Frazier Catapults To Victory At St. Lawrence With Massive Final-Day Limit
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Johnston Clings To Day 3 St. Lawrence Lead, Zaldain Surges
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Chris Johnston Maintains Slim Day 2 Lead At St. Lawrence
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Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Sells Out, Breaks Registration Record
North and south divisions sell out with a total of 450 teams.
Decatur, Ala. (August 16, 2019) – Tournament officials announce registration is closed for the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series (ABTTS), with all 450 of the available boat entries in the north and south divisions selling out in a record 17 hours. The 2020 tournament series gets underway February 22.
Registration for the 2020 tournament series opened to the public August 15, 2019. The south division reached its limit in three hours after opening to the public and registration for the north division closed in 17 hours. In 2019, registration was full for the south division in 22 hours and in 38 days for the north division.
“Wow is about all I can say. Those who know me know that I am not a person of few words, but on Thursday, August 15, that was the only word I could say as the day progressed and registrations quickly rolled in,” said Kay Donaldson, program director for the Alabama Bass Trail. “Our team is so humbled by the confidence the anglers have shown in us. We will work extremely hard to provide them with a quality tournament experience.”
According to Donaldson, teams will be traveling from 11 states,Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri ad California to compete in the 2020 tournament series. The Alabama Bass Trail creates an estimated economic impact of $4 million dollars for the state of Alabama annually.
Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division.
Dates and locations for the 2020 tournament series are as follows:
North Division:
February 22, 2020Lake Guntersville / hosted by Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau
March 21, 2020Smith Lake / hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
April 18, 2020Neely Henry Lake / hosted by City of Gadsden
May 16, 2020Weiss Lake / hosted by City of Leesburg
June 13, 2020Wheeler Lake / hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
South Division:
February 29, 2020 Lake Jordan / hosted by the City of Wetumpka
March 28, 2020 Lay Lake / hosted by Shelby County Commission
April 25, 2020 Lake Eufaula / hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce
May 9, 2020Logan Martin Lake / hosted by Pell City Chamber of Commerce
June 20, 2020Alabama River/Cooter’s Pond / hosted by City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
Hosted by Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament will be held October 23-24, 2020, on Lake Martin at Wind Creek State park in Alexander City, Ala.
The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student boats, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. The winning team of the no-entry fee championship walks away with a $50,00 cash payout, and there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $580,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2020.
2020 Payout Schedule:
First place$10,000
Second place$ 5,000
Third place$ 4,000
Fourth place$ 3,000
Fifth place$ 2,000
Sixth place$ 1,500
Seventh place$ 1,100
Eighth place$ 1,100
Ninth place$ 1,100
Tenth place$ 1,100
11th – 20th $ 750 each
21st – 40th $ 500 each
2020 Championship Payout:
First place$50,000
Second place$10,000
Third place$ 5,000
Fourth place$ 4,000
Fifth place$ 3,000
Sixth place$ 2,500
Seventh place$ 2,200
Eighth place$ 2,000
Ninth place$ 1,800
Tenth place$ 1,500
11th-15th$ 1,200 each
16th-25th$ 1,100 each
Big Fish$500 daily
ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T-H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Lews Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; Big Bite Baits; YETI and Hydrowave. Angler’s Channel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Fox Sports Southeast and Southern Stream Live will continue the live-streaming and video production services.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Funny socks equal three 5-pounders for Rivet
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Three days before Tyler Rivet had to make one of the longest drives of his young life to a bass fishing tournament, he hurried over to Walker Toyota in Alexandria, Louisiana, and bought a brand new Tundra for the 1,600 mile, 24 hour drive to gorgeous Upstate New York.
Don’t worry though, he remembered to pack his spinning rods and his charismatic socks.
The former 5-time Carhartt College Bassmaster Series National Championship qualifier from Nicholls State in Southern Louisiana had never seen the St. Lawrence River until practice began earlier this week.
However, his colorful socks featuring “The Prez” have been to every Elite Series stop this season, and they may have been a factor in Rivet catching a 19-pound limit yesterday.
“Practice was not great. I was catching fish, but not big ones. So yesterday, on Day 1 of the derby, I just ran to a bunch of new spots and ended up catching three big ones that were all in the 5-pound range. So maybe there is something to the socks,” grins the often-ornery Rivet.
Before any of you get your political hackles in a knot ... chill out. Tyler Rivet is not making a partisan statement. The 25-year-old is simply having fun while living his lifetime dream of being a Bassmaster Elite Series pro.
“I’m not really a political person, but I do love my country,” says Rivet. “My family buys me the socks because we like to have fun. I think my dad got me this particular pair, but I own about four pairs that are similar to these ones,” says the Raceland, LA resident.
When asked if he was wearing the exact same pair on Day 2 that he wore for 19-pounds of bronzeback goodness the day before -- the answer was “Yes.”
“I swear to you I washed them last night,” he laughed.
Actually his sweet girlfriend and travel companion, Amanda washed them Thursday evening. She confirmed so, as she stood in the refreshing 58-degree air, just prior to Friday’s takeoff in Waddington.
If the wise cracking Rivet can flop another 19 or 20 pounds on the scales Friday, Amanda may be doing laundry again tonight. And the other four pair of comical feet covers may have to hang in the sock drawer a while longer as the former Carhartt Bassmaster College Series stud lives-out his dream a really long way from home this week.
Leer Cover Cash and Toyota Bonus Bucks Line Jeremy Lawyer’s Pockets
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Jeremy Lawyer’s 4thplace finish at the FLW Cup on Arkansas’ Lake Hamilton was enough to earn him an extra $1,000 from Leer “Cover Cash”and $3,500 from Toyota Bonus Bucks. The 3rdyear FLW Tour pro used a two-prong approach of fishing shallow with a topwater and probing deep brush piles with a drop shot to notch his best finish in FLW’s championship event.
A Fall Creek Lures custom painted Whopper Plopper proved fruitful for Lawyer in the morning on days one and two of competition, while a Zoom Swamp Crawler (finesse worm) rigged on a drop shot fished in and around brush piles paid dividends for the Sarcoxie, MO pro throughout the event.
Lawyer went into the final day in contention to win thanks to wild catches like hand lining in a kicker on day two,but ultimately fell short of hoisting the Cup on Sunday. He may have narrowly missed the premium goal; but Lawyer was thrilled to learn he finished high enough to win the Leer and Toyota bonuses.
“Fishing is my business and I try to make as much money as possible at each tournament,” Lawyer explained. “If I can cash an extra $4,500 for using products I need no matter what, it’s a no brainer for me. I have to drive a tow vehicle and I’ve since becoming a full time fisherman I’ve learned I absolutely need to have a cover on my truck bed. The additional money from Leer “Cover Cash” and Toyota Bonus Bucks is just icing on the cake.”
Lawyer’s fishing prowess and consistency finds him near the top of the leaderboard often, whether he is competing in an FLW Tour event or in a weekend BFL. In 2019 alone Lawyer has bankrolled an additional ~$10,000 from the popular programs offered by Leer and Toyota.
“I purchased my first Toyota Tundra and Leer cover as a direct result of the contingency programs,” Lawyer said. “But that doesn’t mean they aren’t great products! Both companies support the fishing industry and offer top-notch equipment. I’ve now owned at least three Leer caps or tonneau covers, and I’m currently driving my 4thTundra. Heck even my wife and dad drive Toyotas nowadays, they are just great vehicles.”
Lawyer’s finish at the 2019 FLW Cup is proof you don’t need to win an event to be eligible for contingency money from Toyota or Leer. You just need to be the highest finishing registered participant competing in a sponsored event for either program.
There are hundreds of events covered under each program. Whether you fish team tournaments, FLW BFLs, B.A.S.S. Nation events, or numerous others – you can earn extra money through Leer “Cover Cash” or Toyota Bonus Bucks.
If you own ANY Leer truck cap or tonneau cover head to https://leercovercash.com/. You can get yourself registered; find a full list of eligible events or more information on the program there.
Likewise for a full list of Toyota Bonus Bucks sponsored events, for more information or to get yourself registered follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. If you’d rather talk to someone on the phone as opposed to registering online, give (918) 742-6424 a ring and ask for Kendell.
Elites Expecting Different Scene For Cayuga Return
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Chris Johnston Smashes St. Lawrence Smallmouth For Day 1 Lead
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Broken collar bone put Pipkens on a path of success
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Pro angler Chad Pipkens, the man with the spikey hair and a primary sponsorship from Douglas J Salons wouldn’t recommend breaking your collarbone to launch a streak of top tournament finishes and Toyota Bonus Bucks checks. But for the always-positive Pipkens, that’s exactly the prosperous path he’s been on this season.
“Life is good. I’m making a living fishing, and I think the broken collarbone earlier this year has actually helped in a really weird way. Because when you’re basically competing with one arm, you sort of lower your expectations, and that took a lot of pressure off me. I fished a whole lot freer and ultimately better,” says Pipkens.
The broken collarbone occurred during a bad fall into the boards of a hockey rink while Pipkens was enjoying his other favorite sport. It happened after the second Elite Series event this year and just before the third event at Lake Hartwell. The bone was broken in three places, and required an orthopedic plate and seven screws.
The fact he was able to compete with one arm against the best anglers in the world was amazing enough, but to finish in the Top 10 and haul home $15,000 from B.A.S.S. and $2,000 in Toyota Bonus Bucks was very possibly one of the greatest storylines of this season.
The collarbone has healed well, aside from what Pipkens describes as a scar worthy of a good story at the beach…and he’s not slowed one bit since Hartwell in his tournament performance either. He’s now notched five Top 10s in Bassmaster Elite and Open events this year.
“I’ve learned to listen to myself. To fish free of pressure. And to fish my style – which is away from the bank – ignoring all the visible targets on the bank – reading my sonar more – and doing what I’ve got the most confidence in,” he reflects gratefully.
“I’ve been cleaning up on the Toyota Bonus Bucks checks lately. I won Bonus Bucks at Hartwell, Chickamauga, and The James River. I’m on the phone a lot with Kendell (the Bonus Bucks program director in Tulsa),” he grins.
If Pipkens isn’t on your Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing team this week at the St. Lawrence River…he should be.
The dude is from Michigan. He can flat-out catch smallmouth, and confessed he caught what is likely his personal best smallie ever in practice this week – a goby-stuffed beast he believes was 7-pounds.
So indeed Pipkens’ uncanny path to success this season looks to continue in gorgeous Upstate New York – where the morning air in August is cool enough to require a Carhartt hoodie at launch.
St. Lawrence County is also a place where the pretty girls drink wine slushies, and the local people are as sweet and kind as anywhere in America. And apparently for Chad Pipkens, it’s a world-class fishery where seven screws in your collarbone can eventually equate to a 7-pound smallmouth on the end of your line.
Yelas and Arey talk ice cream, gobies, and football at St. Lawrence Elite Series
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Jay Yelas won the 2002 Bassmaster Classic and Matt Arey has won $1 Million in his relatively short pro angling career. They are two of the Elite Series’ true class acts both on and off the water. And this week they find themselves among the amazingly genuine and giving people of rural Upstate New York, competing on what is arguably the greatest smallmouth fishery in the world. They graciously took a few minutes to preview the Berkley Bassmaster Elite Series on the St. Lawrence River that kicks off Thursday.
Q: Smallmouth love eating gobies as much as you love eating ___________ ?
Yelas: Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream
Arey: A medium rare ribeye steak
Q: How many of the 75 pros will catch a limit that weighs 25 pounds or more on Day 1?
Yelas: I’ll say 3.
Arey: I’ll guess 2.
Q: What are your two favorite things about the St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence County?
Yelas: World-class smallmouth fishing and fantastic summer weather.
Arey: People that have never been here have totally the wrong perception. This is not New York City. Instead, this is some of the prettiest, ‘countrified’ ground in America. And the people that live here are some of the most giving and genuine people you’ll ever meet in your life.
Q: There were no Bassmaster Elite events in the month of July. What’s your favorite memory from your time off last month?
Yelas: Oh, no doubt, it was hosting a C.A.S.T. for Kids event for 40 special needs children in my hometown of Newport, Oregon. We took them crabbing and fishing. My buddies helped a ton. It was just awesome.
Arey: Seeing my sweet wife, Emily and our two young daughters, Reese and Wren, enjoy everything there is to love about the beaches and dunes of Pawleys Island, SC.
Q: The official start of football season is only a couple weeks away, who will you be cheering for?
Yelas: The Oregon State Beavers, of course – I played baseball there for a little while.
Arey: My alma mater – the North Carolina Wolfpack and the Carolina Panthers.
Q: Other than a drop shot, name two lures fans can expect pros to throw a bunch this week?
Yelas: A spy bait and a tube.
Arey: A Ned Rig and a tube.
Join Sportsman’s Warehouse at Murfreesboro Grand Opening Celebration
Free giveaways, demonstrations and more start 8/22/19 at www.sportsmans.com
MIDVALE, Utah, August 15, 2019 – Join Sportsman’s Warehouse (NASDAQ:SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, for a grand opening celebration of their new store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, August 22-24, 2019. Enjoy giveaways, vendor demonstrations and fun for the entire family.
“Now, our Tennessee customers can visit our current store in Chattanooga and our new store in Murfreesboro with over 30,000 square feet of quality brand-name hunting, shooting sports, fishing, camping, apparel, and footwear merchandise,” states Jon Barker, Sportsman’s Warehouse CEO. “We invite everyone to come out and have a great time at our grand opening celebration.”
The new Sportsman’s Warehouse store is located at The Oaks Shopping Center at 468 N. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37129.
Known for its American Civil War history, the Stones River National Battlefield, Oaklands Mansion, and Connonsburby Village, Murfreesboro is just 34 miles from Nashville. Throughout the year, locals enjoy archery, camping, hiking, shooting, off-road riding, fishing, and more, right in their own backyard.
The grand opening celebration starts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store Thursday, August 22, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. at 468 N. Thompson Lane. Attendees can:
This new location will be the 95th Sportsman’s Warehouse store in 25 states.
In addition to all of the exciting activities at the grand opening celebration, store visitors can participate in ongoingseminars and special events and choose from an assortment of over 60,000 items with region-specific products for local, outdoor activities.
“We hope to be a valuable part of the community by hiring passionate employees in the local region and offering unique workshops, events and more,” states Barker. “Customers will enjoy our high-level of service and our guaranteed best prices.”
For more information, visit www.sportsmans.com.
FLW Cup Rewind
The boys are back from the FLW Cup in Hot Springs with good and bad news..... They welcome in 2nd place finisher Kyle Walters and 3rd place Finisher Dakota Ebare to give us the 411 on their week on Hamilton. All of this and more!
Lineberger looking to erase a bad taste
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
North Carolina pro Shane Lineberger had a really bad taste in his mouth the last time he competed in a Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence in 2017.
Literally.
Lineberger vividly remembers buying a Gatorade and a pack of Pop Tarts on the way to the water, launching his boat to begin the first day of practice, feeling terribly sick at his stomach soon after, and returning to the Super 8 in Massena, never to make another cast in practice, and instead kneeling with his face in the toilet for the next three days.
“I called my wife and told her the tournament was probably going to be a disaster. I had never seen this place, and got zero practice thanks to possibly the worst stomach bug of my life,” remembers the longtime Toyota Bonus Bucks participant.
Lineberger’s predictions to his wife Hope were on point. He finished next to dead last and unfortunately lost so many points in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings that it cost him a Bassmaster Classic qualification. But worst of all...an invitation back to the 2018 Elite Series.
Perseverance has paid off for the former factory worker who made bearings for 18 years. Lineberger not only returned to the Elite Series, but now sits within easy range of qualifying for the 2020 Bassmaster Classic.
Three official days of practice this week have treated him reasonably well, not that it would take much to upgrade from his three days next to the flusher at the Super 8 two years ago, but really, he feels good and he’s getting dialed-in.
Of course he’ll lean on the standard offering of bottom bouncing lures like nearly every angler in the field, but he’ll also toss-in some shallow running power lures like the 3-bladed compact spinnerbait he spent two years designing for True South Custom Lures, and also a 5” Skinny Dipper swimbait.
“Both of these lures offer a totally different look than what most everybody will be throwing. If it’s cloudy, I’ll burn the little three bladed spinnerbait in the riffles just under the surface, but if it’s sunny, the Skinny Dipper is a great choice for burning just a little deeper in those same riffles,” says Lineberger.
The riffles he’s referring to are much like a trout angler would target in streams far smaller than the massively large St. Lawrence, but the concept is the same. Natural islands splice swift current, and in turn, riffles are formed to carry bait past ambush points where fat smallmouth lay waiting to pounce.
For Lineberger, this week offers a chance to pounce too. It’s a chance to get back all that was lost to a highly unfortunate, career altering stomach bug two years ago.
So be warned, oh smallmouth of the St. Lawrence, the big fella from Lincolnton, NC is coming for you. He’s looking to get back the Classic qualifying points that washed away in your swift currents back in 2017, and he’s got a whole host of people cheering for him.
Prince hopes his Florida red snapper success equates to St. Lawrence Smallmouth
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Florida pro Cliff Prince is the kind of guy you’d love to have as your neighbor or fishing buddy.
Always kind-spirited, helpful, and quick with a laugh, he’s qualified for two Bassmaster Classics and cashed his share of Toyota Bonus Bucks and Leer Cover Cash checks. But, trips to the St. Lawrence have left him a pound shy and a dollar short too many times in recent Elite Series events.
However, if you’d have been fortunate enough to be invited saltwater fishing last month with the highly likeable St. Johns River pro from Palatka, you’d still be wearing a grin as wide as his Tundra, and your belly would be real full too.
“We absolutely train wrecked the red snapper last month out of Cedar Key in the Gulf, as well as near St. Augustine in the Atlantic closer to my home,” said Prince on the final official day of practice for the Elite Series at the St. Lawrence River.
Stringent fisheries laws limit anglers to one legal red snapper per day on from the Atlantic and two from the Gulf, but Prince is never alone, and instead always with people he loves on the ocean, including his bride, Kelley and their kids, as well as hometown buddies, and even other Elite Series pros who show-up as guests.
Prince just hopes all the salty fun with red snapper last month equates to similar vertical fishing success on the St. Lawrence this time around.
Certainly, the presentation is comparable. Bait the hook and drop it straight down. Only in the ocean, Prince uses cut up shad for bait, where as for St. Lawrence smallies it’ll likely be a finesse-sized soft plastic. Plus the magical depth range for red snapper is from 80 to 150 feet, compared to 20 or 30 feet on the St. Lawrence.
“So far, I haven’t found the smallmouth to be as grouped-up as they were last year,” says Prince.
Winds are calmer on the final day of practice. So hopefully that will help him get dialed-in a bit better than the first two days of practice that were hampered by sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph.
If so, may the catching be as good this week for the former rodeo cowboy and current porta-potty rental business owner as it was last month when he was “train-wrecking” red snapper.
Pickwick Lake to host Toyota Bonus Bucks tournament in October
Florence, AL. (Aug. 13, 2019)– Toyota owners who are passionate bass anglers can look forward to enjoying first class fellowship and fishing on famed Pickwick Lake, in Florence, AL, during the 8thAnnual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event the weekend of October 26-27, 2019.
The fun weekend will kick-off Saturday afternoon with a registration meeting and free dinner where Team Toyota pro anglers will be on hand to greet guests, and talk fishing. B.A.S.S. tournament staff will conduct the tournament, and be onsite Saturday afternoon as well for angler registration.
Launch and weigh-in will take place the next day at McFarland Park. The top 30 teams in the tournament are guaranteed a paycheck, and a free gift bag will be given to the first 200 anglers to sign up for the tournament.
Participating teams are required to pre-register by October 18, 2019.
All eligible registered Toyota Bonus Bucks participants are invited to participate and register a team for the Toyota Owners Tournament, and only one of the team members must be registered in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program to be eligible to compete. Bassmaster Elite Series, MLF, and FLW Tour pros are not eligible.
Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible for this fellowship-filled, prize-rich event. Limited space is available. To register, visit toyotafishing.com. You can also call the Toyota Bonus Bucks Headquarters at (918) 742-6424, or email: bonusbucks@dynamicsponsorships.com.
Windblown Lester previews St. Lawrence Elite
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester is a good husband and daddy with a typically grateful outlook.
But the bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies I gave him from my mom’s kitchen seemed to be his biggest reason to smile after two long days of practice on the St. Lawrence Riverthat have darn near knocked the wind out of his sails – or better said, slammed into his sails at about 20 non-stop miles per hour.
“Man, I don’t mean to seem down-and-out, but this southwest wind has been relentless for two days, and it makes it super tough to present a drop shot to give you a feel for what’s truly going on,” says Lester, who nearly won this event a year ago, before finishing third.
If you doubt Lester’s wind gauge, then check your wristwatch. He was pulling out of the water at 5:30 p.m. on Monday evening, when normally he’d fish until 7:00 p.m., and his trolling motor batteries were nearly dead.
Still, with just one official day of practice remaining, the Tennessee native remains optimistic he can figure things out enough to keep his streak of success on the St. Lawrence very much alive.
“This is a huge river, and the fact that the water levels are higher than normal doesn’t spin me out at all. But you can’t get caught-up trying to fish too many miles of it. Instead, you gotta work to find that magical two mile stretch where you’ve got a chance to win,” he says.
If Brandon Lester challenges for the victory this week that very narrowly eluded him last year, you can almost bet he’ll be drop shotting an X Zone Lures Slim Slammer on a Mustad #4 Wacky Neko hook.
In the meantime, he’s just hoping the ornery southwest winds will die long enough to let him get a better feel for this place during Tuesday’s final official practice day while enjoying a bite of a homemade chocolate chip cookie.
THRIFT GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S 2019 FLW CUP
Thrift Clinch’s First FLW Cup Victory, Moves to No. 2 on All-Time FLW Leading Money Winner List
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 11, 2019) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the stage weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces, Sunday to claim the title of FLW Cup Champion at the FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton. Thrift, with a three-day total of 15 bass for 38 pounds, 7 ounces, won by a 5-pound, 1-ounce margin over pro Kyle Walters of Grant Valkaria, Florida, who caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 33-6, good for $60,000. Sunday's final weigh-in marked the finale of the 2019 FLW Cup, which featured 52 of the best professional bass anglers from across North America. Thrift led the tournament on all three days of competition and took home the top prize of $300,000.
“I feel like this tournament was an event that everybody thought I would eventually win one day, except for myself,” said Thrift, who pushed his career earnings to more than $3 million dollars and is now the No. 2 all-time leading money winner in FLW history. “I felt like I would eventually get a chance, and I felt like this tournament was the first Cup that I truly had a chance to win. I still can’t believe that I won it, this is an amazing feeling.”
Thrift said that his tournament was a “mixed bag” each day. Of the 15 bass that he weighed in, he caught them on eight different baits, including a buzzbait, a topwater walking bait, a Texas rig, a drop-shot rig, five different crankbaits, a frog, a Damiki Underspin and a Damiki Armor Shad Paddle Tail swimbait.
“Fishing in August, you have to fish everything,” Thrift said. “Every morning I’d start fishing shallow – the bank and shade lines – then I’d fish a few boat docks, and then I’d move out and fish some brush. I even caught some fish that weren’t around anything, just around bait and suspended. I caught them on seven or eight different patterns, and you have to have that in August because two or three of them will let you down.”
The only time that Thrift really stuck a lot of fish in a hurry was Sunday when he pulled up to his first spot and fish were busting the surface over a 200-yard span.
“Today started out actually pretty good,” he said. “I ran to a place that I knew [Bryan] Schmitt was catching them schooling, and I knew he didn’t make the cut. So I went in there, and sure enough they were schooling like crazy. I caught a limit fairly quickly at probably about 8 or 8:30. It didn’t weigh much; maybe 7 or 7 1/2 pounds. And I’m thinking, ‘Shoot, I’ve got all day to upgrade. This is good. We’re good to go.’
“So that helped slow me down and give me confidence. But at about 12:30 I hadn’t had another bite. I had one area that I’d caught most of my weight in in the last hour and a half each day in Hot Springs Creek. So I ran in there at 12:30. I said, ‘If I’m gonna win it, I’m gonna win it back here.’ I didn’t crank the boat until 3:30 and ended up culling three.”
The spot was a small dead-end pocket with deep water running all the way to the back. The bass were pushing bait up not quite to the bank, but close.
“It’s just a shallow flat,” he said of that final spot. “It’s got a lot of shad back there. There were three little brush piles. They weren’t big. They were maybe the size of the hood of a truck; just three small, little brush piles. I’d just rotate between them. One of them, they were kind of schooling around a little bit, and I caught a couple around it while they were up schooling.”
The top 10 pros at the 2019 FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton finished:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 38-7, $300,000
2nd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., 15 bass, 33-6, $60,000
3rd: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 14 bass, 32-2, $50,000
4th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 31-6, $37,500
5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 31-2, $30,000
6th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 30-6, $24,000
7th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 28-2, $23,000
8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 26-12, $22,000
9th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 14 bass, 26-3, $21,000
10th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 22-6, $20,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 43 bass weighing 66 pounds, 3 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Eight of the final 10 anglers weighed in five-bass limits.
The 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, was hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs. Total attendance for the three-day event was 67,453 fishing fans. The Bank OZK Arena was at 100-percent capacity, Sunday, with additional fans watching the Trace Adkins concert and final weigh-ins on the big screens at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Bryan Thrift Wins the 2019 FLW Cup!!!!!!
Vance McCullough
“Electronics played a huge role this week,” said Bryan Thrift. Make that ‘Your 2019 FLW Cup Champion Bryan Thrift’.
Thrift dominated the standings each day and won by 5 pounds, 1 ounce. His total weight was 38-7. He caught 10-13 on during the final roundwhen nobody else posted a double-digit limit. Thrift’s nearest competitor was Kyle Walters.
“My Huminbird 360 is worth its weight in gold,” declared the new champ.
Given the price of gold, the weight of the 360 unit and Thrift’s $300,000 payday, the 360 actually returned much more value than its own weight in the precious metal.
“I fish offshore the same way I fish the bank,” said Thrift, minutes before taking the stage for the final weigh in. “That 360 makes it easy. It makes offshore fishing like fishing the bank. I can see every little thing down there. I can see how the points run out. I can see where the brush is. I’ve forgotten how to fish without it.”
In a tournament where the lake’s innumerable brush piles produced the top weights throughout the week, modern graphs allowed anglers to see what’s below without having to idle over it as they would have the last time the Cup was held on Lake Hamilton back in 2005.
Kyle Walters emphasized the importance of this stealthy approach. “I would not have caught a fish without my Garmin. I found more piles during the tournament with that. I’d be going to the next spot, scan out 100 feet and go ‘oh, there’s another one’. That Live Scope was unbelievable. You had to have that, or you’d have to idle over them, throw out a buoy and mess up the pile.”
Dakota Ebare placed 3rd with 32-2. He and Scott Martin (5th with 31-2) split up the fish that the Ouachita River had to offer on the final day. They had a lot more company the first 2 days.
Sandwiched between Ebare and Martin was Jeremy Lawyer who placed 4th with 31-6.
The lake’s lower end offered enough targets, and fish, to go around. And Thrift went around. And around. He covered water quickly with a ton of casts and almost as many different lures. “I think I caught ‘em on, like, 15 different baits. I caught some on a buzzbait, some on a walking bait, some on a Damiki Underspin with a Damiki 4-inch Armor Shad, a drop shot, a Damiki squarebill, some on some deep-diving crankbaits. I caught some on big worms, Texas-rigged. Caught some on a frog.”
Thrift said his signature series Fitzgerald Rods were critical to his success. “I never lost a fish all week. I wouldn’t do a line of rods with anybody other than Fitzgerald because they are the best.”
He left the dock with a pound-and-a-half lead but a key decision to leave his best brush piles early this morning set Thrift apart from all other competitors. He found fish schooling on top along a riprap causeway. He caught a limit and began to cull with the topwater walking bait. More than a few carloads of people pulled to the side of the highway to watch the show.
Walters pushed hard. His lure selection was narrower than Thrift’s. “I was throwing a 10-inch worm on brush piles, and using a deep-diving Spro Little John DD. Every once in a while, I mixed-in a drop shot but today was the only day I weighed one on a drop shot. They were so hard to catch today that I had to use the drop shot. I gave everything; left nothing out there,” said Walters with the smile of a man satisfied with his effort.
Briarwood Christian Goes Wire-To-Wire To Win Back-To-Back High School Championships
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ROME’S HENDERSON WINS $15K AT INAUGURAL DEE ZEE FLW/KBF CUP PRESENTED BY YAKATTACK ON LAKE OUACHITA
Georgia Angler Bests Field of 72 Kayakers in First FLW/KBF Cup
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 10, 2019) – Kayak angler Clint Henderson of Rome, Georgia, caught, photographed and released a two-day total of 157¾ inches from Lake Ouachita to best the 72-angler field and win the inaugural Dee Zee FLW/KBF Kayak Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by YakAttack Saturday. For his win, Henderson earned the top prize of $15,000.
Henderson almost didn’t fish the event – he said he’s “in the negative on PTO balance” at work – and Navionics study on his phone was about as much early scouting as he could do.
“We found the spot on the map that had the stuff we like to fish back home, contour- and cover-wise,” said Henderson. “We got on the water there, and I got to looking at my map. I saw this spot that, when I first pulled up on it, that MEGA Imaging just lit up. I was telling myself there was no way that was all bass.”
He was wrong. Henderson had found a massive school of bass that hung around the same area all week. After catching some in practice, he decided to leave the school undisturbed.
“I caught three good fish in practice easy, quick. I was like, ‘We need to go. We need to get out of here. It’s special here.’”
What Henderson had found was a section of the lake with a main-channel ledge in 12 to 18 feet of water. For whatever reason, that particular ledge was a favorite summering spot for some big Ouachita largemouths.
“I caught them all dragging a junebug creature bait,” Henderson went on to say. “I had some fish on other lures on day one, but today was different. I was just dragging that thing, dragging it slow. You could feel that thing coming through the school of fish, popping the line.”
The top 10 kayak anglers on Lake Hamilton finished:
1st: Clint Henderson, Rome, Ga., 157.75 inches
2nd: Dwain Batey, Siloam Springs, Ark., 155 inches
3rd: Garrett Morgan, Conway, Ark.., 154 inches
4th: A.J. McWhorter, Lexington, Ky., 152.5 inches
5th: Eric Jackson, Walling, Tenn., 151.5 inches
6th: Dustin Murguia, Forest Park, Ill., 148.25 inches
7th: Henry Veggian, Durham, N.C., 147.25 inches
8th: Drew Gregory, Wingate, N.C., 146.75 inches
9th: Matt Ball, Little Hocking, Ohio, 139.5 inches
10th: Josh Stewart, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 137.25 inches
Complete results can be found at KayakBassFishing.com.
KBF was formed in 2009 to offer kayak anglers the opportunity to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes at premier fisheries around the country. Currently in its seventh season for live events, KBF offers more than 25 professional-level bass-fishing tournaments to kayak anglers. For complete KBF details, schedules and updated information, visit KayakBassFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
THRIFT EXTENDS LEAD AT DAY TWO OF PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FLW CUP
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 10, 2019) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, crossed the stage with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces, for a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27-10, to lead Day Two of the FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton. Thrift now holds a 1-pound, 8-ounce lead over pro Kyle Walters of Grant Valkaria, Florida, who weighed five bass weighing 12-5 – for a two-day total of 10 bass for 26-2 – in the championship tournament featuring 52 of the world's best professional bass anglers competing for a top prize of $300,000.
“Today was a long, trying day, but that’s the way I like it,” said Thrift, who has now made the top-10 cut in 10 of his 13 career FLW Cup appearances. “We like when it’s tough fishing at the Cup. I only had two fish at 12:30. I ended up getting six keeper bites, though – two good ones and three decent ones – but I have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow.
“I ran a lot of the same stuff and a lot of new stuff today, and I caught my fish on most of the same baits as I did yesterday. But I didn’t catch any topwater fish today,” Thrift continued. “All of my fish came on a big worm and stuff like that in brush. I tried, but I just couldn’t get the topwater bite going. I’m going to try that again in the morning and see if I can get lucky. In my mind, that’s what I have to have to win.”
Thrift’s accomplishments and accolades in the sport of professional bass-fishing has long put him in discussion amongst fans and his peers as being one of, if not the, best of all-time. He has six career FLW Tour wins, 42 top-10 finishes and more than $2.7 million dollars in career earnings. One trophy that has eluded him thus far in his career, though, is the FLW Cup. Thrift is optimistic that he can slam the door Sunday.
“If I can catch a couple early, that would really calm me down and settle me in and give me the confidence to slow down and fish each place thoroughly,” Thrift went on to say. “I’m not going to die on any one pattern. I’m going to run around and fish and try to make the best of it, and hopefully I can stumble into a few.”
The top 10 pros that advanced to the final day of competition on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 27-10
2nd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 26-2
3rd: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 24-7
4th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 24-6
5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 22-10
6th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 22-9
7th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 22-6
8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 21-14
9th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 21-1
10th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 21-0
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 240 bass weighing 427 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 51 pros Saturday. The catch included 42 five-bass limits.
The final 10 anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena, located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. The opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.
On Sunday the first 250 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.
FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.
Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.
The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Ebare Enjoys the Power of Prayer
Vance McCullough
Skeptics need visual proof. Believers rely on faith as evidence of the unseen. Dakota Ebare used both elements to mount a charge on Day 2 of the 2019 FLW Cup as he flirted with the 15-pound mark and ran his total weight to 24-7.
Fishing upriver, Ebare is seeing many of his fish. Low light conditions didn’t hinder him. “I used my Costas in the Sunrise Silver lens color and was able to see well.” The Louisiana pro relied on Costa’s low light specialty color lenses to pluck two bass from spawning beds. In August. In Arkansas. Under clouds and rain.
As water is drained from Lake Ouachita it flows into the upper end of Lake Hamilton where it cools the surface temps to the high 50’s. A little further downstream the water is the perfect temperature for spawning to take place.
Ebare is not the only pro to have noticed the phenomenon. Brad Knight told us yesterday that he caught a pair of spawning bass up the river as well.
Polarized shades helped Ebare preserve his fish in practice. “I could go down through those stretches in practice and not have to bother any of those fish. I didn’t have to fish for them. I could just drift down the bank. And see them.” Fish management has been among the biggest concerns even long before competition began yesterday. Tour pros normally practice for 3 days and compete for 4. This week they covered every corner of 7,500-acre Lake Hamilton under 95-degree heat for 4 days in preparation for the 3-day tournament.
The upper river has hosted a few of the sport’s top pros this week. Treading lightly during practice is paying dividends for Ebare and Scott Martin who is sharing space on the water and on the leaderboard with the young pro. Both anglers are in the Top 5.
Ebare also caught some fish, including a 4-lb kicker by blind casting. His marshal relied on blind faith to invoke some Divine intervention. “I’m serious,” smiled Ebare. “He prayed ‘Lord, please just let him catch a 4-pounder’. And right after that, I made a long cast and caught that 4-pound fish!”
Ebare (3 pounds, 3 ounces off the lead) admits he has a tall task cut out for him if he plans to take the Cup on the final day. But it’s an opportunity he looks forward to. “It would be a proud accomplishment. Bryan Thrift – he’s a bad man - one of the best guys on the planet right now. I like the challenge.”
“It’s just about getting the right bites. Those fish are still there. There’s plenty of them there.”
Martin is fishing differently than Ebare which helps both anglers as they split up what might have been the winning pile of fish; may very well still be.
Thrift is running, and ‘running’ is the right word, a different program on the lower-to-mid-lake area, mostly hitting brush with a handful of techniques. He has a pound-and-half lead over Kyle Walters who landed a double on a crankbait today and each fish was a difference-maker.
“The trick was I kept grinding and had an epic moment. I was able to catch 2 on a crankbait,” said Walters. “Went 20 yards from there and caught 2 on a worm. If something magical like that happens tomorrow . . .”
Walters is committed to the plan that has gotten him this far. “I’m not going in (shallow). I’m going to lose it staying out. Dance with who brung ya.”
THRIFT LEADS DAY ONE OF PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FLW CUP
Bossier City’s LeBrun Just 3 Ounces Behind in Second Place
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 9, 2019) – Fifty-two of the best bass anglers in the world began their three-day competition for a top cash award of $300,000 at the 24th annual FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Friday.
FLW Tour stalwart Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces to take the early lead after Day One of the three day event. Thrift now holds a slim 3-ounce lead over pro Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, who caught five bass weighing 15 pounds even, good for second place.
“One of the cool things about having the Cup in August every year is that you never know what’s going to happen, and you can usually throw practice out the window. That’s what I did today and I caught fish off of stuff that I had never even fished in practice,” said Thrift, who has never won an FLW Cup but has 9 top-10 finishes in FLW Cup competition – most in Tour history. “I think I ended up catching 20 to 25 fish, steady all day – one bite here, one bite there – on around 10 different baits.”
Thrift declined to mention any bait specifics at this point of the event, but did mention throwing a buzzbait – as did the majority of competitors. Of the five bass that Thrift brought to the stage, he said that three came shallow and two came from brush piles offshore.
“I’m flying by the seat of my pants, doing a little of everything,” Thrift said. “I’ve got 20 different Fitzgerald rods rigged up on my deck and I’m throwing at everything that I see.”
Although an early lead is certainly favorable, Thrift acknowledged the fact that he still has work left to do in order to make the final-day top-10 cut.
“I’m not going to count my chickens before they’re hatched, and I expect the fishing to get tougher tomorrow,” Thrift went on to say. “I’m hoping to go out tomorrow and catch 10 pounds. That was my goal for today – a 10-pound bag – and I’d be happy with that tomorrow.”
The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-3
2nd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 15-0
3rd: Kyle Walters, Grant Valkaria, Fla., five bass, 13-13
4th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, five bass, 13-11
5th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., five bass, 13-5
6th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., five bass, 12-15
7th: Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., five bass, 12-13
8th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 12-4
9th: Bass Pro Shops’ pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 12-1
10th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., five bass, 11-14
11th: Erik Luzak, Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 11-12
12th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 11-9
13th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 11-7
13th: Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 11-7
15th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, five bass, 11-3
16th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, five bass, 11-0
17th: Yamamoto Baits pro Larry Nixon, Quitman, Arkansas, five bass, 10-9
18th: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., five bass, 10-4
18th: Costa pro Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 10-4
20th: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., five bass, 9-8
20th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 9-8
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 246 bass weighing 473 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 52 pros Friday. The catch included 45 five-bass limits.
Anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. The opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.
On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 children each day 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.
FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.
Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, Aug. 11, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.
The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
On the Water - FLW Cup Day 1
Exciting on-water action as Day 1 gets underway here at the 2019 FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, AR.
Several pros scored early limits but the guys we talked with right off this morning were mostly struggling. “Tough” was the word Larry Nixon used to describe the bite.
Nixon was drop-shoting an offshore brush pile. He caught a bass that warranted a measurement, but it was too small and was quickly returned to the lake.
We watched 2019 FLW Tour Angler of the Year David Dudley drop on some offshore brush as well. No catches that we could see.
Preston Craig, who qualified for the Cup as the 2019 TBF Boater Champion, caught a bass so small he tried to hide it from our TV camera until he could get it back in the water. But we saw it Preston!
As Chris Brown piloted the AnglersChannel Ranger upstream, we found John Cox in a shallow pocket. At that point he had a slow morning, though he caught a small limit later.
We eased into an eerie dense fog that covered the river from bank to bank. Scott Martin materialized like a ghost. He had gotten off to a descent start in water that was 25 degrees colder than that on Lake Hamilton’s lower end.
The air felt as if we had driven inside an industrial refrigerated storage area. The 58-degree water is being released from Lake Ouachita upstream and as it comes out of the bottom of the lake, it is cold. It’s also clear as drinking water.
The riverine section of Hamilton has lots of submerged grass, such as hydrilla and milfoil. The greenery combined with the cold clear water makes for an attractive fishing environment. It’ll be fun to see what the Tour pros can do in there this week.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the dam, the Kayak Cup pros are paddling, pedaling, and even using electric motors to mine Lake Ouachita for the 5 longest bass they can find in inches-to-win-it contest that doesn’t take weight into consideration. Each bass is photographed and immediately released. Only the best 5 count toward an angler’s total, similar to conventional tournament fishing with its 5-fish limit.
According to earlier reports, an 81-inch aggregate was leading the Kayak Cup. That’s a stout performance on what has been a stingy lake this week. We’ll check-in with the ‘yakers and the bass boating Tour pros at the weigh in show this evening.
Y’all keep an eye on anglersChannel.com this weekend!
P.S. – you’ll want to see footage of Ryan Saltzman getting his butt handed to him by a giant inflatable turtle while trying fish a pocket on Lake Hamilton this morning. Watch for that.
Morris And Tucker In Familiar Spot, Leading Bassmaster High School National Championship
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FLW Announces 2020 FLW Tour Schedule
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Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup Practice Report
Vance McCullough
Bites have been tough to come by during practice here at the first ever FLW/KBF Cup – a joint venture between the FLW organization and Kayak Bass Fishing. The playing field is Lake Ouachita, the largest lake in the state of Arkansas which fishes bigger than its 40,000 acres as its jagged shoreline is riddled with countless creeks, coves and indentations. Tributary arms sprawl off in all directions.
Lake Ouachita is one of the Creator’s greatest jigsaw puzzles. And in August, just finding the pieces can be tough for anglers in search of shy fish.
Let’s ramp up the degree of difficulty by taking on this lake in a kayak. A number of our nation’s best anglers have accepted that challenge. I was fortunate to spend a practice day on the lake with one of them.
Will Mansfield has earned a reputation around Florida as well as the kayak corner of the worldwide web as quite a stick. But here in Arkansas the US Army veteran who is comfortable jumping out of perfectly good airplanes was a bit uncertain as to how to go about finding a few good fish. “If somebody can just catch a limit each day, they’re gonna do well. I believe that.”
In three days of practice Mansfield had found one spot where he could catch a couple of fish. Finding bass, in general, isn’t so hard. Finding bass that will play is another thing entirely. Mansfield and another competitor circled a big area trying to hook elusive schoolers that blew up and disappeared just as quickly. He got a couple of soft bites and no solid hook ups, despite numerous followers that just studied his many and varied offerings. At the end of the day Mansfield’s boat was littered with lures of all description. Conversations with a couple of other competitors who paddled through the area revealed that none of them had figured out much.
“If I had twice as many fish as I’ve caught today, I’d still have no fish,” quipped Mansfield. Indeed, zero times two is still zero.
Somebody will walk away with the big check though.
As kayak tournament fishing is in its nascent stages, most competitors don’t have a backlog of experience on waters outside of their own region. A few dedicated pros do, but local knowledge is going to play a huge role in this event.
Cody Milton is from Arkansas. He is also the 2018 KBF Angler of the Year. As such, he’s a favorite to win the inaugural Kayak Cup.
Advancements in electronics have done much to level the playing field for visiting anglers. Kayak pros have taken advantage of that advantage, along with those afforded by lighter batteries that power electronics and, increasingly, motors as ‘yakers are powering up to compete in a sport that is advancing at warp speed.
‘Exhibit A’ would be a 27-amp lithium battery that Mansfield handed to me. The Energized Outdoors battery was shockingly light. “It’s good for thousands of cycles,” said Mansfield, “and I charged it three days ago so I’m going on my 4thday with it one a single cycle and there has been no drop off yet. Full power. And look how easily it fits,” demonstrated Mansfield, pulling a box from a compartment in his Hobie and then sliding the battery into the hull. It fits most budgets as well. Even bass boaters with 4 batteries can jump into the lithium game. “That would save somewhere between 150-to-200 pounds in a boat,” noted Mansfield.
Properly equipped with electronic intel, anglers such as Mansfield can look, heartbroken, at the bass suspended on their screen. The fish were just hanging out until they wanted to make brief feeding sprees that happened sporadically throughout the day.
With warm, overcast, breezy conditions called for, the schooling bite could become more consistent. But at this point it looks like fool’s gold in the Ozark hills.
Past FLW Cups have been won on Ouachita by Brad Knight who worked a grassy pocket for the win, and Clent Davis who took the title last year by swimming a worm through offshore brush piles. Back in 2007 Scott Suggs won the title on Ouachita by targeting deep cedar trees and brush piles on structure with jerkbaits, swimbaits and worms.
Finding such spots from a kayak is hard to do on the big lake. Even the most advanced motors in use today will only push the light craft about 6 mph. Again, local knowledge about where to go could save an angler a lot of time. Lost time is hard to make up at 6 mph.
Floating sprigs of grass reveal that there is some vegetation in the reservoir. “Ah man, if I could find a big bed of this,” said Mansfield, holding up a 5-foot strand, “I would be in great shape!” The grass was mostly just a stalk with a tuft of greenery at the very top, but a patch of it could hold the winning fish. Given its appearance, it could have grown in deep water, though water levels have changed dramatically the past few days.
“They have been working on this ramp. You can see the new patch of asphalt they poured. They stopped right there, where the water level was yesterday. Today, look how far down the water has gone,” said Mansfield, taking a couple of strides to the water’s new edge a few feet away.
A microcosm of society at large, kayak bassin’ is not without its conspiracy theories. There is some speculation that local authorities are pumping extra water downstream into Lake Hamilton so they can run more current and help the fishing for the FLW Cup contestants who cast a brighter light on the state of fishing in the state of Arkansas.
Then again, given the 95-degree temperatures in the region, electric companies, such as the one that owns Lake Hamilton, will need to run the turbines anyway to power up all those air conditioners in Hot Springs.
While reduced water levels have left attractive cover high and dry, the current flow could make for some hot fishing action. If anglers can figure out where to cash in.
Bassmaster Elite Series Event At St. Lawrence River Should Be Another Smallmouth Slugfest
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Hartley’s Hawgs Anglers Win Bassmaster Junior Championship
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2006 Toyota wins Cole Sands and Conner Dimauro College Series Bonus Bucks
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorhips
Bryan College’s Cole Sands and Conner Dimauro led the 2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship for two days but ultimately fell to second place when competition concluded. While they narrowly missed winning the tournament, the Bryan Lions did win $500 from Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series.
Sands, who recently graduated with a degree in Business Administration drives a 2006 Toyota 4Runner to tow his 18-foot aluminum Tracker to lakes all around the country for college fishing competition.
“I’ve got about 210,000 thousand miles on that beast right now,” Sands said with a smile. “But she’s got another 200K in her I’d say… easily.”
Both Sands and Dimauro were praising of the old 4Runner, saying it was reliable as it is spacious. They pointed out how much gear they had packed in the mid sized SUV and said the enclosed vehicle was an advantage.
“Heck we’ve both slept in that car for fishing tournaments before,” said Dimauro, a junior studying Business Marketing. “We bunked at the boat ramp for a couple nights on Lake Seminole for an FLW college tournament earlier this year.”
Towing with the Toyota 4Runner has been a well thought out decision, not only for the qualities mentioned above, but more so to ensure they are eligible for the College Series segment of the Bonus Bucks contingency program.
“What’s not to love about Bonus Bucks,” Sands asked. “Any year tow vehicle qualifies you for the college program, which is awesome, and the extra winnings go a long way to pay for any expenses our school doesn’t cover. We’ve won Bonus Bucks in five or six events this year alone and that money has helped out a lot.”
Sands and Dimauro weren’t taking much time to celebrate their impressive 2ndplace finish amongst the nations best college anglers. Instead, they were heading back to the house to pack for a drive to Kentucky Lake, so they could both serve as boat captains for their younger brothers in the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Championship.
Taking time to support the next generation and give back to the sport they love proves that while they fell just short of hoisting the 1stplace trophies, there is no doubt these two left the Dayton Boat Dock as champions in living life right.
To learn more, or to get registered for Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series, follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/college. Just like the official Bonus Bucks program anglers don’t need to win an event, they just have to be the highest finishing registered participant. If you’d rather call than click, give (918) 742-6424 a call and they’ll be happy to help you out.
FLW Cup Preview, Opens Champ Devin Teigen & More!
The WHOLE Circus his back this week as Jason returns from his Cruise. Chris and the boys are in rare form as they preview the FLW Cup, talk with Opens Winner Devin Teigen and get into some more trouble as usual. Check it out!
North Carolina Anglers Lead Day 1 Of Junior Championship
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T-H MARINE INTRODUCES REDESIGNED HYDRAULIC STEERING LOCK
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Roberson Wins AFT D17 Championship and AOY
Courtesy of ABA
August 3rd and 4th, 2019, 13 anglers launched from Water Street ramp on the Roanoke River out of Plymouth, NC. Day 1 was cloudy and rainy and day 2 was hot and humid. After 2 days of fishing Mike Roberson from Battleboro, NC took the victory with 2 - 5 fish limits that weighed 26.10 lbs. For the win Mike took home $850 in prize money. Mike Roberson also accumulated the most points in Division 17 and earned the ANGLER OF THE YEAR title for the division. Congratulations Mike.
Second amongst the competitors was Bobby Clark with 2 - 5 fish limits that locked in the scales at 24.16 lbs. For his efforts, he took home $424 in prize money. Bobby also had Day 1 big fish that weighed 4.34 lbs earning him the day 1 big fish pot.
The Day 2 and Biggest Bass of the tournament was caught by Scott McLamb. His fish locked in the scales at 5.82 lbs earning him the day 2 big bass pot. Scott also caught the biggest 5 fish limit of the tournament that weighed 18.94 lbs.
Top 5 finishers:
Name Weight
Mike Roberson 26.10
Bobby Clark 24.16
Eric Lochner 23.17
Joe Lybrand 22.87
Scott McLamb 20.20
The next tournament in the Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour, NC Central, Division 17 will be an early bird tournament for the 2020 season on Saturday 14 September 2019 launching from Water Street Landing on the Roanoke River in Plymouth, NC.
For more information on this event or division please contact local director, Mike Colbert at - Home: (252) 223-2325, Cell: (252) 725-1504 or visit www.americanbassanglers.com
These anglers earn valuable points toward the divisional angler of the year title. The points champion from each division will compete in the annual American Bass Anglers BPSFT Angler of The Year Final Round at the BPSFT Championship. In addition, the top 500 anglers from the various divisions will earn the right to compete in the three-day ABA, BPSFT National Championship tournament.
The Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour offers low cost, close to home bass tournaments that are designed for the weekend angler. All anglers fish for both money and points. The points advance the angler to their divisional championship and the top 500 anglers in the US are invited to the Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour National Championship this fall on Lake Eufaula, AL.
BUCK WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON ONEIDA LAKE
New Jersey’s Cram Claims Co-Angler Win
BREWERTON, N.Y. (Aug. 5, 2019) – FLW Tour pro Grae Buck of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Oneida Lake Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces. For his win, Buck earned $5,471 and 250 points in the Northeast Division presented by Gajo Baits standings. The winner of the division’s Angler of the Year title after five tournaments will win $3,000.
“I was working in 8 to 12 feet of water and targeting areas that had a mix of rock and grass,” said Buck, who earned his fourth career win in BFL competition – second on Oneida Lake. “I ran around and probably hit 20 different spots. I never found a school – I was plucking them off here and there. There are a bunch of small perch fry in those areas right now, so I was looking for the bait and matching the hatch.”
Buck said he used a Tennessee Shad-colored and Purple-colored Cornerstone Baits Shimmy Shot on a drop-shot rig with a No. 2 Hayabusa DSR 132 hook and a ¼-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten Full Contact Drop Shot weight. His line was 18-pound-test Gliss Supersmooth Monotex Yellow Line, with a 12-inch, 8-pound-test Seaguar InvisX fluorocarbon leader. Buck’s setup was rigged on Dobyns DX 703SF Champion Extreme rods and Ardent C-Force 3000 reels.
“I caught all of my fish on the Shimmy Shot – probably 15 or so total. It’s got a piece of foil on the belly which gives it a little extra glimmer,” said Buck. “When I casted out there I’d let it sit on the bottom, and then let the slack out without moving the rig. It was a subtle bite, but I could see the line start moving away.They’re finicky when they are eating perch fry.”
Buck also credited his Lowrance HDS electronics and Navionics chip with helping him identify productive areas around the lake with ease, and said all of the fish he weighed were smallmouth.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 16-13, $5,471
2nd: Andrew Heivly, Malvern, Pa., five bass, 16-8, $2,486
3rd: Mandel Pettus, Rocky Point, N.Y., five bass, 16-5, $1,424
4th: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., five bass, 15-12, $997
5th: Michael Cooper, Sellersville, Pa., five bass, 15-10, $854
6th: Robert Parmer, Linden, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $783
7th: Trevor Topken, Warwick, N.Y., five bass, 15-0, $712
8th: Joe LaBarbera, Montrose, Pa., five bass, 14-11, $641
9th: Chris Caravan, Pottsville, Pa., five bass, 14-6, $569
10th: Nick Diamandas Jr., Oak Ridge, N.J., five bass, 14-5, $498
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Tyler Morgan of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $595.
Steve Cram of Williamstown, New Jersey, won the Co-angler Division and $2,100 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds even.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Steve Cram, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 16-0, $2,100
2nd: Jeff Straka, Kenmore, N.Y., five bass, 15-7, $1,342
3rd: Greg Rzeplinski, Wellsville, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $701
4th: Jacob Weisman, Indian Head, Md., five bass, 14-10, $590
5th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., five bass, 14-3, $470
6th: Henry McKee, Haddon Heights, N.J., five bass, 14-2, $535
7th: Jeff Morton, Baldwinsville, N.Y., five bass, 13-9, $350
8th: Dylan Boyle, Coopersburg, Pa., five bass, 13-0, $315
9th: Chris Sanno, Shermans Dale, Pa., five bass, 12-12, $280
10th: Chad Bushnaq, Buffalo, N.Y., five bass, 12-0, $345
Straka caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $252.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
GREENE WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON LAKE ST. CLAIR
Illinois’ Pinkowski Tops Co-Angler Field
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Aug. 5, 2019) – Boater Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, took top honors at Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament on Lake St. Clair after catching five bass weighing 23 pounds, 7 ounces. Greene took home $5,753 for his win.
“I was fishing the Canadian side of the lake in 16 to 22 feet of water, throwing a tube and a drop-shot rig and I caught over 50 keepers,” said Greene, who earned his third career victory in BFL competition on Lake St. Clair – second in 2019. “I had a 2-mile radius that had little sweet spots here and there, with a mixture of sand and grass.”
Greene said he used a 4-inch, Fiesta Melon-colored Provider Tackle Tube – the same bait that helped him win the BFL tournament on Lake St. Clair in June – and various 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow Baits on a drop-shot rig, adding that he weighed all smallmouth. He rigged the baits on Lew’s CXP40 Spinning reels and Dobyns DX 743SF Spinning rods.
“There was no rhyme or reason [to my drop-shots] – I’d catch one on one kind of [Gulp!] bait and one on another,” said Greene. “I rotated between the tube and drop-shot to change it up when they weren’t biting. It was a little slow at first, but it picked up from 9:30 [a.m.] to 1 [p.m.]. It was a great day out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 23-7, $3,753 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 22-8, $2,632
3rd: William Cisler, Delton, Mich., five bass, 22-6, $1,007
3rd: Gary Solomon, Clinton Township, Mich., five bass, 22-6, $1,007
5th: Troy Stokes, Brownstown, Mich., five bass, 22-3, $711
6th: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 21-15, $651
7th: Cameron Moore, Howe, Ind., five bass, 21-3, $592
8th: Amon Jay Troyer, Millersburg, Ind., five bass, 20-14, $533
9th: Jeremy Antrup, Fremont, Ind., five bass, 20-13, $474
10th: Brad Ballew, Macomb Township, Mich., five bass, 20-8, $415
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Dobson caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $455.
Jeremy Pinkowski of Oak Forest, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,127 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jeremy Pinkowski, Oak Forest, Ill., five bass, 21-15, $2,127
2nd: Austin Freed, Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 21-7, $888
3rd: Larry Salisbury, Oxford, Mich., five bass, 21-4, $742
4th: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 21-0, $385
4th: Jim Stone, Greenwood, Ind., five bass, 21-0, $385
6th: Mark Saunders, Valley City, Ohio, five bass, 20-12, $326
7th: Tom Stark, Angola, Ind., five bass, 20-8, $281
7th: Gordon Reilly, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 20-8, $281
9th: Kendra Mueller, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 19-15, $222
9th: Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 19-15, $222
Bill Deverny of Wellston, Michigan, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $227.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Buchanan, Tennessee, presented by Evinrude. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME BOARD TO HONOR ARKANSAS TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER LEGEND AT FLW CUP
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – For Immediate Release – 8.5.19– Known for his tireless efforts in directing the Mr. Bass of Arkansas Pro-Am Tournament Circuit for more than 25 years, Ronnie Everett will be honored posthumously with the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Meritorious Service Award.
The prestigious award is established by the Hall’s Board of Directors to give the proper and well-deserved recognition to select individuals and organizations deemed to have made significant contributions to bass fishing. Everett’s family and special guests will be the guests of honor at a special Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Reception on Friday, August 9, at Horner Hall within the Hot Springs Convention Center from 5 to 7PM.
Bass fishing always had a part in Everett’s life. His father owned a boat dealership and started the Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament trail in 1974 to help sell boats. Ronnie took over in 1990 when his dad retired, and after stopping the circuit after seven years, was convinced by others to start it up again as a pro-am concept. The circuit thrived among top-notch Arkansas bass anglers, becoming known as the tournaments that breed champions. Anglers who have had great success on the FLW and B.A.S.S. circuits, including Mark Davis, George Cochran, Ricky Green, Ron Shuffield, Stephen Browning and Doug Garrett, learned much about tournament bass fishing by competing on Everett’s circuit.
“Without people like Ronnie Everett – who also convinced his wife Lori and his weighmaster Chris Course to always help out – I’m not sure we would see the success on the national level for tournament organizations like B.A.S.S., FLW and Major League Fishing,” said Bass Fishing Hall of Fame President Donald Howell. “Everett provided that exceptional first step for many bass anglers who enjoy the competition, and as we have seen over the years, many of those Arkansas anglers have had successful pro careers that all started with the Mr. Bass of Arkansas Pro-Am tournaments.”
Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductees including Jimmy Houston, Bobby Murray and Billy Murray, along with BFHOF Board members Steve Bowman, John Mazurkiewicz and Melinda Mize-Hays will be among those in attendance at the reception to honor Everett. The event is open to all affiliated with the bass fishing industry, FLW Cup expo exhibitors, participating anglers and special invited guests.
The premier event for the BFHOF is the annual Hall of Fame Induction dinner at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Mo., this year being held on October 3, 2019. Information on event and table sponsorships, dinner seats and tickets for a special VIP unveiling reception, along with details about the Hall and its mission of ‘celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing’ is available at www.BassFishingHOF.com, or by contacting BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bfhof.barbara@gmail.com.
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Ronnie Everett -- March 13, 1962- May 17,2015
Ronnie was born in Fayetteville, N.C. to Porter and Bettie Everett while his father was stationed at Fort Bragg. They moved back to Arkansas and finally settled in Little Rock where Porter opened a used car lot. Always lured by the fishing industry (pun intended), he was one of the first to place a bulk order from Johnny Morris and history was made. From then on, the Everetts were hooked on the fishing business and never looked back.
Ronnie spent his summers stocking shelves and learning the ins and outs of tackle, fishing line and what to throw when and where. At 15 he was making trips to Flippin and returning with shiny new Ranger boats two at a time. Fishing became his passion. While he did follow other job paths, the fishing business always reeled him back in.
In December 1982, his dad bought a second store in Russellville, and asked Ronnie and Lori, his wife of 6 months, to relocate and open that location. Without hesitation and without knowing a soul there, they packed up and opened that store in January 1983. It was hard to bring a new business to a small town in those days, but new lifelong friends were made, and the store was a great success. The Everetts started their family there and were sad to leave when Porter got an offer he couldn’t refuse in 1985.
Back in Little Rock, Ronnie continued to work for his father and was a man of great worth ethic. Porter started the Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament series in 1974 where Ronnie was at his side helping along the way. It became more a family reunion as the years went by and the same faces began coming time after time as well as new ones who wanted to see what the excitement was all about. In 1986 Ronnie and a friend built a tournament trailer from the ground up, containing a 650-gallon holding tank and a weighing station all under roof. It served its purpose well and is still being used in tournaments today.
In 1990 Ronnie took over the tournaments and as his license plate read went ‘full trim’. He sought out sponsors and prizes, and over time the pay outs got bigger and better. However, one year a key sponsor defaulted and Ronnie, being a man of his word, took out a home loan to cover the more than $10,000.00 in winnings for future events. The tournaments grew and ideas came and the last two years under his direction he saw his dream of giving college scholarships come true. One of his goals in life was to give away a million dollars, a goal he was able to meet before his death. He passed away on a Sunday, May 17, 2015, when his last words were asking about how the anglers were doing that day.
Ronnie was a fisher of men — a Deacon at his church, a giver in his community and a searcher of lost souls. His faith was in Jesus Christ and Him alone. He and his wife raised two children who are Christian adults and who echo his motto “Better than I deserve.“
Oglesby & Hurley win Media Bass Choctawhatchee River Event
| 1 | Nicky Oglesby | Andrew Hurley | 5 | 14.44 | $2,000.00 | 164.44 |
| 2 | Larry Love | Daryl Clark | 5 | 11.13 | $500.00 | 160.13 |
| 3 | Knowles Samuelson | Aaron Richardson | 5 | 10.99 | $296.00 | 158.99 |
| 4 | Jesse Gilmore | Larry Joyner | 5 | 10.80 | 157.80 | |
| 5 | Aaron Broxson | Kason Parsons | 5 | 9.45 | 155.45 | |
| 6 | Jace Hilton | Steve McLemore | 5 | 8.97 | 153.97 | |
| 7 | Tim Hicks | Paul Davis | 5 | 8.60 | 152.60 | |
| 8 | Bobby Porter * | Andrew Angelos * | 5 | 8.56 | 151.56 | |
| 9 | Jesse Alford | Jeremy Courington | 5 | 8.27 | 150.27 | |
| 10 | Ernie Martin | Don Brown | 5 | 8.13 | 149.13 | |
| 11 | Joseph Woods | Jace Hughes | 5 | 8.09 | 148.09 | |
| 12 | David Howard | Andre Rogers | 5 | 7.71 | 146.71 | |
| 13 | Joey Oglesby | 0 | 0.00 | 69.00 | ||
| Place | Big Bass | Pounds | Winnings | |||
| 1 | Nicky Oglesby | Andrew Hurley | 4.35 | $100.00 | ||
| 2 | Joseph Woods | Jace Hughes | 3.95 |
HOT SPRINGS READIES FOR FLW’S RETURN - PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING’S FLW CUP SET FOR RETURN TO LAKE HAMILTON
World’s Best Anglers Eye $300,000 Title in Historic 24th-Annual Championship, FLW/KBF Kayak Cup to Compete on Lake Ouachita
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (July 29, 2019) – The FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, returns to Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton, Aug. 9-11, to crown bass fishing’s top angler of 2019. Hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, the tournament will feature 52 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals casting for the sport’s biggest award – $300,000 cash.
Although Hot Springs and Lake Ouachita have played host four times previously, the FLW Cup has been held just once at Lake Hamilton in the 24-year history of the FLW Tour – 2005. In that event Hot Spring’s local legend, pro angler George Cochran, won the event literally in his own backyard, catching key fish on a buzzbait about 300 yards from his house. He attacked the shallows of Lake Hamilton with a trip of topwater baits to earn a decisive final-day victory and the illustrious title.
Even though Lake Hamilton is only 7,200 surface acres, it fishes big enough for 52 pros thanks to miles of shoreline and more docks and brush piles than a bass angler could fish in a season. Expect several anglers to average 10 to 12 pounds a day and to be in the hunt for the win on Championship Sunday.
One pro in particular, Polaris pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia, has had an incredible season – winning his fourth Angler of the Year (AOY) title – and is primed to take his shot at bass fishing's top prize.
"The most exciting thing for me is to get the chance to fish for $300,000," Dudley said. "It gets my blood flowing. I also want to become the first man to ever win two FLW Cups."
Dudley seems to shine when he fishes in tournaments with very large purses. Key wins in Dudley's career include the 2003 FLW Cup on the James River, where he won $500,000, and the 2002 Ranger M1 Millennium on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta that brought a $700,000 payday.
Dudley cemented his fourth FLW Tour AOY title at the Lake Champlain event earlier this year. With the title, Dudley became the first pro to win four AOY crowns. The AOY title pushed FLW's leading money winner past the $3.6 million mark. He was the youngest angler to the $2 million mark. He has accumulated seven FLW wins, 44 top-10 finishes and has qualified for 21 FLW Cup appearances in his 24 years as a pro.
Dudley said anglers will find Lake Hamilton displaying typical summertime patterns.
"Summertime fishing is always tough, but they'll be biting," Dudley said. "Hamilton is a small lake, but it has miles and miles of shoreline so I think it’ll fish pretty big. It’s going to be a grind, but I’d expect nothing less in August."
Another angler ready for his shot at Lake Hamilton is Tennessee’s Brad Knight, who won the 2015 FLW Cup on Lake Ouachita. Knight said he thinks the winning angler will need to boat 13 pounds a day to earn the title, and he expects anglers will be able to fish their strengths.
“Some people call it ‘junk-fishing’, but I call it hustle,” said Knight. ”We’re going to have to mix it up and it will be all about putting in the hustle. You have just as good of a shot of winning with a buzzbait as you do drop-shotting brush piles. We’re going to be able to catch fish however we feel most comfortable, but every decision and every fish catch will be critical.”
Anglers will take off from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs, at 6:30 a.m. CDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the Bank OZK Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, beginning at 5 p.m.
Also in Hot Springs next week, the Dee Zee FLW/KBF Cup presented by YakAttack will be held on Lake Ouachita. The tournament will feature top kayak bass anglers from around the country competing for a for a total prize package of $18,000, with winners being recognized on the FLW stage.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center located at 134 Convention Blvd., in Hot Springs, each day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. prior to the weigh-ins. The Expo includes activities, giveaways and games provided by more than 40 FLW sponsors, as well as the opportunity to shop the latest and greatest tackle and outdoor gear from more than 100 exhibitors – including multiple kayak-fishing companies in the Expo’s new Kayak Village. A Ranger boat simulator, a casting pond and a trout pond for children, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top professional anglers, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, and many more also awaits fishing fans.
On Saturday and Sunday the first 250 children each day 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a voucher to redeem for a free rod-and-reel combo after the evening’s weigh-in from Shakespeare rods. On Saturday, one lucky fishing fan will win a brand new Jackson Kayak Coosa FD following the weigh-in, and on Sunday a new Ranger Z521L bass boat with a 250-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor bill be awarded. The Kayak and Ranger Boat giveaways are free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of each day’s final weigh-in to win.
FLW fans will also enjoy the Bass & BBQ Festival in conjunction with the FLW Expo. FLW has partnered with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to feature award-winning BBQ teams offering delicious fare to visitors and raising money for local charities. Come enjoy all of the fishing action and barbeque from top barbeque teams on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and help raise money for some worthy causes.
Country music superstar Trace Adkins will perform a free concert on the weigh-in stage at the Bank OZK Arena on Sunday, Aug. 11, starting at 4 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in. The concert is presented by Realtree and KSSN 96. Adkins will be showcasing his fiery and memorable live performance to fishing fans in Arkansas as well as live-streamed to fans around the globe at FLWFishing.com.
The Morning Takeoff, FLW Expo, Bass & BBQ event, live concert and weigh-ins are all free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the 2019 FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Marshall Hughes Wins BIG with 21.41 lbs in Anglers Quest Rayburn Event
Courtesy of Barbara Long - Anglers Quest Tournament Director
Marshall fished out of his Triton powered by a Mercury motor. He says he fished north of the 147 bridge
On ledges in 15-20 feet of water on jigs and crankbaits. Marshall also aught the biggest bass of the day a nice 8.50 lb’er and he won a total of $660.00 for his day on the water.
Mr. Keith Carlile came in second place with his five fish limit weighing 17.29 lbs. Keith won $240.00 for his efforts. Keith fished out of his Ranger powered by a Mercury motor. He caught all his fish on XD6 and XD8 Crank Baits #561. He fished secondary points in 15 to 20 feet of water. Keith would like to give a special shout out to his sponsors; McKee Rods, Team LastCast, Lifted Jigs, A-1 Marine, Bowden Marine and T H Marine for all their support.
I would like to thank all of you guys that choose to fish with Anglers Quest. We are not the biggest tournament series out there, but I can promise you that myself and Ms. Kathy appreciate each and every one of you.
Teigen Solves Changing Mississippi River for Bassmaster Central Open Win
| Wisconsin angler Devin Teigen wins the 2019 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis., with a three-day total weight of 43 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
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Bethel University Makes Final-Day Charge To Win Bassmaster College National Championship
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Logan Holds Lead At Bassmaster Central Open For Second Straight Day
| Wes Logan maintains the lead after Day 2 of the 2019 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis., with a total weight of 31 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
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Bryan College Is One Round Away From Winning The Bassmaster College National Championship
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Capitalizing on College - With Tyler Rivet
In this weeks Rookie Podcast brought to you by TH Marine Jason talks with Elite Series Rookie Tyler Rivet and learns how college fishing help him capitalize on the opportunity to fish the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Drury University’s Smith and Breeden seek Five Bites and Toyota Bonus Bucks
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Cameron Smith and Cole Breeden of Drury University only brought three bass to the scales on day one of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, but they weighed an impressive 13-lbs and 13-ounces which kept them in the hunt, sitting in 34th place.
Their 3-fish bag included one Chickamauga giant that tipped the scales at nearly 8-lbs. The big bass came off a spot that produced another behemoth for the duo in practice. It was obvious their optimism was running high when talking to them after Thursday’s opening round of competition.
“We are definitely around the right kind of fish,” Breeden said excitedly. “We just need to fish clean tomorrow and get five of them in the boat. If we can do that, we have the chance to weigh in one of those limits Lake Chickamauga is famous for.”
Smith and Breeden will be hunting those five bites today, in hopes their efforts will land them within the top 12 teams so they can keep their championship dreams alive and fish on Saturday. The native Missourians qualified for this event by finishing 4thin the first College Series regional on Lake Norman back in February.
Not only did their Lake Norman finish get them in the National Championship, it also won them $150 from the Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series. Toyota launched the college portion of the popular contingency program back in 2016 and it’s been rewarding thankful college anglers competing in numerous college fishing trailswith bonus money ever since.
Similar to the “official” Bonus Bucks program, College Series is paid out to the highest placing registered participant in Carhartt Bassmaster College Series tournaments. So you don’t have to win an event to get paid, you just have to finish in the top 50% of the field and place higher than other Bonus Bucks registered anglers.
The main difference is college anglers are eligible for the program if they tow their boat with ANY year Toyota tow vehicle. Also for the College Series, the vehicle can be in the angler’s parent(s)’ or legal guardian’s name.
Such is the case for Smith, a junior studying Biology, who’s Dad graciously lets him borrow his Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition. It’s not lost on the two Drury University Panthers how fortunate they are to be able to drive to their college tournaments in comfort and style.
“It’s hard not to love driving this Tundra,” Smith said. “It tows super well, has a ton of room inside for all our gear, and is just a super comfortable ride. Whether it was our 13-hour drive to Lake Norman or the 584 miles we drove to Lake Chickamauga, it has been great.”
If you are a current or future collegiate angler using a Toyota tow vehicle to drive to your tournaments, you’re leaving money on the table if you aren’t registered for Bonus Bucks. Follow this link to get yourself registered for FREE: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/college/registrationor give (918) 742-6424 a call and ask for Kendell or Chip.
Sands favors aluminum and a college degree
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Cole Sands and Conner Dimauro took the lead at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Championship with a 24-pound limit that included a 7 pound 15 ounce Chickamauga green piggy.
Sands already has two major college victories to his credit on “The Chick” – so his success Thursday is no great surprise, but his decision to fish from a smaller, slower, aluminum boat compared to his competitors, is worthy of an eyebrow raise.
Add the fact he’s just 22, and already working on a Masters in Business Administration degree, and Cole Sands quickly becomes a long tall lanky version of everything that is mega-impressive about college bass fishing.
“The fact Cole chose to self-report a rules violation back in late April on Day 2 at Bull Shoals to surrender his Day 1 lead, says everything you need to know about the character of Cole Sands,” says Hank Weldon, Director of College B.A.S.S. “He represents himself and college bass fishing in exactly the way we hope every angler will,” adds Weldon.
Local hard-core anglers around “The Chick” speak highly of Sands too, including BassQuest YouTube channel founder, Caleb Bell. “The crazy thing about Cole and his brother Corbin is how fast they locate fish. They’re absolutely among the most naturally gifted anglers I’ve ever known, and they’re great Christian guys on top of being incredible anglers,” says Bell.
By all accounts Sands seems as exceptional as the boat he and partner Conner Dimauro used to take the tournament lead. It’s an 18-foot aluminum Tracker with a 150 HP outboard that runs at least 10 mph slower than most of the boats in the field, but Sands says running a smaller ‘tin’ boat has several advantages. “You get more boat for your money when you buy aluminum, plus you get better fuel economy, and you’re less recognizable when you’re out there on your best fishing spots,” he grins.
That’s pretty mature logic for a guy just 22 years of age, who actually struggled to appreciate Tennessee at age 10 when his family moved here from his Alaska birthplace, mostly because it didn’t feel nearly as wild and free as The Last Frontier vibe of America’s 49thstate. “I was pretty frustrated at first, but then I got involved in a junior bass fishing club, and it literally changed my life,” Sands says gratefully.
Sands admits he’s sharply focused on being a professional angler someday, but only after finishing his education at Bryan College on the shores of Lake Chickamauga. “I love college fishing. I love the team format and the teamwork. And I can work as a graduate assistant and get my MBA for free, so it only makes sense to enjoy the next several months here, before trying to fish for a living,” he concludes.
Faith, family, academics, and a superior talent for catching bass. That’s the mighty impressive young life of the tall, lanky Bryan College angler in the aluminum boat, who by all accounts may very well be one of competitive bass fishing’s next big things.
Shakespeare® Launches New Youth Fishing Products to Promote Family Time on the Water
COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 2, 2019) – Shakespeare®, the leader in quality and affordable fishing tackle, announces the launch of two new youth fishing products – the Catch A Monster™ series and new Hide-A-Hook™ kit with tacklebox. The new youth fishing gear will be available starting in July 2019.
“One of our biggest passions here at Shakespeare is introducing young kids to the joy of fishing,” said Lori Masad, brand manager for Shakespeare. “We are constantly working to make products that make fishing more attractive to kids and making the experience more accessible, enjoyable and rewarding for children and their families.”
The new Catch A Monster series comes in four exciting monster themes. The series includes spincast combos, play boxes and fun nets. The spincast combo includes an all-in-one fishing kit with a 2-foot 6-inch rod, line, practice casting minnow and a spincast reel. The play box stores everything from toys and crayons to hair accessories and fishing tackle. The Fun Net is great for catching butterflies, bugs and minnows.
The Hide-A-Hook kit from Shakespeare is a family favorite, providing bobbers pre-rigged with a jighead that is covered with a bobber until the line is cast, reducing the likelihood of errantly hooking anyone or anything nearby. The kit recently underwent a revision to add a small tackle box. Along with the tackle box, the new kit includes two Hide-A-Hook bobbers and a mini bag of Berkley® Gulp!® Waxies. The Hide-A-Hook kit comes in five models: Frozen, Barbie, Spiderman, Cars and Princess – all licensed characters.
The Catch A Monster series will be available at retail in late July 2019. The Hide-A-Hook kit will be available at retail in December 2019. For additional information, visit www.shakespeare-fishing.com.
“It never gets old." ~ Larry Nixon
Vance McCullough
“It never gets old,” says Larry Nixon of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup.
Among the most iconic pioneers of tournament bass fishing, Nixon has a Bassmaster Classic trophy and two B.A.S.S. angler of the Year titles. He was the first angler to amass over a million dollars in career winnings. He even had a video game named after him – Larry Nixon’s Super Bass Fishing released in Japan in 1994. So how does The General feel as he prepares to practice for this year’s Cup?
“Believe me, I do not take it for granted because it’s so hard for me to get up and compete with them kids every year nowadays,” shares Nixon. “I’m out there busting my tail trying to make that thing every year. Some years you’ve got a bad hand or a bad shoulder or a bad elbow, so you never know when it’s gonna be your last one. I’m tickled to death.”
Nixon will be less than a month shy of 69 when the Cup commences. He credits his longevity to good luck and good eating. And an early start. “I’m fortune enough that I’ve stayed pretty healthy and my wife feeds me good, so I get the right food around the house here. I get up early every day no matter what, either fishing or hunting or something. Early bird gets the worm in my world so I’m out there working to stay ready.”
Lake Hamilton is in his home state of Arkansas. He’d like to put on a good showing for the home crowd. “It’s a big deal to me to have a chance to fish in the Forrest Wood Cup again, especially here on Lake Hamilton, only two hours from my house so all the family can come to the weigh in. Hopefully I won’t get down there and stump my toe,” laughs the easy-going Nixon.
Even if he doesn’t stump his own toe, Nixon expects some toes to be stepped on as Hamilton offers a small dance floor for the field of competitors. “It’s very small. It could get crowded. You could get your heart broke the first two or three places you go the first day and be totally out of it by nine o’clock in the morning because that’s when it gets bad tough. Boat traffic gets bad.”
Size notwithstanding, Nixon says Hamilton has got the goods when it comes to bass. “It’s 50 times better than when we were here in 2005. There have been two 11’s caught down there, that I know of, in the last six months. I think Hamilton’s actually a better fishery right now than Ouachita.
“It just depends on how bad we beat it up in practice. If guys can resist the urge to catch everything they can in practice, if they’ll bend their hooks down and all that, then it will be a decent tournament. If 52 boats practice hard for four days, it could be extremely tough.”
The playing field sets up like this: “There’s not a lot of cover in it. It’s got some grass. It’s got lots of docks. It’s got lots of different things, but there’s also lots of fish that just roam. You’ve just got to be there when it’s time for them to eat something, but boy when they quit, oh my gosh do they quit.”
Nixon’s competition is more talented, and younger, than ever. “It’s incredible how fast they can learn now. We’ve got kids coming right out of college - and high school - that are competing at the highest level. They know it all. They study every video they can get; buy every new lure they see and then they go on the internet and learn about fishing and where to look for fish.”
Electronics have exposed a lot of the formerly secret spots on any lake and opened the offshore bite to most everybody. Will this Cup be won out there? “There’s the potential for a guy to catch 17-to-20 pounds offshore - if,” continues Nixon, “he can get them to bite. Big ‘if’.”
Nixon is going in with an open mind. “I’m gonna let my practice tell me how I’m gonna fish. If I can’t catch fish out there deep then I’m going to have to beat the bank just like the kids and if I have to do that, I’m at their mercy more than likely. I’m just going to have to go down there and practice and see if I can figure out how to get a bite here and there and that’s how I’m gonna form my game plan.
“Weather is everything too. If we get a lot of sunshine it’s going to be tough as nails but if we get good cloudy weather days, it could be pretty good. Mother Nature really controls the bass’ feeding habits this time of year.”
In 2005 George Cochran brought in 10 pounds, 3 ounces on the final day after weights were zeroed, as was the format then, to walk away with the $500,000 payday on Hamilton. Nixon says a final round weight of 10 pounds could be enough again, though weights accumulate over all three rounds this time and he figures about 36 pounds will give an angler a good shot to win. “That’s a guy having one good day and then an eight or nine-pound day.
“Back when George caught that big stringer,” remembers Nixon, “I figured them fish out and caught ‘em good the first two days and then all of a sudden, they just kept missing my bait. I don’t know. They were just eating it plum to where I couldn’t hardly dig it out of them and then I couldn’t hook one on that last day.”
That was a topwater affair. Long noted as perhaps the best there has ever been with a worm, Nixon is hoping to take the title his way this time. “I’m gonna be there dragging my worm around.”
