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.”
Alabama Angler Logan Takes Lead At Bassmaster Central Open On Mississippi River
| Alabama angler Wes Logan leads after Day 1 of the 2019 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis., with a total weight of 16 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
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Bryan College Uses Homegrown Knowledge To Take Lead At Bassmaster College Championship
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Michigan State’s Riley Welch running as a lone horse at College Championship
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Riley Welch’s family trains standard-bred horses for the racing communities in Chicago and Indianapolis, but this week at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series championship on Lake Chickamauga, the Michigan State Spartan is running as a solo pony while his team fishing partner trains for a brand new job in New York City.
“I’ve fished with Danny Sprague the last two years, but he was required to be in New York City this week for his brand new job, and I know I’m at a disadvantage fishing here without him, but man, this is my last college tournament, so I couldn’t stand not to come fish the championship,” says the 22 year old agriculture business major from Will County, IL.
Welch admits he’s not schooled on the Chickamauga deep water river ledge fishing game, so he’ll focus his solo efforts mostly shallow, starting with an old school Pop-R topwater, and then pick up the trusty ½ ounce black-blue jig or a frog.
His commitment to living life in the moment, fishing the patterns he’s most confident in, and not being mentally spun-out by the fact he’s fishing alone is certainly admirable.
Welch isn’t pretending to be on the fast track to a pro angling career, instead he hopes to carve out a prosperous life selling agriculture land. But the mere fact he’s competing in a national championship says all you need to know about his superior ability to find and catch bass. And how cool would it be if the long shot lone horse ended up in the winner’s circle?
AC Insider Costa Countdown to Blastoff - Its August!!!
While Jason's away the Circus will play as they join Chris for the Costa Countdown to Blastoff brought to you by ARE Truck Caps and Accessories.
Carhartt College anglers preview Bassmaster National Championship at “Chick”
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Kent State’s Tanner Ward, Arkansas Tech’s Austin Phillips and Eastern Kentucky’s Josh Boone shared honest perspective about what it will take for their teams to do well this week on largemouth-rich Lake Chickamauga in East Tennessee.
Each of them is 21 years old. Ward is majoring in engineering at Kent State. Phillips is studying business at Arkansas Tech. And Boone is focusing on risk management and insurance at Eastern Kentucky.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series?
Ward-Kent State:The people I’ve met, and the experiences we’ve shared traveling around the country fishing tournaments.
Phillips-Ark Tech:All the cool opportunities we’re given, like the chance to fish the Bassmaster Classic.
Boone-Eastern KY:The fun team environment, and all the fellowship.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge of this event?
Ward:Making yourself commit to either fishing shallow or deep, but not trying to do both.
Phillips:Staying with the pattern you know you should be committed to.
Boone:Staying focused when it’s tough, and grinding for bites.
Q: Name two lures you won’t leave the dock without tomorrow.
Ward:Football jig and a wobble head
Phillips:Magnum spoon and a hair jig
Boone:“Chatterbug” and a “big lazard”
Q: What’s the biggest Chickamauga bass you’ve had your hands on in practice?
Ward:3 pounds 6 ounces
Phillips:5 pounds 5 ounces
Boone:5 pounds 9 ounces
Q: Carhartt is a brand for hard working people. What was your job this summer?
Ward:Carpentry for a home building contractor.
Phillips:Working construction for my dad.
Boone:Waiting tables at Steak ‘n Shake
Minor and Lanier Prove 2ndplace doesn’t mean 1stLoser
Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
If you’ve followed college fishing the last couple years, you’ve probably heard the names Nolan Minor and Casey Lanier. The West Virginia University anglers consistently finish near the top of the leaderboard in Carhartt Bassmaster College Series events as well as other top-level college fishing tournaments.
The WVU Mountaineers have racked up an impressive pile of top 10 finishes in their short fishing careers but have yet to secure a big win. A 2ndplace finish this year in the 2019 College Bassmaster Team of the Year race by the narrowest of margins is the latest runner up outcome they’ve added to their resume.
Backtrack to a 3rdplace result in last year’s National Championship, followed by Minor’s heartbreaker of a finish to Nick Ratliff in the final round of the College Bassmaster Classic Bracket– the most life changing title in college fishing – and you have enough close seconds to leave even the most seasoned Elite Series pro disheartened.
But not Lanier and Minor. Instead, these two have handled falling just short of victory with grace, optimism, and humility. They take the good with the bad and keep a positive attitude, which shows maturity beyond their years.
“You’ve gotta look at the seconds or thirds as a positive,” Minor offered. “We just keep having fun, continue to work hard and try to give ourselves an opportunity to win the next tournament. If we keep putting ourselves in that position, it’s going to work out one of these times.”
Whether we are talking fishing, work, or life that is absolutely a winning mindset – no matter where they end up on the leaderboard.
Tomorrow morning they’ll start competition for their 3rdstraight Carhartt College Series National Championship, this time on beautiful Lake Chickamauga. Of course, the ultimate goal is to hoist the trophies at Dayton Boat Dock on Saturday, but they aren’t getting too far ahead of themselves.
“We just like catching fish and being outside,” Lanier said. “Tournament bass fishing has become a big part of our lives in college, and competing has been a blast. But it doesn’t matter if we are ice fishing, fishing for trout in a little stream, hunting ducks and turkey, or fishing little hidey-holes in a kayak. We love it all.”
Lanier, a Fisheries major, and Minor who studies Marketing, pride themselves on being versatile anglers who can catch ‘em no matter where or how they are fishing. That will serve them well, as it seems bass are scattered from shallow grass to deep main river ledges on “The Chick” right now.
Whatever the prevailing fishing patterns end up being, don’t be surprised if Minor and Lanier are in the hunt come championship Saturday. Whether this happens to be the derby where their perseverance pays off with a top spot result or not, these young men have proven to be winners on and off the water.
Berkley® and Abu Garcia® Collaborate with Jordan Lee on The Champ Series
“The amount of testing, design and validation that went into all these new products from Abu Garcia and Berkley was almost overwhelming,” said Jordan Lee, Bassmaster Classic champion and Abu Garcia and Berkley pro staff angler. “From the lifelike designs of the Berkley PowerBait softbaits to the durability and performance of the Abu Garcia rods and reels, I am confident that this product offering gives anglers more tools in their arsenal across the board.”
Jordan Lee’s new PowerBait offerings include The Champ Craw, The Champ Minnow and The Champ Swimmer. The new softbaits feature lifelike profiles with a new HD Tru Color technology to mimic real bait and appeal to a fish’s sense of sight with precision detail. All three baits feature the exclusive Berkley PowerBait formula that drives fish to hold on to a bait 18 times longer* than a traditional soft plastic, giving anglers the time and confidence to feel more bites.
The new Abu Garcia Jordan Lee Combos are designed by Lee and packed with many iconic Abu Garcia features. The Jordan Lee low profile baitcast combo features a custom Winn® advanced polymer Dri-Tac grip, five stainless steel HPCRTM bearings and one roller bearing, Power DiskTM drag system and a MagTraxTM brake system. The Jordan Lee spinning combo also has a custom Winn grip with six bearings and one roller bearing, proprietary Rocket Line Management SystemTM and EverlastTM bail system.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with Abu Garcia to create these quality combos,” said Lee. “These combos were designed with college and high school anglers in mind. A high quality combo for upcoming anglers at a great price.”
Jordan Lee values high visibility colors when he’s on the water, allowing him to make more accurate casts and see more strikes, which is why his signature Berkley x5 and x9 Braid offering is a high vis Flame Green color. Both braids are available in 10 sizes (6-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65- and 80-pound test). In addition, the Berkley x9 Braid will have a 100-pound test option, for a total of 11 sizes. Berkley x5 and x9 will be available in spool put-ups of 164-, 328- and 2,188-yards. Berkley x5 and x9 braid is uniquely differentiated with an additional carrier in the core making for a rounder, more manageable braid and 10 percent more line on the spool. Both braids offer higher knot strength with x5 braid excelling in abrasion resistance and x9 braid pushing the bounds of smoothness and casting.
“Working with pros like Jordan on new Berkley and Abu Garcia products is an exciting part of the overall product development process,” said Jon Schlosser, vice president of marketing for Abu Garcia and Berkley. “It allows us to continue to utilize science and real-world application, as we work with inspiring anglers to develop new product innovations for the angling community.”
The Jordan Lee Champ Series will be available in retail stores in late July 2019.
Gossett and Bartee exemplify college fishing fellowship
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series anglers Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee, from Jacksonville State in Alabama, are only 22 years old, and yet they’ve been successful fishing partners longer than some couples stay married.
A fellow student knew they both liked to fish introduced them to one another in eighth grade, and the two have been fishing together ever since, for nearly a decade.
Organized high school fishing was in its infancy when they met, but the two found success quickly, winning the Alabama High School State Championship their junior year, as well as claiming victory in a high school regional.
This week, they’re competing in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship on Lake Chickamauga, and they feel like patterns are shaping up to their liking.
“This is such a great fishery that you can catch a bass around a dock in 6” of water or out deep in 30 feet,” says Gossett. “We just have to keep an open mind and be willing to do a little junk fishing until maybe we’ll really dial-in a pattern.”
When asked about their long-standing successful team fishing friendship, as you might expect, their egos were never apparent, and instead a dip net full of mutual respect and compliments flowed easily.
“Hayden just has a knack for catching big bass,” says Gossett. To which Bartee fired back, “Zeke is a great on the water decision maker, and he can do it all when it comes to techniques and lures.”
Being versatile and making strong intuitive decisions will certainly serve Zeke Gossett well in his aspirations for possibly fishing professionally. “Hopefully I can make it to the Bassmaster Elite Series, but if not, maybe a career in the fishing industry,” says the Parks & Recreation major.
And as for Hayden Bartee, his head and heart display a mature perspective regarding the importance of stability not often found in a 22 year old. “I want a good job, with good income, and a stable life,” says Bartee.
Wherever life takes these two, count on them to be good men with successful lives, and don’t be shocked if they’re still winning tournaments together someday while managing successful marriages, and perhaps raising kids who love to fish as much as they do.
AC Insider Podcast - How BK Plans to Claim his 2nd FLW Cup
Today while Jason is away on his annual cruise, Chris welcomes in 2015 FLW Cup Champ Brad Knight to talk about how missing the last two Cup events has lit the fire even hotter in him to claim his second Cup next week on Lake Hamilton. The Hotline is active for calls and the Circus joins Chris as talks Progressive Bass Wrap Up, MLF MVP vs AOY and more!
College angler Mattox could mentor many of us
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Lee Mattox of the University of Alabama cried tears of joy when he learned he had squeaked into his fifth straight Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, and his young life to date is one that will fill your heart with hope for all that is good.
Not only is Mattox one of the absolute best young bass anglers in America, but he’s already earned his undergrad degree in Chemical Engineering, and is fast tracked to finish his MBA in a few months. But are you ready for this … he spent the summer squeezed into a one bedroom, one bathroom abode in Panama City, FL with four young men he was assigned to mentor as part of a Christian ministry outreach.
“I met a pastor in Tuscaloosa that mentored me for about six months, and he asked me to spend the summer near the beach serving as a mentor to some other young men,” says Mattox.
So while most beach goers put their toes in the sand, and focused on making sure the cooler was restocked with cold beer, Mattox was cramped into a tiny bunk bed laden space while holding down a summer job at Walmart, and showing four other guys his age the keys to a faith-based better life, all while the five of them shared the same bathroom.
So you probably won’t be surprised how Mattox answered when asked what his key to successfully reaching five straight Carhartt Bassmaster College Series national championships has been.
“I’m not trying to be cheesy, but really, I put God first, and let Him take control of everything I do in life, and that includes bass tournaments. Because to be really honest, most of the time I’m not really sure how I’m going to catch ‘em – so I just fish hard through adversity, and let Him guide me,” he says.
Mattox expects to grind his way through this week using a number of different techniques and patterns on Lake Chickamauga. “It could be everything from topwater frogging and flippin’ shallow, to deep cranking and drop shotting in 25’ of water,” he says.
“I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned in life is how to thrive in really uncomfortable situations,” concludes Mattox in humble fashion.
At age 23, his achievements to date more than prove that theory true, and as he idled away from the dock for his second day of practice in a very simple older model 18’ Stratos with minimal electronics, no Power Poles, and old carbureted outboard engine, there was no doubt who was guiding him.
Hamburger kicks off Carhartt Bassmaster National Championship week with a Whopper
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship week kicked-off Monday with the first official practice day and an evening full of chargrilled grub at Dayton Boat Dock. But the side serving featured talk of Lake Chickamauga’s giant largemouth already being caught by collegiate fishing’s best talents – including Oklahoma State’s Taylor Hamburger who had photo proof of a 9 pounder he dredged up.
“We idled for more than two hours this morning just looking for deep schools before I ever made a cast, and when I finally saw the kind of school I was looking for, I made my first cast and caught a 9 pounder,” says Hamburger, a 20-year-old from Tulsa Edison High School, now majoring in Construction Management Technology at Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma is primarily known for its shallow water bass fishing, but through the school of hard knocks, failures, and mostly persistence as a high school angler, Hamburger learned the deep-water sonar game on his own with no mentors. And apparently he’s learned it as well as Coach Mike Gundy knows the OSU Cowboy offense.
“The first two years I qualified for the high school championships on Pickwick, I knew I had to try to catch fish off ledges, but I didn’t do good at all, but on my third trip, things started to click, and now I seem to do really well at places like Pickwick and Guntersville where Tennessee River ledge fishing often dominates,” he says.
Hamburger says he can now tell which schools of bass are catchable fish, and which aren’t, but the biggest key is having the self-control and discipline to simply ride and stare at his sonar screens, rather than succumb to the natural desire of wanting to cast and catch.
“We’ve ridden for three solid days before, looking for fish without ever making a cast. The goal is to find them in practice and catch them in the tournament,” he makes clear.
In refreshing fashion, he also funds his fishing obsession on a college kid’s budget. So that limits the sonar technology he can afford. Hence, he does the best he can with what he can afford. And for Hamburger, that equates to two fairly small 7” Lowrance HDS Gen 3 units, versus the much larger and pricier 12 or 16” displays.
On day one of practice, two 7-inch screens equated to 9 pounds of Chickamauga largemouth on his first cast, and perhaps a strong sign of the meaty potential Hamburger has for a shot at big time success this week.
Humminbird® Earns Two ICAST “Best of Category ” Awards Including “Best of Electronics” for MEGA 360 Imaging®
RACINE, Wis., July 29, 2019 – Humminbird's® best-in-class technology earns two awards at the sportfishing industry’s most prestigious show, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST). Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging® was voted “Best of Electronics” while the ICE HELIX® 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season won the inaugural “Best of Ice Fishing” award at the 2019 ICAST New Product Showcase voted on by attending media and buyers.
“Humminbird has driven innovation in our industry by consistently developing breakthrough technologies and products,” said Chris Hatton, Humminbird brand manager. “We’ve continued this trend by bringing our MEGA imaging capabilities to our 360 Imaging transducer, the only sonar option that provides a high resolution 360-degree view around the boat. Providing sonar clarity more than three-times the traditional 455 kHz frequencies, Humminbird’s MEGA 360 allows anglers to mark waypoints and cast to structures accurately, maximizing every second on the water.”
Humminbird’s MEGA 360 Imaging is the latest addition to Humminbird and Minn Kota's One-Boat Network™. The Mega 360 Imaging transducer integrates seamlessly with Minn Kota trolling motors, allowing for additional functionality, and the continued use of Minn Kota features, like Spot Lock, without compromising the sonar image.
The MEGA 360 Imaging transducer mounts independently to the trolling motor, keeping a constant orientation while imaging in a 360 degree circle out to 125 feet. The imaging return can be viewed side by side with Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar or LakeMaster® mapping. The new imaging technology can be mounted on bow mount Minn Kota trolling motors – Ultrex™, Fortrex® or Maxxum®.
Along with the “Best of Electronics” award, the Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season won the first ever ICAST “Best of Ice Fishing” award with the inclusion of the brand new AutoChart® Live Ice, which allows anglers to quickly create a custom AutoChart Live map by taking data points at multiple hole locations and then displaying the layout of contours below the ice.
Along with AutoChart Live Ice, the unit features Humminbird’s proven Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar, providing the detail and clarity needed for finesse ice presentations, with target separation down to three-fourths of an inch. In addition, the new models also feature CHIRP Interference Rejection to remove noise from nearby flashers, as well an internal GPS and microSD card slot for LakeMaster use.
The Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season includes all accessories for use on a boat or portable applications right in the box, including: a transom mount CHIRP transducer, optional transducer suction cup mount, power cable and fish finder mounting bracket.
“The ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season unit gives ice anglers the benefits that an open water angler receives from Humminbird, now including custom mapping with AutoChart Live Ice,” Hatton said. “A wide array of features like Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar, GPS mapping and the ability to convert these fish finders for year-round use give ice anglers the technology and innovation they have been craving compared to traditional flasher units.”
Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging and the Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season unit will be available in fall 2019. For more information call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit www.humminbird.com.
CROWDER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON POTOMAC RIVER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Noraas Earns Co-Angler Title
MARBURY, Md. (July 29, 2019) – Boater Kermit Crowder of Matoaca, Virginia, won Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the Potomac River presented by Navionics after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces. For his day on the water, Crowder earned $4,454.
“I fished a mile or so of a main-river grass line. It was mid-river, about 15 minutes from the boat ramp and was the only place I went,” said Crowder, who earned his fifth career win on the Potomac River in BFL competition – second as a boater. “I just went back and forth all day. Most of the fish were on the edge, dropped off in 4 to 6 feet of water, and I was sitting 6 to 7 of water. It doesn’t fall off really steep – it’s more of a flat. The hydrilla is so thick that when the tide gets low it moves the fish to the edge.
“I had about seven keeper bites. There were 17 or 18 boats on the stretch, but I got the right bites,” continued Crowder. “I caught them on a variety of baits – one on a topwater, one of the big ones on a jig and flipping a couple of different creature baits.”
Crowder’s key baits included a black-colored Spro 65 Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog, a 3/8-ounce, green pumpkin Sooper Bait jig with a 3-inch Mud Puppy craw, and a Texas-rigged, green-pumpkin Mud Puppy creature bait.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 13-12, $2,454 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Barton Wines, Marshall, Va., five bass, 13-7, $1,227
3rd: Thomas Svec, Chesapeake, Va., five bass, 12-15, $750
4th: Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., five bass, 12-14, $1,076
5th: Joe Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., five bass, 12-10, $451
6th: Travis Lugar, McGaheysville, Va., five bass, 12-3, $413
7th: Brandon Stapleton, Temperanceville, Va., five bass, 12-2, $357
7th: Ryan Ingalls, Fairfax, Va., five bass, 12-2, $357
9th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 11-13
10th: Josh Willard, Carrollton, Va., five bass, 11-12
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
John Bitter of Maitland, Florida, caught a 4-pound, 8-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $215.
Matthew Noraas of Pamplin, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,227 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Matthew Noraas, Pamplin, Va., five bass, 11-3, $1,227
2nd: J.C. Miller, Washington, Pa., five bass, 9-8, $613
3rd: Shawn Huwar, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 9-6, $319
3rd: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 9-6, $319
5th: Jamie Newton, Falls Church, Va., five bass, 9-2, $225
6th: Brad Melton, Manassas, Va., five bass, 8-12, $207
7th: Chris Jackson, Front Royal, Va., five bass, 8-10, $188
8th: Costas Melendez, Shenandoah, Va., four bass, 8-8, $169
9th: Keith Allen, Sumerduck, Va., five bass, 8-4
10th: Jerry Comperatore, Tarentum, Pa., five bass, 8-1
John Castro of Lorton, Virginia, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $107.
The tournament was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina, presented by Navionics. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Anglers Will Have To Figure Out Falling Water At Bassmaster Open On Mississippi River
July 29, 2019
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Jeremiah Shaver was on the water at daylight Monday morning, practicing for this week’s Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Mississippi River.
He had caught a few fish, and he was having fun.
But with the way the fishery is currently evolving, he honestly wasn’t sure he could learn anything that will help him once the tournament begins.
“The water level is supposed to drop about 3 feet here before Thursday,” said Shaver, president of the Wisconsin B.A.S.S. Nation and a competitor in this week’s Open. “Anything that you find today in practice, you could have 3 feet less water on it by the time the tournament starts.”
Competition days will be Thursday through Saturday, with daily takeoffs from Veterans Freedom Park at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins back at the park at 2 p.m. each day. A field of more than 200 boaters and 200 nonboaters will participate on Days 1 and 2, with only the Top 12 on each side advancing to Saturday’s championship round.
The water level on the Mississippi River in that part of the country had been high — above 10 feet — for more than three months. Then just as it was beginning to drop in mid-July, 7 inches of rain fell on the region pushing it back to more than 11 1/2 feet.
Now with the water dropping steadily each day, forecasts say the river will be around 7 1/2 feet by the time the tournament begins and possibly below 7 feet by Saturday.
After that kind of fluctuation, it’ll also be heavily stained.
“There’s a lot of mud left from the rains and a lot of mud left from the high water,” Shaver said. “Then there’s gonna be a lot of mud pulled off the bank as the water recedes.”
“Finding clear water is going to be critical — and then just adjusting to the water dropping every day.”
What has been raging current on the Mississippi River is also likely to subside quite a bit as the water drops. Shaver said that could reposition the fish, bringing the main channel into play.
“La Crosse is known for frogging, but the frog bite really hasn’t been what it should be because of the high water and the changing conditions,” he said. “The weeds go up, they go back down. It’s matty, it’s dirty. You’ll get some frog fish, but I would anticipate a lot of different patterns.
“Smallmouth will come into play quite a bit, especially as the water drops and they pull back out on the rock in the main channel.”
As Shaver pointed out, there’s a lot of water between Pools 7, 8 and 9 where the tournament will take place — and each pool reacts differently as they drop water. Grass also changes the complexion of the fishery, sometimes making it possible to fish clear water on one side of the boat and muddy water off the other.
Shaver, who had 10 rods on his deck for Monday’s practice, said that diversity will bring many techniques into play, including topwater, swim jigs, flipping crankbait and drop shotting.
“I think you’ll see someone crack maybe a 17- or an 18-pound bag,” he said. “But to do that over two or three days will be tough. I think if someone can average 15 pounds over three days, they’ll definitely be in the running.
“This tournament is going to be won by whoever can adjust to the conditions. I don’t think anyone will have a spot that stays loaded all week.”
The local host for the event is explorelacrosse.com.
KELLER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON OHIO RIVER AT GOLCONDA
Walnut Hill’s Arning Takes Co-Angler Title
GOLCONDA, Ill. (July 29, 2019) – Boater Mike Keller of Metropolis, Illinois, took top honors at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament on the Ohio River at Golconda Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces. For his efforts, Keller pocketed $3,083.
“I fished all the way up the Tennessee River. I worked rock piles along a 30-yard stretch, and the fish were in about 7 feet of water,” said Keller, who notched his second win on the Ohio River in BFL competition. “My Bass Cat helped me beat everyone to my first spot and I ended up staying there all day.”
Keller said he used a ½-ounce, War Eagle spinnerbait and a Neko-rigged 5-inch, green-pumpkin Yamamoto Senko to catch his fish. He said he caught around eight keepers on the day, and weighed all largemouth.
“I worked the spinnerbait slow. The bite got better around 9 a.m. when the sun came up,” said Keller. “I caught my biggest fish – a 4-pounder – on a Neko rig at about 9:30 (a.m.).
“My MotorGuide X5 trolling motor kept me locked on my spot which ended up being huge for me,” Keller went on to say. “I didn’t have to worry about drifting off or losing my spot when I retied. I had a lot of boats around me, but I could relax and just fish when it was on.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mike Keller, Metropolis, Ill., five bass, 16-14, $3,083
2nd: Nathan Murphy, Harrisburg, Ill., five bass, 13-5, $1,442
3rd: Jeremy Mull, Pawnee, Ill., five bass, 12-2, $1,310
4th: Brennon McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 11-15, $673
5th: Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., five bass, 11-9, $577
6th: Toby Corn, Calvert City, Ky., five bass, 10-7, $679
7th: Hilton Jones, Westfield, Ill., five bass, 9-12, $481
8th: Robert Neff, Roodhouse, Ill., five bass, 9-11, $408
8th: Matt Weber, Glen Carbon, Ill., four bass, 9-11, $408
10th: Mike Barnes, Mackinaw, Ill., five bass, 9-6, $636
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Terry Marucco of Sullivan, Illinois, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds even – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $320.
Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $1,642 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., four bass, 11-5, $1,642
2nd: Lewis Mallory, Martinsville, Ind., five bass, 10-15, $721
3rd: Nathan Day, Jewett, Ill., four bass, 8-13, $409
3rd: Dale Renth, Mascoutah, Ill., five bass, 8-13, $459
5th: Jacob Greco, Edwardsville, Ill., three bass, 6-14, $288
6th: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., three bass, 6-12, $264
7th: Jason Piper, Collinsville, Ill., four bass, 6-9, $240
8th: Dave Dobill, Royalton, Ill., three bass, 5-13, $216
9th: Ryan Fancher, Olney, Ill., four bass, 5-4, $192
10th: Ryan Cain, Decatur, Ill., one bass, 5-3, $328
Cain caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $160.
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. 24-26 BFL Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. 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.
GALLAGHER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON INDIAN LAKE
Co-Angler Title Goes to Russells Point’s Scales
LAKEVIEW, Ohio (July 29, 2019) – Boater Darrell Gallagher of Maplewood, Ohio, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on Indian Lake Saturday after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 14 ounces. Gallagher earned $3,553 his win.
“I started the morning fishing open pads on the main lake, at the mouth of the game reserve,” said Gallagher, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “There was also grass in the area with a little bit of a sandy bottom. It was a small area – maybe a 10-yard stretch on both sides of the pocket – where the pads and the grass met.”
Gallagher said he lost a good fish in the area in the morning, but also caught three using a 3/16-ounce, green-pumpkin-colored jig with a Watermelon-colored Zoom Super Chunk Jr.
“Later in the day I went into the game reserve to a big area called Long Island. I punched matted grass and pads with a tube,” said Gallagher. “I focused on the thickest part of the pad clumps and caught four fish. I probably hit 25 spots.
Gallagher said he punched the grass mats with a 4-inch, Pumpkin Seed-colored Right Bite Baits tube with a dyed chartreuse tip on a ¾-ounce weight. He used 50-pound-test PowerPro braided line and 7-foot, 6-inch Daiwa Tatula Flipping Rods.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Darrell Gallagher, Maplewood, Ohio, five bass, 10-14, $3,553
2nd: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 10-1, $1,977
3rd: Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 10-0, $1,285
4th: Ronald Nutter, Newark, Ohio, five bass, 9-6, $829
5th: Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, five bass, 8-15, $931
5th: Clint Bissonett, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 8-15, $681
7th: Nitro pro Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, five bass, 8-14, $592
8th: Michael McCoy, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio, five bass, 8-7, $533
9th: B.J. Baxter, Willshire, Ohio, five bass, 8-0, $624
10th: Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 7-11, $415
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Scott Manson of Covington, Ohio, caught a 3-pound, 13-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $455.
Jordan Scales of Russells Point, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $1,773 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jordan Scales, Russells Point, Ohio, five bass, 5-13, $1,773
2nd: Melvin McNeal, Circleville, Ohio, five bass, 5-11, $886
3rd: Greg Marshall, Paris, Ky., five bass, 5-7, $602
3rd: Casey Neff, Miamisburg, Ohio, four bass, 5-7, $502
5th: Jacob Crawmer, Newark, Ohio, five bass, 5-6, $355
6th: Chris McCusker, Beaver Falls, Pa., three bass, 5-3, $375
7th: Carter Mox, Minster, Ohio, three bass, 4-15, $295
8th: Jonathon Willis, Ironton, Ohio, three bass, 4-5, $266
9th: Daniel Shuga, Botkins, Ohio, two bass, 4-2, $236
10th: Ryan McCusker, Beaver Falls, Pa., two bass, 4-1, $207
Zach Smith of Flatwoods, Kentucky, caught the heaviest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $222.
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.
Sewell & Sewell Win AnglersQuest Conroe Team Event with over 29 pounds!
Courtesy of Barbara Long - Anglers Quest Facebook Page
There were 30 teams that came out to fish the 7th Anglers Quest event on beautiful Lake Conroe
Sunday, July 28th. There is only one more regular season event before the Championship, and
Remember you must fish at least 4 out of the 8 to qualify for the Championship. So make sure
you look at the year to date standings to see if you can qualify.
The father and son team of Brian Sewell & Chip Sewell came in first place with their 5 fish limit
Weighing 29.76 pounds. Brian & Chip also brought in the biggest bass of the day a nice 8.77 lb’er. They won a total of $2,080.00. Brian reported that they fished out off his Bass Cat powered by Mercury and that they
“made the rounds” fishing brush piles with Crank Baits in approximately 15 feet of water. Way to go guys!
Nothing like being able to spend the day catching fish with your dad !!!
The second place team was none other than our current Anglers of the Year Kyle Nitshke & Jason Bonds.
They fished out of a Ranger powered by Evinrude. They brought a limit of bass to the scales weighing 25.04 lbs., and took home $1,150.00 for their day on the water. Jason reported finding and fishing Mid lake in a small patch of grass that’s approximately 20 to 40 ft. around in 8 to 10 feet of water and that you can’t
see it and swears it’s the only hydrilla in the lake. He said they were flipping 1oz. Strike King Hack Attack Jigs. Jason & Kyle would like to thank Ranger, Evinrude, Power Pole, Costa, Shimano and G Loomis.
Third place was held by the team of Kris Wilson & Harold Moore. They won $700.00 for their 5 fish that weighed 24.94. Harold reported that they fished out of a Phoenix boat with a Mercury motor. He said that
They fished all over the lake in 19-21 ft. of water catching them on 6th Sense Crank Baits and 6th Sense
Plastics on rigs. They would like to thank 6th Sense, Phoenix Boats and Mercury for their support.
Jason McClure & Colby Bryant came in fourth place with their 5 fish limit tipping the scales for 23.42 lbs.
They won $450.00 for their 4th place finish. Colby reported fishing out of his Phoenix powered by a Mercury
Motor. He says the fished all over the lake with Jigging Spoons in 20 to 25 feet of water. They would like to give a shout out to Clays Glass Service, Santone Lures and Impulse Rods for all their support.
We will be back at Stowaway Marina on August 11th for the final regular season Team event and it ought to
be an interesting one. I t will determine which team will be Anglers of the Year for 2020. It’s a very close race right now and the top five teams as of now are all within less that 20 pounds. So, like I said it ought
to be interesting. Ya’ll come root for your favorite team !!!
Graves & Ross win Media Bass Lake Ferguson event with over 25 pounds!!
| 1 | Andy Graves | Joel Ross | 5 | 25.53 | $2,000.00 | 175.53 |
| 2 | Rocky Lindsey | Kenny Medina | 5 | 22.11 | $1,000.00 | 171.11 |
| 3 | Charles Hughes | David Huggins | 5 | 17.42 | $500.00 | 165.42 |
| 4 | Jeff Lindsey | Chris Orr | 5 | 16.40 | $230.00 | 163.40 |
| 5 | Pete Cora | Charlie Jennings | 5 | 15.95 | $200.00 | 161.95 |
| 6 | Joey Beevers | Bobby Burton | 5 | 15.58 | 160.58 | |
 7 |
Jay Mitchell | London Sims | 5 | 13.68 | 157.68 | |
| 8 | Brandon Dickerson | Jason Griffin | 5 | 9.85 | 152.85 | |
| 9 | Brian McHann | Bill Montgomery | 5 | 9.55 | 151.55 | |
| 10 | John Polasini | Reeves Polasini | 4 | 8.77 | 149.77 | |
| 11 | Parker Frew | Cliff Ray | 5 | 8.59 | 148.59 | |
| 12 | Chris Coy * | Rudy Vanderford * | 4 | 8.51 | 147.51 | |
| 13 | Tommy Braiser | James Sheppeard | 5 | 7.72 | 145.72 | |
| 14 | Eric Miller | Josh Miller | 4 | 6.79 | 143.79 | |
| 15 | Scott Smith | Stacy Boggs | 2 | 6.55 | 142.55 | |
| 16 | Newton Ford | Jonathon Kent | 4 | 6.51 | 141.51 | |
| 17 | Doug Segers | Carson Henderson | 4 | 5.54 | 139.54 | |
| 18 | James Bernardi | Butch Cobb | 2 | 3.81 | 136.81 | |
| 19 | Chris Williams | Clint Russell | 3 | 3.78 | 135.78 | |
| 20 | Kenny Vanderford | Grant Allen | 1 | 2.49 | 133.49 | |
| 21 | Daniel Clark | Thad Selby | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 | |
| 21 | Mac Hutson | Taylor Hutson | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 | |
| 21 | Thomas Bridges | Charlie Bond | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 | |
| 21 | Eddie Gibson | Quentel Gibson | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 | |
| 21 | Gene Jones | John Tutor | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 | |
| 21 | Donald Adcock | Nick Butts | 0 | 0.00 | 65.00 |
Iaconelli Rides Early Bites To Victory At Bassmaster Eastern Open On James River
| New Jersey pro Michael Iaconelli won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Open held out of Richmond, Va., on the James River with a three-day weight of 44 pounds.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
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Iaconelli Chases Tide To Take Lead At Bassmaster Eastern Open On James River
| Michael Iaconelli of Pitts Grove, N.J., leads after Day 2 of the 2019 Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on the James River out of Richmond, Va., with a total weight of 30 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
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Iaconelli to host weekend of fun for a great cause
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota angler Mike Iaconelli continues his passion for getting more kids fishing in areas where outdoor activities are not readily available through a weekend of fun and fundraising at the 4thAnnual 2019 Ike Celebrity Pro-Am Bass Tournament, on his home waters of the Delaware River, near Camden and Glouster City, NJ, August 8-10, 2019.
This year’s event kicks-off with fundraising at “Ike’s Casino Night in the City” on Thursday August 8thhosted at Yard’s Brewery on Thursday where supporters can enjoy music, casino tables, and great auction items. The cost of the evening of fun is $90 per person and includes $200 in casino chips, along with great food and drink.
Friday will feature the Pro-Am pairings meeting amid happy hour at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, NJ where “Ike Live” will be broadcast, and then Saturday morning, anglers will pursue their passion both by kayak and full sized bass boat.
The kayak division is a Hobie Tournament of Champions qualifying event. All public fishing waterways in Camden and Glouster Counties are in bounds, while top pros like Iaconelli, Bobby Lane, and Jacob Powroznik, along with former Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Freddie Mitchell, and UFC fighter Gregor Gillespie, compete the same day with their amateur partners on the Delaware River.
The winner of the bass boat division will leave with a brand new BassCat Boat, powered by a Yamaha Outboard, and the winner of the kayak division will get a berth to the Hobie Tournament of Champions. Several other top prizes will also be given-away from great brands like Lowrance, Power Pole, RS nets, Flambeau and RAM Mounts.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of the weekend also takes place on Saturday at Camden’s Waterfront Park when roughly 1,000 kids typically arrive to receive a Free Flambeau tackle box, along with free tackle as they navigate through Fun Fest, and learn about fishing.
Money raised from this fun and philanthropic event will benefit the Ike Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Mike and Becky Iaconelli, with the goal of both urban and rural children to fishing, as well as to provide academic scholarships to five college bound high school seniors annually.
For more information, please visit www.TheIkeFoundation.orgor call (856) 712-2328.
"Don't Shy Away from Hard Work." ~ Greg DiPalma
This week Jason catches up with Elite Series Rookie Greg DiPalma to learn a little more about how he got started fishing and why it took two invites to finally join the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Lucky Break Gives Bryan Schmitt Day 1 Lead At Bassmaster Open On James River
| Maryland angler Bryan Schmitt leads after Day 1 of the 2019 Basspro.com Eastern Open on the James River out of Richmond, Va., with a total weight of 20 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
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Costa Countdown to Blastoff Featuring Sportsman's Warehouse Pro Bryan Thrift!
On this weeks Costa Countdown to Blastoff, The boys welcome in FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift to talk about his Costa win last week on Lake Champlain. Jason #SeeWhatsOutThere in the Countdown to Blastoff and challenges the Circus as he sails out of town, literally. Check it out!
Exciting Times for Iconic Frog Brands
By Vance McCullough
Is there anything in all of fishing to rival the experience of watching a bass blow up on a frog?
All the startle of topwater fishing, leading to a bare-knuckles, heavy cover brawl on par with that experienced while flippin’ giants out of thick mats, frog fishing combines the best of two techniques known to produce oversized bass and heart-stopping action.
Everyone who has experience this thrill owes a hearty ‘thank you’ to Harry Ehlers, Sr. who invented the original hollow-bodied floating frog fifty-several years ago and appropriately named the company ‘Snag Proof’ as the lure allowed anglers to explore previously impenetrable bass hideouts.
His children, Connie Fuller and Harry Ehlers, Jr., ran Snag Proof for many years, successfully refining their dad’s designs and implementing ideas from frog-fishing guru Bobby Barack, along with input and new designs from top tournament pros, including Bassmaster Classic Champ Chris Lane and Elite Series standout Ish Monroe.
A few years back, Connie and Harry, Jr. sold the company to Californian Nathan Chandler. Chandler owned a plastics company and thought he could improve on the formula. Snag Proof lures were still being manufactured in America - a point of pride. However, the altered frogs were too stiff, resulting in poor hook up ratios for heartbroken anglers who just wanted their beloved Snag Proof frogs back.
Last month, Fishing Tackle Retailer announced that American Baitworks bought the company, moving it under the Southern Lure Co. umbrella along with its sibling, Scum Frog, long known as an outstanding value-priced option for frog slingers.
FTR reported:
“Snag Proof is a true American original and we’re excited to have, what we believe, are the only two frog companies currently being manufactured in the USA. The hard work starts now and we are going to introduce Snag Proof to a whole new generation of anglers.” said Matt Massey, President and COO of American Baitworks. “We are investing heavily in modernizing Snag Proof with new product designs and enhanced manufacturing. Snag Proof was hugely innovative when the company sprang onto the scene many years ago and we are bringing that same energy and innovation back to the company.”
Snag Proof’s manufacturing, operations and distribution have been moved to Southern Mississippi, alongside those of Scum Frog.
Miss Connie is happy. “Both Harry and I are excited for the future of the company our dad started. We’re happy to see the company in the hands of people who fish and have a passion for frog fishing in particular.”
Connie has actually been in the Snag Proof ‘kitchen’ helping the new owners return to the original formula that made the frogs slick in cover but also allowed proper penetration to grasp a bass firmly by the jaw.
It’s a painstaking process.
“She has been in there telling us ‘turn up the heat here, change that over there’,” smiled Frank Makin, brand manager for Snag Proof and Scum Frog.
Resuscitated by new ownership and restored by its original innovators, the new Snag Proof promises a return to greatness and the production of a favorite standby of veteran anglers and a ‘new’ favorite for a younger generation of fishing enthusiasts.
Now that ICAST is over..........
By Luke Estel - Tournament Team Blogger
Now that ICAST is over I would like to share a story with you about something that is so much more important that any new product that was unveiled this year at the ICAST show.
It is the one thing we have in this country.
Freedom.
I was recently invited to participate in a special tournament revolving arounds our countries military. The group is called Murphysboro Veterans Support Group. For the past seven years they have put on a charity tournament for any active, disabled, or retired military veteran. We get exclusive access into a private lake stocked full of fish.
This year there were over ten military personnel that showed up to fish the event. We had several volunteers waiting on the banks to fry the fish up that we caught for a cook out and a small awards ceremony following the tournament.
I was lucky enough to draw out with an extraordinary military veteran. His name is Isidoro “E.C.” Castiillo. His father met his mother in Panama while stationed there. They moved back to the states where he and his brother became United States citizens. After his father returned from Desert Storm in 1992, E.C. decided he needed to give back to his country. He served 24 years in the Army, two deployments to Afghanistan, four deployments to Korea and Haiti. He received a Purple Heart and the Medal of Valor. He retired from the service and now spends time with his children.
As the “guides” we are supposed to cater to their needs. If one person wants to crappie fish, then we find someone who crappie fishes. E.C. wanted to bass fish and that is what we did. The rules are simple. There is an award for biggest fish and one for smallest fish. Only the military personnel are allowed to weigh their fish in.
The lake is full of fish and full of bass. We located seral brush piles in one small pocket and proceeded to put on a clinic. And let me tell you, E.C. can catch them! We pitched green pumpkin Strike King Rage Bugs and Rage craws to every piece of cover we could find. We would catch up to ten bass off each piece of cover. It was like catching crappie off a brush pile. By the end of the day we had caught more than 75 bass. E.C. weighed his biggest bass which weighed 3 pounds, 10 ounces. He won the biggest fish award.
After the tournament we all enjoyed a wonderful fish fry with several give a ways that were donated to all the military acting or veterans that fished.
As I left the lake I realized how lucky I was. I get to fish whenever I want. These guys sacrificed more than most will ever comprehend just so we can enjoy our lives. So thank a veteran next time you see him or her. They are why we still have our freedom in this country.
Finesse Fishing: Lighten Up for Bass - Courtesy of Seaguar
Legendary bass pro Shaw Grigsby talks the why, how, and when of finesse bass techniques
Louisville, KY (July 25, 2019) - Bass fishing isn’t always easy. Weather conditions like cold fronts and high-pressure systems, as well as probing the same waters as lots of other anglers can make fishing tough. But there are ways to up your odds in these and other difficult conditions. One of the best? Finesse fishing – fishing smaller baits on lighter line with a more deliberate and slower approach.
When it comes to finesse fishing, one of the greatest finesse bass anglers on the scene – legendary bass pro and tournament angler, Shaw Grigsby – has a wealth of critical information to share that can boost your game on the waters you fish
“One of my favorite fishing techniques is finesse fishing – smaller baits, lighter line, a lot of fish and loads of fun! Why finesse fishing? There are so many times that big baits are just too big for the fish,” Grigsby says. “Bass see them but they just don’t want them; they see the lure too well or the conditions are difficult, like cold fronts, high blue skies, or a lot of people around you fishing, and you just can’t catch them. So downsizing and going finesse can be the key. Just lay your bait out there and kind of jiggle it and really, what it does is all these smaller baits make it look like what’s natural for the bass to eat in their environment.”
In terms of specific techniques, some of Grigsby’s favorite presentations are drop-shot rigs, shakey head worms, wacky worms, tubes, and the legendary Ned Rig, all of which he typically presents in natural colors like green pumpkin and watermelon red.
“And when you present these techniques to them, it appears so real and it’s so small that they don’t have an issue with it,” Grigsby continues. “A lot of times a big bait may appear too bulky – and maybe you’ll catch a giant fish using a big bait at times – but when you get clear water and difficult conditions, then it’s pretty much time to downsize and go finesse. And I’ve caught giants on finesse tactics. Finesse techniques catch as many big fish as they do small and average-size ones.”
Grigsby keeps a half dozen spinning rods rigged up with finesse presentation in his boat at all times. He’s a fan of medium-light power, fast-action Skeet Reese Signature Series spinning rods, typically in the 7’3” range, and Skeet Reese size-30 Victory Pro Wright McGill spinning reels, which he favors for their large spools.
The linchpin to the system, though, is his choice in line. He spools his with Seaguar FINESSE Fluorocarbon, a line designed specifically for finesse bass fishing applications. “It’s really delicate yet strong stuff that excels for all my finesse fishing,” he offers. “I wouldn’t think of using anything else. And compared to other 8-pound line, Seaguar’s 8.4-pound is remarkably thin, supple, and strong, it’s typically my first choice in every finesse fishing application.”
Seaguar has a host of FINESSE 100% fluorocarbon lines for every finesse-fishing situation including 5.2-pound, 6.2-pound, 7.3-pound, and 8.4-pound sizes. These are double-structure fluorocarbon lines, which is an exclusive and superior Seaguar line technology that combines two different resins into one line. The high-density interior resin improves tensile strength and sensitivity while the softer exterior resin enhances knot strength. That means great sensitivity, knot strength, and the strength to handle any big fish you hook while remaining super supple.
“When you’re dealing with spinning tackle, that’s what counts – having a nice supple line that still has the hook-setting power and the strength to hold them,” Grigsby emphasizes. “Because when you’re finesse fishing you never know when that next hookset could be an 8-, 9-, or 10-pound bass. It could be the biggest fish of your life because they’re suckers for those little baits. So that’s why I always carry specific technique rods and reels and use line designed specifically for finesse fishing.”
One of Grigsby’s favorite finesse techniques is fishing a drop-shot rig, which essentially consists of a small plastic bait suspended above a short length of line terminated at the bottom with a weight. “With the drop-shot, you can literally float your baits above bottom and really catch ‘em,” he says. “For most of my drop-shot set-ups I’m using Seaguar 7.3- or 8.4-pound 100% FINESSE Fluorocarbon, which holds up really well and the fish can’t see, whether I’m fishing in clear, open water or around a lot of cover.”
That brings up another point Grigsby is adamant about, and that’s not limiting finesse fishing tactics to clear waters. “You might find flooded areas with a lot of cover where the instinct is to pound with a jig, but finesse tactics – even in heavy cover – can really produce,” Grigsby advises. “Don’t overlook finesse even though you’ve got a lot of cover. It’s simple – hook ‘em, play ‘em, and get them out. Always concentrate on getting the strike, don’t worry about landing them. Landing them generally happens.”
Grigsby is a big fan of fishing wacky worm rigs in heavy cover, typically a 5-inch Strike King Ocho on a Trokar hook with weed guard on Seaguar 7.3- or 8.4-pound 100% FINESSE Fluorocarbon line. “When you throw something really light like a wacky worm into heavy cover on a finesse rig, it can really produce. A lot of times you can catch ‘em when other methods fail to produce.”
Lastly, Grigsby also carries a rod or two in his boat for Ned Rig fishing, a finesse technique that has earned an almost magical reputation across the country.
“The Ned Rig has really come along to be one of the main finesse baits to just catch ‘em,” says Grigsby. “It’s awesome. I got introduced to it about three or four years ago with its flat head – like you took an Aspirin and put a hook in it – and using something like an Ocho worm that you cut in half. I didn’t have any of the right jigheads so I just took the Ochos I had, cut them in half, and started fishing them on a regular 3/16-oz. shakey head and just caught the fire out of the fish!” he recalls. “But once you get a Ned jighead and it stands up so perfectly it works even better. Something I found out that’s really interesting is that when you discover the bass are eating this little bait, a Ned worm also works wonders on a Trokar nose hook fished as a drop shot. I started fishing it on a drop shot and the fish I caught was ridiculous. So, I now combine the two techniques quite a bit.”
No matter where you fish bass, going finesse can definitely up your odds for more and bigger fish when the going gets tough. Take a few tips from legendary bass pro and finesse expert, Shaw Grigsby, and we promise you’ll put more bass in the boat, too.
Collins & Underwood win AnglersQuest Rayburn Team event with over 32 pounds!!!
Courtesy of AnglersQuest FB Page
The team of Albert Collins and Jimmy Underwood brought 5 fish to the scales
Weighing 32.77 lbs., but came in early to try and save one of their fish but sadly it didn’t survive.
So they had to settle for 32,27 lbs. for the WIN. Albert reported catching their fish mid lake out
of his Triton powered by Mercury in 8 to 15 ft of water on main lake drops. Albert says they caught the
8lb’er on a frog. He said for the rest of their fish they used Mister Twister Hang 10 Worms, Mister Twister Mag Bust12 Worms, 6th Sense Cloud C-25 Crankbaits, and would like to Thank Elite Tungsten, Sunline, Kistler Rods, Missle Baits, Rod Armorz, Kick’N Bass. Albert & Jimmy also had the biggest bass of the day a really nice 9.23 lb’er and they took home a total of $2,135.00 for their day on the water.
The team of john Frazier & James Carlton came in second with their 5 fish limit weighing
24.42 lbs. they fished out of a Skeeter powered by Yamaha They reported fishing north in
2-3 feet of water flippin’ beavers in shallow bushes and they would like to thank their wives Angela & Tina
for allowing them the time to fish. John & James won $1,205.00 total for their day on the water.
Tommy Hill & Bubba Frazier came in third with a limit of bass weighing 21.93 lbs. They fished out of
Skeeter / Yamaha rig mid lake frogs and flipping on grass points & bushes in 2 to 7 feet of water. Tommy and Bubba won $720.00 for their time on the water and would like to thank Dylan Williams Insurance for
Their support and Ms. Penny & Ms. Dana for allowing them to chase those bass…..
Fourth place was Larry Cotton and Clint May, But Larry had to fish alone this time. Larry brought
In 5 fish that weighed 19.08 lbs and he won $475.00.Larry reported fishing out of his new Skeeter
powered by Yamaha. Larry say he fished mid-lake in 12 feet of water on crank baits. He says a couple of times he was catching 2 fish at a time….. He wants to thank his beautiful bride Ms. Tina.
Fifth place was held by the one and only Coach Glen Kimble. Glen fished mid lake out of his Bass Cat / Mercury flipping frogs and 10” worms. He wants to give a shout out to his wife Ms. Julie for all of her support. Glen won $330.00 for his day on the water.
The last place money spot goes to the team of Danny Cross & Derrick Shoffit. They reported fishing
North-ish in 2-8 ft flipping in the bushes and 18 to 20 feet off deep ledges. Danny and Derrick won
Their entry fee of $200 back and would like to Thank Jesus Christ, Shoffit Marine and their wives….
You know its only getting hotter and I understand the heat makes it hard to want to go out and fish. But I hope you know how very much I appreciate each and every one of you that come out and support Anglers Quest. As long as there as some who want to fish, Anglers Quest will be here for you guys and gals. We will be back at Big Sam Rayburn on August 3rd for the team tournament and August 4th for the next Individual Tournament. And of course Ms. Kathy will try to have you guys some sweets for when you come in and we always have iced down drinks to help cool you guys off…Now with that said, I would like some input on making weigh-in a hour or two earlier so that you guys aren’t out in the heat as long. What do you guys think??? I don’t want to make a decision with out hearing from you.
Danny Cross wins Anglers Quest Rayburn Individual with over 20 pounds!
Courtesy of AnglersQuest FB Page.
Danny Cross came in first place bringing in his 5 fish limit weighing 20.71 lbs. He also beat Glen Kimble out of big bass by bringing in a 8.36 lb’er. Danny fishes out of a Champion boat powered by a Mercury motor. He says he fished North on deep ledges in 18 to 29 feet and also flipping the bushes in 2 to 8 feet of water. Danny won a total of $775 for his day on the water. He would like to thank Jesus Christ, Shoffit Marine, his lovely wife Vallie Cross and Especially Glen Kimble for letting him win… lol……
Glen Kimble came in second place with hi limit weighing 20.04 lbs and his biggest bass was 8.20 lbs.
Glen fishes out of his Bass Cat / Mercury rig and reported fishing the mid lake area flipping frogs and worms in approximately 6 feet of water and glen would like to thank the love of his life Ms. Julie for allowing him to chase after those green fish. Glen won$290.00 for his day in the heat.
I have to mention Marshall Hughes, He came in with an awesome limit that weighed 19.59 lbs. He fishes out of a Triton Boat powered by Mercury and say he fished north of the 147 bridge, he was fishing with jigs and worms on ledges in 20 to 25 feet of water. He would like to thank County Home & Outdoors, Triton and Mercury for all their support.
You know its only getting hotter and I understand the heat makes it hard to want to go out and fish. But I hope you know how very much I appreciate each and every one of you that come out and support Anglers Quest. As long as there as some who want to fish, Anglers Quest will be here for you guys and gals. We will be back at Big Sam Rayburn on August 3rd for the team tournament and August 4th for the next Individual Tournament. And of course Ms. Kathy will try to have you guys some sweets for when you come in and we always have iced down drinks to help cool you guys off…Now with that said, I would like some input on making weigh-in a hour or two earlier so that you guys aren’t out in the heat as long. What do you guys think??? I don’t want to make a decision with out hearing from you.
Barbara Long
Anglers Quest
Owner / Tournament Director
281-852-8842
Or
281-577-7855
2019 Progressive Bass Wrap Up Show - Episode 2 - South East Tournament Coverage
This week the team heads to Lake James to cover the Carolina Bass Challenge 2nd stop on the North Division. We then head to Lake Hartwell and visit with the Bassmaster Elite series as they do battle on this beautiful fishery. We wrap the show up with coverage from the 30th annual Wolfson Childrens Hospital Charity event down in Palatka Florida. Strike King and Lews tips of the week, Sportsmans Warehouse product spotlights and more!
Countdown to the Cup!
The boys are back and talking FLW Cup coming up in just a couple of weeks on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They welcome in FLW Rookie of the Year Ron Nelson to the program to talk about his rookie campaign and how he is preparing for his first FLW Cup. The Circus joins in as Chris brings it home with the Progressive Bass Wrap up. Ya'll check it out!
Costa Sunglasses® Adds Eleventh “Best Eyewear” Title from ICAST
Daytona Beach, Fla. – July 23, 2019 – Costa’s WaterWoman frame won the title of Best of Category - Eyewear during the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) 2019 New Product Showcase Awards in Orlando, Fla. earlier this month. This honor marks Costa’s first female style to win an ICAST award and the eleventh ICAST award Costa products have won for various new sunglass styles and lens technologies since 2008.
Designed for the woman who wrings every last drop out of her time on the water, the new WaterWoman offers a medium fit and combines elegance with performance. The new style features beautifully angled temples, CAM-action hinges and color-contrasting Hydrolite accents throughout. WaterWoman also features a newly-designed keeper hole, which fits all Costa keepers. Available colors include Matte Shadow Tortoise, Shiny Palm Tortoise, Shiny Wahoo, and Shiny Blond Crystal.
“As a solely female frame that’s now one of our newest best-selling styles (joining the ranks of many unisex or male-focused styles), we have been overwhelmed with the positive reception of the WaterWoman frame,” said John Sanchez, vice president of product development for Costa Sunglasses. “This style has been a breakthrough frame for Costa—combining the on-water performance that Costa is known for with the latest styles and trends. We are honored to accept this award from a highly respected group of anglers, aficionados and industry professionals.”
The ICAST New Product Showcase Awards is an annual event featuring over 1,000 nominated products, with a 2018 attendance of over 15,000 registered attendees eligible to vote for their favorite innovations in tackle, gear, accessories and apparel in the global sportfishing world.
For more information on Costa Sunglasses, visit www.costasunglasses.com.
Tides Will Play a Major Role at Bassmaster Open on James River
| July 18, 2019RICHMOND, Va. — Garrett Paquette has had a good relationship with the James River.
In 2016, he and his partner Zak Fadden of Schoolcraft College finished eighth in a Carhartt Bassmaster College Series event on the James. Then in 2017, Paquette placed fourth in a Bassmaster Open there, earning a check for $10,812. But as he prepares for next week’s Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on the James River, Paquette expects to see a completely different fishery than he’s experienced in the past. “The last time I was there (in 2017), it was at the end of July,” said Paquette, who’s now a successful rookie on the Bassmaster Elite Series. “So, we’re going at the same time of year. “But one thing you always have to prepare for when you fish the James River is the tides — and the tides this year are going to be completely different than they were last time I was there.” Competition days will be Thursday through Saturday, with daily takeoffs at 6 a.m. ET from Osborne Park & Boat Landing. Weigh-ins on Days 1 and 2 will be held at the landing at 2 p.m., and the final-day weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in Ashland, Va. The James River has served as the venue for 11 previous major events. The tide was a factor for all of those tournaments — and as Paquette said, it will be for this one as well. “The things that worked for me last time, I just can’t see working for me until maybe Day 3,” Paquette said. “I’m kind of getting nervous about it already.” To deal with the tidal fluctuation that comes from the James River’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Paquette said anglers will basically have two choices. “One way to approach it is to find an area with fish and sit in there all day — high tide, low tide or whatever — and just kind of change presentations throughout the day,” he said. “The other thing that works when fishing tides is just fishing really specific targets and running the tide, just moving around the river and hitting the specific stretches you want to fish at just the right time.” With the current tidal predictions, Paquette expects that latter strategy to be particularly tough. He believes 13 to 14 pounds per day will put an angler in good position to win — and he thinks employing all of the typical river-fishing methods will be the key to amassing that weight. “The cool thing about the James is there are no secrets,” Paquette said. “It’s very rare when someone even gets a Top 10 and you look back and say ‘Wow, I didn’t think of that.’ “It’s very basic river fishing — flipping, frogs, ChatterBaits, spinnerbaits, maybe a Pop-R-style bait and then finesse fishing.” The James River was the site of three Bassmaster Classics in 1988-90. More recently, the fishery has hosted six Opens since 2011, including the 2016 event won by former Elite Series pro Charlie Hartley and the 2017 tournament won by current Elite angler and Virginia resident Rick Morris. “Because it’s going to be so hot and the tides aren’t going to be perfect, I think it’s going to be a little stingier than it has been at times in the past,” said Paquette, who has five career Top 10 finishes with B.A.S.S. “But it’s still going to be a great tournament.” |
ICAST 2019 – Missile Baits
By: Kenneth Grover
TheD-Bombhas been a hit since the day it was introduced, and Missile Baits continues to add to their lineup of highly effective lures. This year at ICAST it is all about adding colors to the already productive lineup of baits. Byron also shows us the new Ike’s Micro Football Jig that will be available in six different colors with weights of ¼ oz. and 3/8 oz. I would like to thank Byron Childers, Missile Baits Director of Sales, for giving us all the details in this brief video.
Both the D Bomband the Baby D Bombhave become a staple in many tackle boxes and there are a few new colors that will surely get some attention. These new colors are: Ballistic Bruiser, Bayou Flash and Candy Bomb. There are also several colors being offered in a 25-pack which offers a savings over the standard 6-pack.
TheNed Bombwas introduced at the 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic earlier this year and has been rivaling the sales of the D Bomb. The addition of tail colors will become enticing options for fishermen looking for something unique with their Neg Rig techniques. The new colors for the Ned Bombinclude: Baby Bass Tail, Green Pumpkin Blue Flash Tail, Green Pumpkin Ghost Tail, Green Pumpkin Purple Pink Tail, Grape Soda Tail, and Purple Cloud Chartreuse Tail. The Ned Bombhas been an instant success for the Ned Rig techniques that continue to gain in popularity.
The Bomb Shot, which was introduced at ICAST in 2018, has been a very popular bait for the Drop Shot technique. It is also getting additional colors to the lineup which include: Cherry Blossom, GP3 and Pink Belly. This 4” bait has a solid head, a fully ribbed body and a super thin paddle tail. The Bomb Shotcan be rigged by nose hooking or traditional Texas rigging for a more weedless approach.
The ShockwaveSwimbait is getting two additional colors with Bloody Pro Pearl and Pink Bombshell. This bait is offered in a 3.5” and a 4.25” version. The ShockwaveSwimbait offers versatility in rigging options that include: Chatterbait trailer, A-Rig, Carolina Rig, weightless and a jig head.
For more information:
Missile Baits
170 Turner Road
Salem, VA 24153
855-466-5738
LOCAL ANGLER LECLERE AND TENNESSEE’S JOHNSON TIE FOR WIN AT T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON OHIO RIVER AT ROCKY POINT
Indianapolis’ Rosemeyer Wins Co-angler Division
CANNELTON, Ind. (July 22, 2019) – Local angler Chris LeClere of Cannelton, Indiana, and Daniel Johnson of Lebanon, Tennessee, both brought a weigh-in bag to the scale Saturday totaling 9 pounds, 9 ounces, to tie for the win at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Hoosier Division event on the Ohio River. With his Ranger Cup contingency LeClere was the big winner, taking home $4,061, while Johnson earned $3,511 for his efforts.
“I caught all of my fish flipping craws and brush hogs in the back of a creek,” said LeClere, who also won the BFL event on the Ohio River at Rocky Point last year. “I caught 11 fish, but I only had four keepers. I did have one good one come off on me. I was fishing mostly channel stumps and laydowns.
“To win back-to-back on my home waters feels good,” LeClere went on to say.
“I had never been to the Ohio River before, but when I showed up to practice and saw that it looked very similar to my home waters of Old Hickory Lake, I knew I was going to like it,” Johnson said. “I caught everything in Deer Creek – one on a buzzbait, everything else came flipping.”
Johnson said his big fish of the day came on the buzzbait, white with a 5-inch swimbait trailer. When flipping shallow wood he used a green-pumpkin-colored Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver, and while flipping lily pads he chose a green-pumpkin Berkley Pit Boss.
“The morning bite was key,” Johnson said. “I got in a good rotation and got to fish a lot of fresh water and get some good bites. There was a lot of pressure in the creek and after the first hour it really slowed down.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris LeClere, Cannelton, Ind., four bass, 9-9, $2,061 + $2,000 Ranger Cup
1st: Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 9-9, $3,511
3rd: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 9-2, $1,371
4th: Luke Foli, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 8-12, $641
5th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 7-5, $650
6th: Larry Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 6-15, $504
7th: Mike Quinlin, Mooresville, Ind., five bass, 6-8, $458
7th: Todd Hensley, New Albany, Ind., three bass, 6-1, $412
9th: Nick Uebelhor, Loogootee, Ind., three bass, 6-0, $366
10th: Mark Dove, North Vernon, Ind., four bass, 5-14, $321
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Campbell caught a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $305.
Indianapolis, Indiana’s Mike Rosemeyer won the Co-angler Division and $1,524 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mike Rosemeyer, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 8-4, $1,524
2nd: Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., five bass, 8-1, $787
3rd: Collin Hillen, Evansville, Ind., three bass, 6-9, $459
4th: Michael DeHart, Franklin, Ind., one bass, 4-14, $473
5th: Robert Lenear, Bedford, Ky., three bass, 4-9, $275
6th: Ronnie Gill, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 3-11, $252
7th: Mike Hamaker, Cicero, Ind., three bass, 3-9, $229
8th: Jeff McCarnan, Henderson, Ky., three bass, 3-7, $256
9th: Bill Lowther, Brandenburg, Ky., three bass, 3-6, $171
9th: Nicole Foor, Greens Fork, Ind., three bass, 3-6, $171
DeHart caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $152.
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 Lake presented by Evinrude in Paris, Tennessee. 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.
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN BASS CLUB WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING MISSISSIPPI RIVER OPEN
WABASHA, Minn. (July 22, 2019) – The Northeast Wisconsin Bass Club duo of Trace Yeager of Shawano, Wisconsin, and Reece Keeney of Hortonville, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Mississippi River Open presented by Evinrude.
A field of 47 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Izaak Walton Park in Wabasha, Minnesota. The tournament was hosted by the Wabasha-Kellogg Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau. In FLW and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams on the Mississippi River that advanced to the 2020 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Northeast Wisconsin Bass Club – Trace Yeager, Shawano, Wis., and Reece Keeney, Hortonville, Wis., five bass, 16-4
2nd: Baldwin-Woodville High School, Baldwin, Wis. – Cody Brightbill, Baldwin, Wis., and Easton Lindus, Woodville, Wis., five bass, 15-4
3rd: Melrose-Mindoro High School, Melrose, Wis. – Ethan Stanton, Mindoro, Wis., and Cael Cogdill, Melrose, Wis., five bass, 14-13
4th: Albert Lea High School, Albert Lea, Minn. – Griffin Thompson and Thomas Lundell, both of Albert Lea, Minn., five bass, 14-11
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
5th: Owatonna High School, Owatonna, Minn. – Brady Matz and Walker Krampitz, both of Waseca, Minn., five bass, 14-0
6th: Brevard High School, Brevard, N.C. – Matthew Case, Brevard, N.C., and Andrew Howell, Pisgah Forest, N.C., five bass, 13-8
7th: Wabasha-Kellogg Secondary School, Wabasha, Minn. – Tanner Sanderson, Wabasha, Minn., and Gavin Owens, St. Charles, Minn., five bass, 13-8
8th: Waupaca Junior Bass Busters, Waupaca, Wis. – Tyler Cory, Amherst, Wis., and Casey Hoffman, New London, Wis., five bass, 12-13
9th: Prescott High School, Prescott, Wis. – Hunter Navarro and Cole Dravis, both of Prescott, Wis., five bass, 12-13
10th: Waupaca Junior Bass Busters, Waupaca, Wis. – Tucker Cory, Amherst, Wis., and Brock Gullixon, Iola, Wis., five bass, 12-11
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Mississippi River Open presented by Evinrude was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the 2020 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2020 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2019 World Finals more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2019 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Jurs & West Win US Anglers Choice Big Green Lake Derby with over 21 pounds!
WIliams & Furrow win Fishers of Men Chickahominy event with over 13 pounds!
| Place | Team | Members | # Fish | Big Fish | Gross | Penalty | Net Wt | Points | |
| 1 | 23998 | Lewis Williams Mariley Furrow |
5 | 5.81 | 13.85 | 0 | 13.85 | 200 | |
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| 2 | 23961 | Thomas Edmunds Kenneth Donnelly |
5 | 6.5 | 13.78 | 0 | 13.78 | 199 | |
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| 3 | 22761 | Gregory Meadows Zach Meadows |
5 | 4 | 13.77 | 0 | 13.77 | 198 | |
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| 4 | 23959 | Michael Heatwole Mark Heatwole |
5 | 0 | 13.71 | 0 | 13.71 | 197 | |
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| 5 | 8258 | James Sutton James Whittman |
5 | 5.25 | 13.1 | 0 | 13.1 | 196 | |
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| 6 | 23211 | Eric Rowe Eddie Griggs |
5 | 0 | 12.51 | 0 | 12.51 | 195 | |
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| 7 | 22698 | Steven Roberts Jeffery Banko |
5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 194 | |
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| 8 | 4304 | Richard Showalter Daniel Showalter |
5 | 0 | 11.59 | 0 | 11.59 | 193 | |
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| 9 | 24511 | Robert Sutton Mark Adams Jr |
5 | 0 | 11.27 | 0 | 11.27 | 192 | |
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| 10 | 12268 | Brandon Hill Kevin King |
5 | 0 | 10.97 | 0 | 10.97 | 191 | |
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| 11 | 23956 | JACOB KUPSELAITIS JOSEPH KUPSELAITIS |
5 | 0 | 10.38 | 0 | 10.38 | 140 | |
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| 12 | 23958 | David Williams Darryl Williams |
3 | 0 | 10.61 | 0.25 | 10.36 | 189 | |
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| 13 | 24857 | Marshall Johnson Ryan Lachniet |
5 | 0 | 10.15 | 0 | 10.15 | 188 | |
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| 14 | 6795 | Carl Sadler Aaron Sadler |
5 | 0 | 9.02 | 0 | 9.02 | 187 | |
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| 15 | 23994 | Edward Gantt Bryce Henley |
5 | 0 | 7.34 | 0 | 7.34 | 186 | |
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| 16 | 18788 | Ray Scroggins Christopher Scroggins |
5 | 0 | 7.13 | 0 | 7.13 | 185 | |
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| 17 | 23366 | Greg Soukup Darrell Hobson |
2 | 5 | 7.12 | 0 | 7.12 | 184 | |
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| 18 | 23113 | John Rogers Jr John Rogers III |
1 | 4.47 | 4.47 | 0 | 4.47 | 183 | |
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| 19 | 23954 | Brian Barth Brett Anderson |
3 | 0 | 4.37 | 0.25 | 4.12 | 182 | |
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| 20 | 21257 | Shawn Smith Curtis Welton |
1 | 3.98 | 3.98 | 0 | 3.98 | 181 | |
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| 21 | 24006 | Arnie Bailey Tracy McKinney |
2 | 0 | 3.71 | 0 | 3.71 | 180 | |
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| 22 | 21772 | Allen Walden James Hendrick |
1 | 1.52 | 1.52 | 0 | 1.52 | 179 | |
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| 23 | 22678 | Jay Perkins Christopher Gren |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 128 | |
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| 24 | 23960 | Travis Law Matthew Tate |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 178 | |
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| 25 | 24831 | Greg Arbaugh Bobby Arbaugh |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 178 | |
Robin & Kenny Oh Take Best Bass Win on Castaic
| Place | Angler | Angler | Total Fish | Big Fish | Total Weight | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robin Oh | Kenny Oh | 5 | 2.58 | 9.78 | $1,340.00 |
| 2 | Dennis Rodriguez | Anthony Rodriguez | 3 | 3.10 | 7.43 | $1,020.00 |
| 3 | Soon Chul Lee | Jimmy Nhieu | 4 | 0.00 | 7.34 | $580.00 |
| 4 | Jessie Gonzales | Chris Patrizio | 3 | 2.67 | 5.54 | $285.00 |
| 5 | Benjamin M Green | Warren Mauran | 2 | 3.14 | 5.23 | $250.00 |
| 6 | Alexander G Carl | Erick A Carl | 2 | 3.03 | 4.83 | $100.00 |
| 7 | Joe Clark | Marin G Parra | 2 | 2.79 | 4.24 | $0.00 |
| 8 | Daniel Conner | Justin Carmudy | 2 | 2.16 | 3.86 | $0.00 |
| 9 | Chris Arnold | Justin Grant | 2 | 2.10 | 3.81 | $0.00 |
| 10 | Renato Padilla | Jose J Delgadillo | 2 | 0.00 | 3.77 | $0.00 |
| 11 | Dan Trippeda | Dave Baltes | 2 | 0.00 | 3.44 | $0.00 |
| 12 | Brendon J Odell | Carson Odell | 2 | 0.00 | 3.42 | $0.00 |
| 13 | Dwayne Fochler | Wallace Hemminger | 2 | 0.00 | 3.37 | $250.00 |
| 14 | Kevin Miner | George K Reed III | 2 | 0.00 | 3.17 | $150.00 |
| 15 | Jon Potts | Ronald Vickrey | 2 | 0.00 | 3.11 | $0.00 |
| 16 | Steven Montes | John B Younce | 1 | 0.00 | 1.90 | $0.00 |
| 17 | Raymond Tak | Ronaldo Kim | 1 | 0.00 | 1.67 | $0.00 |
| 18 | Michael A Delucia | Matthew E Delucia | 1 | 0.00 | 1.66 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Brian A Trusso | Tony Manfro | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | James Hall | Rebecca Hall | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Kevin Jones | David Montanari | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Todd M Langston | Margaret Langston | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Walter Kondracki | Lance Karafelas | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Lenny Scinto | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 19 | Scott Swank | Karyn Usher | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 19 | Derek Morrison | Ron Morrison | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
HAHNE WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN LA CROSSE
LA CROSSE, Wis. (July 22, 2019) – Boater Darren Hahne of Ottawa, Illinois, brought in a three-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River Saturday. Hahne earned $6,466 for his victory.
“I’ve finished second twice, so to finally earn a win in a BFL tournament feels really good,” said Hahne, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “The river was really muddy, but I found one spot that had clear water and had it all to myself and that turned out to be the key.
“I was fishing in Pool No. 8, the lower end, just frogging and flipping,” Hahne continued. “Between my co-angler and I, we caught around 14 or 15 keepers. The best action was in the morning, from 6:30 until 10:30.”
When flipping Hahne threw a Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw (black and blue), and a Booyah Pad Crasher (Bronzeye) while frogging. Two of his three limit-fish came flipping, one frogging.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Darren Hahne, Ottawa, Ill., three bass, 11-7, $4,466 + $2,000 Ranger Cup
2nd: Rick Pieper, Maysville, Iowa, three bass, 10-12, $1,883
3rd: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 10-11, $1,606
4th: Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 10-3, $879
5th: Kyle Von Ruden, Stoddard, Wis., three bass, 9-14, $753
6th: Dick Crider, Gurnee, Ill., three bass, 9-12, $690
7th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., three bass, 9-11, $778
8th: Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, three bass, 9-10, $565
9th: Kyler Chelminiak, Franklin, Wis., three bass, 9-9, $802
10th: Rick Martin, Winter, Wis., three bass, 9-5, $439
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Hahne also caught the largest bass of the event – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces – to earn the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $500.
Lee Lewis of Peoria, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $1,883 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Lee Lewis, Peoria, Ill., three bass, 9-15, $1,883
2nd: Bill Gabel, Willowbrook, Ill., three bass, 9-9, $942
3rd: Joseph Johnson, Maquoketa, Iowa, three bass, 9-3, $627
4th: Mike Fischer, Stacy, Minn., three bass, 8-15, $758
5th: Thomas Roberts, Waunakee, Wis., three bass, 8-15, $508
6th: Zuteus Sevenants, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 8-13, $345
7th: Dylan Drephal, Black Creek, Wis., three bass, 8-12, $514
8th: Kevin Anderson, Ettrick, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $282
9th: Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., three bass, 8-4, $251
10th: Levi Schmidt, Caledonia, Minn., three bass, 8-2, $220
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse was hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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 Lake presented by Evinrude in Paris, Tennessee. 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.
Kevin & Madison Moore take Best Bass Clear Lake event Win with over 25 pounds & 9.94 Kicker!
| Place | Angler | Angler | Total Fish | Big Fish | Total Weight | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin K Moore | Madison Moore | 5 | 9.94 | 25.74 | $5,045.00 |
| 2 | Bryan S Ehresman | Gilbert Ehresman | 5 | 7.69 | 22.66 | $2,720.00 |
| 3 | Doug Hutchison | 5 | 6.81 | 19.74 | $640.00 | |
| 4 | Chris M Devette | Donald W Johnson | 5 | 5.78 | 19.64 | $1,235.00 |
| 5 | Tim Sharpe | Tj Sharpe | 5 | 6.32 | 19.58 | $1,195.00 |
| 6 | Zane J Wiley | Patrick A Mateo | 5 | 5.52 | 19.03 | $860.00 |
| 7 | Brian P Coughlin | 5 | 4.62 | 18.41 | $450.00 | |
| 8 | Kevin Ryan | Clint R Winger | 5 | 4.40 | 18.37 | $540.00 |
| 9 | Jesse L Roach | Jesse M Roach | 5 | 5.75 | 18.28 | $345.00 |
| 10 | Brent D Oneill | Nathan Ahlers | 5 | 6.29 | 17.75 | $420.00 |
| 11 | Scott Bern | Terry Flowers | 5 | 0.00 | 17.71 | $180.00 |
| 12 | Jared Clark | Frank J Antonio Jr | 5 | 0.00 | 17.43 | $165.00 |
| 13 | Scott C Townsend | Christian J Burns | 5 | 0.00 | 17.26 | $150.00 |
| 14 | Steven G Jensen | Scott Silveira | 5 | 7.76 | 17.24 | $630.00 |
| 15 | Tracy Newton | Roger Newton | 5 | 4.25 | 17.20 | $140.00 |
| 16 | Edward A Zinda Jr | Frank Ono | 5 | 0.00 | 16.71 | $135.00 |
| 17 | Doug Bender | Dennis Bender | 5 | 0.00 | 16.69 | $135.00 |
| 18 | Scott C Mackenzie | Jimmy M Kuroki | 5 | 0.00 | 16.24 | $130.00 |
| 18 | Jonathan Geyer | Daniel A Segale | 5 | 0.00 | 16.24 | $130.00 |
| 20 | Steve Thurmon | John Kort | 5 | 4.54 | 16.21 | $120.00 |
| 21 | Igor Reiant | Andrey Pereverzev | 5 | 0.00 | 16.19 | $120.00 |
| 22 | Ryan M German | Josh Reublin | 5 | 0.00 | 16.13 | $120.00 |
| 23 | Peter W Jacobson | Hunter B Jacobson | 5 | 5.92 | 16.08 | $0.00 |
| 23 | Dale E Minjack | Joseph Mc Millian | 5 | 5.17 | 16.08 | $0.00 |
| 25 | Michael Allen | Tom P Manley | 5 | 4.45 | 16.06 | $0.00 |
| 26 | Chris A Brizendine | Eric W Crow | 5 | 0.00 | 15.92 | $0.00 |
| 27 | Roger A Tarin | Kevin Ward | 5 | 0.00 | 15.79 | $0.00 |
| 28 | James K Wardell | Spiro Stamos | 5 | 0.00 | 15.74 | $0.00 |
| 29 | Craig Smith | Barb Smith | 5 | 0.00 | 15.66 | $0.00 |
| 30 | Shayn O Neill | Eric Castro | 5 | 0.00 | 15.64 | $0.00 |
| 31 | Jake Stephens | Troy Phelps | 5 | 0.00 | 15.59 | $0.00 |
| 32 | Jason Hopper | Bill Vernon | 5 | 0.00 | 15.57 | $0.00 |
| 33 | Theadore P Vlahos | Ron L Bushers | 5 | 0.00 | 15.48 | $0.00 |
| 34 | John Bell | Logan Bell | 5 | 0.00 | 15.43 | $0.00 |
| 35 | Joe Mariani | Jack E Mariani | 5 | 0.00 | 15.40 | $0.00 |
| 36 | Bon M Gotuaco | Michael J Chen | 5 | 0.00 | 15.27 | $0.00 |
| 37 | Dustin D Keen | Rich Mendoza | 5 | 5.11 | 15.21 | $0.00 |
| 38 | Mike Rothstein | Forrest E Stogner | 5 | 0.00 | 15.19 | $0.00 |
| 39 | Orrin L Turold | Dan Eckhart | 5 | 0.00 | 15.00 | $0.00 |
| 40 | David S Runnells | Dave Della | 5 | 0.00 | 14.98 | $0.00 |
| 41 | John Halleib | Jim Halleib | 5 | 5.80 | 14.96 | $0.00 |
| 42 | Marvin Dixon | Lance Evans | 5 | 0.00 | 14.90 | $0.00 |
| 43 | Dana M Remy Jr | Casey M Remy | 5 | 4.95 | 14.85 | $0.00 |
| 44 | Jason Alger | Jonas Alger | 5 | 4.70 | 14.77 | $0.00 |
| 45 | Ryan Uda | Brian Roh | 5 | 5.05 | 14.74 | $0.00 |
| 46 | Tim P Lam | Tim V Nguyen | 5 | 0.00 | 14.70 | $0.00 |
| 47 | Billy Davis | Claudio M Silva Jr | 5 | 0.00 | 14.65 | $0.00 |
| 48 | Kip Whiteacre | Todd B Clark | 5 | 0.00 | 14.54 | $0.00 |
| 49 | Michael T Schnack | Codey McBeth | 5 | 0.00 | 14.44 | $0.00 |
| 50 | Jamie Lima | 5 | 0.00 | 14.42 | $0.00 | |
| 51 | Derrick Shay | Bruce Tackett | 5 | 0.00 | 14.30 | $0.00 |
| 52 | Adrian Murar | Nick Dulleck | 5 | 0.00 | 14.23 | $0.00 |
| 53 | Victor Lameyse | Richard J McAnulty | 5 | 4.53 | 14.20 | $0.00 |
| 54 | Adam Young | Amy L Robertson | 5 | 4.85 | 14.18 | $0.00 |
| 55 | Jimmy Johnson | Tammie Kemp | 5 | 0.00 | 14.17 | $0.00 |
| 56 | Dalton A Tyler | Jack Lightsey | 5 | 0.00 | 14.07 | $0.00 |
| 57 | Justin K Fearn | Eric L Padgett | 5 | 0.00 | 14.00 | $0.00 |
| 58 | William R Huss III | Arlen B Holt Jr | 5 | 0.00 | 13.99 | $0.00 |
| 58 | Mark McCord | Mike Caddick | 5 | 0.00 | 13.99 | $0.00 |
| 60 | Bobby Herrin | Nathan Ghilotti | 5 | 0.00 | 13.97 | $0.00 |
| 61 | George Boyd | Eric Boyd | 5 | 4.61 | 13.92 | $0.00 |
| 62 | Colton J Henson | Matt J Croucher | 5 | 0.00 | 13.64 | $0.00 |
| 63 | Jerod Adams | Joshua Adams | 5 | 0.00 | 13.58 | $0.00 |
| 64 | Bruce L Peters | Brad Ladd | 5 | 0.00 | 13.56 | $0.00 |
| 65 | Robert D Schneider Jr | Thomas C Ostrand | 5 | 0.00 | 13.55 | $0.00 |
| 65 | Tom Salo | Charles Wooten | 5 | 0.00 | 13.55 | $0.00 |
| 67 | Joe Paez | Blake D Estrada | 5 | 0.00 | 13.45 | $0.00 |
| 68 | Randy Walker | Bob G Tyler | 5 | 0.00 | 13.40 | $0.00 |
| 69 | Beth Holmes | Brandon A Jones | 5 | 4.09 | 13.35 | $0.00 |
| 70 | Mike E Nelson | Steve W Skaggs | 5 | 0.00 | 13.27 | $0.00 |
| 71 | Anthony P Tardivet | Steve Tonelli | 5 | 0.00 | 13.15 | $0.00 |
| 72 | Christian M Wagers | Steve L Grob | 5 | 0.00 | 13.12 | $0.00 |
| 73 | John W Zinda | Rustin L McLaughlin | 5 | 0.00 | 13.04 | $0.00 |
| 74 | Chris Kreps | Spencer E Smith | 5 | 0.00 | 13.02 | $0.00 |
| 75 | Al Ossello Jr | Ron Cormier | 5 | 0.00 | 12.93 | $0.00 |
| 76 | Michael Tremont | Sean Wayman | 5 | 0.00 | 12.90 | $0.00 |
| 77 | Anthony L Prophet | Vern R Westberg II | 5 | 0.00 | 12.88 | $0.00 |
| 78 | Kenny R Cramer Jr | Kody G Cramer | 5 | 0.00 | 12.63 | $0.00 |
| 79 | Jerry E Lawler | Addison L Williams | 5 | 0.00 | 12.62 | $0.00 |
| 80 | Glenn R Sargent | Shelley L Sargent | 5 | 0.00 | 12.61 | $0.00 |
| 81 | Dean A Eichelmann Jr | Tony Su | 5 | 0.00 | 12.52 | $0.00 |
| 82 | Ryan R Mercado | Tanner E Moyle | 5 | 0.00 | 12.48 | $0.00 |
| 83 | Shane E Robertson | Matt S Hunt | 5 | 0.00 | 12.32 | $0.00 |
| 84 | Casey Dunn | Kade Dunn | 5 | 0.00 | 12.29 | $0.00 |
| 85 | Ryan Scott | Aaron Scott | 5 | 0.00 | 12.27 | $0.00 |
| 86 | Sam McVay | Mark A McVay | 5 | 0.00 | 12.21 | $0.00 |
| 87 | Timothy M Lucero | Jack D Simoni | 5 | 0.00 | 12.18 | $0.00 |
| 88 | Richard A Hamilton | 5 | 0.00 | 11.92 | $0.00 | |
| 88 | Khu Yang | Kong Chang | 5 | 0.00 | 11.92 | $0.00 |
| 90 | Michael A Smith | Robert Ballard | 5 | 0.00 | 11.61 | $0.00 |
| 91 | Jeff Hardin Sr | Cassie Hardin | 5 | 0.00 | 11.59 | $0.00 |
| 92 | Trent L Vannieuwburg | Jason R Minear | 5 | 0.00 | 11.46 | $0.00 |
| 93 | Steven P Costello | Gary Huhtala | 5 | 0.00 | 11.43 | $0.00 |
| 94 | Patrick J Mateo | Trinity Thompson | 5 | 0.00 | 11.40 | $0.00 |
| 95 | Scott D Norton | 5 | 0.00 | 11.31 | $0.00 | |
| 96 | Kevin Mead | Timothy W Iorio | 5 | 0.00 | 11.22 | $0.00 |
| 97 | Scott C Caven | Chad M Belhumeur | 5 | 0.00 | 11.13 | $0.00 |
| 97 | William J Wong | 5 | 0.00 | 11.13 | $0.00 | |
| 99 | Michael E Harris | Kenneth R Miller | 5 | 0.00 | 11.05 | $0.00 |
| 100 | Mike Jackson | Brandon Youngblood | 5 | 0.00 | 11.03 | $0.00 |
| 100 | Adam Dagler | Josh Hemenway | 4 | 0.00 | 11.03 | $0.00 |
| 102 | Zach Richard | Chad Bross | 5 | 0.00 | 10.96 | $0.00 |
| 103 | Steven M Lovazzano | Pat G Bailey | 3 | 4.76 | 8.80 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Bob T Dettling | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 104 | Jeff Boom | Jared Boom | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Jimmy Sweeney | John Sweeney | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Joe A Alvarez II | John Fernandez Jr | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Rick E Ward | Jacob A Ward | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Seth Bowman | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 104 | Vince M Velarde | Otto Vue | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Colby A Knowles | Kyle Morgan | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Jake T Howard | Austin R Phillips | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 104 | Thomas Vue | Thomas Vang | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE DUO WIN AT WABASHA
July 22, 2019
The Purdue University Fort Wayne duo of Connor Landis of Edgerton, Ohio, and Blake Spurgeon of Fort Wayne, Indiana, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on the Mississippi River presented by Evinrude Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned the Mastodon’s bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“Last year I had fished here with a different partner and we tied for sixth place, so I was excited to get up here again and I thought that we could earn another top-10 finish – I never thought we were going to win,” says Spurgeon, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering technology. “We weren’t catching huge fish during our practice, but on Friday the weather changed and the giants came out to eat.”
“We found them in heavy current, on current breaks like laydowns and overhanging trees,” says Landis, a junior majoring in business management. “We caught around 8 keepers throughout the day on Texas-rigged creature baits and tubes.”
Fishing the strong current, the Mastodon club relied on heavy ½- and ¾-ounce tungsten weights. They flipped both a Berkley Pit Boss and a Missile Baits D Bomb, and Landis also added a few fish on a tube. Their weigh-in limit consisted of four smallmouths and one largemouth.
“The key was just slowing down and remaining patient,” Spurgeon adds. “We lost a couple on the way to the boat, and we missed a few when we set the hook. We just remained calm and patient and our persistence really paid off.”
The top 10 teams
1. Purdue University Fort Wayne – Connor Landis, Edgerton, Ohio, and Blake Spurgeon, Fort Wayne, Ind., five bass, 17-9, $2,000
2. St. Cloud State University – Mitchell Evans, Albert Lea, Minn., and Aidan Hansen, St. Cloud, Minn., five bass, 16-7, $1,000
3. North Dakota State University – Matt Stearns, Scandia, Minn., and Charles McGivern, Rosemount, Minn., five bass, 16-6, $500
4. Murray State University – Hunter McKinley, Murray, Ky., and Brendan Bingham, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 16-6, $500
5. University of Wisconsin – Jack Risch, Nashotah, Wis., and Matthew Mikolajczak, Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 16-5, $900
6. Murray State University – Jordan Hartman, Murray, Ky., and Will Gentry, Utica, Ky., five bass, 16-4, $450
7. University of Wisconsin – Sam Medo, Stevens Point, Wis., and Colin Steck, Waunakee, Wis., five bass, 15-10
8. Northwest Missouri State University – Logan Newlin and Jacob Cacek, both of Maryville, Mo., five bass, 15-3
9. Winona State University – Colton Haney and Chase Pomeroy, both of Winona, Minn., five bass, 15-2
10. University of Evansville – Noah Whalen and Blake Knies, both of Jasper, Ind., five bass, 15-2
The YETI FLW College Fishing event on the Mississippi River in Wabasha presented by Evinrude was hosted by the Wabasha-Kellogg Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Central Conference anglers. The next event for FLW College Fishing anglers will be the YETI FLW College Fishing at Lake Erie, Sept. 6 in Sandusky, Ohio.
Sportsman's Warehouse Store Grand Opening in Ft. Wayne Indiana this week!!
Join Sportsman’s Warehouse at Fort Wayne Grand Opening Celebration
Free giveaways, shooting range, kids’ activities, and more start 7/25/19 at www.sportsmans.com
MIDVALE, Utah, July 22, 2019 – Join Sportsman’s Warehouse (NASDAQ:SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, for a grand opening celebration of their new store in Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 25-27, 2019. Enjoy giveaways, vendor demonstrations, a mobile shooting range, and more.
“As our first store opens in Indiana, now anyone in the local area can access over 24,000 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 stop by to enjoy great customer service and shop with confidence knowing that we stand behind our everyday low prices.”
The new Sportsman’s Warehouse store is located at 4408 Illinois Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804 across the street from Fort Wayne’s premiere Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center where there are over 60 shops, cinemas, restaurants, and entertainment venues for the entire family.
The grand opening celebration starts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store at 4408 Illinois Rd., on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Attendees can:
- Get a free $20 gift card and Sportsman’s Warehouse hat if they are:
- One of the first 300 customers to enter the store Thursday, 7/25/19; and/or
- One of the first 200 customers to enter the store on Friday, 7/26/19, and Saturday, 7/27/19.
- Watch exciting, dog dock-jumping competitions from Splash Dogs Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.;
- Shoot several different handguns on display at the Mobile Tactics shooting range presented by Federal Premium Ammunition, 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and
- Enjoy vendor demonstrations including a cooking demo by Camp Chef and more!
This new location will be the 94th 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 ongoing seminars and special events and choose from an assortment of over 60,000 items with region-specific products for local, outdoor activities.
“Our grand opening celebration will be a fun event for the entire family, and we look forward to being a valuable part of the local community,” states Barker. “Not only will customersenjoy our high-level of service, but they will also get guaranteed best prices. If a customer finds a lower price, we’ll beat it by 5%.”
For more information, visit www.sportsmans.com.
ICAST 2019 – Bill Lewis Lures
By: Kenneth Grover
Bill Lewis Lures has been known by the popular brand name Rat-L-Trap which was established in 1964. The Rat-L-Trap has been a staple for many fishermen that target both freshwater and saltwater species. The Rat-L-Trap is offered in six different sizes ranging from the Tiny Trap (1/8 oz.) to the Super Trap (1 ½ oz.). There are many color options to help you effectively target whatever game fish you are after.
There is one model that I feel gets overlooked that can increase your options when the regular versions dive too deep. The Float-N-Trap will float to the surface when the retrieve is stopped. This bait is the same size as the ½ oz. Rat-L-Trap but only weighs 1/3 oz. and will dive one to two feet on a normal cast and retrieve. This can be very good when fishing over submerged grass such as milfoil and hydrilla that has grown to the point that it is close to the surface. In cases where a normal Rat-L-Trap would dive too deep, this bait can be retrieved above the grass.
In recent years Bill Lewis Lures has been adding to the lineup to include topwater lures with the Stutter Step and lipped crankbaits with the introduction of the Echo 1.75. Last year at ICAST, the MDJ (Mark Daniels Jr.) Series was launched with the MR-6 crankbait.
This year they are introducing the newest member of the MDJ Series with the SB-57. This is a high performance but affordably priced square bill crankbait. The bait weighs 3/8 oz and is 57 mm (nose to tail). It is built with a honey-comb construction that is only found in premium Japanese lures. The premium features do not end there. There is a hybrid coffin/squared circuit board bill for sensitivity and it also comes with Mustad Triple Grip Hooks.
For more information:
Bill Lewis Lures
3240 Baldwin Avenue
Alexandria, LA 71301
800-633-4861
www.rat-l-trap.com
THRIFT GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES TOURNAMENT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
North Carolina pro Earns 11th Career FLW Victory – Third as Pro in FLW Series – and $89,200
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (July 20, 2019) – FLW Tour pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces, to lead the event from start to finish and win the three-day Costa FLW Series on Lake Champlain presented by Polaris.
The tournament was the first event of the season for anglers competing in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits. Thrift’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 57 pounds even was enough to earn him the victory by an 8-ounce margin over second-place angler Edward Levin of Westerville, Ohio, and earn him $89,200.
“I can’t really say this win is any more special than the others – they’re all pretty great – but this event was awesome because it was the first time that I was truly in contention up north,” said Thrift, a 13-time FLW Cup qualifier and considered by many to be the best angler in the world. “I’ve had a couple of chances to win this year and it’s seemed to slip through my fingers, so it’s a really good feeling to get one back.”
Thrift estimated he caught around 60 keepers throughout the three-day event, mainly throwing 4- and 5-inch Damiki Stingers.
“I think I might have weighed in one on a topwater, but the rest came on the Stinger,” Thrift said. “My key colors were watermelon candy and green pumpkin, and I threw it Texas-rigged, wacky-rigged and Neko-rigged with a 1/8-ounce Damiki Neko sinker.
“I was kind of scared, because the first day I caught around 50 bass – 30 to 35 keepers – and I thought I may have caught too many and burned them up,” Thrift continued. “It was calm today, though, so I was able to hit some new stuff today and basically run everything that I had. If it was windy, there is no way I would have won.”
Thrift said that the key to winning the tournament came to him when he realized that he had to comb through the smaller fish.
“I realized pretty early on in the event that I could weed through a bunch of little ones and eventually I’d catch a big one,” Thrift said. “They were not at all grouped up by size. Normally if I caught a bunch of small fish, I’d leave the spot and look for the big fish areas. This week, the big fish were mixed in with the small fish and you just had to keep combing through them to find the big ones.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 57-0, $89,200
2nd: Edward Levin, Westerville, Ohio, 15 bass, 56-9, $17,300
3rd: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 53-7, $12,850
4th: Brandt Tumberg, Moore, S.C., 15 bass, 52-9, $10,750
5th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 52-5, $9,750
6th: Jason Bacon, Nutting Lake, Mass., 15 bass, 52-4, $8,375
7th: Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 15 bass, 51-2, $7,300
8th: Joseph Wood, Westport, Mass., 15 bass, 49-4, $6,600
9th: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., 15 bass, 49-1, $5,300
10th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 48-8, $4,200
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Wood weighed a 5-pound, 10-ounce largemouth bass Thursday – the heaviest of the tournament in the Pro Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Henry McKee of Haddon Heights, New Jersey, won the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 47 pounds, 8 ounces. For his win, McKee took home the top prize package of a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Henry McKee, Haddon Heights, N.J., 15 bass, 47-8, $28,050
2nd: Gary Haraguchi, Antioch, Calif., 15 bass, 46-10, $5,575
3rd: Robert Fulton, Ray, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-2, $4,300
4th: Mark Howard, Mesquite, Texas, 14 bass, 44-1, $3,650
5th: Louis Martinez, Annapolis, Md., 14 bass, 40-11, $3,150
6th: Chad Bushnaq, Buffalo, N.Y., 15 bass, 40-3, $2,650
7th: Michael McNicholas, Allentown, Pa., 14 bass, 39-2, $2,250
8th: Kyle Sabourin, Milton, Vt., 14 bass, 37-0, $1,825
9th: Chad Brousseau, Colchester, Vt., 12 bass, 33-4, $1,530
10th: Pete Dirado, Holland, N.Y., 11 bass, 31-7, $1,290
McKee also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces. He earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake Champlain presented by Polaris was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three tournaments in the 2019 regular season for Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits anglers. The next tournament for FLW Series anglers will also be in the Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits, the Costa FLW Series at the Potomac River presented by Lowrance, held Aug. 22-24 in Marbury, Maryland. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Sportsmans Warehouse Pro Bryan Thrift leads Day 1 of Champlain Costa
July 18, 2019 by Jody White
Less than three weeks removed from a third-place finish on Lake Champlain in the FLW Tour’s 2019 season finale, Bryan Thrift hauled 22 pounds, 6 ounces of green fish to the weigh-in stage to take the day one lead in the Costa FLW Series Northern Division opener, which is presented by Polaris. In second, Brandt Tumberg weighed 21-10, and Joe Wood is just an ounce behind him with 21-9 for third.
Turning north from takeoff in Plattsburgh, Thrift was able to expand on the areas he fished in the Tour.
“Today was fun,” says the North Carolina superstar. “I started out wanting to catch them on [topwater baits] again, but I only caught one on top all day. I had to slow down and throw a Damiki Stinger and that was it.”
Fishing mostly grass in 5 to 6 feet of water, Thrift caught a pile of fish.
“I caught a lot,” he says. “There’s a lot of small fish where I was fishing today, and those ones I weighed in were by far the five biggest I caught all day. My last cull fish was like a 3-4, so I might have culled like 15 pounds. It was funny, when that 3-4 was my smallest one, my co-angler was joking, saying, “Man, you just need a 6-pounder now.” It was like the next cast I set the hook on that 5-pounder.”
During the Tour event, Thrift ran a pretty good milk run of spots, but he mostly settled in one general area today. Bags like Thrift’s are a pretty rare thing on Champlain, and even though nine other pros broke the 19-pound mark, he’s certainly got a leg up the rest of the way. If Thrift can pull off a win, it’d be his 11th with FLW, but his first north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Top 10 Pros
1. Bryan Thrift – Shelby, N.C. – 22-6 (5)
2. Brandt Tumberg – Moore, S.C. – 21-10 (5)
3. Joseph (Joe) Wood – Westport, Mass. – 21-9 (5)
4. Lee Black – Danville, Ala. – 20-5 (5)
5. Jimmy Kennedy – Plainfield, Vt. – 19-15 (5)
6. Joe Lucarelli – Center Harbor, N.H. – 19-14 (5)
7. Wayne Vaughan – Chester, Va. – 19-5 (5)
8. Frankie Appaluccio – Franklin, N.J. – 19-4 (5)
9. Scott Dobson – Clarkston, Mich. – 19-4 (5)
10. Bob Behrle – Hoover, Ala. – 18-11 (5)
Prentiss leads co-anglers
On the co-angler side, Jordan Prentiss of Keeseville, N.Y. holds the lead with 17-9 with Joseph Marsh trailing by just 7 ounces. No other co-anglers topped the 17-pound mark on day one, though seven total anglers turned in bags of at least 16 pounds.
Fishing behind Brad Elwood up north, Prentiss weighed a mixed bag of three largemouths and two smallmouths.
“We were fishing from 10 to 18 feet, just weeds mixed in with rock,” says Prentiss. “A drop-shot was the main key, and I caught a couple on a 4-inch wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko.
“I’m a local, so most of my fishing is right up here,” adds Prentiss. “I probably ended up catching 15 fish today, and they were all pretty similar. I feel good about tomorrow.”