoto Senko. Another key bite came late in the day flipping a Gambler Burner Craw with a 3/8-ounce weight.

“The key was not getting out of my own head,” Littich went on to say. “It was a very slow bite this morning, so I had to take my time and not get worried.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st:        Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 23-14, $7,220

2nd:       Jerry Stalvey Jr. of Palatka, Fla., five bass, 22-15, $3,055

3rd:       Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,574

4th:       Mike Vititoe of Lakeworth, Fla., five bass, 17-3, $1,101

5th:       Mike Davis of Alachua, Fla., five bass, 17-0, $944

6th:       Alex Terescenko of West Palm Beach, Fla., five bass, 15-14, $865

7th:       Christopher Hunter of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $787

8th:       Garrett Thomas of Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 15-0, $708

9th:       Jared Howell of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 14-13, $629

10th:      Cedric Perry of Cross City, Fla., five bass, 14-12, $551

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Stalvey Jr. brought an 8-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.

Littich took home an extra $2,500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,510 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st:        Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $2,510

2nd:       Moses Wilson of Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,180

3rd:       Brandon Prophitt of Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-13, $787

4th:       Bryan Ray of Lake Leelanau, Mich., five bass, 12-12, $551

5th:       Scott Farnham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., five bass, 10-5, $472

6th:       Jay McNamara of Issaquah, Wash., five bass, 9-14, $433

7th:       David Wickham of Fruitland Park, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $373

7th:       Jason Gonzalez of Loxahatchee, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $473

9th:       Joshua Tackett of Orange City, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

9th:       Sean Wiggins of Pinellas Park, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

Vidal Melendrez of Miami, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


World Champion Wheeler Retains Lead, Advances Directly to the Championship: 38-Angler Knockout Round Set for Tuesday

February 10, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala.) Jacob Wheeler, 2019 General Tire World Champion, held onto his lead over Group B despite a valiant run by Randall Tharp who rose into second place by day’s end. Wheeler began day two nearly ten pounds ahead of Wesley Strader and with a 14-pound, eight-ounce lead over Tharp but today was a tougher day for the Academy Sports Pro who only caught nine pounds, one ounce in three periods. As the winner of Group B, Wheeler advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round and receives a minimum payout of $12,000 as one of the top ten.

“I’m going to have to change up a couple things going into the Championship Round,” said Wheeler. “Today was a tough day; I just could not get those fish to bite; I could literally see them and not get them to bite.”

The drama of B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole unfolded live on MLFNOW! as the field changed with each catch. Mike Iaconelli kicked off the day with a six-pound-13-ounce largemouth only six minutes after lines in. He went on to catch two more over five pounds (23-03 total), rising from 40th place and zero pounds on Saturday to 18th place today, thus securing a spot in the Knockout Round on Tuesday.

“Just goes to show you, never give up,” reflected Iaconelli during his interview on the General Tire Takeout as he returned to the ramp. “To be able to salvage the points to fish another day, that is a good thing.”

Randall Tharp contributed to today’s storyline as he narrowed the gap to within eight ounces. In the final minutes, Tharp caught what turned out to be an un-scorable bass just shy of the two-pound minimum required per MLF rules preventing him from taking the lead.

“I wasn’t planning on exerting myself much today but ended up fishing pretty hard in Period 3,” Tharp said. “For about an hour, I was one bite away from winning the round.”

Instead of getting a day off and an automatic berth to the Championship Round, Tharp will head back to Lake Eufaula for Tuesday’s Knockout Round.

“I have enough history here that I would rather have the day off, but that day of fishing tomorrow could be an asset to stay on top of what the fish are doing,” Tharp believes. “I’m just thankful I put a little heat on Wheeler, that last hour had to be nerve-wracking for him.”

2019 Bass Pro Tour Points Champion Edwin Evers snuck over the elimination line toward the end of Period 3 into 19th place after catching a six-pound-10-ounce largemouth with less than 20 minutes to go. He finished the Qualifying Round in 18th place with 22 pounds, 12 ounces after ending Saturday (day one) with only one, two-pound catch.

The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group B finished day two as follows:

Place Angler Total 2-Day Weight Day Two Weight Total Largest Fish of Day Two
1 Jacob Wheeler 51-06 9-01 3-08
2 Randall Tharp 50-14 23-01 5-08
3 Mike McClelland 42-01 24-11 6-10
4 Ott DeFoe 39-01 25-07 6-06
5 Bobby Lane 38-13 13-02 4-02
6 Wesley Strader 38-09 6-03 3-13
7 James Watson 31-09 9-13 3-14
8 David Dudley 31-08 8-09 3-01
9 Michael Neal 31-07 13-07 4-11
10 Adrian Avena 20-02 16-10 4-07

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

Daiwa Pro Ish Monroe landed today’s Berkley Big Bass weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces. Monroe finished 34th overall and will not advance into the Knockout Round but will favor well this Stage toward his Heavy Hitters qualifying weight. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.

Today’s event concluded the Qualifying Round of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole. Two anglers advanced directly into the Championship Round on Wednesday: Bryan Thrift, winner of Group A and Jacob Wheeler, winner of Group B. The remaining eight spots in the Championship Round will be determined in Tuesday’s Knockout Round, in which the anglers who finished in places 2-20 will compete in a field of 38 for the top eight spots.

The 38 anglers competing in the Knockout Round include:

 

Greg Vinson
Andy Morgan
Todd Faircloth
Chris Lane
Brent Ehrler
Mark Rose
Josh Bertrand
Jacob Powroznik
Jeff Sprague
Brent Chapman
Greg Hackney
Alton Jones, Jr.
Anthony Gagliardi
Scott Suggs
Brandon Coulter
Britt Myers
Andy Montgomery
Jordan Lee
Aaron Martens
Randall Tharp
Mike McClelland
Ott DeFoe
Bobby Lane
Wesley Strader
James Watson
David Dudley
Michael Neal
Adrian Avena
Dustin Connell
Fletcher Shyrock
Luke Claussen
Kevin VanDam
Justin Atkins
Takahiro Omori
Brett Hite
Mike Iaconelli
Edwin Evers
Jesse Wiggins

Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).


BOWMAN OVERCOMES CONDITIONS TO TOP GUNTERSVILLE FIELD

Courtesy of Alabama BASS Nation - Greg McCain

 

Difficult weather and water conditions greeted Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation anglers on Lake Guntersville Saturday (Feb. 8) in the year’s first qualifying tournament for the state grassroots circuit.

As usual, select ABN fishermen didn’t let a little adversity detract from their opportunities to catch fish. Talladega angler Chester “Jabo” Bowman, in fact, said he consistently caught keepers all day long, including a couple of late culls that allowed him to overtake the early leaders in the tournament.

When he finished the brutal day of fishing, Bowman (Shotgun Sports Supply) weighed 20.46 lbs. of Guntersville bass, including a 6.34 largemouth, and bested a field of 63 boaters in the event staged out of Goose Pond near Scottsboro. He finished almost exactly a pound ahead of second-place boater Ryan Walters (Lake Guntersville Bassmasters), who brought in a 19.45 limit.

Keith Glasgow (Winfield Bassmasters) and Francis Beard (Neely Henry Bassmasters) tied for third with 18.53.

Among co-anglers, Mark Edmonds (Carbon Hill Bass Club) caught easily the best three-fish limit. It weighed 10.10 lbs. and topped second-place finisher Randy Sparks (Belgreen Bass Club), who had 8.69.

Beard boated the Academy Sports + Outdoors Big Fish with a 7.18 largemouth. He caught the fish on a bladed jig.

Cold temperatures and pre-dawn snow made conditions miserable before launch, and a snow/rain mix lingered into the mid-morning hours. Although the skies cleared later in the day, winds built and contributed to the difficult fishing conditions. Despite the extreme weather, combined with high, muddy water from rain and snow from the days leading up to the tournament, the bass bit well for some anglers in the opening stages of the tournament. That bite fizzled for some when the precipitation quit while others said that a hint of sun about mid-morning triggered a short feeding period.
Bowman, however, said he caught at least a dozen keepers during the course of the day. He boxed a good limit early, including a four-pounder on the second cast, on a Bill Lewis squarebill near the mouth of Seibold Creek. He continued to pound his main area in Seibold, located in the mid-lake area west of Scottsboro, and made several key culls late.

“I didn’t really know what I had,”

Bowman said.

“I thought maybe 17 or 18 pounds. But they weighed a little heavy. They were in really good shape.”

The game-changer came at about 1:30, when he enticed his big fish to hit a homemade vibrating jig. The bass struck on a short line near the boat, but Bowman managed to keep it hooked up. The catch culled a keeper from his earlier limit, and Bowman upgraded with another key bass on the same lure not long before making the run back to Scottsboro.

“That vibrating jig doesn’t run like a regular one like a Jackhammer,”

Bowman said.

“It’s got a little wider wobble that the fish seem to like.”

Walters, the second-place finisher, said he did most of his damage before noon, particularly in the mid-morning feeding period.

“It was a tough day, especially in the snow earlier,”

said Walters, a Huntsville resident who was fishing his first ABN event.

“When it started sprinkling rain about 8:30, it seemed to turn the fish on. That’s when I did most of my damage.”

Walters caught his first fish on an outer grass line in the mid-lake area. He said the bass seemed to move shallower through the morning but then disappeared on him for the rest of the day. He caught all of his limit on a bladed jig.

Edmonds, fishing with fellow Carbon Hill Bass Club member Jim Nelder, said he caught his three-fish limit “on a moving bait” in a “mid-lake area about three miles down the river.” He later told ABN president Eddie Plemons during the awards ceremony that he caught the fish on a Rat-L-Trap lipless crankbait. His biggest largemouth weighed 4.66.

Rounding out the top 10 in the boater division were Josh Bragg (Wiregrass Bassmasters, 18.40); Keith Hester (Shoals Fishers of Men, 15.04); Roy Galbraith (Winfield Bassmasters, 13.48); Jeff Warren (Belgreen Bass Club, 13.21); Josh Dees (Birmingham Bass Club, 13.06); and Dennis Hatton (Belgreen Bass Club, 12.10).

Among the co-anglers, Kyron Jones (Birmingham Bass Club, 7.26) followed Edmonds and Sparks in the standings. Remaining top 10 finishers were Donny Davis (Belgreen Bass Club, 6.71); Logan Ryan (Coosa Valley Bassmasters, 6.60); Colby Bendall (Belgreen Bass Club, 6.56); Dale Norred (Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters, 6.51); Lee Hanvey (Lee County Bass Club, 6.26); Wade Mitchell (Coosa River Anglers, 5.75); and William Elston Jr. (Blue-Eye Bassmasters, 5.23).

Other winners at the Guntersville event included Dees and Jones, who took the team title. Their combined weight of 20.32 lbs. topped the field of registered team competitors.

In addition to individual boater and co-angler competition, the ABN allows anglers to pair up with the top teams earning spots at the year-end state championship. The top five team finishers from each qualifying tournament will be eligible for the state championship, scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on Lake Eufaula. Last year, the top four teams out of the state championship on Lake Guntersville advanced to the Toyota Bonus Bucks Team Championship held on Lake Hartwell, S.C.

The teams of Glasgow and McCain Merchant (Winfield Bassmasters) and Beard and Chris Curvin (Neely Henry Bassmasters) tied for second with 18.53 with that total all coming from the boaters. Other team qualifiers were Bragg and Burt Lancaster (Wiregrass Bassmasters) and Nelder and Edmonds.
A final winner came from the Fishin’ 4 A Cure (F4AC) participants. Davis finished as the top finisher among those signed up for F4AC. Competitors pay an optional $25 per tournament to F4AC, and the money goes to help combat childhood diseases at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. Airport Marine and Office Partners are the F4AC sponsors.

At the pre-tournament meeting held Friday night at the Comfort Inn in Scottsboro, Plemons thanked all the organization’s sponsors, including several new ones this year. Among the new sponsors are Halo Rods and Radicull Culling Devices.
Other sponsors who support various ABN circuits include Davis Bait Co., George Paint and Body, Academy, Airport Marine, Office Partners, Motivated Movers, Triton Boats, Mercury, Motor Guide, Lowrance, NetBait, Shell, Hammer Rods, Daiwa, Shelby County, StrikeZone Lure Co., Charlie’s BBQ, the Rod Glove, T-H Marine, Power-Pole, and Alabama Hosting.

The ABN heads to Lake Eufaula for its March qualifier with others to follow at Lake Martin in April and Lake Neely Henry in May. Top individuals and teams compete to earn a spot in November’s state championship. Qualifiers are open to any member of a B.A.S.S. affiliated club. The full schedule and registration information is found on the ABN website.

More Tournament Photos can be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLhYxgt

Greg McCain is a freelance writer with hundreds of credits in various print and digital publications. In addition to producing photos and content for this website, he is a regular contributor to Alabama Outdoor News (AON) magazine and CrappieNow digital magazine. He is a member of the Belgreen Bass Club, an ABN chapter near Russellville.


Mueller’s Final-Day Audible Leads To Bassmaster Elite Series Win On St. Johns

PALATKA, Fla. — Paul Mueller’s crucial decision delivered a key fish on Championship Monday that propelled the Connecticut angler to a three-day total of 47 pounds, 6 ounces and what he described as a most unlikely victory at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Florida’s St. Johns River.

After grinding most of the day in Trout Creek, about 25 miles downriver from Palatka, Mueller called an audible and relocated to nearby 6-Mile Creek where he had found a key stretch of pads with 25 feet of water.

Punching this thick vegetation with a craw bait rigged on a 4/0 Strike King Hack Attack hook with a 1-ounce weight yielded a 6-11 bass — the day’s largest — that dramatically changed his outcome.

“That was the horse that brought me here, no doubt about it,” said Mueller, who earned $101,000 for his second career Elite Series victory. “A big bite is the best thing you can have on the final day. I knew I was leading, but I got off to such a bad start, throughout the entire day, I didn’t think I had enough.

“All day long, I never felt like I had a shot. It wasn’t easy today, but when it’s God’s will, everything works out.”

Mueller kept himself in contention throughout the event by remaining consistent. He placed second on Day 1 with 20-8 and took over the lead a day later by adding 16-2.

During Monday’s final round, Mueller fell short of a limit by one fish, but four bass that weighed 10-12 were enough to deliver the win by a 3-2 margin.

All three days, Mueller punched pads when he found sufficient water for prespawn staging fish to move into the cover. His punching bite consistently improved later in the day, as the week’s tide schedule brought higher water to the relatively shallow pads in the afternoon.

With wind advisories from the National Weather Service postponing the tournament’s official start by two days, B.A.S.S. officials shortened the event to three days total instead of four. The final day’s shorter schedule afforded Mueller a smaller window of the rising tide, so moving to the deep spot in 6-Mile Creek allowed him his shot at a big bass suspending beneath the cover.

He also caught fish on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin Strike King Hack Attack swim jig with a junebug color Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw trailer.

Mueller, who finished 62nd at last year’s St. Johns Elite tournament, said he was pleased to fare better this time — particularly considering the significant difference between the mostly shallow Florida fishery and the deep, clear waters he considers his specialty.

“I don’t feel like this is a place that sets up to fish my strength,” Mueller said. “When I looked at this year’s schedule, there were tournaments where I said ‘I may have a chance to win that,’ and then there were tournaments where I thought: ‘Man, I just hope I have a good finish.’ This was one of them.

“This is not my style of fishing, so it’s amazing that I caught enough weight to win here.”

John Crews of Salem, Va., rose four spots to finish second with 44-4. Crews caught 16-13 on Day 1, 15-5 on Day 2 and finished with 12-2 on Monday. He earned $25,000.

Crews, who placed fifth at last year’s St. Johns event, caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer ChatterBait trailed with a 3.5-inch Missile Baits Shockwave swimbait and a new Missile Baits Quiver worm, which he used on a drop-shot rig and wacky style. He anchored his day with a 4-13.

“Today, I could hardly get bit on anything slow; everything was on the reaction bait,” Crews said. “I used a bluegill-colored ChatterBait when it was cloudy, and then I switched over to a black and blue. I used a shrapnel-colored trailer — it’s kind of a bluegill color — with both.”

Day 1 leader Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., slipped a couple of spots to finish third with 41-10. With daily weights of 21-7, 14-3 and 6-0, Jaye earned $21,000.

The jerkbait guru mostly stuck with his signature technique, catching the majority of his fish on a Berkley Skinny Cutter. He also caught a Day 3 keeper on a Texas-rigged Berkley MaxScent General stickworm.

“Where I was fishing was like 6 to 7 feet when the water was up during practice, but it dropped down to 4 feet during the tournament,” Jaye said. “That Skinny Cutter doesn’t go very deep so it allowed me to keep off the bottom."

Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., earned $1,000 for Phoenix Big Bass of the week with his 10-1 largemouth.

Mueller also took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and John Crews took home $2.000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Title Sponsor: AFTCO

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

-30-

Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, eharley@bassmaster.com

Request 2020 media credentials

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11
St. Johns River, Palatka  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           14  47-06  100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   16-02     Day 3: 4   10-12
2.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               15  44-04   99  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   12-02
3.  Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           15  41-10   98  $21,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-07     Day 2: 5   14-03     Day 3: 5   06-00
4.  Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             15  41-06   97  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   14-12     Day 3: 5   16-00
5.  Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            14  41-01   96  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 4   08-02
6.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           15  40-09   95  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   12-06     Day 3: 5   10-05
7.  Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              15  40-01   94  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   10-12     Day 3: 5   13-03
8.  Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             14  39-11   93  $17,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   20-12     Day 3: 4   07-02
9.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  39-09   92  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   16-11     Day 3: 5   11-13
10. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         15  38-13   91  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   22-15     Day 3: 5   06-05

11. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         12  36-10   90  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   15-14     Day 3: 2   05-07   
12. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR         14  36-00   89  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   10-01   
13. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            15  35-11   88  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   08-08     Day 3: 5   09-14   
14. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  34-14   87  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   18-05     Day 3: 5   08-11   
15. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            15  34-13   86  $12,000.00
  Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   15-06     Day 3: 5   09-02   
16. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             11  33-10   85  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 4   08-03     Day 3: 2   05-07   
17. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          13  32-12   84  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   09-09     Day 3: 3   05-08   
18. Drew Cook              Midway, FL              13  32-06   83  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   17-14     Day 3: 3   04-14   
19. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        13  32-02   82  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   14-01     Day 3: 3   04-02   
20. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  27-14   81  $10,000.00
  Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 3   08-14     Day 3: 0   00-00

----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Kelley Jaye              Dadeville, AL       09-02          $0.00
2   Kyle Welcher             Opelika, AL         10-01          $0.00
3   Paul Mueller             Naugatuck, CT       06-11      $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kyle Welcher             Opelika, AL         10-01      $1,000.00


Academy Sports + Outdoors to offer free freshwater fishing licenses with purchase ahead of 2020 Bassmaster Classic

From Feb. 10-16, Alabama anglers will receive a free freshwater fishing license with a $25 purchase

Academy Sports + Outdoors, a sports, outdoors and recreation lifestyle retailer, dedicated to making it easier for everyone to enjoy more sports and outdoor fun, has announced a special, limited-time offer to promote the sport of freshwater fishing in Alabama ahead of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. From February 10th-16th, customers can receive a free Alabama Resident Freshwater Recreational Fishing License with any purchase of $25 or more at any Academy Sports + Outdoors store in Alabama. Customers will need to request their free license during check out to redeem the offer.

 

“Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to make it easier to get on the water by offering this special deal to Alabama anglers,” said Larry Roberts, Academy Sports + Outdoors senior vice president and general merchandising manager of outdoor. “Whether you’re competing in the upcoming 2020 Bassmaster Classic or trying out the sport for the first time, Academy has the products and expertise for anglers of every level to help reel in a big catch and make their time on the water a fun experience.”

 

Academy is the title sponsor of the upcoming Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, where 53 of the world’s best freshwater anglers will compete on the storied waters of Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.

 

Academy Sports + Outdoors has 15 locations across the state of Alabama, where customers can find a strong assortment of fishing products including rods and reels, baits, lures, fish finders, tackle, storage, waders, kayaks, sunglasses, fishing apparel, footwear and more. For store locations and to shop Academy’s selection of fishing products, customers can visit academy.com.

 

Offer Terms

Offer valid 2/10/2020-2/16/2020 for Alabama residents for a free state of Alabama freshwater fishing license only with minimum in-store purchase at any Alabama Academy Sports + Outdoors retail store. Minimum purchase is pre-tax. Cannot be combined with a price match. Cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, or coupons. Not valid for saltwater, hunting or combo licenses; not valid on Hot Deals, clearance, gift cards, sales tax, shipping & handling, exchanges, store credit or previous purchases. If you return a portion of your purchase, a portion of the discount will be lost. No cash value, no cash back. Void if altered, reproduced, transferred, auctioned or sold, and where prohibited. Additional exclusions and restrictions may apply. Selection, prices, offers, and exclusions may vary online and by store. No rain checks. Academy Sports + Outdoors reserves the right to limit quantities. This offer is subject to change, alteration, or termination by Academy Sports + Outdoors at its sole discretion. To obtain a freshwater fishing license, you must be able to present a valid ID and meet all requirements as set forth by applicable state and local statutes, rules and regulations.


Richardson and Rose win Carolina Bass Challenge on Lake Murray with over 25 pounds!

LAKE MURRAY 02-08-2020
Lake Murray 02-08-2020

PLACE POINTS CAPTAIN CO-CAPTAIN WEIGHT BIG FISH EQUIPMENT WINNINGS $ SKEETER $ BIG FISH $
1 310 Tim Richardson Landen Rose 25.7100 lbs 7.8800 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $10000 $4000 $1000
2 309 Donald Hinson Carl Smith 24.4300 lbs 7.4600 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $5000 $0 $0
3 308 Chris Epting johnny mayer 23.1500 lbs 6.5800 lbs Phoenix-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $3500 $0 $0
4 307 Tony Gray Robert Deloach 23.1000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $2500 $3000 $0
5 306 Mike Stephens No Partner 22.8100 lbs 6.9400 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $2000 $0 $0
6 305 Mark Collins Chris Collins 22.3100 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $1500 $2000 $0
7 304 Neil Huffstetler Kevin Gordon 21.6400 lbs 7.4800 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $1350 $1000 $0
8 303 Marc Proctor Chris Blanchette 21.4400 lbs 7.4300 lbs Other/None-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $1200 $0 $0
9 302 James Vining CB Dreher 21.4200 lbs Stratos-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $1100 $0 $0
10 301 Brian Tyler Scott Siller 20.9700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $1000 $0 $0
11 300 Brad Petway Jerry Freezon 20.5900 lbs Nitro-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $900 $0 $0
12 299 Wayne Jeffcoat dylan sills 20.5300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $850 $0 $0
13 298 Wayne Frierson Ronnie Mueller 20.0700 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $600 $0 $0
14 297 Andy Wicker Reid Mcginn 20.0300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $550 $0 $0
15 296 Gary Michaud Dustin Compton 19.4500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $500 $0 $0
16 295 Ryan Raley Will Mooney 18.4900 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $450 $0 $0
17 294 Johnny Bihlear alan williams 18.0600 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $400 $0 $0
18 293 Ross Burns No Partner 17.3800 lbs Triton-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $350 $0 $0
19 292 Jason Quinn John Paul George 16.8000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $330 $0 $0
20 291 Alton Rockett Robert Kale 16.7700 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-Minn Kota-Lowrance $320 $0 $0
21 290 Terry Morris Michael Morris 16.5800 lbs 5.7500 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $300 $0 $0
22 289 Brian Tidwell Michael Tidwell 16.2700 lbs Bass Cat-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $290 $0 $0
23 288 Thomas King Clayton King 16.2300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $280 $0 $0
24 287 Josh McGregor Randall Driggers 16.2100 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $270 $0 $0
25 286 Keith Porter Tony Price 16.1500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $265 $0 $0
26 285 Tommy Williams Thomas Hardwick 15.9900 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $260 $0 $0
27 284 Trey Locklair Charles Martin 15.7300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $240 $0 $0
28 283 Chuck Howard Ken Ellis 15.7100 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-Minn Kota-Lowrance $235 $0 $0
29 282 Michael Smith Roger Pope 15.6100 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $230 $0 $0
30 281 Jess WHite Hunter Spivey 15.3700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $220 $0 $0
31 280 Lex Costas Ben Lee 15.2400 lbs Ranger-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $210 $0 $0
32 279 Lee Sawyer Cole Winn 14.9800 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
33 278 Danny Noles Michael Earnhardt 14.5900 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
34 277 Michael Maxfield Matthew Dangerfield 14.5000 lbs select-select-select-select $0 $0 $0
35 276 Bob Fowler Trad Whaley 14.3400 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
36 275 Tim Harmon No Partner 14.3100 lbs Other/None-Other/None-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
37 274 Mike Ward Rob Thames 14.1000 lbs Champion-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
38 273 Elvis Peagler Brian Peagler 14.0900 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
39 272 Brent Long Brock Taylor 13.9500 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
40 271 Craig Chambers Derek Cummings 13.8300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
41 270 Jeremi Beatty David Brookshire 13.7200 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
42 269 Johnathan Crossland Lance Owen 13.6800 lbs Nitro-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
43 268 Shane Cantley Michael Richardson 13.6700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
44 267 Daniel Grassi Joseph Toth 13.5900 lbs Nitro-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
45 266 Shannon Jordan Woody Parks 13.5800 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
46 265 Joey Sabbagha Ronnie McCoy 13.4900 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
47 264 Robert. ( Mitch) Drew Kenny Drew 13.4600 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
48 263 Toby Keisler Bill Wilson 13.4500 lbs Other/None-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
49 262 David Kneece Terry Thomas 13.4000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
50 261 Mike Phipps Brian Stamps 13.3100 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
51 260 Maurice Freeze Jason Barnes 13.3000 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
52 259 Kyle Austin jimmy austin 12.9900 lbs 4.6500 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
53 258 Chris Marshall Scott Willis 12.8900 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
54 257 Mack Cook Patrick Cook 12.8900 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
55 256 Herman Vining Steve Parker 12.8000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
56 255 Matt Mollohan Joey Spradley 12.7200 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
57 254 Anthony Johnson Brandon Williams 12.5600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
58 253 Wayne "skeeter" Crosby Michael Craven 12.5600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
59 252 Mark Williams Nathan Mixson 12.4000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
60 251 Rodney Cromer Roger Farr 12.3700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
61 250 Joey Outlaw Ray Dowey 12.2700 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
62 249 Joey Zielinski Brycen Williamson 12.1700 lbs Nitro-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
63 248 Glenn Altman Bucky DeBerry 12.1500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
64 247 Carluss King Jeremiah Jensen 11.9500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
65 246 Jerry Montjoy Brett Mitchell 11.9100 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
66 245 Bill Holmes Anthony Bunch 11.8500 lbs Triton-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
67 244 Billy Dean Jacobs Mark Cummings 11.8200 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
68 243 Billy Bledsoe Brian McDonald 11.7300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
69 242 Jason Hickman Josh Hickman 11.5600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
70 241 grady allen Calvin Hewitt 11.3800 lbs Ranger-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
71 240 Ken Eubanks Kelly Long 11.3700 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
72 239 Travis Parrish Rodney Tapp 11.2500 lbs 5.1300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
73 238 Wayne King Lee Morris 11.1500 lbs 4.0600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
74 237 Frederick Clements James Clements 10.8700 lbs Phoenix-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
75 236 Rusty Bullard Eric Martin 10.7300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
76 235 Allan Collins Caanan Woriax 10.4700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
77 234 Allen Eaker Jason Eaker 10.3400 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
78 233 Alan Fletcher Tanner Fletcher 10.2900 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
79 232 Davey Thomas Deron Donohoo 10.1100 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Other/None $0 $0 $0
80 231 Greg Gooch Zac Gooch 9.8900 lbs Ranger-Johnson-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
81 230 Linwood Thornhill Brian Thornhill 9.8100 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
82 229 Todd Gambrell Brandt Tumberg 9.5800 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
83 228 Derek Schlotterback Tom Rubbo 9.4500 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
84 227 Larry Moss Michelle McLain 9.4500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MotorGuide-OtherNone $0 $0 $0
85 226 Dave Murdock Tony Fofi 9.3100 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
86 225 John Johnston Randall Hillyer 9.2400 lbs Triton-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
87 224 Craig Jurgonski Jack Belt 8.8800 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
88 223 Rob Blackmon Matthew Nettles 8.8000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
89 222 Eddie Burgess No Partner 8.7300 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
90 221 nigel goewey Will Smith 8.2400 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
91 220 John Duvall Will McMullian 8.0200 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
92 219 Tommy McAlister Tommy McAlister III 8.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
93 218 Colton Parrott Hal Harris 7.9800 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
94 217 Randal Drew Teddy Drew 7.9700 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
95 216 David Ethridge Butch Williams 7.8800 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
96 215 Dave Murdaugh Wyman Brannon 7.4000 lbs Triton-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
97 214 Dennis Reedy Wally Szuba 7.3500 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
98 213 kevin cooper rodger dennis 7.0600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
99 212 David Arnold Ray Blackwell 6.8600 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
100 211 J.w. Smith Patrick Jackson 6.8200 lbs 5.3200 lbs Stratos-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
101 210 Stan Gunter Kevin Ashley 6.6700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
102 209 Barret Locklear James Locklear 6.5700 lbs Stratos-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
103 208 Donnie Levister Daniel Cook 6.5700 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
104 207 Jeff KILLIAN David Goshorn 6.4000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
105 206 Henry Mueller Daniel Scarborough 6.4000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
106 205 Al Odom Dane Odom 6.2000 lbs Bass Cat-Mercury-MotorGuide-Other/None $0 $0 $0
107 204 Chad Crosby Keith Britt 6.1200 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
108 203 Louis Rosborough Louis Rosborough II 5.9400 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
109 202 Jay Adams Tony Colacurcio 5.8200 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
110 201 Kiel Kelly Conner Kelly 5.7300 lbs Ranger-Johnson-MotorGuide-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
111 200 Victor Moore John Clarke 5.6200 lbs select-select-select-select $0 $0 $0
112 199 Thomas Vickers Brian Huskins 4.8100 lbs 4.8100 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
113 198 Anastasia Patterson Sawyer Hunt 4.6000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
114 197 Bobby McPherson Wayne Blackwell 4.2900 lbs Nitro-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
115 196 Philip Atkins Michael DiBello 4.0100 lbs Tracker-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
116 195 Chad Pennell Mark Hodge 3.9100 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
117 194 David Strickland Sammie Grier 3.7800 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
118 193 Les Westberry Bill Payne 3.7100 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
119 192 Butch Drew Ryan Drew 3.7100 lbs Ranger-Johnson-MotorGuide-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
120 191 Robert Taylor Frankie Taylor 3.6800 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
121 190 Zak Martin John Ray 3.4300 lbs OtherNone-Evinrude-MinnKota-OtherNone $0 $0 $0
122 189 Elvis Peagler Casey Travelstead 3.2900 lbs Triton-Yamaha-MotorGuide-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
123 188 John Sturkie Blake Strickland 3.0800 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
124 187 Morris Elliott Chris Tarbush 3.0500 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
125 186 Audie Brantley Jon Majerus 2.9600 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
126 185 Kenny Brice Terry Coleman 2.8300 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
127 184 Josh Stamps Robbie Drake 2.5400 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
128 183 Jason Miles HUNTER MILES 2.1400 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
129 182 Chad Cook tony cook 2.0500 lbs Nitro-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
130 181 JAMIE LUCARELLI Todd Smith 1.7900 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
131 180 Gene Winburn Jason Murdock 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
132 180 Lee Bishop Donovan Smith 0.0000 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
133 180 Kyle McElveen Chris Edge 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
134 180 Brandon Jeffcoat Wendell Causey 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Evinrude-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
135 180 Daniel Jordan Lyn Langston 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
136 180 John Willocks Ben Harmon 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
137 180 Jason Wilson Kelly Logan 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
138 180 Brad Schindledecker Victor Williams 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
139 180 Andrew Boykin Billy Gainey 0.0000 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
140 180 Mike Ard JEFF PARSONS 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
141 180 Justin Cromer Matthew Ross 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
142 180 Sandy Oliver Shon Fales 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
143 180 Steve Harris Albert Darminio 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
144 180 Tim Slice David Wiggins 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
145 180 Steve Borton Tristen Rogers 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
146 180 Michael Carson Marcus Leech 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
147 180 Todd Garner Shane Hartman 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
148 180 Kevin Fulmer Clay Riddle 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
149 180 Justin Harvey Kevin Sanders 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
150 180 Darrin Albertson Terri Albertson 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Evinrude-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
151 180 Johnny Houser Jimmy Bass 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
152 180 Chad Sinclair Caleb Conner 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
153 180 Mike Byrd Clint Byrd 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
154 180 Jay Adams Jr No Partner 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
155 180 Chris Shumate Van Turbeville 0.0000 lbs Nitro-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
156 180 Ronald Griffin No Partner 0.0000 lbs Triton-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
157 180 John parker randy moss 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
158 180 Chris Dover Robert Fowler 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
159 180 Wade Amick Zach Huffstetler 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
160 180 Mark Abbott Joey Mclean 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
161 180 Travis England Blake Bostic 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-MotorGuide-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
162 180 Sean Anderson George Berry 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-MotorGuide-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
163 180 Steve Thornhill No Partner 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
164 180 Donald Miller Steven Story 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
165 180 Clint Postell No Partner 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
166 180 Scott Farmer Samuel Freeman 0.0000 lbs Triton-Evinrude-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
167 180 Bradley Rhodes chris dorlan 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
168 180 Austin Odum Jordan Craven 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
169 180 Mike Allman Jim Davis 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
170 180 Dave Franklin Gunnar Franklin 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
171 180 Dennis Stacey No Partner 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-MotorGuide-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
172 180 mark krengel No Partner 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Mercury-Minn Kota-OtherNone $0 $0 $0
173 180 Mark Hutson Jason Turner 0.0000 lbs Triton-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
174 180 James "007" Bond Jude Blake 0.0000 lbs Nitro-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
175 180 Daryl Watson Ken McFarland 0.0000 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-Minn Kota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
176 180 Troy Lytle Quionne York 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
177 180 Justin Marlowe Freddie Gamble 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
178 180 Nathan Griffith Jared Griffith 0.0000 lbs Phoenix-Mercury-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
179 180 Pete Sherbert Kevin Crane 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
180 180 David Winters Tim Chapman 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
181 180 Steve Drummond Cole Drummond 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
182 180 Michael Campbell Zack Ross 0.0000 lbs OtherNone-Evinrude-MinnKota-HummingBird $0 $0 $0
183 180 Chris Sample Charles Wilkie 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
184 180 Barry Thames Christopher Chavis 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
185 180 Jamie Ethridge Chris Alston 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0
186 180 John Proctor John Duarte 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
187 180 Richard Robinson lll Greg Whittington 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
188 180 Kevin Rake Chris Abbott 0.0000 lbs Skeeter-Yamaha-MinnKota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
189 180 Roger Medlock Todd Lawrence 0.0000 lbs Ranger-Mercury-Minn Kota-Lowrance $0 $0 $0
190 180 Jacob Norris Jeff Norris 0.0000 lbs Triton-Yamaha-MinnKota-OtherNone $0 $0 $0
191 180 Bowman Gray David Lanaville 0.0000 lbs Triton-Mercury-Minn Kota-Humminbird $0 $0 $0

Brayden Rakes Wins Big Bass Tour Harris Chain of Lakes event with a 10.60 Stud!

Top Weights

Rank Name Weight
1 BRAYDEN RAKES 10.60
2 DARRYL BEATRICE 10.55
3 TIMOTHY ROSS 10.53
4 RICH KONOPKA 10.37
5 JASON BERRYMAN 9.93
6 JOSEPH SCHULTE 9.59
7 ROY JONES JR 8.99
8 DILLAN KILGORE 8.98
9 BRAYDEN RAKES 8.88
10 FRED RIGDON 8.67

Friday 8-9

Rank Name Weight
1 KEITH CARSON 8.03
2 LARKIN NOBLES 8.00
3 DUSTY MCDEVITT 7.94
4 KEVIN WATKINS 5.67
5 MATT MEOHLMANN 4.54
6 RONNIE DAVIDSON 4.38
7 BERNIE INNELLA 4.23
8 CHRIS COVILLE 4.20
9 REID CARTER 4.05
10 KEITH DRAWDY 3.95
11 JOSEPH ROBERSON 3.68
12 JAYSON HOOVEN 3.33
13 MAX BRITTON 3.00
14 LONNY SINGER 2.52
15 BRIAN JOHNSON 2.39
16 THOMAS MARKS 2.32
17 JOHN STAHL 1.91

Friday 9-10

Rank Name Weight
1 GABE FOX 8.07
2 JAMES RUSS 7.52
3 CLAYTON MULLINS 6.13
4 BRANDON BLACKMON 5.90
5 JASON STANFORD 5.88
6 MARK STRONG 5.53
7 MIKE CULLOP 5.24
8 THOMAS HARDEN 4.93
9 JOSH MCCANN 4.16
10 LEONARDO RUEDA 3.78
11 TONY GRANTHAM 3.74
12 DAVE ALLEN 3.72
13 WARREN LOUDERMILK 3.35
14 JAYSON HOOVEN 3.30
15 RICHARD BARNHARDT 3.15
16 LOGAN STONE 2.82
17 JESSE MARTIN 2.39

Friday 10-11

Rank Name Weight
1 BRAYDEN RAKES 8.88
2 GARRETT GREEN 8.18
3 RICK DANNER 8.08
4 TERRY BUCHNER 5.97
5 JOSH CLARK 5.51
6 JOSH ZEMLO 5.48
7 NICK KIRKLAND 4.75
8 GARY DUKE 4.49
9 TOM STRONG 4.38
10 EDDIE KNIGHT 4.22
11 BREANDON ABSTON 4.06
12 JAMES FORD 3.94
13 ROBBIE MILLS 3.74
14 BRANDON BLACKMON 2.95
15 RICHARD BARNHARDT 2.83
16 RYAN BAKER 2.04

Friday 11-12

Rank Name Weight
1 DILLAN KILGORE 8.98
2 CHAD PELFREY 8.06
3 CHAD HAMM 7.33
4 CHRIS COVILLE 6.66
5 KEITH CARSON 5.48
6 RON FELTNER 5.43
7 DEAN MORRIS 5.35
8 JEREMY HOBSON 5.33
9 DAN RICHARDSON 5.14
10 RICK DANNER 5.04
11 MATT WYBIRAL 4.82
12 MICHAEL BARRETT JR 4.30
13 NICK KIRKLAND 3.83
14 ROBBIE MILLS 3.67
15 CLAYTON WIGGINS 3.00
16 JASON BERRYMAN 2.63

Friday 12-1

Rank Name Weight
1 MATT MITCHELL 7.87
2 JOHN STAHL 6.94
3 GARY ARMSTRONG 6.33
4 COLE BLYTHE 5.97
5 THOMAS RUTKOWSKI 5.89
6 FRANK MACKIN 5.58
7 BRAD HOUCHINS 5.17
8 BRIAN BEIGHEY 5.13
9 FRED RIGDON 5.11
10 MIKE CERMAK 4.87
11 ERIC MESSER 4.61
12 ERIC LEWIS 4.59
13 JON HOLSENBACK 4.39
14 CALEB MCDONALD 4.19
15 BRIAN BARTH 4.02
16 DAVID MAHON 3.93
17 MIKE AKEL 3.52
18 BRAD HAMMERICH 3.51
19 DEREK BROCK 3.33
20 JASON OSTEEN 3.14
21 ANTHONY HARRIS 3.06

Friday 1-2

Rank Name Weight
1 DARRYL BEATRICE 10.55
2 NICK MAYNARD 8.54
3 TRAVIS KREMER 7.77
4 GREG CUMING 7.69
5 MIKE CUSICK JR 7.04
6 CHUCK BURGESS 5.59
7 DANNY WILLIAMS 5.58
8 TERRY DALE 5.55
9 DAVID MOFFETT 4.96
10 LARRY PETTY 4.85
11 STEPHEN NATALE 4.73
12 RON FELTNER 4.70
13 JOE AMMONS 4.49
14 MICHAEL CLAYTON 4.28
15 RICK BAK 4.20
16 PAUL POTFORA 4.00
17 KRIS LOCKARD 3.95
18 GARY ARMSTRONG 3.86
19 DEVON GRISHAM 3.85
20 JAIME APONTE 3.39
21 JARED KRAUSE 2.86
22 DAVID MAHON 2.17
23 EDWIN RIVERA 2.04

Friday 2-3

Rank Name Weight
1 JUSTIN WILSON 7.26
2 RANDY MONTONEY 7.24
3 NICK BOWDEN 6.91
4 TRAVIS KREMER 6.34
5 RANDALL MCGUIRE 6.05
6 BRAYDEN RAKES 5.87
7 DAVE ALLEN 5.42
8 BRANDON BRINKMN 5.26
9 CHAD PELFREY 5.12
10 ERIC LEWIS 5.10
11 DYLAN JOHNSON 4.56
12 CODY DILLARD 4.45
13 JASON FISHER 4.35
14 JON WILLIAMS 4.27
15 CHUCK BURGESS 4.25
16 ROBERT CHANCE 4.19
17 DAVID NEWCOMB 4.07
18 MICHAEL CLAYTON 3.97
19 AJ HERRERA 3.95
20 THOMAS MARKS 3.68
20 DENNIS LEE 3.68
22 JARED KRAUSE 3.57
23 DALTON RAY 3.36
24 JONATHAN MICKLER 3.15
25 WILLIAM BARRETT 2.90
26 RON MOORE 2.89
27 STEVE STREITZ 2.48
28 CURTIS HENSCHEL 2.33

Saturday 8-9

Rank Name Weight
1 TIMOTHY ROSS 10.53
2 BLAINE PARTEE 7.07
3 ROB ANDERSON 6.93
4 CARL RUSK 6.48
5 RICHARD KONOPKA 6.13
6 SCOTT WATERHOUSE 5.59
7 MARK ORRANGE 5.18
8 LARRY PETTY 5.09
9 MICHAEL TOW 4.95
10 JOE AMMONS 4.87
11 JUAN RODRIQUEZ 4.59
12 JUDD DECKER 4.56
13 MIKE CERMAK 4.21
14 JAMES PURVIS 4.07
15 TERRY ADAMS 3.64
16 CHRIS WHEELER 2.94
17 MICHAEL PURVIS 2.54
18 EDDIE HOOK 2.26

Saturday 9-10

Rank Name Weight
1 RICH KONOPKA 10.37
2 TROY RAY 7.70
3 LARRY INMAN 7.08
4 CHAD PELFREY 6.70
5 KEITH DRAWDY 5.37
5 CHRIS WHEELER 5.37
7 DUSTIN SNELSON 4.85
8 LAKE ATKINS 4.75
9 RICK WEST 4.54
10 RICK DANNER 4.31
11 BRANDON FRANKS 4.23
12 JASON SMITH 3.78
13 JUDD DECKER 3.67
14 RICK SCRUGGS 3.59
15 GREG HAWTHORNE 3.39
16 ERIC LEWIS 3.12
17 JARED AMROSE 2.63

Saturday 10-11

Rank Name Weight
1 JASON BERRYMAN 9.93
2 WALKER BURGESS 7.25
3 KIRT DUNIHUE JR 6.91
4 STEVE BURROUGHS 6.79
5 MATT GEE 6.51
6 RYAN STREITZ 6.21
7 JEFF DUNCAN 4.81
8 DAVID ELLIS 4.65
9 DANNY MANLEY 4.43
10 CLAYTON MULLINS 4.18
11 RICK DANNER 4.15
12 DEVIN YORK 3.89
13 EARL SMITH 3.64
14 PAUL LEGAN 1.28

Saturday 11-12

Rank Name Weight
1 JON BAKER 8.24
2 MARVA SANDERS 7.15
3 RICK BAK 6.33
4 ROBERT HEBB 5.82
5 MARK WOLLUM 5.21
6 BILLY CHARLAND 5.08
7 MIKE THOMAS 5.01
8 FRANK MACKIN 4.90
9 NICK BOWDEN 4.65
10 STEVE GOREE 4.52
11 TREVOR DAVIS 4.37
12 CLIFFORD HOLLAND 4.06
13 ED BRITTON 3.96
14 RYAN KINGRY 3.87
15 RICK DANNER 3.84
16 JOE LAFLEUR 3.58
17 VIC KNIGHT 2.76
18 KRIS MCRAE 2.74

Saturday 12-1

Rank Name Weight
1 BRAYDEN RAKES 10.60
2 NICK BOWDEN 7.75
3 LENNY CRISPINO 7.67
4 FRANK MACKIN SR 7.32
5 ROY JONES JR 6.05
6 DON JOHNSON 5.85
7 BILLY CHARLAND 5.75
8 BEN FITZGERALD 5.43
9 MICHAEL CLAYTON 5.30
10 MIKE THOMAS 5.27
10 NOEL FETTERS 5.27
12 RYON HICKS 5.17
13 MICHAEL BRASHEAR 4.98
14 PHILLIP LEE 4.85
15 JEFF FOSDYCK 4.69
16 KEITH DRAWDY 3.59
17 HUNTER MALLORY 3.54
18 HARLEY DUNKLE 3.23
19 TOM WALSH 3.22
20 JIM BURT 3.19
21 JAMES BADER 3.17
22 ROGER WOODRUFF 2.63
23 GARY BATCHELOR 2.15

Saturday 1-2

Rank Name Weight
1 ROY JONES JR 8.99
2 BILLY CHARLAND 8.27
3 RANDALL HUTCHERSON 8.08
4 CHRIS PAUGH 7.85
5 STEPHEN RUST 7.54
6 CHARLES JOHNSON JR 6.91
7 RANDALL COBOL 6.46
8 PHILIP KUHN 5.88
9 BEN MCCANN 5.72
10 HOSS CULLOP 5.32
11 TERRY DALE 5.28
12 RICHARD PURVIS 4.67
13 JOSH FUTRELL 4.55
14 STEVE TAYLOR 4.52
15 CHASE WILBANKS 4.26
16 JAMES WOODRING 4.25
17 GARRETT MEEKS 4.00
18 HUNTER KAISER 3.93
19 BRAYDEN RAKES 3.92
20 KENNETH CAVUCCI 3.89
21 ALBERT WILLIS 3.77
22 JOE STRONG 3.55
23 JUSTIN MCINTOSH 2.83

Saturday 2-3

Rank Name Weight
1 TIM MANN 8.19
2 DUSTIN SNELSON 7.66
3 TRAVIS KREMER 7.14
4 BRANDON BRINKMAN 7.02
5 JARED KRAUSE 6.63
5 DANNY GLISSON 6.63
7 MATT KLECKNER 6.54
8 SKYLER ALMAND 5.96
9 CHAD HAMM 5.86
10 STEVE HUNT 5.64
11 ALLEN WHITE 5.36
12 CHASE WILBANKS 5.34
13 ROY JONES JR 5.31
14 KENNIE STEVERSON 5.09
15 JUSTIN ROOD 4.89
16 TONY ROMAN 4.81
17 ALEX MOORE 4.67
18 KATLIN BRIEFMAN 4.60
19 ROBERT HEBB 4.55
20 COLE BLYTHE 4.54
21 ROGER WOODRUFF 4.43
22 EDDIE KNIGHT 4.34
23 BRAD HAMMERICH 4.20
24 BRANDON COLYER 4.19
25 JOE AMMONS 4.18
26 ERIC KNIGHT 4.07
27 CHRIS FOX 3.81
28 LARRY GREEN 3.77
29 BRYAN SMITH 3.74
30 CALEB MCRAE 3.68
31 JOSH DECKER 3.53
32 KRIS MCRAE 3.22
33 BRANDON BOYETT 2.82
34 TOM HAZER 2.46
35 JEFF DUNCAN 2.25
36 ELLIS COOPER 2.07

Sunday 8-9

Rank Name Weight
1 JOSEPH SCHULTE 9.59
2 KEITH DRAWDY 7.35
3 DEREK BROCK 6.97
4 MIKE GEE 6.74
5 MARK STRONG 6.09
6 BILLY MESSER 5.79
7 DILLAN KILGORE 5.72
8 NATHAN HARLESS 5.69
9 BEN FITZGERALD 5.25
10 SCOTT MAY 5.11
11 JOE COCKCROFT SR 4.95
12 CHRIS COVILLE 4.89
13 HERMAN YOUNG 4.54
14 ADAM KING 4.42
15 ROBERT THURMAN 4.25
16 TOBY YOUNG 3.68
17 JACOB DICKINSON 3.13
18 JIM STANLEY 2.70

Sunday 9-10

Rank Name Weight
1 BRENDEN DUNCAN 8.65
2 DON WOLFE 8.10
3 JASON DUFFINA 7.96
4 RICHARD DOLLAR 6.38
5 RANDALL MCGUIRE 5.48
6 VINCE BLANTON 5.30
7 ROBERT THURMAN 4.76
8 THOMAS NIEDERHELMAN 4.64
9 MICHAEL PURVIS 4.45
10 TRAVIS KILBY 4.25
11 KENNY SIMMONS 3.37

Sunday 10-11

Rank Name Weight
1 BRIDGET ELLIS 7.90
2 RANDALL MCGUIRE 7.50
3 MARK ORRANGE 5.42
4 MIKE CERMAK 5.21
5 RON FELTNER 4.70
6 TERRY ADAMS 4.64
7 MICHAEL KATZELNIK 4.49
8 JARROD STROUD 4.43
9 DAVID ELLIS 4.16
10 STEVE STREITZ 4.10
11 DON ALLEN 3.96
12 CHUCK BURGESS 3.66
13 RYAN STREITZ 2.01

Sunday 11-12

Rank Name Weight
1 FRED RIGDON 8.67
2 BRANDON BRINKMAN 7.31
3 KENNETH KING 7.10
4 BILL ELWOOD 6.89
5 WILLIAM MACKIN 6.19
6 FRANK MACKIN SR 5.87
7 BILLY MESSER 5.80
8 MARK MAYLS 4.94
9 DON WOLFE 4.59
10 CLAYTON MULLINS 4.21
11 TERRY ADAMS 3.92
11 TOMMY MCCLOSKEY 3.92
13 PAUL LEGAN 3.68

Sunday 12-1

Rank Name Weight
1 JOE STRONG 8.67
2 AJ HERRERA 6.87
3 DEVIN VAN DALEN 6.65
4 STEVEN BLACKMON 6.30
5 JASON BERRYMAN 5.83
6 ROBERT CHANCE 4.84
7 DUSTY MCDEVITT 4.83
8 JAMES WEGMANN 4.67
9 STEVEN MORRIS 4.47
10 TERRY FREE 4.33
11 DEAN MORRIS 4.21
12 ED BRITTON 4.03
13 TERRY ADAMS 3.97
14 DAVID SMITH 3.72
15 TY CHAPEL 3.68
16 JON WHITCOMB 3.46
17 TOMMY MCCLOSKEY 3.18
18 MARK MAYLS 3.13

Sunday 1-2

Rank Name Weight
1 ERIC LEWIS 8.57
2 KIRT DUNIHUE JR 7.07
3 DEREK BROCK 6.74
4 TIMOTHY SHARP 6.51
5 WILLIAM MATHEWS 6.16
6 TERRY FREE 5.84
7 JEREMY HAYES 5.35
8 DAVID TEEL 5.21
9 DILLAN KILGORE 4.73
10 CHUCK BURGESS 4.70
11 TAYLOR WIGGINS 4.61
12 GEORGE EICHELBERGER 4.51
13 KEN LANE 4.47
14 KYLE MONTGOMERY 4.40
15 MICHAEL LAWS 4.32
16 CORBY WIMMER 4.29
17 ROY JONES JR 3.78
18 DAVE JOHNSON 3.41
19 COLE ROUNTREE 3.04
20 MELISSA YOUNG 2.98
21 PAUL ROUNTREE 2.96

Sunday 2-3

Rank Name Weight
1 BRIAN BARTH 6.02
2 JAMES RICHARDSON 5.35
3 JUSTIN MOODY 5.24
4 STEVE NELSON 5.19
5 JEFF PRISZA 5.15
6 GARY SPIRES 5.06
7 BOB MCMILLAN 5.00
8 CHRISTOPHER JOHNS 4.76
9 TAYLOR WIGGINS 4.58
10 TOM WALSH 4.56
10 DANIEL GUTHRIE 4.56
12 RANDALL MCGUIRE 4.43
13 HERMAN YOUNG 4.40
13 TRENTON BATCHELOR 4.40
15 LARRY PETTY 4.38
15 CHRIS COVILLE 4.38
17 TOBY YOUNG 4.30
18 MIKE AKEL 4.28
19 KENNIE STEVERSON 3.99
20 CHERYL NEWCOMB 3.77
21 ROY JONES JR 3.76
22 JAMES RUSS 3.66
23 TERRY FREE 3.50
24 RALPH RUSS 2.77

Donnie O'Neal & Maelstrom Kiewiet Win over $20,000 in BassChamps Lake Belton event with 14.36 lbs

Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt.
1 DONNIE ONEAL
PFLUGERVILLE , TX
MAELSTROM KIEWIET
PFLUGERVILLE , TX
5 0 14.36
$20000.00 + $200 Sure-Life Bonus
2 KY MARTIN
GRANDVIEW , TX
DAVID CARLOCK
JOSHUA , TX
5 0 14.07
$4000.00 + James Wood Auto Bonus
3 KEITH HONEYCUTT
TEMPLE , TX
SAM JONES
ROGERS , TX
5 5.95 13.61
$3000.00 + $500.00 Big Bass + $200 Techron Bonus
4 ANTHONY SKOUBY
CIBOLO , TX
TYLER STANLEY
SAN ANTONIO , TX
5 4.31 13.58
$2000.00
5 RANDY HIBLER
MARBLE FALLS , TX
RANDALL CHRISTIAN
TOW , TX
5 0 12.55
$1300.00
6 CRIS TATUM
BELTON , TX
JUSTIN TATUM
BELTON , TX
4 0 12.01
$1200.00 + $2500 Skeeter Bonus Cash
7 TERRY STEVENS
HUTTO , TX
JASON HARPER
MONTGOMERY , TX
5 0 11.57
$1100.00
8 RAY TOMASITS
LEANDER , TX
CARY LAUDADIO
AUSTIN , TX
4 5.74 11.26
$1040.00
9 KEVIN STUART
BELTON , TX
LOGAN DRAKE
BELTON , TX
5 0 10.92
$1030.00
10 JASON METZGAR
CHINA SPRING , TX
JUSTIN RADCLIFF
CHINA SPRING , TX
5 0 10.66
$1020.00
11 LOWELL BENNETT
HEWITT , TX
LANDEN BENNETT
HEWITT , TX
4 5.88 10.58
$1010.00
12 JERAD POOL
KINGSLAND , TX
TRAVIS COCKERHAM
BARTLETT , TX
5 0 10.57
$1000.00
13 MARK BIONDI SR
BURLESON , TX
MARK BIONDI JR
BURLESON , TX
5 0 10.50
$1000.00
14 BRYAN FINCH
BELTON , TX
ZACHARY FITZHUGH
PENELOPE , TX
5 0 10.43
$1000.00
15 BRIAN MATER
AUSTIN , TX
PHILLIP WARREN
AUSTIN , TX
5 0 10.42
$950.00
16 TOM GRIDLEY
WIMBERLEY , TX
BRAD DENTON
ROUND ROCK , TX
5 0 10.17
$900.00 + $1000 Skeeter Bonus Cash
17 WILLIAM BLAINE
SAN ANGELO , TX
DUSTIN WALTON
ABILENE , TX
5 0 10.00
$850.00
18 RYAN WARREN
GATESVILLE , TX
JASON DERRICK
VALLEY MILLS , TX
5 0 9.97
$850.00
19 WESTON BROWN
HOUSTON , TX
DAVID DOONAN
CALDWELL , TX
5 0 9.85
$800.00 + $500 Skeeter Bonus Cash
20 PATRICK ANDERSON
BUDA , TX
DOUG HAMILTON
LAKEWAY , TX
5 0 9.59
$800.00
21 MARK DOREMUS
EARLY , TX
TIM MANLEY
BROWNWOOD , TX
5 0 9.46
$800.00
22 JOHN RILEY
KILLEEN , TX
ANDY FOULKROD
HARKER HEIGHTS , TX
5 0 9.16
$800.00
23 GRAYSON HONEYCUTT
TEMPLE , TX
DAKOTA COOK
KATY , TX
5 0 9.15
24 BRANDON DAY
BROWNWOOD , TX
CADE WILSON
EARLY , TX
5 0 8.78
25 MIKE LUNA
NOLANVILLE , TX
SHAWN JAMES
KILLEEN , TX
5 0 8.36
26 DALE READ
LEANDER , TX
JAKE READ
LEANDER , TX
5 0 8.31
27 JUSTIN BULLARD
CRAWFORD , TX
CASEY BENNETT
GATESVILLE , TX
5 0 7.86
28 CODY GREANEY
MANCHACA , TX
MATT MOCCIA
MANCHACA , TX
4 0 7.76
29 CHARLIE GANTENBEIN
SALADO , TX
JIMMY WILLOUGHBY
TEMPLE , TX
3 4.44 7.73
30 MICHAEL WALDROP
AUSTIN , TX
5 0 7.69
31 TODD IVINS
BOERNE , TX
BILLY MCCRARY II
TEMPLE , TX
4 0 7.47
32 BRANDON BRAY
MARBLE FALLS , TX
JOE BRAY
MARBLE FALLS , TX
2 0 7.35
33 JASON WILLIAMS
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX
JEREMY WRIGHT
SAN ANTONIO , TX
4 0 7.30
34 BJ CAROTHERS
GATESVILLE , TX
THOMAS WELLS JR
TEMPLE , TX
4 0 7.10
35 KENNETH MCDONNEL
GRANGER , TX
GREGORY BURRIS
FRIENDSWOOD , TX
3 0 7.04
36 DEVIN GIBSON
GONZALES , TX
ROBERT PRESCOTT
SEGUIN , TX
4 0 6.90
37 JUSTIN BROUGHTON
GRANBURY , TX
STEVE PETERSON
DEVINE , TX
3 0 6.82
38 DAVID UNDERWOOD
WACO , TX
DENNY COPELAND
MCGREGOR , TX
3 0 6.44
39 JOHN BROWN
LIBERTY HILL , TX
BUCK TAYLOR
GEORGETOWN , TX
3 0 6.16
40 DAVID RUTHERFORD
ARTESIA , NM
LISA RUTHERFORD
ARTESIA , NM
4 0 6.04
41 DANIEL BARNES
BELTON , TX
ADRIAN BARNES
BELTON , TX
4 0 6.03
42 JAMES HESTER
SALADO , TX
RYAN LOHR
JASPER , TX
4 0 5.93
43 TULLY WILLIAMS
GATESVILLE , TX
JOE ANDERSON
GATESVILLE , TX
4 0 5.78
44 RONNY MAYNARD
GEORGETOWN , TX
CHRIS BAKER
LIBERTY HILL , TX
4 0 5.73
45 JOHN STOKES
BIG SPRING , TX
WESLEY REDDEN
COAHOMA , TX
3 0 5.36
45 DUSTY FRANK
WEST POINT , TX
JOHN PRICE
LA GRANGE , TX
3 0 5.36
47 BRIAN BUSTILLOZ
BELTON , TX
CODY RANDOLPH
TEMPLE , TX
3 0 5.18
48 ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TX
BRAD DRAKE
IRVING , TX
1 5.07 5.07
49 RICHARD GILL
EDMOND , OK
2 0 5.01
50 NICK LEFEBVRE
ROUND ROCK , TX
DAVE MANGELSDORF
GEORGETOWN , TX
3 0 4.98
51 GARY WEIMER
LEANDER , TX
JEREMIAH WAFFORD
CEDAR PARK , TX
2 0 4.96
52 CHASE MEIER
COMFORT , TX
TYLER ROY
FAIR OAKS , TX
3 0 4.95
53 ERIC CRUMLEY
LEANDER , TX
GARRETT KOSLAN
AUSTIN , TX
3 0 4.66
54 BLAKE ARAPIS
BURNET , TX
CHARLES WILSON JR
BRIGGS , TX
2 0 4.48
55 CHARLES MEREDITH JR
DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX
BLAIR COBBLE
LAGO VISTA , TX
3 0 4.40
56 WILLIAM KIMBERLY
GEORGETOWN , TX
DEREK ANDERSEN
GEORGETOWN , TX
3 0 4.39
57 NICK BROWN
LINDALE , TX
CHAD THEDFORD
TYLER , TX
3 0 4.36
58 LINO GUTTIRREZ
COTTONWOOD WOOD SHORES , TX
RUBEN RIBERA
MARBLE FALLS , TX
2 0 4.14
59 ADAM MIRANDA
BROWNWOOD , TX
BRANDON BLAYLOCK
BROWNWOOD , TX
2 0 4.10
60 AJ HALL
BROWNWOOD , TX
AUDWIN HALL
BROWNWOOD , TX
1 4.01 4.01
61 JAMES BEAUCHAMP
SUNRISE BEACH , TX
BRENNAN FERTIG
BAY CITY , TX
1 0 3.97
62 CHANS MARTIN
FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX
JUSTIN MADDING
ROUND ROCK , TX
2 0 3.93
63 TIM MABRAY
BELTON , TX
1 3.83 3.83
64 DAVID LINDLEY
SUNRISE , TX
AUSTIN DUNAVANT
KINGSLAND , TX
2 0 3.77
65 COLT DIETZ
AUSTIN , TX
SAM MORROW
AUSTIN , TX
2 0 3.73
66 LEE BEUERSHAUSEN
MARBLE FALLS , TX
RANDY GROUNDS
HORSESHOE BAY , TX
2 0 3.69
67 LANCE BROWN
MOODY , TX
KYLE GOAD
BRUCEVILLE , TX
3 0 3.67
68 SCOTT BLAKELY
KILLEEN , TX
PAOLO PIKE
KILLEEN , TX
1 0 3.54
69 BEN BLAINE
ABILENE , TX
JONATHAN CLICK
CHRISTOVAL , TX
2 0 3.47
70 ROBERT WILBURN
KINGSLAND , TX
LILY WILBURN
KINGSLAND , TX
1 0 3.38
71 DON PEARSON
CEDAR PARK , TX
JUSTIN KING
BRYAN , TX
1 0 3.26
72 HEATH HARDAWAY
KINGSLAND , TX
WILLIAM HAMMES
KINGSLAND , TX
2 0 3.21
73 CHARLES WHITED
SAN MARCOS , TX
TREY GROCE
DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX
2 0 3.04
74 JASON OLIVO
KYLE , TX
BOBBY ACOSTA
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX
2 0 3.02
75 MIKE RICHARDSON
THORNDALE , TX
ZACH BROWN
GEORGETOWN , TX
2 0 3.01
76 KENNETH LEINBERGER
CLOVIS , NM
TABETHA LEINBERGER
CLOVIS , NM
2 0 2.99
77 MATT SCRIBNER
ROSWELL , NM
CURTIS PENNINGTON
ARTESIA , NM
2 0 2.97
78 JASON BUCHANAN
BURNET , TX
TERRY KIRCUS
BURNET , TX
1 0 2.86
79 DAVID CHILES
WACO , TX
KYLE ROWE
WACO , TX
2 0 2.72
80 KARL GOEHRING
ROUND TOP , TX
ROBERT BECK
CARMINE , TX
1 0 2.09
81 JOEY KIRKLAND
SAN ANTONIO , TX
LUPE CONTRERAS JR
SAN ANTONIO , TX
1 0 2.05
82 TONY FERDINANDO
SPICEWOOD , TX
SHANE LOGAN
BUDA , TX
1 0 1.97
82 MICHAEL VASQUEZ
TEMPLE , TX
MATTHEW VASQUEZ
SPRING , TX
1 0 1.97
84 ROBERT ROWLAND
BELTON , TX
HARRY PAYNE
KEMPNER , TX
1 0 1.93
85 ANDREW MILLER
LOS LUMAS , NM
GARY MILLS
RIO RANCHO , NM
1 0 1.92
86 ERIC WASHBURN
GATESVILLE , TX
ZANE WASHBURN
GATESVILLE , TX
1 0 1.65
87 KEVIN COTLONG
BOERNE , TX
CORVIS LITTLETON
SAN ANTONIO , TX
1 0 1.63
88 TIM DOEGE
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX
KENNY HENZE
BULVERDE , TX
1 0 1.60
89 ROLAND LOERA
AUSTIN , TX
JAMES SCOGIN
AUSTIN , TX
1 0 1.45
90 HENRY GRAVES
LAGO VISTA , TX
ROBERT BAKER
CEDAR PARK , TX
0 0 0.00
90 IRA LYNN
ADKINS , TX
TREVOR ROGGE
SAN ANTONIO , TX
0 0 0.00
90 MICHAEL ZIBERT
GARDEN RIDGE , TX
0 0 0.00
90 CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON
CEDAR PARK , TX
JARRID HOLENSEE
HUTTO , TX
0 0 0.00
90 BUBBA WAMPLER
BERTRAM , TX
MIKE BECK
KINGSLAND , TX
0 0 0.00
90 JASON RANFT
NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX
DARRYL RANFT
SEQUIN , TX
0 0 0.00
90 JOHN GILBERT JR
LEANDER , TX
RONALD GOERDEL
HUNTSVILLE , TX
0 0 0.00
90 KYLE TATUM
BELTON , TX
DAMON PEREZ
NOLANVILLE , TX
0 0 0.00
90 MIKE MONTANEZ
LORENA , TX
KENNY ROBERSON
BRUCEVILLE , TX
0 0 0.00
90 JACK MEREDITH
BELTON , TX
STEVEN BREAZEALE
AUSTIN , TX
0 0 0.00
90 TOMMY MORENO
SAN SABA , TX
TROY LOWERY
BROWNWOOD , TX
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GRANBURY , TX
RANDY HAVARD
SAN ANGELO , TX
0 0 0.00
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SAN ANTONIO , TX
JOSHUA RHODES
SAN ANTONIO , TX
0 0 0.00
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WACO , TX
L J CASTILLO
WACO , TX
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WACO , TX
DENIS SCHMEDTHORST
WACO , TX
0 0 0.00
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PURMELA , TX
MICHAEL WERSIG
LEANDER , TX
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HUTTO , TX
GENE FUESSEL
AUSTIN , TX
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CAL SOMERVILLE
KILLEEN , TX
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ROUND ROCK , TX
MICHAEL DAMRON
AUSTIN , TX
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BELTON , TX
NATHAN MATTHEWS
TROY , TX
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VALLEY MILLS , TX
JOHNNY GRICE
EARLY , TX
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BELTON , TX
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BELTON , TX
0 0 0.00
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ALVIN , TX
JIM KANETZKY
BURNET , TX
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BUDA , TX
JACOB KAPALDO
KYLE , TX
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PLANO , TX
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SPRING , TX
RUSSELL KESSLER
LA VERNIA , TX
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OGLESBY , TX
JEFFREY MORSE
GATESVILLE , TX
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BURNET , TX
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THORNDALE , TX
RHETT PIERCE
THORNDALE , TX
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TAYLOR , TX
MIKE HARMAN
BASTROP , TX
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PIPE CREEK , TX
CASTULO ESCALANTE
PIPE CREEK , TX
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PIPE CREEK , TX
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PIPE CREEK , TX
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STOCKDALE , TX
JEFFERY HUNTER
UNIVERSAL CITY , TX
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JONESTOWN , TX
BARRY MOTT
LIBERTY HILL , TX
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ROCKDALE , TX
KC CARLTON
LIBERTY HILL , TX
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KILLEEN , TX
PETE GARZA
KILLEEN , TX
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BELTON , TX
JUSTIN ROGERS
KILLEEN , TX
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TEMPLE , TX
JACK POWE
KEMPNER , TX
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TROY , TX
JARED SIEGELER
BELTON , TX
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CHINA SPRINGS , TX
STEVEN SCHONEWOLF
BELTON , TX
0 0 0.00
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THRALL , TX
0 0 0.00
90 ANTHONY GOODSON
DRIFTWOOD , TX
NOAH GOODSON
DRIFTWOOD , TX
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BELTON , TX
ANTHONY KELSEY
BELTON , TX
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GATESVILLE , TX
CANYON CAROTHERS
GATESVILLE , TX
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BELTON , TX
BRUCE DAVIS
KEMPNER , TX
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SALADO , TX
WAYNE ANTHONY
KILLEEN , TX
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ALMOGORDO , NM
JERRY DENTON
ALMOGORDO , NM
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GEORGETOWN , TX
CHARLES GERHART
SALADO , TX
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BELTON , TX
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CEDAR PARK , TX
CHRIS CLEMENTS
ROUND ROCK , TX
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NEW BRAUNFELS , TX
DUSTIN ISBELL
KINGSLAND , TX
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MIDLAND , TX
KIRBY KILLION
BELTON , TX
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DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX
CHRISTIAN RAY
LAGO VISTA , TX
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LEANDER , TX
DAVID DISLER
CONROE , TX
0 0 0.00
90 ADAM HOLLENBACH
SHINER , TX
JOSHUA COX
EARLY , TX
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90 CALEB RAMM
SALADO , TX
COLTON ZAHN
TEMPLE , TX
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BELTON , TX
BRET STAFFORD
TEMPLE , TX
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90 CALVIN BALCH
PORTER , TX
FLOYD BALCH
WACO , TX
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90 DONNIE ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX
SCOTT ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX
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90 DYLAN ROSS
LEXINGTON , TX
DAMON ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX
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90 ALLEN GASS
LLANO , TX
JOHN RATLIFF
KINGSLAND , TX
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AUSTIN , TX
BRETT ORLICH
LEANDER , TX
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90 WAYLON REYNOLDS
JARALES , NM
JOSEPH WISNESKI
PORTOLES , NM
0 0 0.00
90 KENNETH CUMMINS
PAIGE , TX
JIMMY CHAPMAN
HUTTO , TX
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KYLE , TX
JAY HESS
LOCKHART , TX
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90 RONALD SISK
RIO VISTA , TX
JOHNNY MATTHEWS
LAGUNA PARK , TX
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LLANO , TX
BLAKE DILLARD
LLANO , TX
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HARKER HEIGHTS , TX
HERMAN GEORGE
BELTON , TX
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ROUND ROCK , TX
BRANDON JONES
SAN ANTONIO , TX
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CEDAR PARK , TX
BILL GUZMAN
AUSTIN , TX
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BELTON , TX
CHET SUTTON
SALADO , TX
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SOUTHLAKE , TX
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SOUTHLAKE , TX
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BEEVILLE , TX
COURTNEY BEHREND
COMFORT , TX
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KENNEDALE , TX
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KENNEDALE , TX
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BROWNWOOD , TX
WESLEY FLETCHER
BROWNWOOD , TX
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KINGSLAND , TX
TOM CANTWELL
LAGRANGE , TX
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AUSTIN , TX
LEVAR JENKINS
AUSTIN , TX
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GEORGE WEST , TX
MARTY SORRELLS
HEBBRONVILLE , TX
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BURNET , TX
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GEORGETOWN , TX
THOMAS MARTENS
CEDAR PARK , TX
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AUSTIN , TX
MICHAEL TENNANT
PFLUGERVILLE , TX
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KELLER , TX
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COLLEGE STATION , TX
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Bassmaster Elite Series Chickamauga Event Rescheduled for Late March

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 10, 2020

Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Chickamauga Lake Moved To March

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to high waters, flooding conditions and a forecast calling for continued heavy rain in the region, B.A.S.S. officials announced today they will postpone the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake originally scheduled for later this week.

 

The second stop of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season is now scheduled to be held on the Dayton, Tenn., fishery March 19-22.

 

“We have been in close communication with local authorities and our hosts in Tennessee about the current flooding as well as the forecast,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “After careful discussions, it was apparent that the best decision was to postpone the tournament and festivities.”

 

The National Weather Service is predicting widespread severe thunderstorms across Tennessee and much of the Southeast on Wednesday with additional moderate to major river flooding over the next seven days.

 

“Extreme heavy rainfall and runoff is causing elevated river conditions all across the Tennessee Valley,” said James Everett from TVA River Management. “These are much higher than normal flows and flow rates coming from the dams, which can increase boating hazards.”

 

According to local law enforcement, much of the venue where the tournament was to be held is currently flooded and road closures are expected.

 

“It was smart for B.A.S.S. to postpone the tournament until conditions are better,” said Rhea Sheriff Mike Neal. “The combination of parking issues and road closures would make it unsafe for fans and everyone involved, especially if we get the additional rain forecasted.”

 

When the event kicks off in March, the field will launch from Dayton Boat Dock with weigh-ins and the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo being held at Point Park.


Bass Pro Tour Rookie Bryan Thrift Wins Group A and Advances Directly to the Championship

Photo credit - Garrick Dixon - MLF


February 9, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala
.) Bass Pro Tour Rookie Bryan Thrift won Qualifying Round Group A of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole to become the first automatic Championship Berth in MLF history. Alabama resident Greg Vinson rose 18 places to finish in second. Chris Lane, who held the lead in Group A for nearly five periods, fell to fifth overall with a two-day total of 38 pounds, two ounces. Overall the third day kept everyone guessing despite the sunny skies and warmer temperatures.

On a slightly tougher fishing day on Lake Eufaula, Bryan Thrift showed he could compete well in this new-to-him format with an impressive two-day total and commanding march into first over Chris Lane. Thrift took control of the top spot with the Berkley Big Bass of the Day, which weighed in at six pounds, three ounces, shortly after Period 3 began. In the last 80 minutes of the day, he added five more bass to his total including one at five pounds, five ounces. Thrift said his late-day success was a surprise.

“I did a lot better than I expected at the end,” Thrift admitted. “It started so slow, and I only had four fish between the first two periods.

“I’m not getting enough bites to have a pattern,” he added. “I’m running different stuff and throwing different baits; there’s no way I can know what is going to work.”

Thrift earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award for his ten bass weighing in at 34 pounds, six ounces. Perhaps most exciting, Thrift receives the benefit of a “Championship Berth,” which guarantees him a $12,000 minimum payday. New for 2020, the winners of each Group (A and B) automatically advance to the final, Championship Round, and do not need to fish the Knockout Round. The remaining 19 anglers from each Group (A and B) will fish Tuesday for one of the remaining eight spots in the Championship Round.

Alabama resident Greg Vinson rose steadily up the SCORETRACKER® from 20th place to second. His success stemmed from the fact that he caught more scoreable bass on the day with 12, including one just shy of five pounds at four pounds, 15 ounces. Vinson eluded to how stressful it can be for an angler to find himself mid-round on the “elimination line.” The elimination line refers to the top 20 places on SCORETRACKER® who advance and the bottom 20 who are eliminated from a Stage of the Bass Pro Tour.

“I came in as the ‘bubble boy,’ and I was sweating it,” Vinson said. “With the tough fishing conditions, you never know. I locked into something a little different today, and it was fun.”

Chris Lane finished day one of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole at the top of the SCORETRACKER® with 35-pounds, 12-ounces representing nine bass. However, day two proved to be a completely different ballgame. Lane caught one scorable bass in Period 1 and then remained scoreless the rest of the day. His lead coming into day two provided him a secure position in fifth place for the Qualifying Round, Group A.

The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group A finished day two as follows:

Place Angler Total 2-Day Weight Total Day Two Weight Largest Fish of Day Two
1 Bryan Thrift 54-01 34-06 6-03
2 Greg Vinson 42-11 32-08 4-15
3 Andy Morgan 41-10 30-15 5-13
4 Todd Faircloth 40-02 14-05 3-10
5 Chris Lane 38-02 2-06 2-06
6 Brent Ehrler 37-06 19-08 6-02
7 Mark Rose 31-11 17-03 4-08
8 Josh Bertrand 31-04 4-14 4-14
9 Jacob Powroznik 30-09 18-13 5-06
10 Jeff Sprague 27-09 10-01 4-10

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

Lane was not the only angler to experience a tough day on the water. Stephen Browning started the day in 11th but fell to 23rd, while Boyd Duckett slipped from 13th to 25th. Mark Daniels, Jr. began on the bubble with Vinson at 19th and fell to 24th. While Andy Montgomery moved from 22nd to 18th. While in the other direction, Alton Jones, Jr. rose from 26th to 13th and Brent Chapman leapt from 28th to 11th place.

The Qualifying Round continues Monday with Group B, currently led by 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler. Wesley Strader stands in second place with Randall Tharp, Bobby Lane, and MLF Rookie David Dudley rounding out the top five. Defending 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, Edwin Evers sits in 36thplace and Kevin VanDam hopes to hold onto his 13th place to advance to the Knockout Round. The SCORETRACKER® resets to zero for the Knockout Round making it a new game going into Tuesday’s Knockout Round and Wednesday’s Championship Final.

Tuesday’s Qualifying Round, Group B, day two begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).


Lester Saves Season on Day Two of St. Johns

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Day one of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season was one Brandon Lester would rather forget. The even-keeled Tennessee pro failed to catch a keeper bass for only the second time in his professional career yesterday. While ending the day with a dreaded “goose egg” stung, Lester was able to put the day behind him when he weighed an impressive 19-lb 14-ounce limit on a fickle St. Johns River today.

 

Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester has been a model of consistency throughout his career and has typically performed extremely well on the St. Johns, but Lester explained the difference between a good day and a terrible day is razor thin on this body of water.

 

“Poor decision making was what bit me yesterday,“ Lester explained. “On a tidal fishery like the St. Johns River, every single decision is magnified. I got in a bad rotation (in reference to the tide) yesterday and it is already a grind out there. I literally only had one bite all day, and I lost it.”

 

Lester was understandably upset after such an uncharacteristically tough day, but instead of dwelling on the negative he hopped in his Tundra with his family and put the day behind him.

 

Finishing the first Elite Series event at the bottom of the leaderboard would have handicapped Lester’s 2020 season in a way he didn’t even want to consider. Fortunately, Lester knew Florida’s St. Johns River is the kind of fishery that could produce a big comeback.

 

“I had a sneaky suspicion the failing water and cold front pulled the bass out of the shallows in the canals I was fishing,” Lester grinned. “I rigged up a X-Zone Lures Muscle Back Craw on a 4/0 Mustad Flippin Hook with a ¼-ounce weight and went to work. The fish had pulled out to any hard targets (like wood, laydowns, etc.) towards the mouth of the canals.”

 

Lester’s big bag on day two not only helped erase a lackluster first day from his mind, but also salvaged a $10,000 check, a bunch of AOY points, and potentially his entire year.

 

“Today was so incredibly important for my season,” said a relieved Lester. “Two of my biggest goals are to qualify for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, and have a shot at the Angler of the Year title at the end of this season. If I struggled again today I could have all but kissed both of those goals goodbye. I am extremely grateful.”


Mueller Takes Narrow Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On St. Johns River

February 9, 2020

 

PALATKA, Fla. — Two days of persistence and adaptation have landed Paul Mueller in the lead at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River heading into Championship Monday.

Mueller, the veteran Elite Series pro from Naugatuck, Conn., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces during Sunday’s second round. Added to his first-round catch of 20-8, it gave him a two-day total of 36-10.

He leads second-place angler Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., (35-10) by 1 pound.

Mueller, who earned his first Elite victory last year at Georgia’s Lake Lanier went in the opposite direction of most his competitors. While most anglers fished south of the Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, Mueller committed his day to the same creek he fished Saturday, well north of the takeoff site.

The day began slowly, but Mueller said he believed in his area enough to keep casting the Strike King Hack Attack swim jig trailed with a Zoom Speed Craw that produced his Day 1 bag. He steadily picked up keepers before finding a day-making 6-4 largemouth.

“What a key bite; that fish anchored my weight,” he said. “I made an adjustment at the end of the day and that was it. I caught the majority of my fish earlier on the swim jig, but I just couldn’t get a big bite, so I started punching a 3-inch junebug-color craw with a 1-ounce tungsten weight.

“I felt like the fish moved under the mats. There wasn’t as much water in the place I was fishing as there was on Day 1, but I felt like if I could find a mat with enough water on it, there would be a big fish there.”

Notably, Mueller said the spot that produced his 6-4 was approximately 10 yards from where he lost an estimated 8-pounder on Day 1. Describing his kicker as a classic prespawn fish, Mueller said the positioning told him the chunky bass was staging for a shallow move.

“There was a little point in the mat next to a little piece of wood on a transition of where the creek channel swung in to the bank,” he said. “The fish could spawn anywhere left or right in those pads.”

Despite warmer conditions than Day 1, Mueller said he did not believe many fish had started recovering from the week’s cold front. One possible explanation could be that the strong winds that postponed the tournament’s start by two days had blown a lot of water out of his area.

“I thought more fish would show up today but it was tough,” he said. “I think the key was that the water level was lower than it should be. If it comes up tomorrow, a few more fish could be positioned right where I can catch them. I think some of those big fish are out deep and when it gets right, they move up.”

Jaye, who started the day in first place with a 15-ounce lead, slipped to second with 35-10.

Adding 14-3 to his Day 1 bag of 21-7, he stuck with the same game plan — throwing a jerkbait over a spring. His bag included a 4-pounder, but he lost one possibly larger on the same area that produced a 9-pounder Saturday.

“I had another place I could go catch a couple of keepers, but I’m trying to win and I knew I was where the big fish are,” Jaye said. “I figured if I caught one there, it would be equal to two I’d catch somewhere else.

“The channel bend comes around close to the reed line and it’s easy access for the fish to move right up to the reeds to feed. I lost that big one and I lost another one on a worm on a laydown. I had my opportunities and that’s all you can ask for — to stay within striking distance, and that’s where we are.”

Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., proved that consistency matters, as he added 16-3 to the 16-12 he weighed on Day 1 to take third with 32-15.

Fishing a wacky-rigged green pumpkin magic Bizz Baits Sassy Stick in a protected canal, Whitaker lost a 6-pounder on camera, but later redeemed himself by catching one of equal size.

“What could have been is always in the back of your mind, but I’m happy with how the day went,” Whitaker said. “I caught my fifth fish 30 minutes before check-in. There are definitely some big fish in that area, so I’m going to go back in there tomorrow and do the exact same thing.”

Elite Series rookie Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., took the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 10-1 largemouth.

The Top 20 remaining anglers will fish Monday with a $100,000 first-place paycheck on the line. Takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. ET at Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 2 p.m.

 

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11
St. Johns River, Palatka  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  36-10  100
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   16-02
2.  Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  35-10   99   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-07     Day 2: 5   14-03
3.  Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            10  32-15   98
Day 1: 5   16-12     Day 2: 5   16-03
4.  Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL             10  32-09   97   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   20-12
5.  Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC         10  32-08   96
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   22-15
6.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  32-02   95
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   15-05
7.  Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA         10  31-03   94
Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   15-14
8.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  30-04   93
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   12-06
9.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              9  28-03   92
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 4   08-03
10. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR        10  28-00   91
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   14-01
11. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               8  27-14   90
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 3   08-14
12. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  27-12   89
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   16-11
13. Drew Cook              Midway, FL              10  27-08   88
Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   17-14
14. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC          10  27-04   87
Day 1: 5   17-11     Day 2: 5   09-09
15. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  26-14   86
Day 1: 5   16-02     Day 2: 5   10-12
16. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  26-03   85
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   18-05
17. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          9  25-15   84
Day 1: 4   08-07     Day 2: 5   17-08
18. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            10  25-13   83
Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   08-08
19. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  25-11   82
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   15-06
20. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  25-06   81
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   14-12
21. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN             10  25-05   80  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-09     Day 2: 5   16-12
22. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  25-01   79  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   12-07
23. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR            6  23-01   78  $10,000.00
Day 1: 1   03-06     Day 2: 5   19-11
24. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA              9  21-10   77  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   11-11     Day 2: 5   09-15
25. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA             10  21-10   76  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   10-01
26. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  21-09   75  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   09-04
27. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  21-08   74  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-04     Day 2: 5   10-04
28. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  21-07   73  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-08     Day 2: 5   11-15
29. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             10  21-00   72  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-09     Day 2: 5   11-07
30. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               9  20-15   71  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   10-08     Day 2: 5   10-07
31. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              8  20-14   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 3   08-06     Day 2: 5   12-08
32. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          9  20-13   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 4   07-02
33. John Cox               Debary, FL               4  20-12   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 1   06-14     Day 2: 3   13-14
34. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             9  20-05   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   11-02     Day 2: 5   09-03
35. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  19-14   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   19-14
36. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  19-13   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   07-13     Day 2: 5   12-00
37. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           10  19-10   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   11-12
38. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          7  19-08   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 2   03-13
39. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         9  19-08   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   08-11     Day 2: 5   10-13
40. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           9  19-03   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 4   09-05
41. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA  8  19-00   60   $7,500.00
Day 1: 3   04-04     Day 2: 5   14-12
42. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           9  18-09   59   $7,500.00
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 4   08-04
43. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            6  18-03   58   $7,500.00
Day 1: 1   01-04     Day 2: 5   16-15
44. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  7  18-03   57   $7,500.00
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 2   06-08
45. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            7  18-02   56   $7,500.00
Day 1: 3   07-05     Day 2: 4   10-13
46. Jesse Tacoronte        Kissimmee, FL           10  18-02   55   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   09-08
47. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           7  18-00   54   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 2   04-12
48. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           8  18-00   53   $5,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 3   07-06
49. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 9  18-00   52   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   07-08     Day 2: 5   10-08
50. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  18-00   51   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   10-04
51. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             7  17-14   50   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 2   10-00
52. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         7  17-06   49   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 2   04-03
53. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              7  17-04   48   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   04-01     Day 2: 5   13-03
54. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO         8  17-00   47   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 3   03-07
55. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             9  16-08   46   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   06-09     Day 2: 5   09-15
56. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           7  16-02   45   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   02-08     Day 2: 5   13-10
57. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           7  16-02   44   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   08-13     Day 2: 3   07-05
58. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         6  16-01   43   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   06-03     Day 2: 3   09-14
59. Brett Preuett          Monroe, LA               8  16-00   42   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 3   03-11
60. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             6  14-15   41   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   01-13     Day 2: 5   13-02
61. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  14-13   40   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   10-09     Day 2: 2   04-04
62. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              8  13-11   39   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   06-07     Day 2: 5   07-04
63. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         6  13-10   38   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   07-09     Day 2: 3   06-01
64. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         7  12-05   37   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   08-12     Day 2: 3   03-09
65. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  12-01   36   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   03-03     Day 2: 3   08-14
66. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        5  12-00   35   $2,500.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   12-00
67. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           8  11-01   34   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   05-06     Day 2: 4   05-11
68. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               5  10-02   33   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   03-01     Day 2: 3   07-01
69. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          6  10-01   32   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 1   01-05
70. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            5  09-06   31   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   09-06     Day 2: 0   00-00
71. Chris Johnston         Peterborough Ontario CA  5  09-05   30   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   04-08     Day 2: 2   04-13
72. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               6  09-00   29   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   07-04     Day 2: 1   01-12
73. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          4  09-00   28   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   04-11     Day 2: 2   04-05
74. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  08-05   27   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   02-11     Day 2: 3   05-10
75. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  4  08-03   26   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   05-02     Day 2: 1   03-01
76. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               5  08-02   25   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 4   04-11
77. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             6  07-15   24   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   01-00     Day 2: 5   06-15
78. Derek Hudnall          Baton Rouge, LA          5  07-15   23   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   01-06     Day 2: 4   06-09
79. Greg DiPalma           Millville, NJ            4  06-06   22   $2,500.00
Day 1: 3   04-00     Day 2: 1   02-06
80. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           4  06-01   21   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   01-05     Day 2: 3   04-12
81. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA         5  05-15   20   $2,500.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 5   05-15
82. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI               4  05-13   19   $2,500.00
Day 1: 4   05-13     Day 2: 0   00-00
83. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           3  05-11   18   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   03-03     Day 2: 1   02-08
84. Lee Livesay            Gladewater, TX           2  05-03   17   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   03-06     Day 2: 1   01-13
85. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN           2  04-01   16   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   04-01     Day 2: 0   00-00
86. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         2  03-12   15   $2,500.00
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   03-12
87. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               3  03-12   14   $2,500.00
Day 1: 2   02-13     Day 2: 1   00-15
88. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               2  03-05   13   $2,500.00
Day 1: 1   02-06     Day 2: 1   00-15


Wheeler Leads Group B after a Chilly Day on Lake Eufaula

February 8, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala.) Jacob Wheeler, 2019 General Tire World Champion, assumed the lead from Bobby Lane early in day two of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour and never looked back, finishing in first place with 15 scorable bass totaling 42 pounds, five ounces. The B&W Hitches Stage Two presented by Power-Pole opened for the anglers in Group B on Lake Eufaula with chilly temperatures in the mid-30s and rain throughout the day. Wesley Strader finished second with nine fish totaling 36 pounds, six ounces. Justin Atkins earned the Berkley Big Bass of the Day award with a six-pound, 13-ounce largemouth bass, while MLF Rookie David Dudley rose to fifth by the end of the day.

Indiana native (Tennessee resident) Jacob Wheeler caught Floridian Bobby Lane, brother to Group A leader Chris Lane, at 9:30 a.m. Fishing a mainly offshore pattern with a variety of tactics, the Academy Sports Pro went against the grain in a tournament where most of the other anglers were beating the bank and targeting shallow cover.

“Today was a great day, and I was fortunate to catch them on a rotation of baits, but I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on the lake,” Wheeler said. “You have to keep an open mind because each day is unique this time of year, and you have to start over every morning.”

Fellow Tennessean Wesley Strader finished second by a spread of six pounds, one ounce and the only angler within striking distance of Wheeler. The 48-year-old angler with a rich history of FLW wins before joining the Bass Pro Tour in 2018 found that the high water impacted his ability to advance further.

“It was a really good day, but it could have been even better,” Strader admitted. “I wish the water would drop a little bit because that will pull some more fish out of the thick cover, and I think I can get more bites doing what I’m doing.”

MLF Rookie David Dudley showed that he can compete well in all fishing formats by finishing in fifth place with six bass totaling 22 pounds, 15 ounces. Today was the first day Dudley competed using the catch-weigh-immediately release format and rules.

“It was a fun day,” recapped Dudley. “I loved the SCORETRACKER® and kept telling my official all day to give me another update. I like hearing that people are catching or not catching fish, because it helps me process my day.”

Despite remaining scoreless until Period 3, Kevin VanDam rallied to finish 13th overall with four fish weighing in at 13 pounds, 11 ounces.

The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group B finished as follows:

Place Angler Total Weight Total Fish Largest Fish
1 Jacob Wheeler 42-05 15 4-04
2 Wesley Strader 36-06 9 5-14
3 Randall Tharp 27-13 6 5-01
4 Bobby Lane 25-11 9 5-01
5 David Dudley 22-15 6 5-14
6 James Watson 21-12 6 5-05
7 Fletcher Shryock 21-04 7 4-09
8 Dustin Connell 19-03 6 6-02
9 Michael Neal 18-00 5 4-10
10 Mike McClelland 17-06 6 3-10

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The competition continues Sunday as Group A returns to finish the Qualifying Round.  Chris Lane hopes to retain his lead and earn the automatic Championship Berth. New for 2020, the winner of each Group in the Qualifying Round advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. The weather forecast calls for a slightly warmer day calling for a high of 65-degrees-Farenheit with no rain in the forecast.

The day begins with launch 7:15 a.m.before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m.and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).


Jaye Relies On Experience To Claim Day 1 Lead In Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River

Kelley Jaye, of Dadeville, Ala., is leading after Day 1 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with 21 pounds, 7 ounces.

                                                                                                                                                   Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

February 8, 2020

 

 

 

PALATKA, Fla. — Kelley Jaye knows the potential perils of fishing history, but doing so proved to be a wise decision Saturday as he took the Day 1 lead in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

The Dadeville, Ala., pro, who is beginning his eighth-year on the Bassmaster Elite Series, brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 21 pounds, 7 ounces.

Last year, Jaye fished the St. Johns’ offshore structure and earned an 11th-place finish. Today, he figured the cold front that brought big winds and postponed the tournament’s scheduled start by two days likely stalled much of the spawning movement that seemed be happening prior to the weather.

That hunch sent him offshore again.

“I’m catching them in the same place as last year, doing the same thing,” said Jaye, who has eight career Top 10 finishes with B.A.S.S. “I think the days off helped because I have a lot of boats around me. Hopefully, all those boats will stay on the bank tomorrow and leave me alone.”

Jaye went directly to his spot from takeoff Saturday, as he knew the post-frontal day would bring the usual “bluebird” conditions — high pressure and lots of sunlight. The first few hours of his day proved most productive, with the fish cooperating better before the sun got high overhead.

“It happened kind of fast, I had all my fish before 10 a.m.,” Jaye said. “The bite slowed down, but they live here where I’m fishing. It’s a grind, just like last year. I’m only getting eight or nine bites a day, but they were good fish.

“Tomorrow, I’m just going to grind it out again and hope I get the right five bites.”

Jaye said he targeted 4 to 6 feet of water and caught his fish on a jerkbait. He kept the details guarded, but noted that he alternated between two colors specifically matched to various water colors he encountered.

Despite two days of fierce winds and a sharp decline in air temperature, Jaye said his spot, which measures about 300 yards long and 200 yards wide, held up well. He didn’t disclose his specific area, but he said its location helped keep the water temperature at a comfortable level.

“I caught them earlier this morning on the lower tide; I don’t know if they could see the bait better or what,” he said. “Then as the tide came up, the water started muddying up and the bite slowed down.”

Beefing up his jerkbaits by replacing the stock No. 5 lightwire trebles with No. 4 Owner treble hooks gave him more firepower. Still, Jaye said he had to take his time with each fish.

Anchoring Jaye’s bag was a 9-2 largemouth that leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week.

“My first fish was a 4 1/2 and then I caught that big one,” Jaye said. “When I caught those two big ones, I thought I was going to have a really big bag, based on what I’d caught in there in the past, but I’m pleased with what I had.”

Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., is in second place with 20-8. One of the few anglers who ran north (downriver) from the take-off site at Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, Mueller caught most of his fish on a swim jig.

Timing, he said, was the key to his success.

“I spent half my day looking for new stuff, because I knew I had to fish my area at the right time; meaning when the water got a little higher and the sun got higher,” Mueller said. “You’re going to have a slow start with the weather that we had.

“This morning, I knew I had to learn something and try to find something new, so I treated it like a practice day. Then I went into my area and, thankfully, got a couple of good bites. I had two good fish and three decent fish, but those two good ones anchored my weight today.”

Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third place with 20 pounds. With the day’s chilly start quickly yielding to sunny, warming conditions, the seasoned pro trusted his experience.

He knew the weekend’s full moon, plus rising temperatures, would spur a spawning movement.

“I don’t normally bet on them coming, but I kind of bet on them coming; I just thought that was what was going to happen — the full moon is too strong this time of year,” Wendlandt said. “I caught fish scattered throughout the day. I’m not getting tons of bites.”

Wendlant said he stuck with flipping/pitching baits because that forced him to slow down and fish his area thoroughly. He was able to spot some beds in the shallow, low-tide scenario, but most of his catches were unseen fish.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. ET at Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3:15 p.m.

 

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Title Sponsor: AFTCO

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

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Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, eharley@bassmaster.com

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2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11
St. Johns River, Palatka  FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            5  21-07  100   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-07
2.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  20-08   99
Day 1: 5   20-08
3.  Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  20-00   98
Day 1: 5   20-00
4.  Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  19-00   97
Day 1: 5   19-00
5.  Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  17-14   96
Day 1: 5   17-14
6.  Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  17-11   95
Day 1: 5   17-11
7.  Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             5  17-05   94
Day 1: 5   17-05
8.  John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  16-13   93
Day 1: 5   16-13
9.  Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             5  16-12   92
Day 1: 5   16-12
10. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  16-02   91
Day 1: 5   16-02
11. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          5  15-11   90
Day 1: 5   15-11
12. Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA          5  15-05   89
Day 1: 5   15-05
13. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR         5  13-15   88
Day 1: 5   13-15
14. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  13-11   87
Day 1: 5   13-11
15. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO         5  13-09   86
Day 1: 5   13-09
16. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  13-04   85
Day 1: 5   13-04
17. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  13-03   84
Day 1: 5   13-03
18. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  12-10   83
Day 1: 5   12-10
19. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  12-05   82
Day 1: 5   12-05
19. Brett Preuett          Monroe, LA               5  12-05   82
Day 1: 5   12-05
21. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL              5  11-13   80
Day 1: 5   11-13
22. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  11-11   79
Day 1: 5   11-11
23. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA              4  11-11   78
Day 1: 4   11-11
24. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA              5  11-09   77
Day 1: 5   11-09
25. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  11-04   76
Day 1: 5   11-04
26. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             4  11-02   75
Day 1: 4   11-02
27. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  11-01   74
Day 1: 5   11-01
28. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  10-10   73
Day 1: 5   10-10
28. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  10-10   73
Day 1: 5   10-10
30. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            3  10-09   71
Day 1: 3   10-09
31. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               4  10-08   70
Day 1: 4   10-08
32. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           5  10-05   69
Day 1: 5   10-05
32. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  10-05   69
Day 1: 5   10-05
34. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           5  09-14   67
Day 1: 5   09-14
35. Drew Cook              Midway, FL               5  09-10   66
Day 1: 5   09-10
36. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI              5  09-09   65
Day 1: 5   09-09
36. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          5  09-09   65
Day 1: 5   09-09
38. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  09-08   63
Day 1: 5   09-08
39. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            5  09-06   62
Day 1: 5   09-06
40. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           4  08-13   61
Day 1: 4   08-13
41. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          5  08-12   60
Day 1: 5   08-12
42. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         4  08-12   59
Day 1: 4   08-12
43. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         4  08-11   58
Day 1: 4   08-11
44. Jesse Tacoronte        Kissimmee, FL            5  08-10   57
Day 1: 5   08-10
45. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              5  08-09   56
Day 1: 5   08-09
46. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          4  08-07   55
Day 1: 4   08-07
47. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              3  08-06   54
Day 1: 3   08-06
48. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN            5  07-14   53
Day 1: 5   07-14
48. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  07-14   53
Day 1: 5   07-14
48. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  07-14   53
Day 1: 5   07-14
51. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  07-13   50
Day 1: 5   07-13
52. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  07-12   49
Day 1: 5   07-12
53. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         3  07-09   48
Day 1: 3   07-09
54. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 4  07-08   47
Day 1: 4   07-08
55. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            3  07-05   46
Day 1: 3   07-05
56. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               5  07-04   45
Day 1: 5   07-04
57. John Cox               Debary, FL               1  06-14   44
Day 1: 1   06-14
58. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             4  06-09   43
Day 1: 4   06-09
59. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              3  06-07   42
Day 1: 3   06-07
60. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         3  06-03   41
Day 1: 3   06-03
61. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI               4  05-13   40
Day 1: 4   05-13
62. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           4  05-06   39
Day 1: 4   05-06
63. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  3  05-02   38
Day 1: 3   05-02
64. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          2  04-11   37
Day 1: 2   04-11
65. Chris Johnston         Peterborough Ontario CA  3  04-08   36
Day 1: 3   04-08
66. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA  3  04-04   35
Day 1: 3   04-04
67. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN           2  04-01   34
Day 1: 2   04-01
67. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              2  04-01   34
Day 1: 2   04-01
69. Greg DiPalma           Millville, NJ            3  04-00   32
Day 1: 3   04-00
70. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               1  03-07   31
Day 1: 1   03-07
71. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR            1  03-06   30
Day 1: 1   03-06
71. Lee Livesay            Gladewater, TX           1  03-06   30
Day 1: 1   03-06
73. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           2  03-03   28
Day 1: 2   03-03
73. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               2  03-03   28
Day 1: 2   03-03
75. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               2  03-01   26
Day 1: 2   03-01
76. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               2  02-13   25
Day 1: 2   02-13
77. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             2  02-11   24
Day 1: 2   02-11
78. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           2  02-08   23
Day 1: 2   02-08
79. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               1  02-06   22
Day 1: 1   02-06
80. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             1  01-13   21
Day 1: 1   01-13
81. Derek Hudnall          Baton Rouge, LA          1  01-06   20
Day 1: 1   01-06
82. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           1  01-05   19
Day 1: 1   01-05
83. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            1  01-04   18
Day 1: 1   01-04
84. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             1  01-00   17
Day 1: 1   01-00
85. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA         0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
85. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
85. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
85. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00


Alabama Resident Chris Lane Leaps Ahead in Day One

February 7, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Alabama resident Chris Lane finished day one of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole at the top of the SCORETRACKER® with 35-pounds, 12-ounces representing nine bass. Weather over recent days on Lake Eufuala played a factor in today’s competition as the excessive rain, wind, and lightning led to rising lake levels and muddy water conditions. Josh Bertrand finished in second with seven total bass weighing in at 26-pounds, six ounces. Brandon Coulter caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day, which weighed in at seven pounds, 14 ounces.

Chris Lane took an early lead in Period 1 by catching the first bass of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour at 8:09 a.m. local time. The Power-Pole pro had eight fish for 33 pounds, nine ounces – a more than four-pound average – at the conclusion of that first period. Despite a drought in Period 2 and only one fish in Period 3, Lane held his lead throughout the day. Included in his total were fish that weighed five pounds, 11 ounces and five pounds, 7 ounces, respectively.

“That was a great first period,” exclaimed Lane. “(In Period 3), I found an area late in the day with some clear water, and I made the mistake of not going there soon enough in the day. I look forward to getting back there (Sunday).”

MEDIA KIT + PRESS IMAGES HERE

32-year-old Josh Bertrand of moved from fifth place to end the day at second despite a slower start in Period 1 than others. His largest bass of the day weighed in at six pounds, 10 ounces and landed two others over four pounds. The Berkley pro who lives in Arizona didn’t know what to expect today and indicated that he hopes better weather in coming days may help hasten the pace of the game.

“We have some better weather coming so it might bust wide open,” said Bertrand, when asked about returning on Sunday to Lake Eufaula for his second Qualifying Day.

The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group A finished as follows:

Place Angler Total Weight Total Fish Largest Fish
1 Chris Lane 35-12 9 5-11
2 Josh Bertrand 26-06 7 6-10
3 Todd Faircloth 25-13 6 5-08
4 Bryan Thrift 19-11 7 3-13
5 Greg Hackney 19-08 5 5-07
6 Anthony Gagliardi 19-08 4 6-04
7 Brent Ehrler 17-14 5 5-15
8 Jeff Sprague 17-08 6 3-13
9 Brandon Coulter 16-04 3 7-14
10 Mark Rose 14-08 5 3-14

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The Qualifying Round continues Saturday with Group B, which includes Edwin Evers, 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, fishing greats Kevin VanDam and Mike Iaconelli, as well as 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler and MLF Rookie David Dudley. The weather forecast calls for a slightly warmer day calling for a high of 57-degrees-Farenheit and scattered showers midday.

The day begins with launch 6-6:30 a.m. before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

About the Bass Pro Tour:

The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over a variable minimum weight, which is two pounds on Lake Eufaula for Stage One, toward a cumulative weight total for the day.  Variable minimum weights are determined by fishery akin to a golf course handicap. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.

Each of Eight Stages of the Bass Pro Tour have the following payout schedule: 1st $100,000; 2nd $42,000; 3rd $30,000; 4th$24,000; 5th $18,000; 6th $16,800; 7th $15,600; 8th $14,400; 9th $13,200; 10th $12,000; 11th – 40th $6,000; Big Bass Daily $1,000; Big Bass Overall $1,000.

In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.

“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format,”

About Major League Fishing   
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.

In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.

For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.


Off Days - The good and Bad with Brandon Lester

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

 

The start of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season has been delayed this week here on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida due to two a couple dreaded cancelled competition days. While “off days” aren’t exactly celebrated in this line of work, that doesn’t mean the glass isn’t half full.

Make no mistake; there are approximately zero Elite Series pros that want to have tournament days cancelled throughout their season. These guys are fishermen and they make their living on the water. But, pros like Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester know there is a good and a bad side to everything.

 

The Good – quality time with family and friends.

 

Lester, his wife Kimberly, and their daughters Shiloh & Leann have taken full advantage of the two “off days” this week. Spending precious time together and seeing what the area has to offer.

 

“We’ve been having a great time,” Lester said with a smile. “Yesterday I loaded them up in the Tundra and we drove to St. Augustine to see the Fountain of Youth and learn some history about that area. Then today we headed to Blue Springs State Park and the girls saw their first manatee up close! They had a ball.”

 

Lester stays impressively controlled whether he just landed a giant bass, is on camera for an interview, or is hanging out with fans. But he couldn’t hide his happiness when talking about the down time spent with his family the past two days. And that right there will always be far more important than any fishing tournament.

 

The Bad – the concern of losing touch with the fish and it’s mentally taxing.

 

While Lester’s girls have helped him find the good in a somewhat negative situation, the humble Tennessee native isn’t naïve enough to completely ignore the bad in having competition delayed.

 

“This is the first event of the year and we (the anglers) want to have a strong first event, for ourselves and for the fans,” Lester said. “There are a lot of emotions coming into the tournament season after a long time off and the very last thing I wanted was to not be fishing these first two days. With that being said, I definitely think B.A.S.S. made the right call.”

 

With a wind advisory being declared for the area and 40+ mph wind gusts being the norm over the past two days, there is no doubt the B.A.S.S. tournament staff made the right decision. Safety of the anglers, their marshals, and the B.A.S.S. camera crews on the water is paramount. Still,Lester would be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about how the bass are changing.

 

“Man, this time of year bass are moving every single day,” Lester said as he looked over the St. Johns River. “Down here in Florida, they want to get up shallow and spawn. Things could literally be changing by the hour. We haven’t been on the water since Tuesday, so I absolutely worry about losing touch with the fish I found in practice.”

 

The good news for everyone is the wind is finally calming. The Elite Series competitors will have to deal with a major cold-front on the heels of this weather system, but with any luck they’ll be kicking off the 2020 season with a bang at the Palatka City Dock and Ramp tomorrow afternoon.


Zaldain Working Towards a Win

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

 

When day one of Bassmaster Elite Series competition on the St Johns River was called off this morning due to high and dangerous winds, most pro anglers took advantage of the “off-day” by resting. Some went fishing on non-tournament waters, others caught up on social media content, and plenty spent the day taking it easy. Not Chris Zaldain.

 

Around lunchtime I found last year’s Angler of the Year runner-up rocking a Carhartt t-shirt and a power drill in the boat yard. Fine-tuning his Humminbird electronics with service crewmembers before heading home to meticulously work on tackle.

 

“After nine years as a professional angler, I know my way around a toolbox,” Zaldain said with a laugh. “Equipment malfunctions are a reality of being a professional angler when you travel and push your equipment as much as we do. I’ve learned the best way to diagnose problems and give myself every possible minute of fishing time is to know my boat in and out; bow to stern.”

 

After watching Zaldain tinker for a few minutes, it was obvious he wasn’t embellishing. It turns out Zaldain has taken to rigging his own Skeeter Boat the past several years in order to be as knowledgeable as possible about his equipment. From his Yamaha Outboard to his Minn Kota trolling motor and every accessory in between, Zaldain is able to troubleshoot common issues so he can maximize his fishing time.

 

Paying attention to detail in all facets of fishing is partially what has helped Zaldain become the angler he is today. The California born pro who now resides in Texas had an absolutely red hot 2019 season. With three 2nd place Elite Series finishes, along with two more top 10s bookended by narrowly missing the Toyota Angler of the Year title.

 

But don’t expect Zaldain to revel in his past accomplishments, the freshly signed Carhartt sponsored pro has his sights set looking forward.

 

“What happened in 2019 is old news,” Zaldain explained. “Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome year and I am extremely grateful for it, but it is in the history books. Now I feel like I’ve got to work twice as hard to put myself in a similar position at the end of this season. I need to come out hungrier.”

 

A harder working and hungrier Zaldain is a scary thought for his fellow Elite Series competitors. The trajectory of Zaldain’s career the past few years has been nothing short of impressive and he shows no signs of slowing down.

 

“This year the goal is some hardware,” Zaldain said. “I won’t lie, coming in 2nd four different times last year stung. This year I want to collect some trophies! An Elite Series championship or the Angler of the Year title would be incredible, but the Classic trophy outweighs them all for me. I already can’t wait for this year’s 50th Bassmaster Classic in Alabama. It’s going to be an awesome tournament.”

 

Whether or not Zaldain hoists a trophy overhead throughout the season won’t be due to a lack of effort. He works as hard as anyone both on and off the water, and maintains the right attitude while doing so. Tomorrow marks Zaldain’s first day back on the job for the 2020 season and the first step toward his yearlong goal.

 


Strong Winds Force Another Delay in Elite Series Opener

For the second day, strong winds have forced B.A.S.S. Officials to cancel a day of competition and the start of the 2020 Elite Series season. According to BASS the National Weather Service has called for a Wind advisory until 2:00pm today.

UPDATE: 8:46am - Courtesy of BASS

The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo will be open at 2 p.m. ET on Friday at Palatka Riverfront Park. Fans will be able to meet their favorite Elite Series pros for autographs, photos and to share stories.

Competition in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is expected to resume Saturday morning, when the field of 88 anglers launches at 7:15 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:30 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park. The full field will compete Saturday and Sunday.

The current plan is to complete the tournament on Monday, when anglers will fish a shortened competition day. Launch on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET and the weigh-in will be held at 2:00 p.m. ET.

 

UPDATE 9:47am

Top 20 To Fish Monday At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On St. Johns River

 

PALATKA, Fla. — After high-wind advisories forced the cancellation of the first two days of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, B.A.S.S. officials have adjusted plans and announced the Top 20 will fish a shortened competition day on Monday, Feb. 10.

 

Takeoff on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, and the weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 2 p.m.

 

The full field of 88 anglers will fish Saturday and Sunday. On those two days, anglers will launch from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park.

 

From Florida, the Elites head to Dayton, Tenn., for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Chickamauga Lake. Competition on Chickamauga will continue as scheduled Feb. 14-17.

 

 

 


AC Insider Rookie Podcast - Two Elite Rookie with a Rare Day Off

 

With a rare day off prior to their first Elite series tournament, Rookies Wes Logan and Cody Hollen chat with Professor Duran about how it feels to be an Elite Series Rookie. Check it out!


B.A.S.S. Cancels Day 1 of St. Johns Elite Event - Top 10 to Fish MONDAY! - Updated

February 6, 2020

PALATKA, Fla. — B.A.S.S. officials made a decision to cancel the first day of competition on the St. Johns River today after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind advisory making the fishery unsafe for boaters. The wind advisory is calling for winds 15-25 m.p.h. with guests over 40.

“Safety for our anglers and marshals is our primary concern,” said Trip Weldon, Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament Director. “We have been monitoring the weather closely, and had discussions with NWS last night and this morning to see if the weather situation would change.

“Beginning this morning and into the afternoon, the wind was just going to be too high to safely be on the water.”

Competition in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is expected to resume Friday morning, when the field of 88 anglers launches at 7:15 a.m. from Palatka Riverfront Park.

 

February 6, 2020

St. Johns Top 10 To Fish Monday At Bassmaster Elite Event

PALATKA, Fla. — After a high-wind advisory forced postponement of the first day of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, B.A.S.S. officials announced that the Top 10 would fish a shortened competition day on Monday, Feb. 10. Launch on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, and the weigh-in will be held at the Palatka Riverfront Park at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The full field of 88 anglers will fish Friday and Saturday. The field will be cut to the Top 40 on Sunday. On those three days, anglers will takeoff from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park.

From Florida, the Elites head to Dayton, Tenn., for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Chickamauga Lake. Competition on Chickamauga Lake will continue as scheduled Feb. 14-17.


Weights and Weather Predictions with Arey, Sumrall, and Lester

The 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season officially kicks off tomorrow morning here on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. Last year’s season opening tournament on this very same fishery proved to be a big bass bonanza, but the Elite Series anglers were singing a different tune for this weeks derby. Reports of the St. Johns being “tough” and “a grinder” were widely discussed.

While Bassmaster Elite Series pros are famous for sandbagging about their practice days, one thing they all have on their minds for this week’s tournament is weather. The forecast for Thursday through Sunday has a little bit of everything. With high winds and sunshine on Thursday, followed by rain and a substantial cold front moving in Friday.

 

It’s no secret Florida bass behavior is extremely susceptible to changes in the weather, so we asked Team Toyota pros Brandon Lester and Matt Arey along with Carhartt pro Caleb Sumrall what to expect.

Q: How will the erratic and inconsistent weather affect this four-day event?

 

Caleb Sumrall: “Weather is everything this week. These Florida fish are trying to get shallow and spawn, but the weather dictates when they’ll do it. The guy who wins this event will likely have to change what they are doing every single day. You’re going to have to play the conditions and make fast, confident decisions.”

 

Matt Arey: “Florida fish are constantly on the move this time of year. I think the changing weather will put a lot more fish in transition areas than usual, which makes staying on them tough. The weather each day will dictate where guys need to focus their efforts, and I’m guessing it’ll change day by day.”

 

Brandon Lester: “Thursdays forecast (high winds) will make boat positioning and sight fishing extremely difficult, which is usually what dominates the tournament after day 1 on this fishery. After that, we’ve got a cold front which will make the fishing all around tougher in my opinion. The weather is going to have a big affect for sure.”

 

Q: How much weight per day will it take to make the top 12 this week?

Caleb Sumrall: “I’m going to say 16-lbs. a day will be good this week.”

Matt Arey: “17-lbs. per day… realistically probably more.”

Brandon Lester: “15-lbs a day.”

 


Swindles Starting Fresh

Courtesy of Luke Stoner with Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota pro Gerald Swindle was one of the final boats to pull up to the Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp as the last light faded Tuesday night, marking the end of the Elite Series official practice for the Aftco Bassmaster Elite onthe St. Johns River. As always, his faithful wife LeAnn (aka “LuLu”) was waiting in the Tundra to help expedite the boat loading process.

 

The two time Bassmaster Angler of the Year is starting out his 2020 fishing seasons with plenty of change, and both Swindles agree they are starting this year fresh.

 

“Man I am coming at this season with a whole new perspective,” Swindle said with blatant honesty. “I’ll be straight up with you – 2019 was a tough year on me, tough year on both of us (referring to LuLu). With that being said, I think last year has allowed me to appreciate my career more.”

 

Its often said that good times are made better after experiencing some not-so-good times; and it’s true. For better or for worse it seems to take a few nasty days of rain, wind, or cold for us to truly appreciate the warm sunny days. You can dwell on or complain about those not-so-good days and let that negativity find rent in your head, or you can use the adversity as a lesson.

 

Swindle returned to the Bassmaster Elite Series this year and is entering into his 23rd year of fishing professionallywith optimism and focus. His passion for fishing and competing still burns as bright today as it did twenty-three years ago, and Swindle believes he is more driven this year than ever.

 

“I can focus better now than I could at the start of my career,” Swindle explained. “I embrace the grinder’s mentality nowadays in tournaments when that may have spun me out 20 years ago. Now I can keep my head down, fish my strengths, and stay on target for the full day. Sounds simple but that right there is important.”

 

The “G-Man” is coming into this season with a few performance-related goals as always, but different this year are a couple well-defined ambitions he and LuLu have that are bigger than “just fishing”.  Swindle may be bass fishing’s funniest man, but those who know and follow himhave seen his genuine, reflective, and serious side, too.

 

“My number one goal for the year… Be Happy,” Swindle said sincerely. “LeAnn and I talked a lot about it this off-season and had time to think about it in a deer stand. Being happy is most important for both of us.

 

“Goal number two is to build relationships and try to be a positive role model for some of the younger Elite Series guys this year. I feel like I have a responsibility to help guys coming up on the off-the-water side of fishing. No one taught me the business side of this gig when I started. No one told me where to stay or the best places to eat when we roll into a new town.  I want to lend a helping hand with those kinds of things.”

 

Swindle’s personality and on-the-water accomplishmentsput him in rarified air in the bass fishing history books, but he’s not done yet. With a renewed appreciation and focus on things like being happy, staying confident, and elevating his peers --his 23rd year of chasing bass may just be his best one yet.


Longtime Florida Pro Peter T previews this weeks Bassmaster Elite Series on the St. Johns River

Vance McCullough

 

 

Peter Thliveros is among the most successful tournament pros to ever come from North Florida. A native of the St Johns River, ‘Peter T’ has left the tournament business to his son, Nick and now spends time guiding on the big river that will host this weeks Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.

While he would be a great guide for anybody wanting to catch big Florida bass or our nearby saltwater species, today Thliveros is helping to guide my expectations for this week’s event. “I could be wrong, but my gut says 18 pounds a day will win it.

“Tough bite. The water temp is hovering around 60 degrees because the nights have still been cool. And that front that’s coming will not only cool the water, but the wind from it will eliminate a lot of the places these guys may want to fish.”

Specifically, Thliveros is thinking of a nice stand of eel grass on the east side of Lake George near the area where Cliff Pirch made the final cut last year. “A southwest wind is going to trash that area. You won’t even be able to fish it. It ain’t too calm out there today,” he says on the eve of competition. With an average depth of only 10 feet across its 72-square miles, Lake George blows up big waves in a hurry.

So, just find grass on the west side of the lake, right? “There is no vegetation,” except for the aforementioned patch. On the whole lake.

The veteran pro thinks we may see some nice stringers from the Astor area tucked away south of the big lake and hidden from harsh winds. Locals have reported seeing beautiful pads fields down there this winter amid the no-wake zones and manatee speed zones that slow travel through the area. Adding to the adventuresome run, anglers will have to negotiate any rough water that may arise on the 13-mile length of Lake George, whitecapped waves eating away at the tournament clock as they pound boat, rider and gear, the occasional blast of cold water spraying across the bow.

Famed springs along the west shore of Lake George will not be lonely places. “They’ll have all the boats they can hold. After the bedding fish get picked off it might slow down in there, but they’ll give up whatever they have to offer,” notes Thliveros. The spring-fed runs hold a constant water temperature near 70 degrees regardless of weather and water temperatures on the main lake.

Will the weather stack fish along productive main river shell bars that give up so many bass throughout the seasons? “This can be a tough time of year for that,” notes Thliveros. “You can’t count on those fish being there for four days. I remember a tournament where I caught them for two days offshore and then, after that bite died, I went to a canal and I was like ‘where did all these fish come from?’. They can leave those shell bars in hours. Every fish out there, just gone.

“But with this weather, they may not go right to the bank either. They may just be in limbo – not really deep anymore, but not yet shallow either. Hard to find. They’re going to be close to where they want to go, but maybe not on the beds yet.”

Look for spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, crankbaits – lipless or otherwise – to play a role this week. Worms always work well when things get slow in Florida.

As the expected cold front makes it way through the region, winds will blow form all directions on the compass rose. The highest, as brisk as 20 mph, will come late Thursday and throughout competition hours Friday, mainly from the southwest and west. A friendly blow from the east should greet anglers who make the cut and fish this weekend. The 40 pros who launch Saturday morning will likely do so in near-freezing temperatures. The final 10 contestants should enjoy a mild warm up of about 10 degrees on Sunday, setting up what may be the 2nd-most productive day of the tournament, tomorrow’s sight-fish-fueled opening round likely being the heaviest.

Thliveros made a couple of interesting picks with respect to guys we should watch this week.

“Cliff Prince might be able to put it together for 3 or 4 days because he knows those shell bars so well.” Prince is a local favorite which makes him a measuring stick of sorts. His experience on the river, coupled with how he does in this event, will give onlookers a good idea as to how well the St Johns itself is performing lately.

Then there’s the wildcard.

“Seth Feider. He was dropshoting in 20 feet last year. Nobody fishes that way down here. It’s not typical shell bar fishing. He targeted suspended fish, and some on bottom, in water deeper than we, locals, ever fish for them here – in 18-to-20 feet of water. Those are some of those ‘limbo’ fish that aren’t where they’re supposed to be.”

Last year the Elite Series hit the river just right and Rick Clunn took another St Johns Elite Series title with 98 pounds, 14 ounces – 34-14 of it coming on the final day. This year doesn’t promise quite such a show, but hoards of big bass live here and the fish could make massive moves, as could our anglers, any given hour of the event.

Stay tuned!


St. Johns River Readies for Toyota FLW Series Tournament

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PALATKA, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series will continue their season next week at the St. Johns River, Feb. 13-15, with the Toyota Series at the St. Johns River. Hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council, the three-day tournament will feature the best regional bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

“I think that with the way the weather is setting up, we’re going to hit this one just right,” said legendary pro angler Peter Thliveros of Saint Augustine, Florida, who has 13 top-10 finishes in FLW competition and more than $620,000 in career earnings. “It’s going to be optimum conditions for the spawn – 80-degree temperatures being forecast, a moon phase earlier that week – I think the water temperatures will really jump up and we’re going to see a mass movement of fish to the bank.

“That being said, we’re probably going to see some really impressive limits over the first few days of the event,” Thliveros continued. “The key is going to be sight fish and it’s one of those deals where it won’t be predictable. It’ll be happening as the tournament progresses and a guy that is on nothing can all of a sudden be in the right place at the right time and just stumble on to them.”

With a spawn tournament primarily on the radar, Thliveros expects anglers preferred soft-plastic of choice to be the key bait – craws, creature baits, tubes and worms. He also predicted that some fish would be caught on swimbaits and topwater baits throughout the week.

“Not all of the fish will spawn at one time, so I could see spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits playing a role as well,” he said.

“I predict that the winner will likely have between 60 to 65 pounds,” the Florida pro went on to say. “I expect a couple of guys will bust big limits – 20 to 25 pounds, maybe even 28 one day – and they’ll have a couple of solid limits to go with it. There are so many factors that go into a three-day tournament, and going into the last day the final outcome will likely not be obvious.”

Anglers will take off from Palatka Riverfront Park, located at 100 Memorial Parkway in Palatka at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at Palatka Riverfront Park beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a full field, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers will cast for the top prize of a brand new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at more than $30,000).

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

 


SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE ANNOUNCES 3 NEW STORE LOCATIONS

Brand arrives in Southern California; local residents to enjoy access to high-quality hunting, fishing and camping gear and apparel

WEST JORDAN, Utah, Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. ("Sportsman's" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, today announced plans to open new stores in Parker, Colorado, Brentwood, California and Corona, California this year. Local residents in these locations will soon be able to experience the Company's well-known, high level of customer service and quality, brand-name hunting, fishing, camping, shooting, apparel, and footwear merchandise in person at each store.

"As we continue to grow our brand and business, we are excited to expand our presence in Colorado and California. We look forward to offering our huge selection of high-quality merchandise, backed by our guaranteed, everyday low prices and local expertise to three new communities in these states," stated Jon Barker, Sportsman's CEO. "While we continue to expand in northern California with our Brentwood location, our new store in Corona will be our first store in Southern California. After the grand opening celebrations, we will have a total of 13 stores in California and 7 in Colorado."

These new stores are planned to open in 2020: Parker in February, Brentwood in August and Corona in October. Soon, local residents in these markets will be able to:

  • Access an assortment of over 60,000 region-specific items accompanied by unsurpassed levels of customer service;
  • Have fun and learn new skills with unique workshops, demonstrations and seminars for the entire family; and
  • Enjoy grand opening celebrations with giveaways, doorbuster sales and more!

"While other competitors de-emphasize or exit the space, Sportsman's continues to opportunistically open new stores and grow our business through both ecommerce and store locations. We look forward to serving these communities through providing outstanding gear and exceptional service to inspire outdoor memories," continued Barker.

The three new locations in Parker, Brentwood and Corona are Sportsman's first announced store openings in 2020 with additional openings likely to be announced in the near future. Including the three new locations, Sportsman's will have a total of 107 stores in 27 states.

For more information about Sportsman's Warehouse, visit www.sportsmans.com.


ABT Podcast Featuring Cody Huff and Bassmasters Ronnie Moore!

 

This week the boys welcome in two time Toledo Bend Champ Cody Huff to the show to talk about his College Win two weeks ago and his Toyota FLW Series Win last week on Toledo Bend! Chris sits down with Bassmaster's Ronnie Moore at Grosse Savanne and of course we have plenty of mischief left in the show!


Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Expand Pro Roster for 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series

RACINE, Wis., February 4, 2020 – As the Bassmaster Elite Series kicks off the 2020 season this Thursday with the first event on the St. John’s River, Humminbird® and Minn Kota® announce a significant expansion to the team, adding 14 new pros to their list of sponsored Elite Series anglers.

New to the pro team are Patrick Walters, Greg DiPalma, Garrett Paquette, Buddy Gross, Ray Hanselman, Lee Livesay, Luke Palmer, Mike Huff, Bob Downey, Brad Whatley, Bill Weidler, Ed Loughran, Wes Logan and Chris Groh.

The new pro team members join Chris Zaldain, Matt Herren, Gerald Swindle, Brandon Palaniuk, Keith Combs, Seth Feider, Bill Lowen, Chad Pipkens, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Carl Jocumsen, Koby Kreiger, Harvey Horne and Dale Hightower as anglers who will be tapping into the power of the One-Boat Network™ this season. Utilizing best in class technologies including Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging™, the industry-leading Minn Kota Ultrex™, Lakemaster® mapping and Talon shallow water anchors and unmatched connectivity across these products will put these competitors at the top of their game as they tackle nine diverse fisheries over the course of the season.

“This group of anglers represents some of the best of the best, including proven Angler of the Year champions and young guns alike,” said Tim Price, Humminbird and Minn Kota Field Promotions Manager. “Combining their talents with best technology in the game is a recipe for success and we can’t wait to see how the season shapes up.”

Similar to last year, these anglers will be running Humminbird electronics, a Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor and Talon shallow water anchors. Continuing its legacy of innovation, Minn Kota debuted the Built-In MEGA Side Imaging® in its Ultrex trolling motors last fall which allows anglers to run their boats confidently, while seeing the clearest, most precise images of structure and fish in real-time directly below and to either side of their boat.

The Minn Kota Ultrex changed the way anglers approach boat control by combining Spot-Lock™ – a GPS anchoring system with unparalleled accuracy – with power steering in an intuitive and responsive heel-toe foot pedal.

New for the 2020 season, anglers can spend more time fishing the most productive water and see fish more clearly with Humminbird’s MEGA 360 Imaging. MEGA 360 Imaging provides sonar clarity more than three-times traditional 455 kHz frequencies and is the only sonar option that gives a high-resolution 360-degree view around the boat and is integrated to allow full use of the trolling motor. MEGA 360 Imaging delivers a unique tool to see around the boat while fishing, which can be used simultaneously with Spot-Lock and other Minn Kota boat control features without interfering with sonar returns.

For more information visit www.humminbird.com or www.minnkotamotors.com.


COX, HOWELL JOIN T-H MARINE IN 2020 PRO STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT

Huntsville, AL – January 30, 2020 – T-H Marine Supplies, Inc, of Huntsville, Alabama, is proud to announce its 2020 pro team. Spanning the tournament trails for bass, walleye, and redfish, this team has grown to 109 professional anglers who will represent T-H Marine in tournament trails across the U.S.

“It’s great to see the success and hard work these anglers put in every year,” T-H Marine Sponsorship Marketing Manager, Shana Ramsey said. “We raise the bar for them throughout each season, but these anglers routinely prove how they can shine through both adversity and success.”

The 2020 pro staff team includes anglers from Australia, Canada, Japan, and 19 states within the U.S. Along with rising stars and seasoned favorites who have officially represented T-H Marine for years, the group now includes some notable new team members, including John Cox and Randy Howell.

Cox signed with T-H Marine ready to fish FLW in 2020, then he immediately started the season with a big win during the Pro Circuit Opener on Sam Rayburn. He is known as a driven angler with a strong tournament presence, especially given his performance in 2019, and he looks poised to reiterate that in 2020.

Howell, known for being a consistent performer and a hard worker for his sponsors, has sported the BLUE WATER® LED brand for years before he and the rugged LED light brand came to T-H Marine. With Howell fully on board, he will now run an ATLAS® Hydraulic Jack Plate and represent the entire T-H Marine brand in a number of ways, especially as he fishes the Bass Pro Tour in 2020.

During tournaments, public appearances, and media involvements, the 2020 team will use a variety of T-H Marine products on their boats, living out the company catchphrase: from TRANSOM TO TROLLING MOTOR®. These products include ATLAS® Hydraulic Jack Plates, BLUE WATER® LED Lights, HYDROWAVE® Electronic Fish Feeding Stimulators, BOATING ESSENTIALS™ Everyday Boating Products, HOT FOOT® Foot Throttles, the OXYGENATOR® Livewell Oxygen Generator, G-JUICE® Livewell Treatment Formulas, G-FORCE® Performance Fishing Gear, TACKLE TITAN™ Tackle Management Systems, KONG® Extreme Strength Electronics Mounts, Wave Away™ Screen and Lens Cleaner, and many more lines that improve the fishing and boating experience.

For the full list of T-H Marine's 2020 Pro Staff, visit thmarine.com/2020ProStaff. For tips about T-H Marine products and more, including posts with our pros, videos, and information to improve your boating and fishing experience, follow T-H Marine Supplies (@thmarineteam) on social media.