Richards & Brewer Top a record field of over 600 anglers on Toledo Bend with 33.15 lbs for Bass Champs Win!
Richards & Brewer Top a record field of over 600 anglers on Toledo Bend with 33.15 lbs & take home over $30,000 in cash & prizes.
| ce | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 |  |
 |
COLE BREWER LEESVILLE , LA |
ROB RICHARDS SPRING , TX |
5 | 9.29 | 33.15 |
|
|
| 2 | CODY PITT MANY , LA |
JAMES BROOKS FLORIEN , LA |
5 | 8.73 | 30.23 |
|
|||
| 3 | |
RICKY MADOLE MANY , LA |
RONNIE MADOLE SHREVEPORT , LA |
5 | 0 | 22.52 |
|
||
| 4 | ANDY GAIA TOMBALL , TX |
BRIAN TOLLEY KATY , TX |
5 | 8.27 | 20.29 |
|
|||
| 5 | JOHN MADDOX LUFKIN , TX |
JEFFERY WISE LUFKIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.15 |
|
|||
| 6 | JONATHAN SIMON ORANGE , TX |
COREY STANLEY ORANGE , TX |
5 | 7.60 | 19.55 |
|
|||
| 7 | JOSHUA SIKES PINEVILLE , LA |
SAMUEL CANOE GEORGETOWN , LA |
5 | 0 | 19.09 |
|
|||
| 8 | RICHY BALLARD SULPHUR , LA |
LEE BALLARD OAKDALE , LA |
5 | 0 | 19.06 |
|
|||
| 9 | PHILLIP CRELIA CENTER , TX |
TJ GOODWYN CENTER , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.05 |
|
|||
| 10 |  |
BEAU LOUGHMAN MANSUCCA , LA |
DUSTY WOOD STONEWALL , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.79 |
|
||
| 11 | DUANE PITTMAN PRAIRIEVILLE , LA |
ZACHARY GAGNARD MANY , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.71 |
|
|||
| 12 | |
JARRED WILLIAMS BUNKIE , LA |
MATHEW ARMAND HESSNER , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.63 |
|
||
| 13 | BRENT BOQUET | SETH BELANGER | 5 | 0 | 18.29 |
|
|||
| 14 | ANDRE MARTIN LENA , LA |
GLEN FREEMAN ZWOLLE , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.26 |
|
|||
| 15 | |
COLE STEWART HEMPHILL , TX |
BRANDON BAKER HEMPHILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.14 |
|
||
| 16 | MARTIN ELSHOUT ABITA SPRINGS , LA |
MARK PRICE RUSTON , LA |
5 | 0 | 18.01 |
|
|||
| 17 | |
JOHN BURTON NEDERLAND , TX |
MICHAEL DORSEY ORANGE , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.65 |
|
||
| 18 | |
DOUG PERKINS PORTER , TX |
BRAD HENSLEY CLEVELAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.64 |
|
||
| 19 | |
EASTON HEIGLEY BROOKELAND , TX |
BLAKE SCHROEDER WHITEHOUSE , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.51 |
|
||
| 20 | AARON FREEMAN THE WOODLANDS , TX |
BEN MATSUBU MILAM , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.26 |
|
|||
| 20 | |
STEVEN HANNA BEAUMONT , TX |
ANTHONY BAKER BEAUMONT , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.26 |
|
||
| 22 | BENJAMIN GULETT CONVERSE , LA |
DUSTIN RIVERS NOBLE , LA |
5 | 0 | 17.21 |
|
|||
| 23 | |
DOUG MCCAIN LAKE CHARLES , LA |
MASON MCCAIN HUNTSVILLE , AL |
5 | 0 | 17.10 |
|
||
| 24 | |
JEFF HOLDER BOSSIER CITY , LA |
TERRY BURGHART SHREVEPORT , LA |
4 | 0 | 17.01 |
|
||
| 25 | |
RONNIE GUNTER LILLIE , LA |
JERRY THOMPSON MANY , LA |
5 | 0 | 16.77 |
|
||
| 26 | MATT MORRIS STONEWALL , LA |
BILLY GASTON SHREVEPORT , TX |
4 | 0 | 16.44 |
|
|||
| 27 | GEORGE GLASS DERRIDER , LA |
TRENT MANUEL ORANGE , TX |
4 | 0 | 16.42 |
|
|||
| 28 | |
CHANCE ARCENEAUX LAKE CHARLES , LA |
DWIGHT ABSHIRE SANTA FE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.36 |
|
||
| 28 | TRAVIS BURCH GARDNER , KS |
BRANDON ACKERSON AFTON , OK |
4 | 0 | 16.36 |
|
|||
| 30 | TODD NEWMAN NACODOCHES , TX |
SHANNON HALE NACOGDOCHES , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.35 |
|
|||
| 31 | |
KEVIN MASON COLDSPRING , TX |
BUD PRUITT HOUSTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.28 |
|
||
| 32 | |
KEVIN WALKER JR BUNA , TX |
JEFF BRIDGES LUMBERTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.27 |
|
||
| 33 | GREG MCDONALD CENTER , TX |
AARON GILCHRIST SHELBYVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.09 |
|
|||
| 34 | CHANTZ WILKINSON PINEVILLE , LA |
DOUGLAS WILKINSON PINEVILLE , LA |
5 | 0 | 16.08 |
|
|||
| 35 | LARRY BYRD LAKE CHARLES , LA |
TRAVIS BROUSSARD LAKE CHARLES , LA |
4 | 0 | 16.05 |
|
|||
| 36 | |
RUSTY CLARK SAM RAYBURN , TX |
CORY RAMBO ORANGE , TX |
4 | 0 | 16.01 |
|
||
| 37 | LESLIE HARPER HEMPHILL , TX |
GARY FRICK HEMPHILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.86 |
|
|||
| 38 | |
SHELBY SHAW HUNTSVILLE , TX |
LANCE HUGHES TIMPSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.84 |
|
||
| 39 | KURT LUKER CLEVELAND , TX |
RICHIE THORNTON SPLENDORA , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.81 |
|
|||
| 40 | TREY MORGAN GOLDONNA , LA |
JOHN CANERDAY CALVIN , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.74 |
|
|||
| 40 | GERALD MITCHELL JENA , LA |
JASON LEBRUN CHOUDRANT , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.74 |
|
|||
| 42 | |
BILL DAIGLE LAFAYETTE , LA |
ANDRE CHAPMAN CHURCH POINT , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.64 |
|
||
| 43 | JUSTIN BUCHHOLZ BEAUMONT , TX |
TRENT BUCHHOLZ BEAUMONT , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.54 |
|
|||
| 44 | RANDY BROUSSARD HACKBERRY , LA |
RICHIE KOONCE WESTLAKE , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.22 |
|
|||
| 45 | BRANNON MIRE YOUNGSVILLE , LA |
ERIC ARNOLD LAFAYETTE , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.15 |
|
|||
| 46 | |
CHAD PRIMOS SHREVEPORT , LA |
BRIAN HEADRICK DEBERRY , TX |
3 | 7.93 | 15.13 |
|
||
| 47 | JOHNNY WINFREE MANSFIELD , LA |
JOSHUA WINFREE CONVERSE , LA |
5 | 0 | 15.00 |
|
|||
| 48 | |
TY HUMPHRIES STONEWALL , LA |
COLBY HAND SHREVEPORT , LA |
4 | 0 | 14.99 |
|
||
| 49 | |
JON HAND SHREVEPORT , LA |
KYLE HAND SHREVEPORT , LA |
5 | 0 | 14.89 |
|
||
| 50 | |
 |
NATHAN BYRD MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
JOE BYRD SPRING , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.82 |
|
|
| 51 | WILL CARSTENS ALEXANDRIA , LA |
ROSS BRYANT ALEXANDRIA , LA |
4 | 0 | 14.53 |
|
|||
| 52 | JASON BONDS LUFKIN , TX |
JAMES NITSHKE LUFKIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 14.50 |
|
|||
| 53 | KELLY OWENS CROWLEY , LA |
JORDAN OWENS CROWLEY , LA |
5 | 0 | 14.46 |
|
|||
| 54 | JOHNNY VINES GROVES , TX |
SHANNON PRICE PORT ARTHUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.37 |
|
|||
| 54 | SAM HUCKABEE SHREVEPORT , LA |
ROBERT CHAMBERLAIN SHREVEPORT , LA |
5 | 0 | 14.37 |
|
|||
| 56 | BOBBY VICE GROVES , TX |
RICKY GUY HUMBLE , TX |
3 | 9.55 | 14.34 |
|
|||
| 57 | BUDDY BUMSTEAD KOUNTZE , TX |
DANNY CHERRY KIRBYVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.31 |
|
|||
| 58 | STUART VILLIEN DUSON , LA |
KIPP THERIOT YOUNGSVILLE , LA |
5 | 0 | 14.25 |
|
|||
| 59 | |
TODD JACKSON SHREVEPORT , LA |
GARY CREEL BOSSIER CITY , LA |
5 | 0 | 14.20 |
|
||
| 60 | JUSTIN SOWELL SILSBEE , TX |
DAVID GORE KOUNTZE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.12 |
|
|||
| 61 | CODY NORRED GLOSTER , LA |
ROBERT HENDERSON JR STONEWALL , LA |
5 | 0 | 13.98 |
|
|||
| 62 | |
CRAIG MECHE CHURCH POINT , TX |
RANDY CHAMPAGNE PAYNE , LA |
5 | 0 | 13.85 |
|
||
| 63 | CLAY DARDEAU RAGLEY , LA |
CRAIG BEAN LAKE CHARLES , LA |
5 | 0 | 13.84 |
|
|||
| 64 | |
TYLER TATE BEAUMONT , TX |
BLAKE CAIN BEAUMONT , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.65 |
|
||
| 65 | PERRY MOSS SHREVEPORT , LA |
PATRICK PARSONS SHREVEPORT , LA |
4 | 0 | 13.59 |
|
|||
| 66 | |
BRAD GRIFFIN CARTHAGE , TX |
TIM ATKERSON LONGBRANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.37 |
|
||
| 67 | |
ERIC WILSON MARSHALL , TX |
HOWARD WILSON NACOGDOCHES , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.20 |
|
||
| 68 | |
ROBBIE JOHNSON GOODRICH , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.18 |
|
|||
| 69 | |
DAMON CHILDRESS ORANGE , TX |
ROBERT CRUSE LUMBERTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.03 |
|
||
| 70 | |
CHAD KEMP BRIDGE CITY , TX |
BRENT KEMP ORANGE , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.99 |
|
||
| 71 | BRANDON VAUGHAN AZLE , TX |
BOBBY BADARACK FT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.97 |
|
|||
| 72 | ALEX STEWART GOLDONNA , LA |
BRAYDEN STEWART GOLDONNA , LA |
5 | 0 | 12.96 |
|
|||
| 73 | |
CALVIN JOHNSTON KINGWOOD , TX |
THOMAS BEENE SHREVEPORT , LA |
5 | 0 | 12.92 |
|
||
| 74 | MATTHEW DELANEY POLLOCK , LA |
MATTHEW NUGENT DRY PRONG , LA |
5 | 0 | 12.84 |
|
|||
| 75 | LUKE OGDEN DELHI , LA |
JAKE OGDEN DELHI , LA |
5 | 0 | 12.77 |
|
|||
| 76 | DOUG MORROW HOUSTON , TX |
KENNY CORLEY | 5 | 0 | 12.49 |
|
|||
| 77 | STEVE PHILLIPS DIBOLL , TX |
CHAD YORK LUFKIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.35 |
|
|||
| 78 | DOUGLAS SCHYSM RAGLEY , LA |
CHRIS GALLENDER VILLAGE MILLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.25 |
|
|||
| 79 | |
TIM WILCOXSON ROCKWALL , TX |
TIM WILCOXSON EDGEWOOD , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.22 |
|
||
| 80 | JERRY BAILEY LEESVILLE , LA |
CODY CARLISLE DERIDDER , LA |
5 | 0 | 12.04 |
|
|||
| 81 | CASEY BURLEIGH ORANGE , TX |
JOSH RODGERS BEAUMONT , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.01 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
THOMAS DECLET JR THIBODAUX , LA |
THOMAS DECLET SR HEMPHILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.01 |
|
||
| 83 | |
COLBY BRYANT HOUSTON , TX |
JEFF RANDOLPH HUNTSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.90 |
|
||
| 84 | |
JAMES BLYTHE JR ELM GROVE , LA |
EDDIE MORGAN BOSSIER CITY , LA |
5 | 0 | 11.87 |
|
||
| 85 | COREY THERIOT LAKE CHARLES , LA |
CODY REBER BELL CITY , LA |
5 | 0 | 11.83 |
|
|||
| 85 | RICKEY ELLIOTT SPRING , TX |
RALPH MEISENHEIMER EDMOND , OK |
5 | 0 | 11.83 |
|
|||
| 85 | |
WARREN CONNER MAGNOLIA , TX |
MIKE HANKS HEMPHILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.83 |
|
||
| 88 | CRAIG MASSEY HOUSTON , TX |
SCOTT HOLIFIELD GRAND BAY , AL |
5 | 0 | 11.78 |
|
|||
| 89 | FRANK LITTLE MANY , LA |
MARK RICHARD BROOKELAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.52 |
|
|||
| 90 | STEPHEN MITCHELL JONESVILLE , LA |
HEATHER ASHWORTH JONESVILLE , LA |
3 | 0 | 11.18 |
|
|||
| 91 | |
TIM BAKER FLINT , TX |
BRYAN CASE KOUNTZE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.16 |
|
||
| 92 | |
BRANDON THRASH DOWNSVILLE , LA |
MICHAEL WOLFF MONROE , LA |
2 | 0 | 10.97 |
|
||
| 93 | |
STUART WELCH ORANGE , TX |
WESLEY MURDOCK VIDOR , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.92 |
|
||
| 94 | |
CHARLIE BROWN III FLINT , TX |
MATTHEW MCCLELLAN TYLER , TX |
3 | 0 | 10.57 |
|
||
| 95 | CHUCK NAOMI BRANCH , LA |
RICHIE OLIVIER CHURCH POINT , LA |
3 | 0 | 10.22 |
|
|||
| 96 | |
ARCHIE DORE II NATCHITOCHES , LA |
ANDY BARNES NATCHITOCHES , LA |
3 | 0 | 10.21 |
|
||
| 97 | SHANE BARNES MIDWAY , TX |
MATTHEW BENEFIELD HUFFMAN , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.66 |
|
|||
| 98 | |
BEN SOUTH JASPER , TX |
BRYAN SOUTH JASPER , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.53 |
|
||
| 99 | DON BRINSON WACO , TX |
DAVID BATTREALL TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.95 |
|
|||
| 100 | JOE MAZZURCO HEMPHILL , TX |
JASON GRIFFIN CONROE , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.40 |
|
|||
| 101 | GREG OSTERTAG MT VERNON , TX |
BRENT EDWARDS MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
2 | 0 | 8.07 |
|
|||
| 102 | ROBBY JONES ORANGE , TX |
PAUL WOODS BUNA , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.60 |
|
|||
| 103 | |
KERRY CAMPBELL GOODRICH , TX |
1 | 7.23 | 7.23 |
|
|||
| 104 | |
BRANDON PICOU LAKE CHARLES , LA |
ANDREW DELANO BUNA , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.69 |
|
||
| 105 | CHRIS KING BEAUMONT , TX |
HOLLY KEEN SHERRMAN , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.43 |
|
|||
| 106 | |
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
STRIDER BROWNING GUN BARREL CITY , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.87 |
|
||
| 107 | KEVIN IZZI SMITHVILLE , TX |
CHRISTOPHER IZZI SMITHVILLE , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.89 |
|
|||
| 108 | TED PRIESING DALLAS , TX |
VIRGIL CHANEY JASPER , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.27 |
|
|||
| 109 | JERREL PRINGLE HEMPHILL , TX |
KEITH KEELE TENAHA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
RANDY DESPINO COLFAX , LA |
KEVIN LASYONE DRY PRONG , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
ROY GEESEY CROWLEY , LA |
CHARLES ANZALONE CROWLEY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | MIKE TAYLOR JASPER , TX |
RANDY DEARMAN ONALASKA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TEDDY CLOIDE VIDOR , TX |
WESLEY DAWSON CHESTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TERRY HELGESON LEESVILLE , LA |
CHRIS HELGESON TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | LARRY TODD RINGGOLD , LA |
BRYAN SMITH CARTHAGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | KEN SMITH RICHARDSON , TX |
CHET SLAYDON DE RIDDER , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
PHILIP HANKS BUNA , TX |
RODNEY SAMMONS BUNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | NICHOLAS ANDRUS BUSHLAND , TX |
CHRIS COMEAUX BASILE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
TED ODELL BUNA , TX |
TRACE ODELL BUNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
JOHNNY PETERSON MONROE , LA |
JEFF PEARSON WEST MONROE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | PHIL MARKS DALLAS , TX |
BRET STAFFORD TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
DONNIE PICKARD BRIDGE CITY , TX |
ALAN ASHBY ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
|
MIKE RICHARDSON THORNDALE , TX |
CLIFF BROWN HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 109 | LARRY BENEFIELD HUFFMAN , TX |
JIMMY ROZELL JR PORTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
MIKE GARRETT HUMBLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | GEORGE HERR MANY , LA |
TODD DRISCOLL JASPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
LANCE DUFF LUMBERTON , TX |
COLE COSTLOW LIBERTY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
LARRY WEPPLER HOUSTON , TX |
DENNIS FIKES HOUSTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
KEITH HAWKINS MISSOURI CITY , TX |
J. DUCK HAWKINS IRVING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | TODD HUGHES GOODRICH , TX |
SIMON HUGHES LIVINGSTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | THOMAS GUILFORD WIMBERLEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 109 | |
SHAWN OQUINN LAVERNIA , TX |
KURT HANKS CARLYSS , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | LAMAR THIBODEAUX CROWLEY , LA |
LARRY HEBERT CROWLEY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RANDY QUALLS STREETMAN , TX |
MIKE METCALF JASPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | GARY MCDONALD CENTER , TX |
CLARENCE DENBY ETOILE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
JOHN MCDIFFITT GRANBURY , TX |
BOBBY VINCENT HUDSON OAKS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | CHRIS CLEMENS LUFKIN , TX |
DALLAS COLE LEESVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RANDY PATIN LAFAYETTE , LA |
SHANNON THIBODEAUX HEMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CLINT WEST BEAUMONT , TX |
NATHAN PRINE BUNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
CJ NICHOLS ALEXANDRIA , LA |
RAY BECK BROOKELANDL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
ROBERT GLENDE KIRBYVILLE , TX |
CLINT FOUNTAIN KIRBYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | MIKE EDWARDS EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 109 | |
SHANE HILTON ALEXANDRIA , LA |
DUSTY ANDERS DEVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | KRIS WILSON MONTGOMERY , TX |
BRYAN LOHR LUMBERTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
RANDY HANNA ZAVALLA , TX |
JASON DEW PINELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
GENE BAGLEY BEAUMONT , TX |
MITCH STEPHENSON BEAUMONT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
KEVIN BURKS KOUNTZE , TX |
JASON GATES KOUNTZE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | SAMMY CHRISTIAN LUMBERTON , TX |
ALLAN SHIVERS JASPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CLAYTON BOULWARE ZAVALLA , TX |
ALBERT COLLINS NACOGDOCHES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
COLE MASSEY JUSTIN , TX |
COLE TEMPLE ARGYLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
BILL COOK HOUSTON , TX |
BOB VOTE KINGWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
JOE DAW MONTGOMERY , TX |
SHANE ALLMAN BROOKELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
BARTON BLAKELOCK WOELDER , TX |
JAMES BENEDICT TOLBERT , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | VIC COOPER SHELBYVILLE , TX |
JASON WELLS CENTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | SCOOTER CLARK CENTER , TX |
RYAN PINKSTON CENTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JARRETT LATTA CEDAR PARK , TX |
BRIAN LOWRANCE NACOGDOCHES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
|
ERIC HUNT BUNA , TX |
STEVEN MOORHEAD JASPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 109 | |
KEITH IVY JR PONDER , TX |
TOMMY MURRAY BEDFORD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JASON MCRAE HENDERSON , TX |
TRAVIS MARTIN HENDERSON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
ROB FEAGIN YANTIS , TX |
ERIC WRIGHT BALCH SPRINGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | CLIFFORD MCCARTY LONGVIEW , TX |
BOBBY GUY TEXARKANA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | LAMARCUS MCCRAY HOUSTON , TX |
JAMES ROZELL HOUSTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
DEREK MONG MANY , LA |
TAMMY MONG MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | SHAWN VERINSKY LUMBERTON , TX |
BLAKE COLE GROVES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | SEAN MECHE LAKE CHARLES , LA |
RODNEY OWENS RAGLEY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
MICHAEL LAFLEUR ORANGEFIELD , TX |
JOHN DICKERSON ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | NORMAN LAND CLEVELAND , TX |
TRAVIS MOORE CLEVELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 109 | |
TERRY LUEDTKE BURTON , TX |
DOYLE REEVES BURTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | WAYNE TRIANA JR NACOGDOCHES , TX |
CARY WALKER NACODOCHES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
ANDREW FATERKOWSKI MONTGOMERY , TX |
BILLY DRIGGERS HUNTSVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | PURDELL SIGLER CENTER , TX |
MICHAEL GARDNER CENTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
AARON GUNN TOMBALL , TX |
JESSE LAMPKIN SPRING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
HAROLD ALLEN SHELBYVILLE , TX |
MATT LOETSCHER MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | CHRIS BERRY HOUSTON , TX |
KYLE GUIDRY OPELOUSAS , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | OSCAR LANGELE JR MANY , LA |
JAMES CAMPISE ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
RUSSELL GLENEWINKEL CONROE , TX |
JEFF WHARTON TOMBALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | ED MELTON HOUSTON , TX |
ANTHONY JONES IRVING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RICHARD SURATT LAKE CHARLES , LA |
BRIAN EDWARDS DRY PONG , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
STEVE WOODIE SOUR LAKE , TX |
FOYCE WINN VIDOR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
CHARLES HICKMAN HUNTINGTON , TX |
TERRY HICKMAN KINGWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
DANIEL HICKMAN HUNTINGTON , TX |
DUSTIN ALEXANDER HOCKLEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
JOHNNY FRANKS HEMPHILL , TX |
THOMAS TRIPP MISSOURI CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | LARRY PEACHER BENTLEY , LA |
DWAYNE ROBERIE LAFAYETTE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | ERIC MCGAHA MONTGOMERY , TX |
KRIS WERNECKE CYPRESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
COLE GARRETT WINNFIELD , LA |
ALAN CARSON CALVIN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | BRYAN CARETHERS SILSBEE , TX |
JUSTIN HOLMES LUMBERTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RUSTY NEUGEBAUER MONTGOMERY , TX |
DEREK TAYLOR MONTGOMERY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BUZ CRAFT VADILIA , LA |
ERNIE PAUL LONGVIEW , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | ERIC SMITH ERATH , LA |
NOLAN GASKIN BROUSSARD , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BLAKE ISTRE ORANGE , TX |
CHRIS MCCLAIN DEWEYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
LANE MCGAHA DUBACH , LA |
JUSTIN CROMWELL CALHOUN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | RIVER LEE NACOGDOCHES , TX |
HUNTER MUNCRIEF PINELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BRETT HORTMAN WEST MONROE , LA |
STEVE GRAF NATCHITOCHES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOSH SOWELL CENTER , TX |
ZAC CLARK CENTER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
BLAYNE PREJEAN CARENCRO , LA |
BART OLIVIER SUNSET , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | MICHAEL COTTER ARLINGTON , TX |
GREGORY DEGRANT CROWLEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | KENNY COBB HODGE , LA |
BOBBY LOGAN COUSHATTA , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
ANTHONY GUIDRY KAPLAN , LA |
ZACHARY GUIDRY KAPLAN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
DANNY BENNETT HUNTSVILLE , TX |
MICHAEL BENNETT LUCAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | SCOTT BARNETT MANSFIELD , TX |
LOGAN SHERRER KARNACK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
CHAD COLE BENTON , LA |
STEPHEN NEWELL SHREVEPORT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
CHRIS HUEBEL NEDERLAND , TX |
DON GOULD MAURICEVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JOEY POHL CARMINE , TX |
JODY POHL CYPRESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
SCOTTY VILLINES COMPTON , AR |
RUSSELL LEWIS PINEVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
DANNY LASHLEY BOYCE , LA |
MICHAEL IVEY OTIS , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | ALEC CASTONGUAY ROYSE CITY , TX |
WYATT FRANKENS CORRIGAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TOMMY SHELTON MONTGOMERY , TX |
TRAVIS STEWART COLMESNEIL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOHN BARRERA MILAM , TX |
AMANDA KING BANGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BRANDON DAVIDSON LITTLE ELM , TX |
JIM FURR HEMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MATTHEW BOYT CONVERSE , LA |
DUSTIN BOYT CONVERSE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
TOBY JONES STONEWALL , LA |
CARL JONES DAYTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | RICHARD MORRIS TRINITY , TX |
BRIAN KING TIMPSON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
JASON WILLIAMS NEDERLAND , TX |
RYAN ROSS PORT NECHES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
JERALD PEACOCK JR BUNA , TX |
LESLIE WOODALL BRIDGE CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
MIKE WINSLOW NEWCANEY , TX |
BILLY POWERS MONTGOMERY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JIM CULP TULSA , OK |
THOMAS BOWDEN SR LAFAYETTE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | DUSTY MOBLEY CHATHAM , LA |
JUSTIN WYATT JONESBORO , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | GIL LEGER LAKE CHARLES , LA |
SCOTT EASTMAN LAKE CHARLES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JACOB JOHNSON LAKE CHARLES , LA |
SHANE CORMIER RAGLEY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOSEPH CHILDERS SULPHUR , LA |
DARREN YOUNGBLOOD SULPHUR , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | COREY HARMON PORT NECHES , TX |
TRENT JAMES ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOEL MAYFIELD PERKINSTON , MS |
JAY WILLIAMS D IBERVILLE , MS |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CHARLES HUMPHREY NEW CANEY , TX |
BEN SMITH NEW CANEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MIKE ATCHLEY MOSCOW , TX |
PAUL SHIRLEY LEGGETT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOE WILKERSON MANY , LA |
JEREMY GENTRY MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOSEPH LAFLEUR ORANGE , TX |
ROWDY SLAUGHTER BROOKELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TROY WILLIAMSON SHEPHERD , TX |
CHARLES WOODDELL NEED INFO |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
JESSE RAWLS BROWNSBORO , TX |
DANIEL COX BROWNSBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | GARY DENTON ORANGE , TX |
JIMMY MOORE ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
TOMMY WOODARD CONROE , TX |
CHRIS JACOBUS LONGVIEW , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | KURTICE FLOYD NEWTON , TX |
GREG LEBLANC NEDERLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
HAYWOOD WALLACE HUFFMAN , TX |
STUART WALLACE ADDIS , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
SETH HAUSMAN NACOGDOCHES , TX |
TYLER HAM ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
KEELAN MANUEL SULPHUR , LA |
JOSH DUNAWAY SULPHUR , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
GARY REPPOND ZAVALLA , TX |
CURTIS SMITH LUFKIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | MICHAEL RISINGER WEST MONROE , LA |
SONTUS MITCHELL RUSTON , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
JACK TINDEL III ORANGE , TX |
DALTON SOLIZ ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
ANTHONY THOMPSON SHREVEPORT , LA |
JEFF PATE TEXARKANA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JASON MANNERS CLEVELAND , TX |
JORDAN MANNERS CLEVELAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | STEPHEN THOMAS WOODVILLE , TX |
TAYLOR WELDON VIDOR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
CHRIS WILEY POLLOCK , LA |
JOHN BURNLEY STONEWALL , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
HARLAN DUBOIS WINNFIELD , LA |
RICKY ANTEE SULPHUR , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | RICKY BLANKINSHIP HOMER , LA |
DAVID CURTIS BROOKLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JEFF SIAU BUNA , TX |
WILLIAM LEWIS KIRBYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JACKSON COOPER DRY PRONG , LA |
JACKSON COOPER DRY PRONG , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
LUCAS RAGUSA GONZALES , LA |
BLAKE CANELLA PLAQUEMINE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
STEPHEN SHANNON ARLINGTON , TX |
JACOB SHANNON ARLINGTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | STEPHAN BURGAY TIMPSON , TX |
WILL LLOYD SHELBYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | KEVIN SLAYDON DERIDDER , LA |
JAKEY LEWING MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
GARY BOUDOIN NEDERLAND , TX |
JOHN HATTON BUNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JASON FONTENOT LAKE CHARLES , LA |
BRETT USIE HOUMA , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CHRISTOPHER MOORE STONEWALL , LA |
PHILLIP THOMAS BOSSIER CITY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOSK FOLKS KEITHVILLE , LA |
DENNIS SEBREN SHREVEPORT , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
JAMES PRUITT HOUSTON , TX |
RICK JOHNSON CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | RYAN MARTIN WEST MONROE , LA |
MICHAEL MUSGROVE BASTROP , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
BENJI DUMAS MINDEN , LA |
JIMMY DUCK III CENTER , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | THOMAS MCMILLAN CHOUDRANT , LA |
TERRY MORRIS SPEARSVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | IVAN DAIGS RUSTON , LA |
RANDY BRANCH RUSTON , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RICHARD ALLEN ANACOCO , LA |
TREVOR WEST PITKIN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CODY BEASLEY ROBELINE , LA |
JOHN HOARE NATCHITOCHES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | COLTON BOLES POLLOK , TX |
BUD BOLES POLLOK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | LEE SHEARIN BRIDGE CITY , TX |
MICHEAL ANDURS LAKE CHARLES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
MIKE SOLIZ ORANGE , TX |
EDDIE CHOATE BEAUMONT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
DENNIS COURTNEY LAKE CHARLES , LA |
JERRY CHILDRESS SULPHUR , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | ROBERT NAQUIN JR DEVILLE , LA |
ROBERT NAQUIN SR DEVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
CHRIS SMITH ORANGE , TX |
JAMES SILVA ORANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | CODY JORDAN HEMPHILL , TX |
CODY CLARK HERMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BRADLEY HILLEBRANDT RAGLEY , LA |
JORDAN BREAUX SULPHUR , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BRADLEY PAGE FRIENDSWOOD , TX |
JOHN NEMECEK FRIENDSWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | NEIL MATHEWS PORTER , TX |
COLE STOREY HOCKLEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | COLT DEAR BUNA , TX |
ASHLEY ADAMS BUNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOHN ILES LUFKIN , TX |
BRIAN SHOOK CHINA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
ROSS BREAUX LAFAYETTE , LA |
JAMES BREAUX LAFAYETTE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JORDAN WOOD NEDERLAND , TX |
CAMERON ROANE BEAUMONT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | ADAM DUNN HOUSTON , TX |
JOSHUA WARE NEW CANEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
DERRICK LABORDE HESSMER , LA |
RAYFORD LABORDE HESSMER , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | TYLER CRAIG MONROE , LA |
KENNETH CRAIG FRIERSON , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MICHAEL SANDERS MANY , LA |
WILLIAM SANDERS MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | SEAN KENNON DEQUINCY , LA |
JORDAN HOLLINGSWORTH VINTON , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | GERALD GUIN CASTOR , LA |
ANDY FEARRAND JAMESTOWN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | WILLIAM WALKER JENA , LA |
BUBBA NUGENT POLLOCK , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
DAVID PICKETT SHREVEPORT , LA |
KRISTOPHER PICKETT COUSHATTA , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | MARSHALL HUGHES HEMPHILL , TX |
DANIEL METREYEON BEAUMONT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RANDY HICKS LUMBERTON , TX |
JOHN REED ANACOCO , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MARK HAY ATHENS , LA |
EARL GLASS HEFLIN , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TERRY MOFFETT NATCHEZ , MS |
WARREN WHITAKER WOODVILLE , MS |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CHRIS HAZEL LEESVILLE , LA |
JOSH PEEK LEESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | DAVID RABALAIS LAKE CHARLES , LA |
HUNTER DELANEY SULPHER , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
FRED MCGAHA CALHOUN , LA |
DION YOUNG WEST MONROE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
STEVE BELLON LAKE CHARLES , LA |
TONY COBURN LAKE CHARLES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
TED PATE ALEXANDRIA , LA |
VINCENT NEAL CALDWELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | ROBERT WASHINGTON WATERPROOF , LA |
SHELIA WASHINGTON WATERPROOF , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | STEVEN SHAFER CLEVELAND , TX |
KENT WILLIAMS LA PORTE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
KEITH JENSCHKE NATCHITOCHES , LA |
JOHN HRAPMANN NATCHITOCHES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
CHRISTOPHER GORDON CLARENCE , LA |
DENNIS MORGAN II NATCHITOCHES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | |
HORACE FRAZIER MANY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | BOB LAUCK FLOWER MOUND , TX |
TED MARTIN DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
VIRGINIA LOCKE PINEVILLE , LA |
JEREMY LOCKE PINEVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | JEREMY LEMMONS TOMBALL , TX |
CODY NICHOLSON ANDERSON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JEREMY HIPPLER MANY , LA |
JASON MOSS LAKE CHARLES , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | TRAVIS SIGNORIN OAKHURST , TX |
BOB SIGNORIN OAKHURST , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | CHRIS EAVES WOODLANDS , TX |
LORI EAVES WOODLANDS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
MALCOLM WILLIAMS BRONSON , TX |
STEVE WILSON FREDERICKSBURG , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | CADE DURIO LAKE CHARLES , LA |
JOHN DURIO HEMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | WILLIAM MESSER TIMPSON , TX |
CHRISTOPHER BEVERLY SHEPHERD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | ROGER JOHNSON JR VIDOR , TX |
KIRK LELEUX KIRBYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MICHAEL ROGER SCOTT , IA |
JOSH WILLIAMS KINGSTON , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | LARRY DEAN HUMBLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 109 | EDWARD LACOSTE HEMPHILL , TX |
CHRIS NEWMAN HEMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | LANCE SCOTT BROOKELAND , TX |
KEVIN BOLTON WILLIS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | |
DON DICKERSON PINEVILLE , LA |
JASON FOUNTAIN PINEVILLE , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 109 | DEAN SIKES DEVILLE , LA |
JACOB SIKES BOSSIER CITY , LA |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JOHN GRIFFITH OMAHA , AR |
KYLE BOHANNAN BERRYVILLE , AR |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | RYAN HEISELBETZ FRED , TX |
TYLER DAVIS KOUNTZE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | JASON BAKER CROSBY , TX |
ERIC SKILLERN NACOGDOCHES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | DAMON BOREL HEMPHILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 109 | CODY ERICKSON HUNTSVILLE , TX |
RICHARD SCHANBERT CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | ROBERT BARKER SPRING , TX |
JAMES BARKER SPRING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 109 | MASON GUIN DECATUR , TX |
CAMERON LAFLUER BRIDGE CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Evers wins MLF Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Conroe
| Edwin Evers kept catching them today,, 24 scorable bass in all that totaled 51-12, to claim the Championship Sunday title at Lake Conroe. |
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Edwin Evers flipped his way to victory on Lake Conroe.(Photo by Garrick Dixon)
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picking out small indentations and grassy, undercut banks and flipping his bait as close to the bank as he could. He also caught some fish on a vibrating jig.
Connecticut’s Paul Mueller Wins Spotted Bass Slugfest At Lake Lanier, Georgia
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Pollard & Weldon pick up where they left off, Win ABT Lake Martin event
by Dan O’Sullivan
February 16, 2019 – Alexander City, Ala. – The 2019 Alabama Bass Trail’s Southern Division schedule kicked off with a bang on Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala. There had been much consternation about the conditions, and how the fish were going to bite, but as can be expected in an Alabama bass Trail event, the field produced with a strong showing.
When the weigh-in concluded and Wind Creek State Park on Saturday afternoon, a pair of familiar names found themselves atop the leaderboard. John Pollard and Dallas Weldon, the 2018 Southern Division Points winners and overall ABT Anglers of the Year, had plopped 17.63 pounds of Lake Martin bass on the scales to take home the win. Not only did they earn the $10,000 first prize, but they also collected a slew of contingency money from ABT; including the Mountain Dew Big Bass for their 5.49-pound lunker, Phoenix Boats, Wedowee Marine, and Garmin; which brought their total earning for the day to $20,000.
The pair was proud to say the least. “We’ve fished these for a long time, and we’ve done really well here, but haven’t been able to close out a win,” they said. “To be able to finally win one of these, against a field like this means so much, and now that we can say we’ve won an ABT event; it’s pretty special.”
The longtime tournament partners said that they fished in a relatively small, three mile area of the lake. They reported targeting largemouth by fishing every piece of cover they came across with a “crawdad colored,” 3/8-ounce Phenix Lures Football Jig tipped with a matching Zoom Creepy Crawler for a trailer. “We had one fish at 11:00 and were starting to think about making a change, when we both caught good ones,” they said. “That gave us the confidence we needed to keep hunting the bites we needed. We culled a few times, and managed to pull it out; now we can move forward and focus on trying to repeat as AOY; we won’t change how we do things now.”
The second place team of ABT sponsor, Eric Morris of Wedowee Marine, and Ben Williamson “junk fished” their way to a 16.67-pound limit that earned them the $5,000 runner up prize. “We had 15 rods on the deck and used them all,” they said. “We caught them shallow, and we caught them 40 feet deep; we kept adjusting and made it work. We work hard to find quality fish, and to put this together is really exciting.”
For Morris, the whole day was special. “This really is a good day for us at Wedowee Marine overall,” said Morris. “Our friends and customers won, finished second, and third – I couldn’t be happier to see people who trust us with their purchase do well; it’s really fun.”
The Southern Division of the Alabama Bass Trail hits the water next at Lake Jordan on March 30.
The Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings, visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lm-results/
| Place | Team | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | John Pollard / Dallas Weldon | 17.63 | 5.49 | $10,000.00 |
| 2 | Eric Morris / Ben Williamson | 16.67 | $5,000.00 | |
| 3 | Brannon Hurst / Mike Freeman | 16.18 | $4,000.00 | |
| 4 | Ken Walters / Jason Beasley | 15.34 | $3,000.00 | |
| 5 | Rob Lee / Steve Winslett | 15.11 | 3.83 | $2,000.00 |
| 6 | Seth Johnston / Donnie Johnston | 14.79 | $1,500.00 | |
| 7 | Joey Aderhold / Jonathan Collins | 14.43 | $1,100.00 | |
| 8 | Tony Hogan / Vernon Ward | 14.31 | $1,100.00 | |
| 9 | Myles Palmer / B.J. Barnett | 14.17 | $1,100.00 | |
| 10 | Marty Giddens / Josh Stracner | 13.88 | $1,100.00 |
Duckett Leads Top 10 Anglers into Championship Round of Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two Conroe presented by Favorite Fishing
Day 5
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Boyd Duckett | 38 - 05 | 21 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 2nd | Gary Klein | 30 - 01 | 15 | 2 - 00 | 2 - 15 | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd | Edwin Evers | 29 - 02 | 14 | 2 - 01 | 4 - 11 | ||||||||||||||
| 4th | Brent Ehrler | 28 - 12 | 16 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 06 | ||||||||||||||
| 5th | Jordan Lee | 28 - 12 | 13 | 2 - 03 | 6 - 09 | ||||||||||||||
| 6th | Randall Tharp | 27 - 13 | 16 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 07 | ||||||||||||||
| 7th | David Walker | 27 - 10 | 11 | 2 - 08 | 6 - 03 | ||||||||||||||
| 8th | Wesley Strader | 27 - 05 | 13 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 09 | ||||||||||||||
| 9th | Jeff Sprague | 26 - 06 | 16 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 10th | Stephen Browning | 25 - 13 | 9 | 2 - 14 | 4 - 06 | ||||||||||||||
| Elimination Line | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | Shin Fukae | 23 - 04 | 11 | 2 - 02 | 2 - 13 | ||||||||||||||
| 12th | Keith Poche | 23 - 01 | 11 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 00 | ||||||||||||||
| 13th | Andy Montgomery | 22 - 06 | 10 | 2 - 04 | 5 - 02 | ||||||||||||||
| 14th | Jonathon VanDam | 22 - 06 | 10 | 2 - 04 | 3 - 11 | ||||||||||||||
| 15th | Adrian Avena | 21 - 15 | 12 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 16th | Gerald Spohrer | 21 - 02 | 12 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 05 | ||||||||||||||
| 17th | Dean Rojas | 20 - 05 | 10 | 2 - 00 | 2 - 12 | ||||||||||||||
| 18th | Matt Lee | 20 - 04 | 7 | 2 - 14 | 7 - 05 | ||||||||||||||
| 19th | Mark Rose | 19 - 13 | 11 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 02 | ||||||||||||||
| 20th | Bobby Lane | 19 - 05 | 11 | 1 - 12 | 4 - 06 | ||||||||||||||
| 21st | Greg Hackney | 18 - 03 | 9 | 2 - 00 | 2 - 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 22nd | Jason Christie | 17 - 09 | 10 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 15 | ||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Skeet Reese | 17 - 07 | 10 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 02 | ||||||||||||||
| 24th | Todd Faircloth | 17 - 05 | 8 | 2 - 03 | 4 - 08 | ||||||||||||||
| 25th | Mark Davis | 16 - 05 | 8 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 06 | ||||||||||||||
| 26th | Randy Howell | 16 - 00 | 8 | 2 - 00 | 3 - 07 | ||||||||||||||
| 27th | Alton Jones | 15 - 05 | 9 | 1 - 11 | 2 - 09 | ||||||||||||||
| 28th | Alton Jones Jr. | 15 - 03 | 8 | 1 - 14 | 5 - 12 | ||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bradley Roy | 15 - 02 | 7 | 2 - 03 | 3 - 00 | ||||||||||||||
| 30th | Dave Lefebre | 14 - 02 | 9 | 1 - 09 | 2 - 08 | ||||||||||||||
| 31st | Kevin VanDam | 14 - 02 | 7 | 2 - 00 | 4 - 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 32nd | Justin Atkins | 13 - 05 | 7 | 1 - 14 | 3 - 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 33rd | Andy Morgan | 12 - 10 | 5 | 2 - 08 | 3 - 01 | ||||||||||||||
| 34th | Fletcher Shryock | 11 - 12 | 8 | 1 - 08 | 2 - 01 | ||||||||||||||
| 35th | Jeff Kriet | 10 - 02 | 4 | 2 - 08 | 4 - 11 | ||||||||||||||
| 36th | Zack Birge | 8 - 15 | 4 | 2 - 04 | 2 - 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 37th | Jared Lintner | 7 - 11 | 4 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 13 | ||||||||||||||
| 38th | Brett Hite | 6 - 13 | 4 | 1 - 11 | 3 - 02 | ||||||||||||||
| 39th | Casey Ashley | 3 - 04 | 1 | 3 - 04 | 3 - 04 | ||||||||||||||
| 40th | Chris Lane | 2 - 12 | 1 | 2 - 12 | 2 - 12 | ||||||||||||||
Zaldain Takes Lead Heading Into Final Day Of Toyota Bassmaster Elite At Lake Lanier
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Knockout Round is Set as 20 More Anglers Advance out of Elimination on Lake Conroe
Edwin Evers piled 28 pounds, 12 ounces on SCORETRACKER to advance to the Knockout Round. Photo by Josh Gassmann
By Joel Shangle - February 15, 2019
CONROE, Texas – Elimination Round 2 at the MLF Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two Conroe presented by Favorite Fishing ended with some familiar names on top of the SCORETRACKER leaderboard: Jordan Lee, Edwin Evers and Andy Montgomery.
Lee and Montgomery entered the day 1-2, and Evers made a move early in the day to put himself well inside the Elimination Line. But while the three enjoyed relatively stress-free days with totals of 47 pounds, 10 ounces, 39-15 and 39-9, respectively, roughly a dozen anglers fighting for their competitive lives around the Elimination Line had exactly the opposite experience:
-Brett Hite landed a 2-4 on his last cast of the day to leap from 21st to 19th and into his first MLF Knockout Round.
“I’m going to take a breather on that one,” Hite said as he flopped on his front deck immediately after the “lines out” call from his official. Hite covered his face with his hat and took a minute to catch his breath, and then went into celebration mode when it was confirmed that he was indeed in the Knockout Round.
“That was probably the most stressful last couple of hours of fishing in my life,” Hite said once he we upright again. “I kept my head down the whole time, and I knew I’d get a bite sooner or later. I cast up under a boat dock, cranked three times and that fish just KOd it.”
-Randall Tharp, who started the morning in fifth place, tapped a 4-1 just 20 minutes into the morning, and then didn’t add another fish to SCORETRACKER until there was 40 minutes left in the final period. That second bite, though, was the right one: a 4-4 that cemented Tharp at 17th.
“It was extremely tough today,” Tharp admitted. “I caught that 4-pounder first thing in the morning, and thought ‘Man, what a great start, let’s build on this’. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m in first place now with the weights zeroing. I know I’m catching the right ones, and I’m having fun fishing the way I love to fish.”
-Zack Birge started the day in 20th place, and spent the majority of the first two periods ping-ponging between 17th and 20th, battling Justin Lucas, Stephen Browning, Gary Klein, Mike McClelland and James Elam to stay above the Elimination Line. Birge put together a four-fish flurry over the first 20 minutes of the final period to add 12-8 to his total. Birge finished the day in seventh place.
“I fished that area first thing in the morning, and then left it for four or five hours,” Birge said. “I went back there hoping that some fish had moved in, and they had.”
-Justin Lucas jumped into the Top 20 with 13-9 in the first period, but then slowed down in the second period, and finally stalled over the last half of the day. The Alabama pro didn’t put a scorable fish on the scale over the final 3 ½ hours of competition and fell to the dreaded 21st spot with 26-11 (7 ounces behind Gary Klein, who earned the final spot in the Knockout Round).
“I was catching them good the first two periods, never caught a keeper in the third period, and have no idea why,” Lucas admitted. “It feels terrible. I hope everybody finishes 21st at some point. They need to know what that feels like. It’s not fun.”
Knockout Round need-to-know
Weights zero out tomorrow for the Knockout Round, which pits the Top 20 anglers from both A and B groups in a one-day battle for the Top 10 weights of the day. Those 10 anglers will compete in the Championship Round on Sunday.
How, where & when to watch
Official live scoring updates are available via SCORETRACKER from the start of competition at 7:30 a.m. CT. The MLF NOW! live stream begins at 10 a.m. CT, with on-the-water coverage following the action until the end of competition at 3:30 p.m. The MLF Berkley Postgame Show begins at 5 p.m.
Mullins Remains Consistent, Grabs Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Elite At Lake Lanier
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Giant Bass Will Greet Anglers At Bassmaster Central Open On Toledo Bend Reservoir
Feb. 15, 2019
MANY, La. — Fireworks. That’s what anglers competing in the 2019 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Toledo Bend can expect next week.
Less than 75 days into the year, the lake has already given up 22 largemouth over 10 pounds, with the biggest weighing 11.49 pounds. Plus, a 29.83-pound limit was weighed in during a recent couples tournament. And according to local anglers, it’s only going to get better.
“Fishing is so good right now, trucks are lined up a quarter-mile down the street from every launch ramp,” said Linda Curtis-Sparks, director of Sabine Parish Tourist Commission. “So, the timing really couldn’t be better for the event.”
The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 20-22, with daily takeoffs at 6:45 a.m. CT from Cypress Bend Boat Ramp, where daily weigh-ins will begin at 2:45 p.m. A bulging field of 218 boats will compete the first two days, with only the Top 12 pros and co-anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round.
Longtime Toledo Bend guide Jerry Thompson predicts the event will be epic.
“February is typically when the spawn kicks off for us, but we’ve had so many late-season cold fronts, the bass are a little slow to move shallow. That said, some fish will be on beds, but I think the monster limits will be caught from staging areas.”
There is no shortage of staging areas on the 185,000-acre reservoir. Thompson thinks the magic depth range will be between 8 and 15 feet, and that crankbaits and jigs will likely be responsible for the winning weight.
“If a guy wants to win this tournament, he will need to find a pile of prespawners, and they need to be big. It’s easy to catch a limit of 4-pounders right now, so I wouldn’t be content until there is 25 pounds swimming in the livewell,” Thompson said.
Some competitors may be intimidated by the muddy water flowing through Toledo Bend right now, but Thompson said that shouldn’t be an issue. “The lake has been so muddy for so long now, the fish are used to it. They are biting like they do when it’s just a little stained.”
Not only is the timing good for anglers looking to catch their personal best, but it is also perfect to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this storied fishery.
Construction of the Toledo Bend Dam, spillway and power plant began in 1964 and was completed in 1969. As the lake filled, the bass population exploded and caught the attention of Ray Scott. B.A.S.S. held a professional tournament competition on Toledo Bend for the first time in 1970 and has been back 15 times since.
The histories of the world’s largest tournament organization and this giant reservoir on the border of Louisiana and Texas have been interlocked for almost five decades.
“It’s like B.A.S.S. and Toledo Bend have been in a long-term marriage,” Curtis-Sparks explained. “With the guidance of B.A.S.S. to inspire more tournaments to be held here, we have cut hundreds of miles of boat roads and marked them with thousands of buoys for safe travel on the water. B.A.S.S. required event space for 400 anglers, as well as 200 rooms close together, so we renovated Cypress Bend Resort to meet these standards. B.A.S.S. even helped us design the boat launch area to better serve anglers. I’ll put it this way, we are building a Toledo Bend Museum, and B.A.S.S. will have its own section!”
Toledo Bend was the first fishery ever to be named No. 1 on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings two years in a row. Based on the predictions for this upcoming Basspro.comBassmaster Central Open, another historical milestone could be etched in the shared histories of B.A.S.S. and Toledo Bend.
This event will be hosted by the Louisiana Office of Tourism; Toledo Bend Lake County; Sabine River Authority; Cypress Bend Park Golf Resort, Spa, and Conference Center; and Discover DeSoto Parish Louisiana.
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 2019 COSTA FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING SUMMER CAMP
FLW and Costa Partner to Offer Students, Coaches and Parents a Summer Camp Experience of a Lifetime on shores of Kentucky Lake
BENTON, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2019) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) in partnership with Costa Sunglasses, announced today the second annual Costa FLW High School Fishing Summer Camp, scheduled for July 24-27 on the Murray State University campus, with daily activities on the shores of Kentucky Lake – the South’s Great Lake. The all-inclusive three-day camp is designed for serious high school anglers, parents and coaches who want to gain an edge on the competition by getting hands-on bass fishing experience alongside the biggest names in the industry.
For three action-packed days, attendees will be immersed in instruction from top professionals and industry executives. Students will learn the tools they need to take their fishing and fishing-career readiness to the next level, while parents and coaches learn what they can do to support them. FLW Tour headliners including former FLW Cup champion and Angler of the Year (AOY) Scott Martin, two-time AOY Bryan Thrift, FLW Tour leading money winner and three-time AOY David Dudley, fishing legends Jimmy Houston and Larry Nixon, Costa pros Russell Cecil and Todd Castledine, and many others will be on-site to provide personal instruction on a wide range array of topics for students and parents/coaches.
“The Costa FLW High School Fishing Summer Camp offers a lifetime of lessons for achieving excellence both on and off the water,” Martin said. “Kentucky Lake along with Murray State University provide the perfect backdrop for developing young, talented and hungry anglers. We believe great anglers are developed, not born, and this camp certainly helps to set young anglers up for success.”
Sessions offered at the camp include boating safety, seasonal techniques, electronics, lure and rod building, equipment basics, fish care and off-the-water necessities like building a social media following, career exploration and resume building for the outdoor industry. Courses offered for parents/coaches include best practices for sanctioned teams, optimizing individual and team performance, career readiness and fish care at weigh-ins.
“After the huge success of the inaugural Costa FLW High School Camp in 2018, we are even more excited about this upcoming year,” said Melinda Hays, Costa Bass Community Leader. “Costa knows that young anglers are the future of our sport, and we are committed to helping them become better stewards of our sport – both on and off the water. The camp is also extremely beneficial to parents and coaches of high school bass anglers. It provides ample networking opportunities and strategies to help teach and guide these young anglers.”
Following the week’s activities, campers are invited to put their skills to the test in the FLW Foundation benefit tournament. All proceeds from the tournament go toward High School Fishing scholarships to help less fortunate anglers and teams get out on the water. The tournament, held Saturday, July 27, on Kentucky Lake, features two divisions – a boat division and a kayak division – and one lucky camper will be selected to fish with an FLW Tour pro. Participants are eligible for thousands of dollars in cash prizes, with the winner taking home the Costa FLW High School Fishing Cup. The tournament entry fee is $200 per boat/kayak.
Registration for the Costa FLW High School Fishing Camp will close Saturday, June 30, or when the camp reaches capacity, whichever comes first. The inaugural camp filled within weeks of registration opening, so don’t delay. Cost for the camp is $300 per person, which includes all housing, meals and accommodations at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. To sign up for camp, visit https://bit.ly/2019CostaFLWCamp. Anglers that cannot attend camp but would like to fish the FLW Foundation tournament can register at https://bit.ly/2019FLWFoundationTourney.
Patrick Walters - Making a Name for Himself, Quickly
On this weeks AC Rookie Podcast Jason talks to Elite Series Rookie Patrick Walters prior to the Lake Lanier Elite Series event. Patrick is a former Carhartt College Angler and Opens Pro. Patrick talks about growing up in South Carolina and in the outdoors and how all that changed when he fished his first tournament at a young age. A great kid with a bright future in the sport! Check it out!
THREE WORLD CHAMPS, RENOWNED ILLUSTRATOR, NOTED TACKLE DESIGNER COMPRISE 2019 CLASS OF BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 2.14.19 – The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors announced this week that five individuals, each of whom has made a substantial mark on the sport of bass fishing, have been selected for induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2019, with formal induction ceremonies taking place at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield on Thursday, September 19, 2019, includes three stars of professional bass fishing — Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark., David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., and Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C. – along with noted artist/illustrator, the late Chris Armstrong, and the founder of Zoom Bait Company, the late Ed Chambers.
The inductees were nominated by supporters of the Hall of Fame and elected by a 30- member panel of sportfishing industry leaders, members of the outdoor media, professional anglers and current inductees of the Hall of Fame.
“All these men, in both what they have done and continue to do, reflect perfectly on the
Hall’s mission to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing,” said John Mazurkiewicz, vice president of the Hall of Fame Board and Nominations Committee chair. “We
are confident that the selection process first implemented last year helps ensure that we will continue to induct the most deserving bass fishing innovators and pioneers.”
The five will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum, which opened in November 2017 within the Wonders of Wildlife complex at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. On display in the museum are artifacts, photos and biographical information about 71 members of the Hall of Fame who have been inducted since 2001.
“Many have said the annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame enshrinement dinner has become a must-attend event for anyone interested in bass fishing,” said Donald Howell, BFHOF Board president. “Last year’s event was sold out and we expect that this year’s class will draw an equally vibrant and star-studded crowd as we honor the newest members of the Hall of Fame.”
About the Class Of 2019
Mark Davis – Davis fished his first Bassmaster tournament at 23 years old, but by that point he’d been guiding on waters near his Arkansas home for a decade. He has continued to compete as a touring pro for more than three decades and has earned wins on multiple circuits. His three Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles put him in elite company, but he is best known for becoming the first pro to win the Bassmaster Classic and the AOY title in the same calendar year. That magical season earned him an invitation to the White House. His influence has been substantial on lure design and he has helped to popularize a number of products including the Bomber Fat Free Shad. He is also heavily involved in youth activities and most recently has led the Mt. Ida High School Fishing Club to numerous titles while contributing to the birth of the Arkansas Bassmaster High School Series.
David Fritts – Fritts is one of the handful of anglers who have won both the Bassmaster Classic and the FLW Championship (later renamed the Forrest Wood Cup), and he furthermore won the Angler of the Year title on both of those major circuits. While his five B.A.S.S. wins and six FLW Tour victories speak for themselves and provide an unimpeachable record, Fritts is perhaps better known as the leading deep cranking practitioner the sport has ever known. In an era when electronics were comparatively rudimentary, he dominated the offshore game. He contributed to the development of numerous products used in that pursuit and continues to be an innovator today.
Davy Hite – Davy Hite took a risk, giving up a rock-solid career in the SC National Guard to pursue his dream of becoming a professional angler. Over the course of twenty-four seasons he excelled, winning two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, the 1999 Bassmaster Classic and the 1998 FLW Forrest Wood Cup. His ledger includes eight Bassmaster victories along with the FLW Championship. After retiring from competition upon the conclusion of the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series season, Hite slid seamlessly into a new role as a co-host on Bassmaster LIVE and The Bassmasters TV show. Davy serves on the Board of Trustees for the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, a charitable organization whose mission is to provide the means for fathers to be great dads. He also donates his time to a number of other worthy organizations. Without a doubt, Davy considers his greatest accomplishment in life to be the two remarkable sons he and Natalie have been blessed to call their own.
Chris Armstrong – (1948 - 2014) During a career as a freelance artist that spanned over three decades, the incredibly prolific Chris Armstrong made bass fishing come to life for generations of anglers. He was raised in Florida and earned a degree at the Ringling School of Art before joining the staff of the Jacksonville Times- Union. He started contributing to B.A.S.S. publications in 1981 and went on to illustrate techniques, lures and the lifestyle of bass fishing for all of the sport’s leading publications. His work appeared in almost every issue of Bassmaster magazine for 30 years, and it has graced the pages of B.A.S.S. Times, In-Fisherman, Outdoor Life,Field & Stream, North American Fisherman, Western Outdoors and countless others. He illustrated numerous books on bass fishing and produced educational materials for both tackle retailers and manufacturers.
Ed Chambers – (1940 - 2018) While working full time selling and repairing jukeboxes and pinball machines, Ed Chambers turned his hobby of pouring plastic worms that he couldn’t find anywhere else into a business. That endeavor became the Zoom Bait Company, one of the most popular, respected and copied creators of soft plastics the sport has known. Chambers was integral in the development of numerous colors and lure styles that became industry staples, including “pumpkinseed,” the Brush Hog and the Super Fluke, and his products have contributed to literally millions of dollars in tournament winnings. He remained active in product development at Zoom well into his seventies. His other “hobby,” carving hand-made crankbaits, produced the “WEC” lineup of lures, which have become the most sought-after custom crankbaits in the fishing industry.
Strader Finishes on top of Elimination Round 1 at Conroe
"I looked around more than I fished today," Strader admitted. "I have a real specific (condition) I'm looking for - when I see it, I catch one about 75 percent of the time. But this thing I'm looking for is really hard to find, and I have to cover a lot of water on the trolling motor to find it. I feel like I can go behind guys and catch them, though, because I have a
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Bobby Lane finished the Group A Elimination Round 1 in
2nd place with 55-0, exactly 1 pound behind Strader's 56-0.
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real specific bait that they really like. Hopefully I can make that work again on Saturday."
Group A
| Place | Angler | Day 1 | Day 2 | Total Weight | Day 1 | Day 2 | Total # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wesley Strader | 33 - 00 | 23 - 00 | 56 - 00 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 1 - 15 | 4 - 04 | ||||||||||
| 2nd | Bobby Lane | 28 - 05 | 26 - 11 | 55 - 00 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 02 | ||||||||||
| 3rd | Mark Rose | 17 - 12 | 31 - 03 | 48 - 15 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 2 - 07 | 7 - 03 | ||||||||||
| 4th | Fletcher Shryock | 16 - 12 | 26 - 06 | 43 - 02 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 2 - 05 | 5 - 10 | ||||||||||
| 5th | Brent Ehrler | 33 - 12 | 8 - 01 | 41 - 13 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 02 | ||||||||||
| 6th | Jason Christie | 29 - 11 | 11 - 16 | 41 - 11 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 2 - 11 | 3 - 03 | ||||||||||
| 7th | Adrian Avena | 29 - 02 | 12 - 04 | 41 - 06 | 15 | 7 | 22 | 1 - 14 | 3 - 02 | ||||||||||
| 8th | Alton Jones Jr. | 15 - 06 | 26 - 00 | 41 - 06 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2 - 04 | 5 - 12 | ||||||||||
| 9th | Justin Atkins | 16 - 01 | 24 - 02 | 40 - 03 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 2 - 08 | 5 - 00 | ||||||||||
| 10th | Bradley Roy | 29 - 04 | 10 - 03 | 39 - 07 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 2 - 04 | 2 - 14 | ||||||||||
| 11th | Boyd Duckett | 27 - 00 | 11 - 08 | 38 - 08 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 1 - 08 | 1 - 14 | ||||||||||
| 12th | Alton Jones | 18 - 06 | 19 - 09 | 37 - 15 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 2 - 06 | 4 - 00 | ||||||||||
| 13th | Todd Faircloth | 17 - 13 | 20 - 00 | 37 - 13 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 08 | ||||||||||
| 14th | Jeff Kriet | 26 - 03 | 9 - 13 | 36 - 00 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 06 | ||||||||||
| 15th | Jonathon VanDam | 18 - 03 | 16 - 16 | 35 - 03 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 2 - 12 | 4 - 00 | ||||||||||
| 16th | Jeff Sprague | 17 - 07 | 17 - 05 | 34 - 12 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 1 - 13 | 4 - 04 | ||||||||||
| 17th | Skeet Reese | 8 - 02 | 25 - 04 | 33 - 06 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 14 | ||||||||||
| 18th | Kevin VanDam | 25 - 12 | 7 - 01 | 32 - 13 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 1 - 10 | 1 - 13 | ||||||||||
| 19th | Greg Hackney | 17 - 02 | 14 - 09 | 31 - 11 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 - 02 | 2 - 10 | ||||||||||
| 20th | Dean Rojas | 12 - 14 | 18 - 08 | 31 - 06 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 2 - 04 | 3 - 06 | ||||||||||
| Elimination Line | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21st | Mike Iaconelli | 15 - 15 | 13 - 01 | 29 - 00 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 2 - 05 | 4 - 09 | ||||||||||
| 22nd | Aaron Martens | 11 - 02 | 16 - 03 | 27 - 05 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 - 07 | 6 - 05 | ||||||||||
| 23rd | Gerald Swindle | 21 - 03 | 5 - 10 | 26 - 13 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 - 15 | 3 - 03 | ||||||||||
| 24th | Cliff Pace | 14 - 10 | 11 - 14 | 26 - 08 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 2 - 00 | 3 - 14 | ||||||||||
| 25th | Dustin Connell | 5 - 08 | 20 - 07 | 25 - 15 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 - 06 | 4 - 10 | ||||||||||
| 26th | Shaw Grigsby | 12 - 14 | 12 - 07 | 25 - 05 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 04 | ||||||||||
| 27th | Cliff Crochet | 11 - 07 | 13 - 11 | 25 - 02 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 10 | ||||||||||
| 28th | Anthony Gagliardi | 13 - 02 | 11 - 01 | 24 - 03 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 - 04 | 2 - 07 | ||||||||||
| 29th | Marty Robinson | 8 - 14 | 13 - 16 | 22 - 14 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 1 - 14 | 2 - 13 | ||||||||||
| 30th | Luke Clausen | 8 - 14 | 10 - 15 | 19 - 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 - 03 | 2 - 11 | ||||||||||
| 31st | Britt Myers | 10 - 14 | 8 - 07 | 19 - 05 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 00 | ||||||||||
| 32nd | Josh Bertrand | 9 - 04 | 8 - 07 | 17 - 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 - 10 | 3 - 14 | ||||||||||
| 33rd | Jacob Powroznik | 11 - 10 | 5 - 07 | 17 - 01 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 1 - 14 | 2 - 08 | ||||||||||
| 34th | Scott Suggs | 5 - 15 | 10 - 04 | 16 - 03 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 09 | ||||||||||
| 35th | Brent Chapman | 8 - 11 | 6 - 05 | 15 - 00 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 - 11 | 2 - 06 | ||||||||||
| 36th | Terry Scroggins | 7 - 11 | 4 - 01 | 11 - 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 - 16 | 2 - 06 | ||||||||||
| 37th | John Murray | 4 - 12 | 5 - 10 | 10 - 06 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 - 05 | 2 - 02 | ||||||||||
| 38th | Paul Elias | 7 - 00 | 1 - 10 | 8 - 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 - 08 | 1 - 10 | ||||||||||
| 39th | Brandon Palaniuk | 7 - 03 | 0 - 00 | 7 - 03 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 - 06 | 2 - 13 | ||||||||||
| 40th | Jesse Wiggins | 0 - 00 | 2 - 11 | 2 - 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 - 11 | 1 - 06 | ||||||||||
Canadian Pro Gustafson Feels At Home In Georgia, Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite
| Courtesy of BASS
Photo by Seigo Saito
Feb. 14, 2019 |
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Jeff Gustafson said coming into this week that Lake Lanier on the
historic Chattahoochee River was probably his favorite fishery in the lower 48 United States.
Thursday didn’t do a thing to change his mind.
The 36-year-old first-year Elite Series pro from Keewatin, Canada, caught five bass that weighed
19 pounds, 2 ounces and took the lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier. He said
the lake reminds him of home — even though he is more than 2,000 miles away, fishing for
green spotted bass instead of brown smallmouth.
“Obviously, today was a lot more fun for me than last week when I had two fish to start out my
Elite Series career in Florida,” Gustafson said. “I’m not catching a lot of fish, but I got some good
ones today.”
Gustafson learned to love Lake Lanier last year when he finished seventh here in an FLW Tour
event. He said that prior knowledge told him what was swimming in the lake — but not how to
catch them this week.
“It’s completely different this year,” he said. “I didn’t catch fish off any of the places that I did
last year.
“But I like fishing for spots. These things act a lot like the smallmouths do up at Lake of the
Woods, where I live.”
Gustafson’s two biggest fish — both spotted bass in the 4-pound range — were the first two he
put in his livewell. His finesse tactics included a jerkbait, a swimbait and other lures he said
were “really no secret.”
His biggest obstacle of the day was the light line he’s using to target fish in the clear water. He
said he broke off two bass in brushpiles that could have helped him eclipse the 20-pound mark.
Gustafson’s bag topped a day that was dominated by healthy spotted bass that looked like they
had all swallowed footballs. David Mullins of Mount Carmel, Tenn., was second with 17-12,
followed by Virginia pro Rick Morris with 17-6 and Californian Chris Zaldain with 16-15.
Like Gustafson, Mullins said his experience with smallmouth — albeit on Tennessee’s Cherokee
Lake — played a role in his Day 1 success.
“This lake fishes a lot like home, where you have a window in the morning for about an hour
and half to two hours and then it kicks back up in the evening,” Mullins said. “It’s the same way
at home — and if you have wind, it seems like they’ll bite all day long.
“The wind just didn’t blow much today.”
Mullins wasn’t the only angler who said the flat, calm conditions made the fishing tougher
Thursday. Likewise, he wasn’t the only one excited about Friday’s forecast that calls for clouds,
increased winds and rain showers beginning around 1 p.m.
“If it stays cloudy with a low ceiling all day, I feel like I’m going to catch them,” Mullins said.
“When I don’t catch them is when it gets sunny and slick.”
Morris, a noted shallow-water expert, said he leaned on his background from Upstate New York
to find the Lake Lanier spots.
“I grew up with a spinning rod in my hand,” Morris said. “When I first went pro in the Opens, I
had all spinning rods on the deck — didn’t even know how to throw a baitcaster. I have
spinning-rod skills, and I had to apply them today.”
Though he said he’d rather be fishing fast, he used a slow finesse game Thursday around deep
structure.
“I caught probably a dozen fish,” Morris said, “so I feel pretty confident that I can go out and
probably catch 13 to 14 pounds tomorrow.”
One of the few big largemouth brought in Thursday belonged to Indiana pro Bill Lowen. It
weighed 6-14 and claimed the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week.
Patrick Walters, who took the lead in the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race last
week with a fourth-place finish on the St. Johns River, had another stellar day Thursday. The 24-
year-old South Carolina pro caught five bass that weighed 16-12 and finished tied for fifth place
with Ray Hanselman Jr.
“I came into the season thinking (Toyota Bassmaster) Angler of the Year,” Walters said. “If you
think like that — and fish like that — Rookie of the Year will take care of itself.” As the leader in
the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race, Walters collected $500. He’ll get another
$500 if he retains the lead after this week’s Elite event, and $10,000 if he earns the crown at
season’s end.
Other bonus awards winners from the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River last week
were Rick Clunn, who won $1,000 for being the Toyota AOY leader and John Crews Jr., who
collected the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 11-2 largemouth.
The tournament resumes Friday, with takeoff scheduled for 6:45 a.m. from Laurel Park in Hall
County and weigh-in back at the park at 3:10 p.m. Only the Top 35 anglers will advance to
Saturday’s semifinal round.
2019 Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier 2/14-2/17 Lake Lanier, Gwinnett GA. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 19-02 100 Day 1: 5 19-02 2. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 17-12 99 Day 1: 5 17-12 3. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 17-06 98 Day 1: 5 17-06 4. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 16-15 97 Day 1: 5 16-15 5. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 16-12 96 Day 1: 5 16-12 5. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 16-12 96 Day 1: 5 16-12 7. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 16-11 94 Day 1: 5 16-11 7. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 16-11 94 Day 1: 5 16-11 7. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 16-11 94 Day 1: 5 16-11 10. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 16-06 91 Day 1: 5 16-06 11. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 16-01 90 Day 1: 5 16-01 12. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 15-15 89 Day 1: 5 15-15 12. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 15-15 89 Day 1: 5 15-15 14. Drew Cook Midway, FL 5 15-14 87 Day 1: 5 15-14 14. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 15-14 87 Day 1: 5 15-14 14. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 15-14 87 Day 1: 5 15-14 17. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 15-11 84 Day 1: 5 15-11 18. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 15-08 83 Day 1: 5 15-08 19. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 15-07 82 Day 1: 5 15-07 20. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 15-06 81 Day 1: 5 15-06 21. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 15-02 80 Day 1: 5 15-02 22. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 15-01 79 Day 1: 5 15-01 22. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 15-01 79 Day 1: 5 15-01 24. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 14-15 77 Day 1: 5 14-15 25. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 14-12 76 Day 1: 5 14-12 26. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 14-10 75 Day 1: 5 14-10 27. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 14-08 74 Day 1: 5 14-08 27. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 14-08 74 Day 1: 5 14-08 29. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 14-06 72 Day 1: 5 14-06 30. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 5 14-04 71 Day 1: 5 14-04 30. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 14-04 71 Day 1: 5 14-04 32. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 14-00 69 Day 1: 5 14-00 33. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 13-15 68 Day 1: 5 13-15 34. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 13-13 67 Day 1: 5 13-13 35. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 13-12 66 Day 1: 5 13-12 36. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 13-11 65 Day 1: 5 13-11 37. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 13-10 64 Day 1: 5 13-10 38. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 13-08 63 Day 1: 5 13-08 39. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 13-05 62 Day 1: 5 13-05 40. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 13-03 61 Day 1: 5 13-03 41. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 13-02 60 Day 1: 5 13-02 42. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 13-00 59 Day 1: 5 13-00 43. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 12-15 58 Day 1: 5 12-15 44. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 12-13 57 Day 1: 5 12-13 45. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 12-12 56 Day 1: 5 12-12 46. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 12-11 55 Day 1: 5 12-11 47. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 12-08 54 Day 1: 5 12-08 48. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 12-07 53 Day 1: 5 12-07 49. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 12-04 52 Day 1: 5 12-04 50. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 11-15 51 Day 1: 5 11-15 51. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 11-14 50 Day 1: 5 11-14 51. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 11-14 50 Day 1: 5 11-14 53. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 11-13 48 Day 1: 5 11-13 54. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 11-09 47 Day 1: 5 11-09 55. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 11-07 46 Day 1: 5 11-07 56. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 11-05 45 Day 1: 5 11-05 57. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 11-04 44 Day 1: 5 11-04 58. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 4 11-04 43 Day 1: 4 11-04 59. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 11-03 42 Day 1: 5 11-03 59. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 11-03 42 Day 1: 5 11-03 61. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 11-01 40 Day 1: 5 11-01 62. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 11-00 39 Day 1: 5 11-00 62. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 11-00 39 Day 1: 5 11-00 64. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 10-13 37 Day 1: 5 10-13 65. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 4 10-13 36 Day 1: 4 10-13 66. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 10-10 35 Day 1: 5 10-10 67. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 5 10-06 34 Day 1: 5 10-06 68. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 10-02 33 Day 1: 5 10-02 69. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 09-10 32 Day 1: 5 09-10 70. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 4 09-10 31 Day 1: 4 09-10 71. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 09-05 30 Day 1: 5 09-05 72. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 4 08-07 29 Day 1: 4 08-07 73. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 3 06-03 28 Day 1: 3 06-03 74. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 2 05-06 27 Day 1: 2 05-06 75. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00
What Wheeler Loves Most
Alan McGuckin from Dynamic Sponsorships
Saint Valentine was from Rome, and was known as a pro at courtly love. While Jacob Wheeler is from Indianapolis, and is known as one of the most accomplished pro anglers under the age of 30 to ever make a cast. Wheeler is also a brand new dad, and a guy who just generally loves life, and he was gracious enough to talk about all the things he loves most in life during a short Q & A interview on Valentine’s Day.
Q: Tell us how and where you met your wife Alicia.
JW:She’s originally from Erie, PA, but I met her through a buddy of mine named Mitch who is about to marry Alicia’s close friend. They were all in Columbus, OH, when we met. We’ve been married about 17 months.
Q: The two of you became brand new parents three weeks ago. What do you love most about being a father?
JW:I love the brand new perspective on life our baby Olivia gives me. I feel like she gives me a whole new purpose in life – because I know she is completely dependent on me. And I also love seeing the joy she brings my wife.
Q: What single fishing pattern and place do you love most in late February or early March?
JW:I’d probably choose Lake Hartwell, SC this time of year. I love fishing for bass that are grouped up in those underwater ditches that are 30 to 40-feet deep with an underhead spinner or small swimbait tied to 10-pound Sufix fluorocarbon.
Q: What TV show do you love most?
JW:I’ll give you two: Friends and Andy Griffith.
Q: What music do you love most?
JW:Mostly a mix of country, like Chase Rice, and hip hop, like Bazanji
Q: What meal do you love most?
JW:That’s easy! Sushi! I could eat sushi 6 days a week. Alicia and I had incredibly fresh sushi in Cabo, but we also love to hit a place called Naked Tchopstix in my hometown of Indy.
Q: What features of your Toyota Tundra do you love most?
JW: I love the massive inside storage space the huge back seat on my CrewMax offers, plus the towing power of a Tundra is insane, and the dependability you get with a Toyota is second to none.
Q: How do you love to spend time at home in East Tennessee on a rare weekend off?
JW:It’s changed a lot recently with the birth of Olivia, but Alicia and I love to fish together on Chickamauga Lake, and grab some buffalo shrimp to eat at Arie’s restaurant.
Q: Last question, what two lures would you say you love to fish with the most?
JW:I’m a buzzbait fanatic, and it’s hard to beat a Rapala DT6 just about anywhere you go.
Whitaker, Walters, and Rivet – Carhartt College B.A.S.S. Degrees
Courtesy of Luke Stoner / Dynamic Sponsorships
Along with being Bassmaster Elite Series competitors Jake Whitaker, Patrick Walters, and Tyler Rivet have at least one other thing in common – they all competed against each other in Carhartt College B.A.S.S. tournaments, too. Whitaker (26) studied Civil Engineering at UNC Charlotte, Walters (24) was a double major at the University of South Carolina studying Business Management & Marketing, while Rivet (24) attended Nicholls State University in Louisiana and studied Petroleum Technology.
Not only did all three of these college-angling standouts graduate with a degree in their respective majors, they left their Alma Maters with a Master’s Degree in bass fishing. And none of them are afraid to credit Carhartt College B.A.S.S. competition in helping prepare them for fishing at the highest level. In fact, it’s now impossible to look at the Bassmaster Elite Series roster and ignore the college fishing experience for many of the young faces.
Professional anglers like Brandon Card, Andrew Upshaw, or Matt and Jordan Lee have proven that anglers coming from the college fishing ranks are for real. With each passing year, more and more former collegiate anglers are making a name for themselves, both in Bassmaster Opens and on the Elite Series. College fishing has begun to serve as feeder program for fishing at a professional level.
2019 marks Jake Whitaker’s sophomore season on the Bassmaster Elite Series where he hopes to build off his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018. While both Tyler Rivet and Patrick Walters began their rookie seasons last week on the St. Johns River in Florida. We caught up with them at angler registration tonight to ask a few questions…
Q: What was the biggest lesson you learned from Carhartt College B.A.S.S. competition?
Whitaker – “Learning to be diverse and learning to be confident in my abilities, even on lakes I had never been to.”
Walters – “ Learning to be versatile. In college I fished tournaments from Florida to Michigan and everywhere in between. If you wanted to excel at the college level you had to learn to be versatile.”
Rivet – “I’d have to say learning to fish my strengths as well as learning to be humble. We fished all over the country in college and it taught me you’re going to lose more than you win in bass fishing, but also to be confident in myself and to fish the way I like to.”
The 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier is the playing field for the anglers this week, so we quizzed these three with a couple questions to see how Lake Lanier was fishing.
Q: What are three lures you could see shining this week for the Toyota Bassmaster Elite on Lake Lanier?
Whitaker – “A crankbait, a finesse jig, and a small swimbait.”
Walters – “I would say a Rapala DT6 crankbait, a shakey head, and my darkhorse would be a spinnerbait.”
Rivet – “A shakey head, a drop shot, and a jerkbait.”
Q: Out of the 20 bass the winner weighs in, how many will be spotted bass and how many will be largemouth?
Whitaker – “I’m going to have to say 16 spotted bass and 4 largemouth. I think one big largemouth kicker a day will put you ahead here this week.”
Walters – “I’m thinking 18 spots and two kicker largemouth. If someone wins this thing with 20 largemouth bass – I’ll buy the whole Elite Series field dinner!”
Rivet – “All I’m catching is spotted bass, so I’d say it’ll be 20 spots.”
Sportsman’s Warehouse to Open Murfreesboro, Tennessee Store in Summer 2019
New location offers high quality, hunting, fishing and camping gear and apparel and top-level customer service to locals, www.sportsmans.com
MIDVALE, Utah, February 13, 2019 – Sportsman’s Warehouse (NASDAQ:SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, is planning to open a new store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the summer of 2019. The local community will have access to quality brand-name hunting, shooting sports, fishing, camping, apparel, and footwear merchandise along with the company’s well known, high-level of customer service. Sportsman’s takes pride in offering everyday low prices – backed by guaranteed, best prices. If a customer finds a lower price, they’ll beat it by 5%.
Known for its American Civil War history, the Stones River National Battlefield, Oaklands Mansion, and Connonsburby Village, Murfreesboro is just 34 miles from Nashville and one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. per census data posted at The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Throughout the year, locals enjoy archery, camping, hiking, shooting, off-road riding, fishing, and more, right in their own backyard.
“Since Murfreesboro’s population continues to rise quickly and is in 'the heart of Tennessee,' we can’t wait to provide residents in the area with the high-quality gear and expert insights they need to enjoy all of their favorite outdoor activities as quickly and easily as possible,” states Jon Barker, Sportsman’s Warehouse CEO.
The new Sportsman’s store will be over 30,000 square feet and located at The Oaks Shopping Center, 468 N. Thompson Lane. In a matter of months, local outdoor enthusiasts will be able to select from an incredible selection of over 60,000 items for region-specific activities and enjoy fun seminars, special events, instructional classes, discounts, and much more on a regular basis at the new location.
With the Murfreesboro opening, Sportsman’s Warehouse will soon have 93 stores in 23 states.
For more information about Sportsman’s Warehouse, visit www.sportsmans.com.
About Sportsman’s Warehouse
Founded in 1986, Sportsman’s Warehouse now operates 92 stores in 23 states as the largest, outdoor specialty store based in the Western United States and Alaska. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, we ensure you will always find quality, brand-name hunting, fishing, camping, shooting, apparel, and footwear merchandise within a local and convenient shopping environment. And with everyday low prices, passionate, friendly and knowledgeable associates, and educational in-store seminars and events, you’ll enjoy a memorable outdoor experience. For more information, visit www.sportsmans.com.
Lee Lays Claim to Shotgun Round Heavy Weight with 32-2 on Lake Conroe
Courtesy of Major League Fishing
By Joel Shangle - February 13, 2019
CONROE, Texas – We’re starting to run out of superlatives to describe the competitive success of Jordan Lee.
Just two weeks after claiming the inaugural MLF Bass Pro Tour trophy at the Kissimmee Chain in Florida and two years removed from a Bassmaster Classic win on Lake Conroe, Lee arrived at this impoundment of the San Jacinto River with both momentum and history on his side.
Whether he relied on the former or the latter – or just simply fished the conditions in front of him – Lee finished the second Shotgun Round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two presented by Favorite Fishing with the heaviest weight of the day: 32 pounds, 3 ounces on 12 fish.
Lee wound a vibrating jig around the lower end of Conroe for most of the competition day, connecting with a consistent string of 2- and 3-pounders through the first period and then adding 14-12 to SCORETRACKER in Period 3 to overtake Andy Montgomery for the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader Award for the day.
“I’m still trying to ride the vibrating-jig wave from (the Kissimmee Chain),” Lee joked. “I’m addicted to it now. I threw a little Berkley squarebill and a spinnerbait too, but it was I was just feeling it with the vibrating jig today.”
Lee finished the day with a 4-5 and a 3-3, which leads him to believe that bigger fish might be moving in as waters warm.
“I feel like there’s better quality moving in,” Lee confirmed. “I’m encouraged by that. I’ll just keep doing what I did today and hope the bigger fish keep coming carries on for the rest of the week.”
Montgomery lands a monster
Montgomery, who finished with eight fish for 25-11, staked his claim to the lead as the final seconds ticked down on Period 1.
Montgomery hooked a giant fish as his boat official started the 10-count to the end of the round, and pulled the fish over the gunwale just as his official called “time’s up” for the period. It was deemed a legal catch: 9-6, easily the biggest fish caught in the two Shotgun Rounds and the Berkley Big Bass of the Day.
“It didn’t pull back that hard – it just loaded up and shook its head a couple of times,” Montgomery said. “I thought it was a 5-pounder when I saw him. It was pretty nerve-wracking though. I could hear my boat official counting, I could hear Matt Lee’s official counting because he was close to me and they were on different counts. I just did every darn thing I could to get my hands on that fish.”
Packed tight around the Elimination Line
The battle for Top 20 and a spot in Elimination Round 2 will be extra tight on Friday: less than 5 pounds separates Randy Howell in 18th (11-4) and James Elam in 30th (6-6).
Elimination Rounds begin Thursday
The 40 anglers from Group A are back on Lake Conroe Thursday morning for the first Elimination Round. Brent Ehrler, Wesley Strader, Jason Christie, Bradley Roy and Adrian Avena heads into the day at the top of the group. Places 14 through 25 – roughly the range of anglers flirting with the Elimination Line at 20th – are separated by roughly 5 pounds.
How/where to watch
Official live scoring updates are available via SCORETRACKER from the start of competition at 7:30 a.m. CT. The MLF NOW! live stream begins at 10 a.m. CT, with on-the-water coverage following the action until the end of competition at 3:30 p.m. The MLF Berkley Postgame Show begins at 5 p.m.
Shotgun Round – Group B
| Rank | Angler | Total Weight | Total # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jordan Lee | 32 - 03 | 12 | 2 - 11 | 4 - 05 |
| 2nd | Andy Montgomery | 25 - 11 | 8 | 3 - 03 | 9 - 06 |
| 3rd | David Walker | 22 - 02 | 11 | 2 - 00 | 3 - 11 |
| 4th | Jared Lintner | 20 - 07 | 9 | 2 - 04 | 5 - 12 |
| 5th | Randall Tharp | 20 - 02 | 6 | 3 - 06 | 5 - 11 |
| 6th | Dave Lefebre | 19 - 07 | 12 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 09 |
| 7th | Chris Lane | 17 - 15 | 10 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 07 |
| 8th | Mark Davis | 17 - 13 | 9 | 1 - 16 | 3 - 04 |
| 9th | Shin Fukae | 17 - 10 | 6 | 2 - 15 | 5 - 10 |
| 10th | James Watson | 17 - 03 | 8 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 08 |
| 11th | Andy Morgan | 16 - 08 | 8 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 02 |
| 12th | Takahiro Omori | 16 - 04 | 9 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 15 |
| 13th | Casey Ashley | 15 - 03 | 8 | 1 - 14 | 3 - 04 |
| 14th | Keith Poche | 14 - 04 | 7 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 14 |
| 15th | Gary Klein | 14 - 02 | 7 | 2 - 00 | 2 - 13 |
| 16th | Brett Hite | 13 - 11 | 6 | 2 - 04 | 5 - 02 |
| 17th | Gerald Spohrer | 13 - 07 | 8 | 1 - 11 | 3 - 06 |
| 18th | Randy Howell | 11 - 04 | 5 | 2 - 04 | 3 - 13 |
| 19th | Edwin Evers | 11 - 03 | 5 | 2 - 04 | 2 - 15 |
| 20th | Zack Birge | 11 - 00 | 5 | 2 - 03 | 4 - 02 |
| 21st | Ott DeFoe | 10 - 15 | 6 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 01 |
| 22nd | Mike McClelland | 10 - 15 | 6 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 07 |
| 23rd | Matt Lee | 10 - 10 | 5 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 06 |
| 24th | Stephen Browning | 9 - 10 | 4 | 2 - 07 | 2 - 11 |
| 25th | Ish Monroe | 9 - 05 | 5 | 1 - 14 | 2 - 07 |
| 26th | Michael Neal | 8 - 11 | 5 | 1 - 12 | 1 - 15 |
| 27th | Fred Roumbanis | 8 - 04 | 4 | 2 - 01 | 2 - 06 |
| 28th | Justin Lucas | 7 - 06 | 4 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 04 |
| 29th | Mark Daniels, Jr. | 7 - 01 | 4 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 01 |
| 30th | James Elam | 6 - 06 | 3 | 2 - 02 | 2 - 15 |
| 31st | Cody Meyer | 6 - 03 | 3 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 15 |
| 32nd | Russ Lane | 6 - 02 | 3 | 2 - 01 | 3 - 01 |
| 33rd | Roy Hawk | 6 - 00 | 4 | 1 - 08 | 1 - 10 |
| 34th | Greg Vinson | 4 - 00 | 2 | 2 - 00 | 2 - 06 |
| 35th | Brandon Coulter | 3 - 11 | 2 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 03 |
| 36th | Jacob Wheeler | 3 - 09 | 2 | 1 - 12 | 1 - 15 |
| 37th | Jason Lambert | 1 - 15 | 1 | 1 - 15 | 1 - 15 |
| 38th | Kelly Jordon | 1 - 15 | 1 | 1 - 15 | 1 - 15 |
| 39th | Tommy Biffle | 1 - 03 | 1 | 1 - 03 | 1 - 03 |
| 40th | Timmy Horton | 1 - 02 | 1 | 1 - 02 | 1 - 02 |
AC Insider Podcast - "Made for TV or Made for the Fans?"
This week on the AnglersChannel Insider Podcast Chris & Jason get into discussions over Rick Clunn's Win on the St Johns, Who's Winning the "Live" game vs. the Fan Participation Game, Average fish catches, stats, stats & more stats. The boys talk with FLW Tour winner Buddy Gross on his win on Lake Toho and Chris prods Buddy on why Chickamauga is so freaking good and Buddy gives up a secret or two. Intern David joins the boys for the Costa Countdown to blastoff to talk Fantasy fishing & taking the boys money!
Tournament Team Blog - "Wheeler Dealer"
By Luke Estel
When it comes to any fishing tackle, we all want the latest and greatest. I myself am no different but there is just one small problem, money. I was looking at new graphs the other day and looked up the new Lowrance 16 inch and the Humminbird Solix 15 inch units. For the low price of $3500.00 to $4000.00, you can own one. I am sure they are both really awesome units and it would make me look even cooler having a flat screen TV mounted on my boat, but I am going to have to pass on that this year. It’s not just graphs but everything from rods and reels to lures and line. Every year there will be “ bigger and better”. So, how does the working class fisherman afford these things? You wheel and deal. There are several ways to go about it and here are some examples that I typically use.
Buy last years model. Trust me, just because they added 20 more pixels in the graph or they put 5 more bearings into a reel doesn’t mean that the old model is no good. Look for sales at Cabelas/Bass Pro or any big outdoor chain. They are just like car dealerships, they want to move out the old stock and replace it with the new at the end of the year.
Sell your stuff. Yes I am a fishing hoarder and my wife tries to break me of it all the time but I am getting better. When it’s time to replace something, I try to sell my old stuff. Ebay works great, and word of mouth can sell something fast. Now that you sold your old stuff you can save up to buy what you want.
The trading post. Many years ago our ancestors did this to survive. It’s obviously not to survive now but trading still goes on today. Trade some crankbaits for some soft plastics or a rod for a reel. Talk to your friends after a tournament and tell them what you are looking for and see if you can strike a deal. It can even be bigger than those small items. How about an old four wheeler your kids don’t use for a 10hp motor for your small boat. People do it every day and it works.
For the people that can afford all of the latest and greatest, good for you. For the rest of us, it takes a little work. Don’t go broke fishing tournaments just because you think you have to have the best. You still have to catch them. Try these few things and it just might help you get what you need for this season.
Ehrler Leads MLF Bass Pro Tour Shotgun Group A on Conroe
Courtesy of MLF
By Joel Shangle - February 12, 2019
CONROE, Texas – To say that Brent Ehrler has a colorful career history in the state of Texas is an understatement. Ehrler has picked up a couple of landmark victories in the Lone Star State, including a Toyota Texas Bass Classic win, and the champion’s trophy of the first-even Major League Fishing Competition (held on Lake Amistad in 2011).
But in the days before the first round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two presented by Favorite Fishing, Ehrler admitted that he’s been disappointed in the outcome of some of the events he’s competed in on Lake Conroe.
The California pro took matters into his own hands early in the first Shotgun Round of the week, connecting with eight fish for 22-3 in the first period, primarily throwing a spinnerbait and vibrating jig. Ehrler would eventually finish the day with 33-12, tops among the 40-angler Group A field, putting himself in a strong position as he heads into the event’s first Elimination Round competition on Thursday.
“I caught them pretty good this morning, I just don’t know that there’s a lot of fish in that are,” Ehrler said. “I did catch some nice ones – I got a near-5, a 5-5, a couple of 3s – but it’s hard to say if I’ll be able to do that again (on Thursday).”
Even though Ehrler added only 10-9 to SCORETRACKER in Periods 2 and 3, he spent the majority of the afternoon running new water, scoutSing for more productive spots for his next competition round.
“I literally did a full lap around this lake in the second and third periods,” Ehrler said. “I can’t say that I love what I saw, but I think I have a big enough cushion that I can lay off some spots (in the Elimination Round).”
Strader goes from “cautious” to comfortable
Heading into the first day of competition, Wesley Strader was “cautious” about his expectations of Lake Conroe. But after an 18-fish day, the Tennessee pro finds himself in a much more positive frame of mind (and a strong position to claim a Top 20 spot with 33-0).
Strader spent his day winding a Stan Sloan Bango Blade spinnerbait and picking his way through small, shallow, hard-to-reach spots with a 3/8-ounce Stan Sloan Zorro Flipping Jig and Big Zoom Salty Chunk.
“I want to an area in the morning that I hadn’t even practiced in, so I was pretty happy to catch a few pretty early,” Strader said. “I didn’t get many bites in practice, but I got enough to know what to look for.”
Jason Christie (29-11), Bradley Roy (29-4) and Adrian Avena (29-2) rounded out the Top 5.
The battle around the 20 spot
As has quickly become the case in the Bass Pro Tour format, much of the day’s drama unfolded around the elimination line (No. 20). Heading into Thursday’s Elimination Round, there’s only a 3-3 spread between Todd Faircloth in 13th (17-13) and Cliff Pace in 21st (14-10). There are six anglers within 4 pounds of the 20 spot.
Shotgun Round 2 Wednesday
The 40 anglers fishing Group B start competition Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. That group – which includes Stage One winner Jordan Lee – should see slightly less wind than Group A dealt with on Tuesday, and a daytime high creeping back toward the upper 60s.
Action starts at 7:30 a.m. CT, with official live scoring available on SCORETRACKER. The MLF NOW! live stream starts at 10 a.m. CT.
Shotgun Round
| Rank | Angler | Total Weight | Total # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Brent Ehrler | 33 - 12 | 15 | 2 - 04 | 5 - 05 |
| 2nd | Wesley Strader | 33 - 00 | 18 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 09 |
| 3rd | Jason Christie | 29 - 11 | 10 | 2 - 16 | 4 - 13 |
| 4th | Bradley Roy | 29 - 04 | 12 | 2 - 07 | 4 - 04 |
| 5th | Adrian Avena | 29 - 02 | 15 | 1 - 15 | 4 - 12 |
| 6th | Bobby Lane | 28 - 05 | 13 | 2 - 03 | 4 - 08 |
| 7th | Boyd Duckett | 27 - 00 | 17 | 1 - 09 | 3 - 02 |
| 8th | Jeff Kriet | 26 - 03 | 13 | 2 - 00 | 4 - 09 |
| 9th | Kevin VanDam | 25 - 12 | 14 | 1 - 13 | 4 - 02 |
| 10th | Gerald Swindle | 21 - 03 | 7 | 3 - 00 | 6 - 08 |
| 11th | Alton Jones | 18 - 06 | 7 | 2 - 10 | 7 - 06 |
| 12th | Jonathon VanDam | 18 - 03 | 7 | 2 - 10 | 4 - 12 |
| 13th | Todd Faircloth | 17 - 13 | 11 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 03 |
| 14th | Mark Rose | 17 - 12 | 10 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 09 |
| 15th | Jeff Sprague | 17 - 07 | 10 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 07 |
| 16th | Greg Hackney | 17 - 02 | 8 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 14 |
| 17th | Fletcher Shryock | 16 - 12 | 7 | 2 - 06 | 3 - 11 |
| 18th | Justin Atkins | 16 - 01 | 8 | 2 - 00 | 3 - 03 |
| 19th | Mike Iaconelli | 15 - 15 | 8 | 1 - 16 | 2 - 09 |
| 20th | Alton Jones Jr. | 15 - 06 | 8 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 12 |
| 21st | Cliff Pace | 14 - 10 | 9 | 1 - 10 | 3 - 09 |
| 22nd | Anthony Gagliardi | 13 - 02 | 5 | 2 - 10 | 3 - 08 |
| 23rd | Shaw Grigsby | 12 - 14 | 7 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 14 |
| 24th | Dean Rojas | 12 - 14 | 6 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 10 |
| 25th | Jacob Powroznik | 11 - 10 | 6 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 08 |
| 26th | Cliff Crochet | 11 - 07 | 6 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 06 |
| 27th | Aaron Martens | 11 - 02 | 5 | 2 - 04 | 4 - 06 |
| 28th | Britt Myers | 10 - 14 | 7 | 1 - 09 | 2 - 05 |
| 29th | Josh Bertrand | 9 - 04 | 3 | 3 - 01 | 3 - 10 |
| 30th | Marty Robinson | 8 - 14 | 5 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 08 |
| 31st | Luke Clausen | 8 - 14 | 4 | 2 - 04 | 2 - 12 |
| 32nd | Brent Chapman | 8 - 11 | 5 | 1 - 12 | 2 - 13 |
| 33rd | Skeet Reese | 8 - 02 | 5 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 08 |
| 34th | Terry Scroggins | 7 - 11 | 4 | 1 - 15 | 2 - 08 |
| 35th | Brandon Palaniuk | 7 - 03 | 3 | 2 - 06 | 2 - 13 |
| 36th | Paul Elias | 7 - 00 | 5 | 1 - 06 | 1 - 10 |
| 37th | Scott Suggs | 5 - 15 | 3 | 1 - 16 | 2 - 05 |
| 38th | Dustin Connell | 5 - 08 | 3 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 01 |
| 39th | John Murray | 4 - 12 | 1 | 4 - 12 | 4 - 12 |
| 40th | Jesse Wiggins | 0 - 00 | 0 | 0 - 00 | 0 - 00 |
Succi & Smallwood Win Fishers of Men Lake Seminole Event with over 22 pounds!
| Place | Team | Members | # Fish | Big Fish | Gross | Penalty | Net Wt | Points | |
| 1 | 23615 | Mark Succi Justin Smallwood |
5 | 7.78 | 22.38 | 0 | 22.38 | 200 | |
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| 2 | 16994 | Charlie Williams Michael Smith Jr |
5 | 4.77 | 20.56 | 0 | 20.56 | 199 | |
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| 3 | 1853 | Steve Stewart Johnny Creel |
5 | 5.29 | 19.88 | 0 | 19.88 | 198 | |
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| 4 | 23771 | Mason Brock Chad Prough |
5 | 6.62 | 19.2 | 0 | 19.2 | 197 | |
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| 5 | 635 | John Adams Robert Stewart |
5 | 4.87 | 17.79 | 0 | 17.79 | 196 | |
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| 6 | 18384 | Greg Kropat Brian Willis |
5 | 5.3 | 17.51 | 0 | 17.51 | 195 | |
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| 7 | 23619 | Matthew Peeler Andrew Wade |
5 | 5.5 | 16.74 | 0 | 16.74 | 144 | |
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| 8 | 23779 | Shane Martin | 5 | 5.87 | 16.5 | 0 | 16.5 | 143 | |
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| 9 | 19830 | Zach Ranew Jacob Livingston |
5 | 0 | 15.76 | 0 | 15.76 | 192 | |
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| 10 | 16993 | Tyler Morgan Adam Byrd |
5 | 6.66 | 15.02 | 0 | 15.02 | 191 | |
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| 11 | 14404 | Ken Jones Jimmy Wood |
5 | 4.83 | 14.64 | 0 | 14.64 | 190 | |
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| 12 | 22324 | Donnie Waters Shawn Clark |
5 | 0 | 14.2 | 0 | 14.2 | 139 | |
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| 13 | 641 | Jim Pass Jim Buntin |
5 | 4.17 | 12.01 | 0 | 12.01 | 188 | |
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| 14 | 18395 | Jeremy Stevens Rance Rex Mathis |
5 | 0 | 11.53 | 0 | 11.53 | 187 | |
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| 15 | 16052 | Randy Johnson Michael Smith Sr. |
5 | 4.83 | 10.74 | 0 | 10.74 | 186 | |
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| 16 | 10205 | Buddy Whitley Greg Noles |
5 | 4.1 | 10.5 | 0 | 10.5 | 185 | |
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| 17 | 22313 | Greg Hallford Todd Schell |
5 | 3.32 | 10.22 | 0 | 10.22 | 184 | |
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| 18 | 19834 | Brandon Carraway Bo Washam |
3 | 6.8 | 9.84 | 0 | 9.84 | 183 | |
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| 19 | 22513 | charles Boyd David Boyd |
4 | 3.9 | 9.8 | 0 | 9.8 | 182 | |
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| 20 | 22310 | Paul Cooper Michael Smith |
5 | 0 | 9.53 | 0 | 9.53 | 181 | |
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| 21 | 6492 | Hubert Stafford Steve Holt |
5 | 0 | 9.16 | 0 | 9.16 | 180 | |
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| 22 | 16980 | Joel Hughes Dean Robinson |
5 | 0 | 8.69 | 0 | 8.69 | 179 | |
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| 23 | 23609 | William Buttram Kirby Rice |
4 | 2.93 | 8.17 | 0 | 8.17 | 178 | |
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| 24 | 23611 | john gray willie jackson |
5 | 0 | 7.97 | 0 | 7.97 | 177 | |
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| 25 | 3621 | Larry Gardner David Grace |
4 | 2.34 | 7.33 | 0 | 7.33 | 126 | |
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| 26 | 22484 | Charles Hutchinson Mitchell Hutchinson |
3 | 3.15 | 6.77 | 0 | 6.77 | 175 | |
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| 27 | 16997 | Chad Wise Kevin Watford |
3 | 0 | 5.07 | 0 | 5.07 | 174 | |
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| 28 | 22309 | John Cook Bill Boyette |
1 | 4.97 | 4.97 | 0 | 4.97 | 173 | |
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| 29 | 23780 | Thomas Sink Donna Robins |
2 | 3.33 | 4.53 | 0 | 4.53 | 172 | |
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| 30 | 22322 | Jamie Thomas Ted Hamilton |
2 | 0 | 3.93 | 0 | 3.93 | 171 | |
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| 31 | 15715 | Pat McCrackin Randy Watford |
2 | 0 | 3.59 | 0 | 3.59 | 170 | |
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| 32 | 22317 | Lew Richardson Clint Joyner |
3 | 0 | 3.42 | 0 | 3.42 | 169 | |
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| 33 | 11864 | Richard Wilson Debbie Wilson |
1 | 3.31 | 3.31 | 0 | 3.31 | 168 | |
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| 34 | 23613 | Kris Moore Wes Stevenson |
2 | 0 | 3.02 | 0 | 3.02 | 167 | |
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| 35 | 13156 | Scott Sanders Scott Oliver |
2 | 0 | 2.72 | 0 | 2.72 | 166 | |
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| 36 | 23608 | James Anderson Joe McChesney |
1 | 2.34 | 2.34 | 0 | 2.34 | 165 | |
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| 37 | 8162 | Neil Stillwell Don Duke |
1 | 1.59 | 1.59 | 0 | 1.59 | 164 | |
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| 38 | 22311 | Michael Delk Ed Adams |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | |
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| 39 | 23610 | Gene Flournoy Randy Harris |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 113 | |
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| 40 | 23612 | Michael Howard Jason Carpenter |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | |
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| 41 | 23614 | Tony O'Connell Matt O'Connell |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | |
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| 42 | 23778 | Jesse Cardwell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 113 | |
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| 43 | 13134 | Alan Butch Jones Shepherd Sawyer |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | |
Freeman Wins Media Bass Deep East Division Individual event with over 15 pounds on Rayburn
February 9 - Sam Rayburn
| Angler | Hometown | # Bass | Pounds | Winnings | Points |
| Aaron Freeman | The Woodlands, TX | 4 | 15.36 | $900.00 | 165.36 |
| James Edwards | Many, LA | 5 | 14.86 | $450.00 | 163.86 |
| Kyle Blanchard | Youngsville, LA | 5 | 14.17 | $300.00 | 162.17 |
| Clayton Boulware | Zavalla, TX | 5 | 13.99 | $250.00 | 160.99 |
| Marshall Hughes | Hemphill, TX | 4 | 13.38 | $112.00 | 159.38 |
| Troy Keele | Center, TX | 5 | 11.70 | 156.70 | |
| Ronald Risenhoover | Lufkin, TX | 5 | 11.66 | 155.66 | |
| Len Adcock | Brookeland, TX | 5 | 11.12 | 154.12 | |
| Randy Basye | Hamshire, TX | 5 | 10.85 | 152.85 | |
| Stephen English * | Bremond, TX | 4 | 9.96 | 150.96 | |
| Wesley Gore | Evadale, TX | 4 | 8.20 | 148.20 | |
| Cory Chustz | Erwinville, LA | 4 | 6.46 | 145.46 | |
| Daniel Blanton | Huntington, Tx | 2 | 5.01 | 143.01 | |
| Jesse Russell | Prosper, TX | 1 | 1.84 | 138.84 | |
| Glenn Dolezal | Houston, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Don Rawls | San Augustine, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| David Wencil | Buda, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Justin Parks | Etoile, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Scott Skinner | Kirbyville, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Justin Sowell | Silsbee, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Michael Needham | Montgomery, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Corey Kizer | Hunstvill, TX | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Josh Dunaway | Sulphur, LA | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Ryan Reynolds | Lufkin, Tx | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 | |
| Steve Payne | Dekalb, Tx | 0 | 0.00 | 68.00 |
Hatton & Atkins weigh 17 even to win Media Bass ARK-LA Team Event on Providence
| Place | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | # Bass | Pounds | Winnings | Points |
| 1 | William Hatton | Ronnie Atkins | 5 | 17.00 | $2,000.00 | 167.00 |
| 2 | Greg Musgrove | Stanley Brantley | 5 | 15.89 | $700.00 | 164.89 |
| 3 | JR Grubb * | Frank Fulmer * | 5 | 14.81 | $414.00 | 162.81 |
| 4 | Rusty Linares | Patrick Chapman | 5 | 14.41 | $250.00 | 161.41 |
| 5 | Chris Clement | Greg Duke | 4 | 14.20 | $180.00 | 160.20 |
| 6 | Jeff Marks | Chris Watkins | 4 | 12.72 | 157.72 | |
| 7 | Robert Rush | Bruce Johnston | 4 | 10.24 | 154.24 | |
| 8 | Zachary Oden | Trevor Rodgers | 5 | 9.86 | 152.86 | |
| 9 | Calvin Lusby | Joe Rainwater | 3 | 9.09 | 151.09 | |
| 10 | Josh Burroughs | Derek Davis | 3 | 8.44 | 149.44 | |
| 11 | Billy Burchfield | Tony Harris | 3 | 8.39 | 148.39 | |
| 12 | Timothy Powell | Cole Cantrell | 2 | 7.67 | 146.67 | |
| 13 | Jonathan Brockwell | Steven Cash | 2 | 7.01 | 145.01 | |
| 14 | Dakotah Pennington | Ben Bryan | 4 | 6.60 | 142.60 | |
| 15 | AJ Morgan | Gary Roberts | 2 | 5.60 | 141.60 | |
| 16 | Scott Pennington | Ken McDonald | 2 | 4.66 | 139.66 | |
| 17 | Jeff Gregory | Matt Jones | 1 | 3.84 | 137.84 | |
| 18 | Tyler Rhodes | John Ross | 2 | 3.40 | 136.40 | |
| 18 | Andy Graves | 1 | 3.40 | 136.40 | ||
| 18 | Justin Young | Beaver Smith | 1 | 3.40 | 136.40 | |
| 21 | Caleb Lane | Brandon Lyon | 2 | 2.93 | 132.93 | |
| 22 | John Tilbury | Tanner Caldwell | 1 | 2.72 | 131.72 | |
| 23 | Mike Pirtle | Ernie Heckford | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Robert Adkins | David Cameron | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Jon Craven | Josh Tittle | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Jimmy Farrar | Grady Rinehart | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Raymond Mosley | Jesse Mosley | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Brandon Wooten | Brandon Johnston | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Rob Bland | Matt Shepherd | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| Place | Big Bass | Pounds | Winnings | ||
| 1 | Rusty Linares | Patrick Chapman | 5.80 | $250.00 | |
| 2 | Chris Clement | Greg Duke | 5.19 | $0.00 | |
| Statistics | |||||
| Entries - | 29 | ||||
| Number Limits - | 5 | ||||
| Number Zeros - | 7 | ||||
| Bass Weighed - | 66 | ||||
| Bass Released - | 66 | ||||
| Total Pounds - | 186.28 | ||||
| Avg. Bass In Boat - | 2.3 | ||||
| Avg. Lbs. In Boat - | 6.42 | ||||
| Avg. Bass Size - | 2.82 | ||||
| Total Payout - | $3,794.00 |
Old School Prevails, New Elites Shine - Tournament Team Blog
Courtesy of Luke Estel - Tournament Team Blogger
Bass fishing fans around the country got a taste of one of the most historical fish catching tournaments in history. The Bassmaster Elite season opener will go down as one of the greatest fishing events in history.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. When the MLF debuted, fans got to witness history being made as the newly formed superstar circuit blew the doors off with their coverage. Fans were quick to say that BASS would never compete with them. They were wrong. Not only did BASS compete, but they too showed the world that they are not going away and they are bigger and better than ever before.
So what does this all mean to us? Fans will now have more options to watch their hero’s fish. This should not be a competition on who is the best, it should be about the exposure that these professional fishermen deserve. We have MLF, BASS, and FLW and all three are doing great things for our sport.
Now, let’s talk about the Bassmaster Elite on the St. Johns River. All I can say is, “WOW!” I have never seen more big fish catches in all my life. The coverage was great, the fish catches were phenomenal, and did the fishermen ever put on a show!
The veterans Rick Clunn and Mark Menendez put on an old school clinic on days three and four. Rick busted out and old school gator tail worm and a spinnerbait while Mark custom built his spinnerbait and methodically flipped. They brought the spinnerbait back and once again showed the world that the spinnerbait is still a deadly weapon. They also showed everyone that they can not only still catch them, but they will continue to be a threat in every event. Ricks impressive 34 pound catch sealed the deal with a total of 98 pounds. Mark was the most consistent in the top ten to weigh over 20 pounds each day to place 3rdwith 95 pounds.
The new faces in the Elites. I heard people saying, “Who are these guys and can they even catch a fish?” Yes they can and the two guys that stood out were the Johnston brothers from Canada. Did they ever put on a show every time they set the hook. For a while it looked as if they would finish one and two. Chris took home second place and will be able to hold his head up high for such a feat. Both are going to become a household names in professional bass fishing. Others like Patrick Walters and Lee Livesay did a fantastic job showing off their skills as they caught fish after fish.
I wish all three circuits the best of luck and will continue to support them all. The sport of bass fishing is changing for the better and I am excited be able to watch it unfold.
"The Elite Series Should Heed Clunn's Words"
By Vance McCullough - Photo Courtesy of Andy Crawford/BASS
Historic.
That’s the word to describe the Bassmaster Elite Series event that just went down on Florida’s famed St Johns River.
Following the most disruptive offseason in the history of professional bass angling, the tournament organization with the deepest roots returned to a fishery where Rick Clunn made history in 2016 as the eldest angler to ever win a Tour-level tourney.
History repeated itself this weekend as Clunn broke his own record for longevity by reclaiming the St Johns River Elite Series title at age 72.
The river itself put on a performance for the ages. Not since the glory days of Falcon Lake have we seen so many 30-plus-pound bags.
Clunn neared the century mark with a total weight of 98 pounds, 14 ounces over 4 days. He had to do so if he wanted to win. Strong competition on one of the nation’s best big bass factories demanded it.
His two closest pursuers posted more than 95 pounds apiece – Chris Johnston at 95-2 and Mark Menendez at 95-1.
An average weight of 20 pounds per day landed Scott Canterbury in 9thplace.
Long time Tournament Director Tripp Weldon said Saturday’s Day 3 weigh in was perhaps “the most incredible weigh in I have ever seen.”
The new era with its slimmed-down Elite Series field featured a huge number of fat weigh bags.
The St Johns also wore a new look. Miles of eel grass that have always rolled out before the anglers like a boundless welcome mat are gone in the continued wake of a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Bass have relocated to dock pilings and whatever emergent vegetation they find in the now-more-heavily-stained shallows of the wide, tidal waterway that oozes northward.
One constant that remains is Clunn, a pioneer who helped build the sport of professional bass fishing the first time around. With men such as him on the trail, joined by a host of journeymen pros and more than a few promising young rookies, the future of the Bassmaster Elite Series looks bright.
Thousands of screaming fans who attended the live weigh in shows each day would agree. While they warmed up to relative unknowns, including Patrick Walters and Lee Livesay, they voiced undying love for Clunn, one man yelling, “you’re my hero,” before a lady added, “we love you!”
Menendez was another crowd favorite. The veteran pro took 3rdplace, an ounce behind FLW Tour transplant Johnston of Canada.
Cliff Pirch added more star power to the field in Sunday’s final round. He also put a stout sack on the scale Saturday before busting a huge bass on a topwater lure for the live internet audience Sunday morning.
To say this tournament was entertaining would be an understatement. With insightful commentary on Live, it was also very educational.
And guys like Livesay and Walters are only strangers until they make an appearance such as they did this past week with hours of live coverage on Bassmaster.com and stage presence before thousands, along with the television coverage to come.
“They’re just guys you haven’t heard of - yet,” said Menendez, noting the strong talent level on this tour.
On the Elite Series a young guy can build his brand fast and Menendez is certain that will happen as we get to know more of these pros this coming week at Georgia’s Lake Lanier. Practice has already begun.
Keep an eye on Bassmaster.com’s leaderboard this week. It will be well worth watching.
The entire Bassmaster organization should heed Clunn’s reminder on stage after winning, yet another, blue trophy in Palatka, Florida – “Never accept that all your best moments are behind you.”
Patterson & Douglas Win Guntersville Rat-L-Trap Open with over 29 pounds!
Rat-L-Trap Classic Results
MOUNT PARAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WINS 2019 BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE SEMINOLE OPEN
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 11, 2019) – The Mount Paran Christian School duo of Lee Rose Koza and Carter Koza, both of Marietta, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Seminole Open.
A field of 42 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin. The tournament was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau In FLW and TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams on Lake Seminole that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Mount Paran Christian School, Kennesaw, Ga. – Lee Rose Koza and Carter Koza, both of Marietta, Ga., five bass, 23-2
2nd: Marianna High School, Marianna, Fla. – Bowynn Brown, Walnut Grove, Miss., and Trey Stevens, Marianna, Fla., five bass, 18-2
3rd: CrossPointe Christian Academy, Williamson, Ga. – Addison Stahl, Griffin, Ga., and Levi Garrett, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 15-11
4th: Double Trouble Bass Team – Jackson Conley, Bainbridge, Ga., and Brunson Fain, Donalsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-5
Rounding out the top 10 were:
5th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Hunter Davis and Gabe Dunaway, both of Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 13-13
6th: Shelby County High School, Columbiana, Ala. – Ethan King, Wilsonville, Ala., and Tyler Cain, Bessemer, Ala., four bass, 13-6
7th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Gunner Thomas and Brody Thomas, both of Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 13-1
8th: Lake Norman High School, Mooresville, N.C. – Alexander Coggins and Jake Monti, both of Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 13-0
9th: Brookwood High School, Snellville, Ga. – Ben Sanders, Thomasville, Ga., and Levi Singletary, Cairo, Ga., five bass, 12-8
10th: Lawton Chiles High School, Tallahassee, Fla. – Ben Kuhn and Cole Merritt, both of Tallahassee, Fla., five bass, 12-8
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Seminole Open 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 2019 High School Fishing National Championship on a body of water that has yet to be revealed. 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 2019 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2018 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.
UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE SEMINOLE
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 11, 2019) – The University of Montevallo duo of Justin Barnes of Monroeville, Alabama, and Adam Carroll of Carrollton, Georgia, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Seminole Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the Falcon’s bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We put a lot of time in practicing for this tournament, and I truly believe that’s why we did so well,” said Carrollton, a sophomore majoring in marketing. “We spent two weekends here, plus the whole week before the tournament on the water checking the grass and we were able to find a couple of really good places. We spent our day rotating through three specific spots, just holes and cuts off the grass in Spring Creek.”
The duo estimated that they caught at least 30 fish throughout the day, all between 3 and 5 pounds. All of their fish came on vibrating jigs, with either a Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper (clear) or a Big Bite Baits Swimming Craw (black and blue) as a trailer.
“The fish were really grouped up in the hydrilla,” said Barnes, a junior also majoring in marketing. “We were both using 7’1” FX Xtreme Anglers Series medium-heavy rods, and that was crucial. It had the perfect amount of tip to feel the bite but was still able to rip them out of the grass. We caught 30 keepers – all good ones – and we never lost one fish, all day long.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2020 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: University of Montevallo – Justin Barnes, Monroeville, Ala., and Adam Carroll, Carrollton, Ga., five bass, 23-1, $2,000
2nd: Shelton State Community College – Will Delaney, Duncanville, Ala., and Hunter Porter, Tuscaloosa, Ala., five bass, 21-5, $1,000
3rd: Florida State University – Garret Sanders, Woodstock, Ga., and Owen Kuhn, Tallahassee, Fla., five bass, 20-8, $500
4th: Snead State Community College – John-Dalton Miller, Albertville, Ala., and Jackson Gillaspie, Boaz, Ala., four bass, 19-13, $500
5th: Bethel University – Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., and Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., five bass, 19-11, $900
6th: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Longwood, Fla., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 19-2, $200
7th: University of Montevallo – Kade Holcomb and Kopeland Rosser, Helena, Ala., five bass, 19-0
8th: Mississippi State University – Boone Faulkner, New Albany, Miss., and Nikolas Beckstein, Vancleave, Miss., five bass, 18-13
9th: University of North Alabama – Hunter McCarty, Dora, Ala., and Sloan Pennington, Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 18-8
10th: Brewton-Parker College – Noah Ziadie, Covington, Ga., and Reese Kingston, Villa Rica, Ga., five bass, 18-6, $200
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournament for Southeastern Conference anglers and the first YETI FLW College Fishing event of 2019. The next event for FLW College Fishing anglers will be the Southern Conference opener, Feb. 22 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Zavalla, Texas.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. The Potomac River and Marbury, Maryland, will play host to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship, June 4-6, 2019.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow YETI FLW College Fishing on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
EASLEY’S ANDERS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE KEOWEE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Hiawassee’s McClure Wins Co-angler Division
SENECA, S.C. (Feb. 11, 2019) – Boater Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River division event on Lake Keowee presented by Navionics. Anders earned $4,164 for his efforts.
“I caught the majority of my fish in the mid-lake area, feeding on shad,” said Anders, who also had a tournament win as a co-angler at the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier last season. ”I’ve fished Keowee as much as anybody, and this year the water never got as cold as it usually does. So the fish weren’t deep, they were already in more of a prespawn mode. Feeding on shad instead of the crawfish like normal.”
Anders said that most of his fish came on an EverGreen JT 95 topwater bait in his mid-lake areas, but he also caught a couple of key fish skipping docks in 40 feet-of-water with a bait fish-colored Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. along with a late-day keeper on a drop-shot rig.
“I only caught around 10 keepers, and I really struggled the last 3 to 4 hours of the tournament,” Ander said. “I caught my last one late in the day drop-shotting a 6-inch, straight-tail Roboworm, 35-feet-deep, and was able to cull up 4 ounces. I ended up winning by 3 ounces, so that fish was the difference maker.
“The key for me was not fishing history, and sticking to the pattern that I figured out in practice,” Anders went on to say. “They were not anywhere that I normally catch them on this time of year. I’m also fishing well and still rolling from the momentum of my co-angler win at the FLW Tour event last March at Lake Lanier. I’ve got a great support group around me and I’m in a really great place in my life. I can’t wait to get back out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 14-11, $4,164
2nd: Shane Peck, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $1,857
3rd: Jerry Morgan, Inman, S.C., five bass, 14-2, $1,172
4th: Ronnie Wald, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 14-1, $820
5th: Vince Smith, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $703
6th: Edwin Pabon, Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $644
7th: Michael Mengeling, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $586
8th: Todd Goade, Suwanee, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $798
9th: Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $498
10th: Mark Gibson, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-7, $410
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Anders’ big fish of the day was a 6-pound, 3-ounce largemouth bass, which also was the tournament’s biggest bass of the day and earned Anders the Boater Big Bass award of $450.
Nathan McClure of Hiawassee, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,957 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Nathan McClure, Hiawassee, Ga., five bass, 12-7, $1,957
2nd: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-8, $879
3rd: Charles Ellington, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 11-7, $585
4th: James South, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $430
4th: Donnie Davis, Greer, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $430
6th: Vern Schmucker, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 9-14, $322
7th: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., five bass, 9-3, $293
8th: Tucker Souther, Brevard, N.C., four bass, 9-0, $264
9th: Joseph Thomasson, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 8-14, $234
10th: Westley Denny, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 8-8, $205
Nathaniel Moore of Fairview, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $225.
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 Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. 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 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30-June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. 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.
Mason and Walker Weigh over 33-pound Limit to Win new Triton boat in ABA Team Series on Guntersville
Saturday, February 9, 2019 the Bass Pro Shops Team Tour operated by American Bass Anglers held its first tournament of the regular season that launched from Goosepond Bait and Tackle on Guntersville Lake located in Scottsboro, Alabama. Ninety-three teams went to battle in cold weather conditions to try and win the 2019 Triton 17TX powered by a 60HP Mercury four-stroke with Garmin Echo-map plus 93SV valued at 20K. With a 5-pound lead over 2nd place Jimmy Mason and Lance Walker took the victory weighing in 5 fish for a total weight of 33.82-pounds. The team also earned a check for $900 for taking 1st place in the High Stakes Option Pot.
“We fished in shallow river bars and were using Lipless Crankbait, Booyah Wind Knocker, as well as, Bandit Racket to catch our bass. We also fished in shallow grass and weeds. We stayed within 8 miles of the launch dock and fished back to Goosepond and covered a lot of water and had a fun day,” said Mason.
Second place team Tony Harvey and Donny Beck brought 5-fish to the scales weighing 28.82-pounds. They earned a check for $2875.00 for their catch. They also earned a check for $550.00 from the Big Stakes Optional Pot.
“Our day started with heading to some flats and us using crankbaits and jigs fishing in shallow water around 5 to 8 feet deep. We had a good day and it was a lot of fun,” said Harvey.
Coming in 3rd place was the team of Patrick Anderson and Randall Allen bringing 5-fish to the scales weighing 28.49-pounds. They earned a check for $1900.00 for their efforts. They also caught a monster big fish weighing 9.71lbs and won the big fish pot of $810.00. They also placed third in the High Stakes Optional Pot and took home $350.00.
“We fished in 6-8 feet of water using a crankbait and spinnerbait. We stayed in grassy water and moved around a bit here and there,” said Anderson.
Finishing 4th was the team of Kent Keys and Davey Campbell weighing in 5-fish at 26.88-lbs. Earning a check for $1300.00 for their efforts. Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Derek Remitz and Casey Martin weighing in 5-fish for 25.47-lbs. They earned a check for $1100.00 plus a $200.00 check for the High-Stakes Option Pot.
The next Alabama Bass Pro Shops Team Tour Tournament is on Neely Henry Lake going out of Coosa Landing on March 9th.
For more information on this event call/text Tournament Manager: Shelby McElyea- (256)230-5633 Email: [email protected]
About American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Matthew Wieteha Wins $5500 in ABA Open Win on Lake Okeechobee
ATHENS, Ala. – Matthew Wieteha of Miami, FL won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series Florida South tournament, held February 9th on the Lake Okeechobee. Running out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, FL Matthew caught five bass weighing 29.40-pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Wieteha took home a check for $5500 for his win.
“I was fishing on the south end of the lake throwing a Gambler black/blue swim jig with a Gambler burner craw on the back. I lost five or six fish that would’ve pushed me over the 30-pound mark. The fish seemed to be staging to spawn and they were aggressive so I was burning the swim jig as fast as I could,” Wieteha said.
Finishing second for the boaters by a slim 0.12-pound margin, Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, FL landed a five-bass tournament limit going 29.28-pounds including a big bass that weighed 9.48-pounds.
“I caught my fish flipping a jig today. I fished about twelve places. I was fishing the west side of the shoal and worked my way back up the lake. I lost my first bite this morning and it was an 8-pounder and I lost a couple 6-pounders late in the day. I caught that big bass around 12:30 pm,” Medlock said.
Dave Sheffield of Davie, FL took third for the boaters with five bass going 28.58-pounds.
“I caught my fish today on the south end of the lake also. I was pitching to the reeds with a lightweight setup. It was a phenomenal day of fishing,” Sheffield said.
Finishing fourth, Curtis Lewis of West Palm Beach, FL landed a five-bass limit for 27.80-pounds. William Troyer of Sarasota, FL rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 25.29-pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Benjamin Layner of St. Petersburg, FL won with threebass going 20.38-pounds that included a 7.47-pound kicker. He pocketed a check for $1850 for his win.
“This was my first-time fishing Lake Okeechobee. I had a great boater, Chris Shirling, he put me on the fish today. I was throwing a black/blue swim jig with a Bitter’s bait Jitter-craw trailer. I was swimming it on top of the water burning it fast and they were nailing it. I had a great time and I look forward to future events,” Layner said.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Richard “Jamey” Nash of Chiefland, FL brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 16.79-pounds.
“I caught my fish early on a moving bait. I was culling by 8:00 am and had a 5-pounder in the boat. But as the sun got up, the bite seemed to shut off for me. After that, I began dead-sticking a Bitter’s senko style bait the rest of the day and that led to bigger and better fish,” Nash said.
Tomas Gomez of Kissimmee, FL placed third among the co-anglers with three bass going 15.52-pounds.
“I started off fishing a skinny dipper but that didn’t work for me so changed up to my go-to bait and caught fish slow rolling a watermelon-red Bitter’s speed worm over hydrilla. I had my limit by limit by 10:30 am and then I caught my bigger fish after 1:00 pm,” Gomez said.
The co-angler big bass award went to Semori Novembre of Belle Glade, FL brought to the scales a big bass that weighed 8.46-pounds.
“This is my first tournament ever. I caught that big bass on a Zoom 10” U-tail worm around 12:30 pm. It was my biggest bass ever,” Novembre said
In fourth place among the co-anglers, Lonny Mead of Orlando, FL brought in three bass for 15.43-pounds. Brian Reeves of Sebring, FL finished in fifth place with three bass for 15.22-pounds.
Slated for March 23rd, the next tournament will be held on Lake Okeechobee out of Roland Martin Marina and Resort in Clewiston, FL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2020 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Hartwell in April 2020.
For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com
About American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Chapman & Cummins Battle Freezing Temps, Win Bass Champs Lake Travis Event with over 17 pounds for $20K Payday!
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | KENNETH CUMMINS PAIGE , TX |
JIMMY CHAPMAN HUTTO , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.89 |
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| 2 | |
DANIEL BARNES BELTON , TX |
ADRIAN BARNES BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.71 |
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| 3 | |
TIM RENEAU RICHLAND SPINGS , TX |
JUDY RENEAU RICHLAND SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.52 |
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| 4 | |
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BRANDON DAY BROWNWOOD , TX |
CADE WILSON EARLY , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.22 |
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| 5 | |
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MIKE RICHARDSON THORNDALE , TX |
ZACH BROWN GEORGETOWN , TX |
5 | 8.47 | 16.06 |
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| 6 | RANDY HIBLER MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDALL CHRISTIAN TOW , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.96 |
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| 7 | |
TONY FERDINANDO SPICEWOOD , TX |
SHANE LOGAN BUDA , TX |
4 | 7.56 | 15.06 |
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| 8 | TERRY STEVENS HUTTO , TX |
JASON HARPER MONTGOMERY , TX |
5 | 7.50 | 14.31 |
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| 9 | |
MIKE CONES DEL RIO , TX |
RANDY DIXON BORGER , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.24 |
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| 10 | |
LANCE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
BLAKE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.75 |
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| 11 | DAMON ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
DYLAN ROSS LEXINGTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.71 |
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| 12 | MICHAEL WERSIG LEANDER , TX |
EMILY WERSIG LEANDER , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.29 |
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| 13 | TERRY ADAIR ALVIN , TX |
CHAD ADAIR ALVIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.22 |
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| 14 | CHRIS WOEHL CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHRIS CLEMENTS ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.08 |
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| 15 | |
WILLIAM BLAINE SAN ANGELO , TX |
DUSTIN WALTON SWEETWATER , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.58 |
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| 16 | |
BILLY FORD BELTON , TX |
WILLIAM LYNCH BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.98 |
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| 17 | |
CRIS TATUM BELTON , TX |
JUSTIN TATUM BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.81 |
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| 18 | |
CHARLES PURSELL AUSTIN , TX |
MATTHEW PURYEAR AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.80 |
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| 19 | ANTHONY SKOUBY CIBOLO , TX |
JASON WILLIAMS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.51 |
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| 20 | |
DAVID SHUSTER GEORGETOWN , TX |
CHARLES GERHART SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.42 |
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| 21 | |
SHAWN MARKGRAF BURNET , TX |
TRENT BLAKE BURNET , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.29 |
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| 22 | ANDREW WHITEHEAD PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
MICKEY SANDERS SPICEWOOD , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.18 |
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| 23 | MICHAEL BRISENO ELGIN , TX |
LUCAS LARSON HUTTO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.16 |
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| 24 | |
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ADAM MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
ROGER SOTO BROWNWOOD , TX |
3 | 0 | 10.97 |
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| 25 | SCOTT SMITH HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
PRESTON DANNA HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.87 |
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| 26 | JOHN KAPALDO KYLE , TX |
JACOB KAPALDO KYLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.79 |
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| 27 | JUSTIN WOJCIK BULVERDE , TX |
ADAM AMICK BOERNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.66 |
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| 28 | |
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TODD IVINS BOERNE , TX |
BILLY MCCRARY II TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.44 |
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| 29 | ROBERT BROWN ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.26 |
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| 29 | ANTHONY GARCIA ROUND ROCK , TX |
ERIC GARCIA STANLEY , NM |
4 | 0 | 10.26 |
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| 31 | MICHAEL ROBERTS LEANDER , TX |
DAVID BARNARD LOMETA , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.98 |
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| 32 | |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
PAT WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.91 |
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| 33 | JOSH LASSETER BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
DON KING BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.62 |
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| 34 | DUSTIN GRICE VALLEY MILLS , TX |
JOHNNY GRICE EARLY , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.33 |
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| 35 | |
LEE BENTON BURNET , TX |
MIKE HASTINGS MEADOWLAKES , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.32 |
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| 36 | |
MATT HILL JONESTOWN , TX |
BARRY MOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.07 |
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| 37 | |
ROY STEGER BELTON , TX |
CHET SUTTON SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.99 |
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| 38 | CHRISTOPHER SABINA SAN ANTONIO , TX |
KYLE MUSSATO HIGHLANDS RANCH , CO |
5 | 0 | 8.91 |
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| 39 | MIKE STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
BRADY STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.87 |
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| 40 | |
RONNY MAYNARD GEORGETOWN , TX |
JOHN HALLEY KILLEEN , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.84 |
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| 41 | |
RONALD GOERDEL HUNTSVILLE , TX |
JOHN GILBERT JR LEANDER , TX |
3 | 6.05 | 8.78 |
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| 42 | TOM GUIDRY NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
JR BRIANT KINGSLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.76 |
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| 43 | |
LEONARD PHILIPP BASTROP , TX |
HUNTER ARTHUR BASTROP , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.62 |
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| 44 | CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
TREY GROCE DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.60 |
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| 45 | |
JEFFERY HUNTER SALADO , TX |
KENNETH WITEK STOCKDALE , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.52 |
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| 46 | TRAVIS GOLMON GEORGETOWN , TX |
JAYSON KISSELBURG JARRELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.30 |
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| 47 | TRAVIS DAUGHERTY BURNET , TX |
TRAVIS COCKERHAM BARTLETT , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.20 |
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| 47 | JUSTYN PARRISH AUSTIN , TX |
GARRIT AFMAN NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.20 |
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| 49 | GLEN DERKS II LIBERTY HILL , TX |
BRYAN SIMPSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.16 |
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| 50 | BILL GUZMAN AUSTIN , TX |
TIM STEWART AUSTIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.14 |
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| 51 | |
TYLER TORWICK AUSTIN , TX |
BRYAN SCOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.99 |
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| 52 | |
JAMES SCOGIN AUSTIN , TX |
ROLAND LOERA AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.92 |
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| 53 | |
RAY TOMASITS LEANDER , TX |
CARY LAUDADIO AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.85 |
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| 54 | |
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RANDY GROUNDS HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
LEE BEUERSHAUSEN MARBLE FALLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.75 |
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| 55 | SCOTT MEADS KILLEEN , TX |
TOM GRIDLEY WIMBERLEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.73 |
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| 56 | |
MICHAEL WALDROP AUSTIN , TX |
JARROD SANDERS AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.70 |
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| 57 | |
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
BRAD DRAKE IRVING , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.52 |
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| 58 | |
DEAN ALEXANDER JONESTOWN , TX |
THOMAS MARTENS JONESTOWN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.48 |
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| 59 | |
WILL DAVENPORT ROUND ROCK , TX |
JACOB LAMBERT ROUND ROCK , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.34 |
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| 60 | |
GARY WEIMER LEANDER , TX |
JEREMIAH WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.07 |
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| 60 | |
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WESTON BROWN HOUSTON , TX |
DAVID DOONAN CALDWELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.07 |
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| 62 | GERARD RUMSEY AUSTIN , TX |
EDWARD RUMSEY BURNET , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.82 |
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| 63 | |
ROGER SARAIBA LEANDER , TX |
LOUIE BRUNO PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 6.77 |
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| 64 | |
BLAKE ARAPIS BURNET , TX |
CHARLES WILSON JR BRIGGS , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.71 |
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| 65 | |
RONNY ANTHONY SALADO , TX |
JARAD GOHLKE GATESVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.64 |
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| 65 | TIMOTHY SMEAL FORT WORTH , TX |
DAVID NELSON SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 6.64 |
|
|||
| 67 | GARRETT KOSLAN AUSTIN , TX |
ERIC CRUMLEY LEANDER , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.42 |
|
|||
| 68 | |
WILLIAM BRUNSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
DANIEL EMBLEM KILLEEN , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.37 |
|
||
| 69 | |
|
STERLING MARTIN BEEVILLE , TX |
COURTNEY BEHREND COMFORT , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.29 |
|
|
| 70 | |
CODY GREANEY MANCHACA , TX |
ROBERT ROARK THE WOODLANDS , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.06 |
|
||
| 71 | |
|
CHANS MARTIN FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
CHASE MEIER COMFORT , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.76 |
|
|
| 72 | |
JAMES BEAUCHAMP SUNRISE BEACH , TX |
BRENNAN FERTIG BAY CITY , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.57 |
|
||
| 73 | MICHAEL HETTICK CORPUS CHRISTI , TX |
KAPPY ALLEN ROBSTOWN , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.52 |
|
|||
| 74 | |
JAMES CANTWELL KINGSLAND , TX |
TOM CANTWELL LAGRANGE , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.64 |
|
||
| 75 | MIKE PICKWELL DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
JOE COLE AUSTIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.55 |
|
|||
| 76 | |
ROBERT MIKES SHINER , TX |
MARKUS ELDER NEW WAVERLY , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.43 |
|
||
| 77 | GARY WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
GREG WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.26 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
THOMAS WEIMER ROUND ROCK , TX |
BRANDON JONES ROUND ROCK , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.16 |
|
||
| 79 | |
JUSTIN MADDING ROUND ROCK , TX |
ANIBAL GUZMAN HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.04 |
|
||
| 80 | JEREMY ANZVALDA NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
JASON RANFT NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.93 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
KYLE WIEDENFELD BOERNE , TX |
KADEN WIEDENFELD BOERNE , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.91 |
|
||
| 82 | JOEY KIRKLAND SAN ANTONIO , TX |
LUPE CONTRERAS JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.82 |
|
|||
| 83 | |
FRANK CHANDLER ROUND ROCK , TX |
ISAIAH CHANDLER ROUND ROCK , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.76 |
|
||
| 84 | TROY LOWERY BROWNWOOD , TX |
TOMMY MORENO SAN SABA , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.85 |
|
|||
| 85 | |
PATRICK ANDERSON BUDA , TX |
DOUG HAMILTON LAKEWAY , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.50 |
|
||
| 86 | |
ANTHONY GOODSON DRIFTWOOD , TX |
MICAH KIRKHART MARTINDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
PHILLIP MASSOLETTI BURNET , TX |
CHARLES MEREDITH DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DARRELL WUENSCHE THRALL , TX |
SAM MORROW AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JAKE KENNAMER AUSTIN , TX |
CARSON CONKLIN BUDA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JOE BILL HALE SPICEWOOD , TX |
DUSTY HALE SPICEWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
MIKE GROUNDS MARBLE FALLS , TX |
BRAD DOBBS GRAHAM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | MIKE HARMAN BASTROP , TX |
BRIAN HUGHES TAYLOR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | MARK RIBERA | JESSE RIVERA AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DONNIE ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
KENNY CLIFTON BASTROP , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
SEAN EVANS KILLEEN , TX |
RODNEY THOMPSON HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JASON BUCHANAN BURNET , TX |
TERRY KIRCUS BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JAMES DISLER LEANDER , TX |
DAVID DISLER CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
DAVID OVERCASH WEST , TX |
ROGER FRIELDS WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
STEVE WILSON FREDERICKSBURG , TX |
DONNIE HOHMANN HARPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
|
DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX |
FORREST WILSON SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 86 | |
ADAM CLARK DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
RICK CLARK TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | TRAVIS GERGELY SEGUIN , TX |
BLAINE MURNAHAN NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
STEVEN KIRKWOOD HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
CLAYTON HELDT VICTORIA , TX |
CHAD KALLINA LAGO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
BUDDY BOONE SAN ANTONIO , TX |
RALPH CELEDON ALAMO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JOHNNY HOMANN KYLE , TX |
JAY HESS LOCKHART , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JOHN WALSH LEANDER , TX |
JEFF JENKINS LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
DAVID RUTHERFORD ARTESIA , NM |
CURTIS PENNINGTON ARTESIA , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | SHAWN TAYLOR ABILENE , TX |
JEREMY EASTERWOOD ABILENE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DAVID WILSON AUSTIN , TX |
JAMES WILSON SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | ROBERT PRESCOTT SEQUIN , TX |
DEVIN GIBSON GONZALES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | KYLE MAREK LAKE HILLS , TX |
DERRICK CORSO MCKINNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
RYAN FAIN SPRING BRANCH , TX |
GEORGE DELOACH BOERNE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
GARRETT SHEPPERD GEORGETOWN , TX |
GREGORY SHEPPERD GEORGETOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | RANDY ROE AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 86 | |
JACK MEREDITH BELTON , TX |
STEVEN BREAZEALE AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
CHARLES HICE BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | JOHN DAVILA CEDAR PARK , TX |
CAMERON OATES LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
HEATH HARDAWAY KINGSLAND , TX |
WILLIAM HAMMES KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | CODY BARCHENGER TAYLOR , TX |
WYATT FRANKENS CORRIGAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | ROBERT BUTLER AUSTIN , TX |
HANK GRAVES AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
STEVEN MAPLES JR SEGUIN , TX |
RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
RUSSELL WHITE BASTROP , TX |
BRIAN CRAWFORD BRIARCLIFF , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
RONALD SISK RIO VISTA , TX |
KENNETH FULLER JR RIO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JAMES HESTER SALADO , TX |
NEAL CHILDERS CYPRESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | HERMAN GEORGE BELTON , TX |
TIM HERNING TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | STEVE MAGNELIA AUSTIN , TX |
MICHAEL TENNANT PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | BRANDON BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
JOE BRAY HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DEAN BUJNOCH HUTTO , TX |
BROCK BUJNOCH HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | BRIAN HARMS ROUND ROCK , TX |
TRAVIS GARNER ROUND ROCK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
GERALD MUELLER JR PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
GENE FUESSEL AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
WILLIAM DANKERT SALADO , TX |
TYLER DANKERT SALADO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | BLAYNE THOMPSON CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHARLES BROOKE JONESTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | MICHAEL GLYNN BOERNE , TX |
MATTHEW HATHAWAY SAN MARCOS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
BRIAN MATER AUSTIN , TX |
PHILLIP WARREN AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | RICKY PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
RHETT PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
|
WILLIAM FESLER LAMPASAS , TX |
DAVID LAINE HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 86 | |
GARRETT GOETTEE TOMBALL , TX |
HUGH KELLER HOUSTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DONNIE ONEAL PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
MAELSTROM KIEWIET AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DEREK CONE CEDAR PARK , TX |
TOM WILKINSON LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pirch picks up Toyota Bonus Bucks at St. Johns Elite
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Arizona’s Clifford Pirch got tired of seeing his pro angling buddies Josh Bertrand and Roy Hawk cashing Bonus Bucks checks from Toyota while he was towing with another brand.
“I was running a diesel, while Josh and Roy were cashing-in on the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program. So I went and bought a Tundra, and now I’m getting paid too,” says Pirch. “And I’ve never once regretted getting rid of the diesel because the towing power of this Tundra is awesome, and it’s a super comfortable ride too.”
Pirch earned the bonus by showcasing his angling talents at the famed St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite Series event, especially on Day 3, when he brought a monster limit to the scales that weighed 34 pounds.
“About half the fish I weighed-in this week were spawners that fell for a Big Bite Baits finesse wacky worm, and the other half chased a vibrating blade jig,” says Pirch, who is nearly as passionate about hunting elk antler sheds in Arizona each spring as he is bass fishing.
Hunting elk antler sheds will keep Pirch busy during what little time he’s home in March and April, but for now he’s happy to be picking up a bonus from Toyota as he rolls out of Florida.
You don’t have to be a full time pro like Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Clifford Pirch or John Crews to be eligible to win Toyota Bonus Bucks, you just have to drive a 2015 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up Free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the dozens of tournaments supported by the program.
To learn more, please visit www.toyotafishing.com, or call (918) 742-6424 and ask for Kendell or Jarrett and they will help you get signed-up.
GEORGIA’S GROSS WINS FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Chickamauga’s Buddy Gross Milks Key Area on Lake Toho to Earn Second Career FLW Tour Victory, $100,000
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2019) – Pro Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces, to the scale Sunday to win the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Gross’ four-day total of 20 bass weighing 85-12 earned him the victory by a 4-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, and the $100,000 first-place prize.
“I’m ecstatic. It has been an awesome, awesome journey. To beat the competition that we have – it’s unbelievable,” said Gross, who earned his second career FLW Tour victory. “I came into this event just wanting to cash a check. When I made the top 30, I just wanted stay in the top 10. All I wanted to do was finish strong.
“I got the majority of my weight early today – I’m guessing I had 18 or 19 pounds by 9 (a.m.) and after that it was a grind,” continued Gross. “I worked a long time between bites, but I upgraded two more times – maybe three – at my spot. I can’t believe this place that I caught these fish at held up – I really believe the Lord just blessed me.”
The spot Gross is referring to was on the main span of Lake Toho, just north of the lock at the lake’s southern end. It was his most productive area throughout the event, producing 19 of his 20 fish. He described it as a “pocket” in the grass line that was 30 feet wide and 50 feet in, but that didn’t break through to the other side.
“It was special because it had two ditches with clumps in the middle, and the fish were sitting in the clumps,” said Gross. “There were 20-foot gaps between each clump, and they’d set up in them [the clumps]. The first day I caught them, it was in the ditch, but after that, everything was on the clumps.”
Though Gross described the area as having two ditches, he said the “ditches” weren’t any deeper than the surrounding area. They were just open lanes with no grass. The entire spot was about 7 feet deep.
Gross primarily used a 5- or 6-inch, natural-light-colored Scottsboro Tackle Co. Swimbait on an 8/0-sized Owner Beast Flashy Swimmer and a ½-ounce white custom swimjig with a 4-inch Scottsboro Tackle swimbait trailer of the same color. The same swimjig with a black-and-blue skirt and a green-pumpkin Zoom Z-Craw trailer also came into play. For line, he used 50-pound-test braid on a Daiwa Tatula SV reel. He fished the swimbait on a 7-foot, 3-inch Fitzgerald Rods All Purpose Series extra-heavy rod, but switched to a heavy-action rod of the same length and series for the swim jig.
The top 10 pros on Lake Toho finished:
1st: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 20 bass, 85-12, $102,700
2nd: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 20 bass, 81-2, $30,600
3rd: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 20 bass, 78-7, $25,000
4th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 20 bass, 76-14, $20,000
5th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 20 bass, 72-8, $19,000
6th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 20 bass, 71-4, $18,000
7th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 20 bass, 66-0, $17,000
8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 20 bass, 65-10, $16,000
9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 19 bass, 64-7, $15,000
10th: Nitro pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 20 bass, 64-3, $14,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 157 pounds, 9 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Of the final 10 pros, nine caught five-bass limits.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats was more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament was hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa, in Bainbridge, Georgia, March 7-10. The tournament will be hosted by the Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Clunn Repeats His Magic Winning Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla — After becoming the oldest angler ever to win a Bassmaster Elite Series event in 2016 on the St. Johns River, Rick Clunn provided what has become one of the most famous quotes in professional bass fishing history when he said, “Never accept that all of your best moments are in your past.”
On Sunday, he walked it like he talks it.
Clunn, who turned 72 in July, broke his own record for agelessness, winning the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 98 pounds, 14 ounces. His amazing week was punctuated on Championship Sunday with a tournament-best limit of five bass that weighed 34-14.
It was the 16th career victory for Clunn, whose $100,000 first-place paycheck put him over $2.5 million in career earnings with B.A.S.S.
“I think this just reinforces what I said after I won here in 2016,” Clunn said. “A long time ago, I stopped paying attention to timelines. The terrible twos, the ugly teens, the midlife crisis, retirement time — I don’t pay any attention to any of that.
“If you listen to everybody else, you’ll get premature notions about who you really are.”
This week, there was no doubt about it. He was “Rick Clunn: Legend.”
The Ava, Mo., angler started modestly with a limit of 17-5 on Day 1. But he inched his way up the standings with 23-11 on Day 2 and then caught 23-0 on Day 3 to make Sunday’s Top 10 cut in eighth place with a three-day total of 64-0.
He joked after Saturday’s semifinal weigh-in that he might need a 10-pounder and a 12-pounder on Sunday to have any chance of winning. While he didn’t quite make those marks, he came close by weighing in two fish over 9 pounds, including a 9-14 that ranked as the biggest bass of the day.
His three key baits all week were a big lipless crankbait from Luck-E-Strike called a Hail Mary, a 3/4-ounce Luck-E-Strike Trickster Spinnerbait with a shellcracker-colored skirt and a Texas-rigged gatortail worm.
“I thought the bream pattern was important for the spinnerbait this week,” Clunn said. “The bass are bedding here, and I know how much the bass really don’t like the bream around their beds.”
The spinnerbait bite improved steadily throughout the week, thanks to a cold front that brought wind and cloud cover to the region. After catching bass on the deeper ends of boat docks in practice, Clunn said the fish had moved so shallow they were under the walkways of the docks by the weekend — and that made for a perfect spinnerbait situation.
In the event that he missed a strike on the spinnerbait, he would follow up quickly with the worm. That was the key to landing his biggest bass Sunday.
“That’s what won it for me today,” he said. “Early in the day, they were eating that spinnerbait really well. I caught a 6 1/2 on it and another one about 4. But then in the middle of the day, I missed three fish on it — and I could tell the third one was a really nice fish.
“I went back with the worm, and it was the 9-14.”
Even with all that he’s accomplished, Clunn admitted the two giant bass on Sunday got his blood pumping.
“I swung every fish into the boat today except those two 9s,” he said. “When you have to sit there and think about all of the possibilities and it takes forever to get them in the boat…it gets your heart moving.”
The two anglers closest in the standings to Clunn were first-year Canadian pro Chris Johnston with 95-2 and veteran Kentucky pro Mark Menendez with 95-1. Johnston said it was an honor to share the stage with Clunn.
“To lose to somebody that you watched fishing for the past 20 years — just to be on the same stage with him — it’s a privilege,” Johnston said. “If I was gonna see anyone else win, I would want it would be Rick. He earned it. He deserves it. He put his time in.
“I can’t complain about second place at my first event.”
Clunn said the question of when he’ll finally give up fishing is “a dirty question.” He’s looking forward to next week’s Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier in Georgia and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
“A lot of stuff off the water is old to me,” Clunn said. “But when I go on the water, it’s brand new, just like it was when I started. I love it just as much as I ever have.
“It’s an incredible thing to go out every single day and know that you’ve gotta figure them out. This amazing study of natural rhythms and how all things are connected — I can’t see myself ever getting tired of that.”
During a tournament when giant fish were weighed in all four days, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week was caught during Thursday’s opening round. The honor went to Virginia pro John Crews for the 11-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Rookie pro and former college fishing champion Patrick Walters of South Carolina was fourth with 91-14, and Crews was fifth with 89-11.
The Elite anglers hit the St. Johns River fishery at its peak. The 75 anglers caught 158 five-bass limits and weighed in 893 bass totaling 2,927 pounds, 8 ounces of bass. With an average weight of 3 1/4 pounds and the largest weigh-in crowds in the history of St. Johns Bassmaster tournaments, the event more than lived up to the theme of the 2019 Elite Series: “Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10
St. Johns River, Palatka FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 20 98-14 100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 23-00 Day 4: 5 34-14
2. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 20 95-02 99 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 28-13 Day 4: 5 19-05
3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 20 95-01 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 23-07 Day 4: 5 25-12
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 91-14 97 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 32-15 Day 4: 5 21-09
5. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 20 89-11 96 $16,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-14 Day 4: 5 31-01
6. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 88-10 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 21-15 Day 4: 5 20-09
7. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 20 88-01 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 34-09 Day 4: 5 19-08
8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 85-06 93 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 27-13 Day 4: 5 16-09
9. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 20 80-12 92 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 Day 3: 5 30-04 Day 4: 5 14-09
10. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 17 69-00 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 24-10 Day 4: 2 05-05
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
John Crews Jr Salem, VA 11-02 $1,500.00
CHICKAMAUGA’S GROSS OUT FRONT AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Georgia Pro Drops 19-Pound Limit on the Scale to Grab Lead Heading into Championship Sunday
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2019) – After an exciting day of movement atop the leaderboard, FLW Tour pro Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, took the lead Saturday after the final bass had been weighed at the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces. Gross’ three-day cumulative catch of 15 bass weighing 62 pounds even paces the final 10 pros as they head into Championship Sunday at the competition that features the world’s finest bass anglers casting for a top award of up to $125,000.
Right behind Gross (15 bass, 62-0) is hard-charging local angler Darrell Davis of Dover, Florida. Davis started the day in 13thplace but moved into second after weighing a huge 25-pound, 12-ounce limit this afternoon – the largest of the day – bringing his three-day total to 15 bass weighing 60-15. Josh Douglas of Isle, Minnesota, (15 bass, 60-3) rounds out the top three, and was the only other pro to top the 60-pound mark after three days.
“I’ve got a good little spot – I think I’ve weighed in 14 of my 15 fish from it – but I’m really pushing it to its limits,” said Gross, who is seeking his second career FLW Tour win. “I keep looking for another spot, and I might have found one this afternoon. I caught one that culled – almost a 4-pounder – at the very last place I stopped on the way to weigh-in.”
Gross’ main area is an offshore stretch of hydrilla on Lake Toho. He said he’s been able to put a limit in the boat by 10 a.m.each day on the first two days of competition, but today it took until noon.
“The spot has both pre and postspawn bass. When the prespawners show up, they’re feeding, and when they feed I can see it and I can catch them – that’s my little flurry,” said Gross. “Tomorrow I’m going to catch what I can catch there and then start looking. I had some giant fish, but I still haven’t gotten a kicker. I haven’t had anything over 5½ [pounds] in three days and there’s a lot of stretches where I’ve caught some 7s, 8s and 9s in practice, so I’m going to have to move around a little more.”
Gross said he’s mostly relied on a swimbait and a pair of swimjigs, citing a natural light-colored Scottsboro Tackle swimbait, black and blue-colored swimjig with a green-pumpkin Zoom Z-Craw trailer and a white swimjig with the Scottsboro swimbait as a trailer. He’s also utilized a Nichols spinnerbait this week.
“The swimjig probably caught more weight than the swimbait today, but every other day it’s been the swimbait. I’m using a little underspin-type blade on the hook – an Owner Flashy Swimmer. It’s got a little extra flash and I think that’s what’s triggering the fish.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Toho are:
1st: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 62-0
2nd: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 15 bass, 60-15
3rd: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 60-3
4th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 57-8
5th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 57-7
6th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 57-3
7th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 54-12
8th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 54-3
9th: Nitro pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 15 bass, 53-1
10th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 51-6
Finishing 11th through 30th are:
11th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 50-5, $12,000
12th: Nitro pro Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 49-12, $12,000
13th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 48-14, $12,000
14th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 15 bass, 47-11, $12,000
15th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 15 bass, 47-10, $12,000
16th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 15 bass, 47-10, $11,500
17th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 14 bass, 46-15, $11,500
18th: Nitro pro David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 46-15, $11,500
19th: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,500
20th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,500
21st: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
22nd: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 15 bass, 43-14, $11,000
23rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 43-3, $10,500
24th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., 15 bass, 43-1, $10,500
25th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 42-9, $10,500
26th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 42-1, $10,500
27th: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 14 bass, 41-9, $10,500
28th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 41-0, $10,500
29th: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 40-6, $10,500
30th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 13 bass, 39-12, $10,500
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 146 bass weighing 401 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 30 pros Saturday. The catch included 27 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Now, only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off for the final day of competition at 7 a.m. EST Sunday from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will also be held at the marina, beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-in Sunday FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Gigantic Catches Highlight Memorable Day At Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla. — The one word used most often by the anglers weighing in during today’s semifinal round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River was “special.”
“Magical” was also floated around. So was “awesome.”
They all fit, and yet somehow they didn’t do justice to a day that saw 14 limits of bass totaling 20 pounds or more brought to the scales. Of those catches, six topped the 25-pound mark and three eclipsed the almost-unattainable 30-pound benchmark.
Canadian Chris Johnston caught 28-13 and held on to the lead with a three-day total of 75-13. But after standing in a weigh-in line surrounded by giants, Johnston said he knows he still has work to do if he hopes to earn his first Elite Series win.
“I did the same thing I did the last three days, but you don’t normally catch 7- or 8-pounders unless you’re on the St. Johns River,” Johnston said. “Apparently, everyone caught them today. I was hoping to have a little bit of a cushion, but I’m gonna have to catch them again tomorrow.
“I think I’m gonna need probably at least another 23-pound bag tomorrow to win this.”
With at least 24-3, Johnston could break the 100-pound mark and earn one of the coveted “Century Belts” awarded by B.A.S.S. to anglers who reach triple digits. But for the moment, he has much more important things to worry about.
The bags weighed in by the anglers just behind him in the standings were astounding.
First-year pro Patrick Walters of South Carolina weighed in 32-15 and moved into second place with 70-5. Kentucky veteran Mark Menendez topped the 20-pound mark for the third straight day with 23-7 that kept him firmly positioned in third with 69-5, and Cory Johnston — the Canadian brother of the leader, Chris — weighed in 27-13 to land in fourth with 68-13.
But the most eye-popping bag of the day belonged to Arizona pro Clifford Pirch, who weighed in five bass that pushed the scales to 34-9. His three-day total of 68-9 has him in fifth place, and his steamrolling momentum has him in position to make a final-day charge toward his first Elite Series victory.
“These fish can turn on a dime down here,” Pirch said. “It’s crazy how one day a bank can have a bunch of little males on it. Then you get a little temperature change, and all of a sudden there’s giant females everywhere.
“It’s fun when you hit that window right.”
Pirch, who caught a 10-4 largemouth during Friday’s second round, knew he was in the right area early this morning because he could see big bass everywhere. But for a while, he couldn’t put them in the boat.
After losing what he estimated to be 25 or 30 pounds of bass, he took a breather and his luck began to change.
“I’ve lost a few fish in this tournament, and they were giant ones,” Pirch said. “Today, I lost four of them, and I think the smallest was about 6 pounds. The rest of them were 7, 8, 9 to…who know’s what?
“I sat down, cut my bait off and just made a whole different program. I got re-rigged and luckily the next five stayed on.”
Pirch’s giant bag made performances that would have been otherwise jaw-dropping seem almost commonplace — like the 23-pound bag weighed in by Rick Clunn to position the 72-year-old legend from Missouri in eighth place with 64-0.
But one angler who almost matched Pirch fish for fish was Walters — the 24-year-old South Carolina phenom who was grinning from ear to ear after weighing in 32-15.
“It was just one of those days when everything was going right,” Walters said. “I promise you my boat was even running a mile and a half faster than usual today. When I was running down the river and it finally hit 70 mph for the first time, I got a little emotional.
“I thought, ‘This is what dreams are made of.’ A year ago, I would have been watching Bassmaster LIVE. But now I’m living my dream and chasing these guys.”
Things started happening quickly for Walters — and very little went wrong all day.
“When you get down there and they start biting like they did this morning, it’ll just stick the hairs up on the back of your neck,” Walters said. “Something pulled the fish up late last night, and they were just sitting there waiting. It was the perfect storm.”
With that said, Walters and the other nine anglers who qualified for Championship Sunday seemed to agree that things could be tougher during the final round.
Menendez, who said the fishing has been surprisingly slow for him during a week when he’s averaged more than 23 pounds a day, cautioned that the water temperature had already dropped several degrees from earlier this week. He said it could fall several more degrees with the cooler temperatures forecast for the region tonight.
“I had a deeper bite going on earlier in the week, but it went away today,” Menendez said. “The water temperature is going to drop tonight, and that’ll slow it down some. But there’s just so many of those good ones here that you never know what might happen.”
Despite today’s remarkable results, the leader for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award remained intact. Virginia pro John Crews set that bar with an 11-2 largemouth on Day 1, and no one has eclipsed it yet.
Sunday’s takeoff will be at 7:30 a.m. ET from Riverfront Park — which was packed with a large and enthusiastic crowd of spectators today — and the final weigh-in will be held back at the park at 4:10 p.m. The winner will earn $100,000.
2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 75-13 100 Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 28-13 2. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 70-05 99 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 32-15 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 69-05 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 23-07 4. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 68-13 97 Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 27-13 5. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 68-09 96 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 34-09 6. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 68-01 95 Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 21-15 7. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 66-03 94 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 Day 3: 5 30-04 8. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 64-00 93 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 23-00 9. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 63-11 92 Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 24-10 10. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 58-10 91 Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-14 11. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 57-08 90 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 20-02 12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 57-03 89 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 22-15 13. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 14 56-11 88 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 10-10 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 26-01 14. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 14 55-13 87 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 14-04 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 23-03 15. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 55-01 86 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 16-15 16. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 54-14 85 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 15-12 17. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 54-05 84 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 17-12 18. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 54-02 83 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 19-00 19. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 53-07 82 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 21-13 20. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 52-14 81 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 23-01 Day 3: 5 10-00 21. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 52-13 80 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 16-13 22. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 49-13 79 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 13-00 23. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 15 49-13 78 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 19-15 24. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 15 49-10 77 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 5 19-05 25. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 45-12 76 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 15-04 26. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 43-03 75 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 11-08 27. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 13 42-08 74 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 4 13-02 Day 3: 4 06-02 28. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 13 41-15 73 $7,500.00 Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 11-09 29. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 14 41-09 72 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 4 06-13 30. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 14 41-08 71 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 4 08-09 31. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 40-03 70 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 10-12 32. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 12 38-06 69 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 2 03-13 33. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 12 37-00 68 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 2 05-11 34. Rob Digh Denver, NC 13 36-15 67 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 3 06-06 35. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 11 34-14 66 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 1 01-01
COX HOLDS LEAD AFTER DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Florida Pro Leads Final 30 Pros into Day Three of FLW Tour at Lake Toho
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2019) – Pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, brought five bass to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces, to hold the lead after day two of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Cox’s two day total of 10 bass weighing 48-13 will give him a 3-pound, 9-ounce advantage over second place angler Aaron Britt of Yuba City, California, (45-4). The field of 170 anglers is now cut to just the top 30 as the world’s best bass fishing professionals continue their competition for the top award of up to $125,000.
Cox said he fished a lot of the same areas from Thursday, rotating in some new areas as well. He said the sight-fishing bite was tough once again and it forced him to move deeper to salvage the day.
“I looked at a lot of beds and nothing was happening – it was dead again,” said Cox, who looks to earn his 19th top-10 finish in FLW Tour competition. “There were four or five other guys that ran into big ones and I never ran into any. Yesterday, I got one before anyone else got any. There are only a handful of spots and everyone is rotating them.
“At about 1 (p.m.), I finally was like ‘man I need to put some fish in the boat’,” continued Cox. “I started fishing and caught two nice ones and a couple of other keepers to try and save the day.”
Cox’s two “nice ones” were a 5-pounder and one that was close to 4. He said he caught them on the Berkley Windup Worm – the same bait he relied on Thursday.
“This place has always had my number – I’ve never made the cut here,” said Cox. “I’ve won some one-day tournaments, but I’ve never done well in a multi-day event. The fish always seem to change.”
The Florida veteran said that for Saturday, he plans on doing something completely different.
“I’m going to go try something else where I think there might be some real big ones. I got a feeling about this one area. I’ll give it an hour, and if it happens, I’ll bust them big time. If it doesn’t, I’ll leave and try and do something else.”
The top 30 pros that made the cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Toho are:
1st: John Cox, Debary, Fla., 10 bass, 48-13
2nd: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 10 bass, 45-4
3rd: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 10 bass, 42-12
4th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 42-11
5th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 10 bass, 42-4
6th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 42-3
7th: Nitro pro Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 10 bass, 40-10
8th: Power-Pole pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 10 bass, 39-5
9th: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 35-12
10th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 35-7
11th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-6
12th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 35-4
13th: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 10 bass, 35-3
14th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 10 bass, 34-8
15th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 10 bass, 34-6
16th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 10 bass, 33-13
17th: Nitro pro David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 33-12
18th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., 10 bass, 33-6
19th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 32-11
20th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 32-7
21st: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 32-7
22nd: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 31-15
23rd: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 31-14
24th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 31-9
25th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 31-2
26th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 10 bass, 30-13
27th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 30-3
28th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 30-2
29th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 30-1
30th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 29-13
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Horton caught the heaviest fish in the pro division Friday – a 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth – and earned the day’s Big Bass Award of $500.
Overall there were 794 bass weighing 1,902 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 165 pros Friday. The catch included 148 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the marina, beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the marina on Saturday from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Saturday and Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Heavyweight Bass Remain Plentiful At Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
Courtesy of BASS
PALATKA, Fla. — During the weeks leading up to the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, brothers Chris and Cory Johnston insisted the Florida fishery reminded them a lot of the waters they grew up fishing back home in Canada.
Those who may have doubted them know better now.
Chris Johnston, who had fished a grand total of four B.A.S.S. events prior to this week, caught five bass during Friday’s round that weighed 25 pounds, 11 ounces and took the lead in the season-opening Elite event with a two-day total of 47-0.
Lee Livesay of Texas is second with 46-2, followed by Mark Menendez of Kentucky (45-14), Brandon Cobb of South Carolina (42-14) and Rick Clunn of Missouri (41-0).
Cory Johnston, who has teamed with his brother to dissect the fishery for months, caught 21-1 himself Friday and moved into sixth place at 41-0.
“I just hope I’m a couple of ounces ahead of him after tomorrow and then hopefully again on Sunday,” Chris said of his brother. “We always have a rivalry between us. We’re always trying to beat each other for bragging rights.
“I’ve got a little lead on him now, and hopefully I can carry it through the rest of the week.”
Chris said he’s been fishing for mixture of bedding bass that he can’t see and prespawn fish that are still working their way onto the beds. Like most of the field, he expects the weather to be a factor on Saturday, when the forecast calls for a shift from the sunny, clear conditions of the past two days to somewhat cooler temperatures and 10- to 20-mph winds.
“It’ll probably affect me, but I think everyone’s in the same boat,” Johnston said. “I went around looking today for three or four hours, marked a few fish and saw a couple of areas I like. If Plan A fails, I’ll go to Plan B.”
Livesay, who caught 19-12 on Day 1, got off to a fast start Friday, putting 12 pounds in his livewell in less than 15 minutes. Once that area started receiving pressure, he began checking out new fishing areas and put together a five-bass limit that weighed 26-6.
“I got on a little pattern and caught a big one in a spot,” he said. “Then I thought the same thing should work in another spot — and sure enough, I caught another big one.”
Then, as strange as it sounds, he basically started fishing where he didn’t expect to catch a bass.
“It’s gonna be so weird tomorrow with this weather coming in, and I didn’t want to burn any 2- or 3-pounders that might help me a lot,” he said. “So I just went to some water I’d never even looked at and caught a 5-pounder.”
Menendez, who caught 24-8 Thursday, added 21-6 Friday and held on to third place with 45-14. He scored early in the day with a 6-pounder that he wasn’t really expecting to catch.
“That’s a spot where I’ve always caught 2- to 4-pounders,” Menendez said. “So when you pull up there and catch a 6-pounder, you’re thinking, ‘Well, giddy-up, it’s gonna be a good day.’”
A slight shift in technique helped Menendez to his quick start, but then he went back to the same tactics he used on Day 1 — tactics he’s not quite ready to discuss.
“I had to change baits today, and the change gave me the bites early so I could slow down and fish really thorough,” Menendez said. “Then during the afternoon, I went back to what I caught them on Thursday and got into another one of those big ones, a 5-plus, and another one that was about 4 pounds.
“Those really help you.”
Fourth and fifth place represent the age diversity on this year’s Elite Series, with the 29-year-old Cobb leading the 72-year-old legend, Clunn, by less than 2 pounds. Cobb caught 23-1 Fridayto push his mark to 42-14, while the seemingly ageless Clunn caught 23-11 to lift his two-day total to 41-0. Clunn won his 15th Bassmaster title on these same waters when the Elite Series last stopped here in 2016.
Cory Johnston is tied statistically with Clunn for fifth place, but is credited for sixth place because Clunn has had the bigger single-day bag of the two and won the tie-breaker.
Cory said he’s not conceding anything to his brother — or anyone else.
“No one wants to be behind his brother,” he said. “The competition that we have amongst ourselves and our friends, that’s bigger than anything. So I just want to beat him.
“I’ll be out there trying to win.”
The tournament will resume Saturday with the Top 35 remaining anglers taking off from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:10 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Arizona pro Clifford Pirch wowed the weigh-in crowd with a 10-4 trophy largemouth, but Virginia angler John Crews still leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with the 11-2 largemouth.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 47-00 100 Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 2. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 46-02 99 Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 45-14 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 4. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 42-14 97 Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 23-01 5. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 41-00 96 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 41-00 95 Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 7. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 40-12 94 Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 8. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 39-02 93 Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 20-10 9. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 39-01 92 Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 10. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 38-02 91 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 18-11 11. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 37-06 90 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 12. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 37-06 89 Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 13. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 36-13 88 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 22-00 14. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 36-09 87 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 15. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 9 36-06 86 Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 4 13-02 16. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 36-00 85 Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-06 17. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 35-15 84 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 18. Drew Cook Midway, FL 10 35-02 83 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 24-05 19. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 34-12 82 Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 20. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 10 34-09 81 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-07 21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 34-04 80 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 22-05 22. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 34-00 79 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 23. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 33-13 78 Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 24. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 32-15 77 Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 25. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 9 32-10 76 Day 1: 4 14-04 Day 2: 5 18-06 26. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 10 31-11 75 Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 27. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 31-10 74 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 20-08 28. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 31-05 73 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 29. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 9 30-10 72 Day 1: 4 10-10 Day 2: 5 20-00 30. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 30-09 71 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-06 31. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 30-08 70 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 11-06 32. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 8 30-06 69 Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 5 22-09 33. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 10 30-05 68 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 34. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 29-14 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 16-07 35. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 29-07 66 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-03 36. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 28-11 65 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 4 11-03 37. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 9 28-08 64 $5,000.00 Day 1: 4 11-13 Day 2: 5 16-11 38. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 28-08 63 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-15 39. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 28-07 62 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 14-13 40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 27-13 61 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 11-13 41. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 8 27-10 60 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 18-15 42. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 27-07 59 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 14-00 43. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 26-15 58 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 14-00 44. Frank Talley Temple, TX 9 26-10 57 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 18-00 45. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 9 26-07 56 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 5 14-08 46. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 26-06 55 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-03 47. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 26-04 54 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 18-04 48. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 26-00 53 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 18-08 49. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 25-02 52 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 08-05 50. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 24-03 51 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 15-06 51. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 10 24-02 50 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 13-03 52. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 23-15 49 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 11-03 53. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 8 23-11 48 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 17-06 54. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 23-01 47 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 11-10 55. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 9 22-05 46 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 09-12 56. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 22-04 45 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 4 08-12 57. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 10 22-04 44 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-08 58. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 21-15 43 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 13-14 59. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 21-12 42 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 10-04 60. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 21-10 41 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 10-04 61. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 7 20-14 40 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 5 14-09 62. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 20-12 39 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 08-12 63. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 19-07 38 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 09-15 64. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 18-15 37 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 07-13 Day 2: 3 11-02 65. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 7 17-01 36 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 5 12-08 66. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 9 16-06 35 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 09-05 Day 2: 5 07-01 67. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 8 15-15 34 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-15 68. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 8 15-10 33 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 3 04-05 69. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 7 14-14 32 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 2 02-04 70. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 8 13-14 31 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 08-02 71. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 7 12-01 30 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 02-04 Day 2: 5 09-13 72. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 4 11-08 29 $2,500.00 Day 1: 1 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-06 73. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 11-06 28 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 04-01 74. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 05-12 27 $2,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 05-12 75. David Fritts Lexington, NC 1 01-00 26 $2,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-00 -----------------------------------------------
Cooling Trend Could Be Good News For Bassmaster Elite At Lake Lanier
Courtesy of BASS
GWINNETT, Ga. — As much as David Fritts is enjoying the mild weather this week in Florida, he hopes it’s a little bit colder when he arrives in northern Georgia for next week’s Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier.
The second event on the 2019 Elite Series schedule is set for Feb. 14-17, with daily takeoffs at 6:45 a.m. ET from Laurel Park. Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday will be at 3:10 p.m. at Laurel Park and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Coolray Field.
Fritts has an excellent history on the 38,000-acre Chattahoochee River impoundment, but he’s done his best work there when it’s been chilly.
“We’re probably going at my favorite time of the year — when the water’s cold,” said Fritts, who has had a fourth-place B.A.S.S. finish and a sixth-place FLW Tour showing on Lanier during his storied career. “At least I hope it’s cold.
“The fish are naturally looking up anyway, and they like to come up and hit baits. So if the water temperature is right, and they’re at the right depth, it makes it a lot of fun on a lake that has as many fish as Lanier.”
Lanier was a common destination for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail during the 1980s and ‘90s. But next week’s visit will be B.A.S.S.’s first stop on the fishery since 2006 and only its second time visiting the lake since 1995.
Most of the past events on Lanier were held in November and December — when the weather was exactly to Fritts’ liking.
“I remember one time it was 20 degrees when we took off on the first morning,” said Fritts, who is known for designing and winning with deep-diving crankbaits. “When it was that cold, it just seemed to make the crankbait fishing better.”
While it’s not likely to be quite that cold next week, a cold front is in the forecast for the Gwinnett area that will place daytime highs in the mid-50s and nighttime lows in the low 40s. That could make for an excellent tournament, especially if both the spotted bass and the largemouth are biting.
“That’s another thing that makes Lanier a lot of fun,” Fritts said. “You’ve got largemouth and spots, and usually one of them will bite one day if the other one’s not.
Though he prefers to fish a crankbait, Fritts said there will likely be a number of ways to catch the big spotted bass that Lanier has become famous for.
“To catch those magnum spots, you’re gonna need what you always need — a jerkbait, a shaky head, a drop-shot rig and swimbaits,” he said. “The largemouth, if they come up, could make it a good crankbait tournament, too.”
Patrick Walters, a 24-year-old Elite Series rookie from Summerville, S.C., said he also thinks spots and largemouth will both come into play — with spots likely taking center stage.
“I don’t see anyone winning it with (a four-day total of) 20 largemouth,” Walters said. “You’re going to have to have a mix — and Lanier sets up well for that.
“The lake has a lot of fish, and there’ll be two bites going on at once. There will be a shallow bite and a deep bite. People will be able to fish deep brushpiles and structure if that’s their strong suit and some will be able to go shallow — and they’re gonna find spots and largemouth.”
A full field of 75 anglers will fish the first two days, with the Top 35 advancing to Saturday’s semifinal round. Then the Top 10 will fish on Championship Sunday with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line. In addition to the prize money available, anglers will be working to rack up Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, which determine 39 of the 53 berths in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Like most Elite Series events, the Lanier tournament will feature a full lineup of events and activities, all of which are free and open to the public. On Saturday and Sunday, Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota and Shakespeare will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga. Also sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the kid-friendly event offers a kids’ fishing pond, casting lessons and Georgia DNR’s popular wildlife experience with live animals.
Besides onshore excitement, Elite Series fans will be able to follow all of the action all four days on Bassmaster LIVE, which is streamed on Bassmaster.com and the ESPN App.
“I think it’s going to be a great tournament,” Fritts said. “I just hope it cools off a little bit. If it stays too warm, those fish will get up ankle deep, and it’ll be anybody’s ball game.”
Host sponsor for the event is the Gwinnett Sports Commission.
Fine Tune Finesse
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How Hi-Vis Braid Provides An Edge In Detecting Subtle Finesse Bites |
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A decade ago, anglers were especially wary of hi-vis braids, preferring camouflage lines to everything else. That’s changed significantly with the success of finesse presentations like the ubiquitous wacky rig, Neko rig, drop shotting, the Ned rig, and countless other fish-catching finesse approaches. For many, hi-vis braid has become an indispensable part of the finesse rig, a way to monitor bites by sight and feel that simply increases hooked and boated bass. One angler who’s made the conversion to hi-vis braid is Mark Zona, bass expert and TV fishing program host. “Here’s what’s funny to me. 10 to 15 years ago a lot of us laughed at hi-vis braid and said, ‘What on Earth do I need this for? I need camouflage!’ Well, that thinking has gone by the wayside with spinning reel finesse fishing applications. It’s critical to have a hi-vis braided line. There’s no stretch in braid, so number one, you have much better sensitivity for bites. Then you add the visual aspect with the lack of stretch and that high level of sensitivity and you’re just putting more odds in your corner to land more fish. From a novice all the way to a professional angler, we look for every edge we can get in bite detection. That’s what this whole game is. If you’re using a braid that’s hard to see or camouflaged with the water with a fluorocarbon leader and you’re struggling to see bites, what you’re doing is absolutely pointless. I now probably apply hi-vis braid and a fluorocarbon leader to 80% of my finesse applications, whether it’s a drop shot, shakey head, etc.,” says Zona. Especially in deeper water, bite detection when fishing finesse presentations becomes critical. Zona knows this well, spending much of his time in what he calls “crazy deep water”—20, 30, 40, 50, all the way down to 60 feet of water, working the bottom with finesse baits. “That’s how I shoot my shows. To me, a hi-vis line is imperative. Sure, when you’re fishing in two feet of water or less, you don’t need to detect your bite as much because it transmits way faster. But when you’re fishing in deeper water as I am—10 feet all the way down into the abyss or 40, 50, or 60 feet—you’re looking for every edge you can get. Now, when I’m fishing the majority of my finesse techniques – power shotting, Neko rigging, standard dropshots, small finesse baits—basically everything—that braided line becomes, even more important than my rod, really, for telegraphing bites.” |
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One of the techniques Zona utilizes frequently is called power shotting, which is basically a very heavy drop shot application with ½-ounce to ¾-ounce drop shot weights. “That’s one of my approaches in 20, 30, 40 feet of water. When my bait is down there on a six or eight-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon leader, I can literally tell you when a fish breathes on the bait with that hi-vis braid’s combo of no-stretch sensitivity and sight detection.” But the same applies for drop shotting in all depths, especially when fishing vertically. Even if you’re using a lighter 1/8- to ¼ ounce weight, the sensitivity and visual aspect of a line like Seaguar’s Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green and fluorocarbon leader just communicates bites faster than any other line combination can provide. Another deep water finesse application that benefits from hi-vis braid is Zona’s use of a Neko rig, essentially a weighted finesse or stick worm. Same goes when he’s fishing a standard Wacky rig. “One of the things I can tell you, a wacky rig or Neko rig is probably tied on in every single boat across the country, period. And that is one of many applications where Seaguar’s Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green has really made a difference. I shot a show recently where I got on a school of bass out deep where I was catching them on a Neko Rig and that line jumps on camera to where the viewer could watch at home and tell I just got a bite! It was that impressive,” says Zona. He continues: “What’s amazing is how well the high-visibility of the Seaguar Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green emits a bite; it’s staggering. When you get a bite, the color green line jumps like the green in a traffic light for ‘go’ and you just can’t miss it.” The Ned rig is another finesse presentation that benefits greatly from a line like Seaguar’s Hi-Vis Flash Green. It allows you to see when your bait is falling through the water column and you can watch when it stops and the bait hits the bottom. Then, as you put a little tension on the line, not only can you feel and see any subtle jerk or sideways motion you can now decipher bottom content. The combination of braid and fluorocarbon leader allows you to tell when that Ned rig bumps into rock or slides through weeds—which is pretty much impossible with an extruded line alone. That is the common aspect in fine-tuning any of your finesse fishing game—the use of a fluorocarbon leader, whether you’re power shotting, drop shotting, fishing a shaky head, wacky rig, Neko rig, Ned rig, small vertical baits like light jigging spoons, etc. A high-quality six to eight-pound fluorocarbon leader is perfect for most applications and you can even get away with 10 given how narrow and clear quality fluorocarbon is. Eight to 10-pound fluorocarbon also gives you a lot more abrasion resistance. |
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Whether you’re using a fluorocarbon like AbrazX or Tatsu it’s important you tie a good knot like a double-uni (aka uni-to-uni), cinch the knot tight and trim the tag ends closely to make movement through the end rod guide easier and necessitate longer casts, which are already 50% or so longer than using monofilament or fluorocarbon sans braid. The diameter is so narrow that there’s little resistance in the guides when you cast it, as well as how smoothly it winds off the spool. And with regards to tying line-to-leader knots like the double-uni, one trick that makes doing so much easier is wetting the end line of the braid, so it has some weight. In terms of leader length, the higher you’re marking the fish in the water column on your sonar, the longer the fluorocarbon leader should be because you want to keep the braid out of their visual range. If bass are one or two feet off the bottom, they’re going to move down and eat stuff off the bottom, but you should have the knot and braid tied to a length that exceeds where they’re sitting. 24-inches or longer is a good place to start. Back to the benefits of hi-vis braid, spooling your spinning reel with a high-visibility line like Seaguar’s Hi-Vis Flash Green also allows you to downsize the action of your rod, making it possible to use something with a little bit softer tip without losing any sensitivity. In fact, combine that rod sensitivity with what the line does and you can literally feel a fish breathe on your bait. The no-stretch characteristic of the hi-vis braid picks also up so much of the hookset that a high-quality rod like a St. Croix in the moderate to moderate fast action is a great match for finesse applications. This combination also delivers more visual information of what your bait is doing, with the line transmitting the wiggle, wobble, and other nuances of how your bait is performing under water, which is then telegraphed through the slightly softer spinning rod tip. Like Zona, more anglers are turning to the use of hi-vis braid to fine tune their finesse fishing game—and for good reason. The other thing to keep in mind is that it’s a switch that not only makes sense in the bass realm but finesse fishing for all manner of fish—panfish, trout, walleye, striped bass, and just about any other freshwater and saltwater species you can think of. The recommendation? Give it a shot this season—you’ll be glad you did. |
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Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Tyler Rivet full of fun, family, and loyalty
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Rookie Tyler Rivet of Southern Louisiana wore Donald Trump socks on his very first day as a Bassmaster Elite Series pro. But if you’re expecting to engage the 24-year-old in a political debate, forget about it. The dude doesn’t even watch television, let alone talk politics.
For Rivet, it’s all about having fun.
“My mom got me these socks because she knows I like to wear fun socks. I have socks with the American flag on them, socks with fishing lures on them, all kinds of random stuff just for fun. Plus, they’re good luck. But I need to get some Carhartt socks,” says Rivet.
And no, that wasn’t a shameless sponsor plug. Tyler Rivet made five consecutive Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championships while attending Nicholls State in Southern Louisiana, and the guy simply feels a heartfelt, classy, and admirable allegiance to the Detroit based brand of clothing for people who work hard and play hard.
“I don’t wear the Carhartt logo on my jersey because they pay me. I wear it because Carhartt is the whole reason we have college fishing, and without college fishing, I’d have never been able to live my dream of fishing in the Bassmaster Elites,” he says.
But don’t expect Rivet to start rooting for Darius Slay and the Detroit Lions. Nope, Rivet is 100% all in on the Saints. He loves Deuce McAllister, thinks Drew Brees is terribly underrated, and he’s still pissed about the blown call against the Rams in NFC Championship game. To the point he’s sporting a #Robbed decal on his Phoenix Boat this season.
“Yup, I’m still pretty salty over that missed call and our chance to go to the Super Bowl, and I ain’t taking that hashtag decal off all year. We’re having fun with it,” says Rivet.
And that’s the essence of Tyler Rivet. Work hard, play hard, hit the gym, and have fun with it. A mantra he comes by genetically as proven by the fact his family cheered loudest at the Day 1 weigh-in.
“My dad Ty, my mom Jodie, my stepdad, my grandpa and my great grandpa are all here to cheer me on. And because my mom and dad’s work schedules both allow them the time off, they’ll probably come to several Elite Series tournaments this year,” grins the lover of heavy metal bands Five Finger Death Punch and Ashes to New.
So maybe his very first day as a full time pro didn’t go as well as he had hoped. It’s okay. True to the Cajun way -- it’s nothing a cold beer, great food, a loving family, a few laughs, and a sense of knowing who you are and where your loyalties lie can’t supersede.
From head to toe, right down to the socks, count on two things from Tyler Rivet this season. He’ll fish hard. And he’ll have fun.
From BASS Nation Champ to BASS Elite Series Rookie
This week Jason catches up with BASS Nation Champ, now turned Elite Series Rookie, Californian Randy Pierson. Randy talks about his cross country travels and getting all his tackle together as he prepares for the Bassmaster Elites Series kick off on the St. Johns River.
Latuso Leads with 25 Pounds, Crews Lands Big Fish with 11 pounder! at Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
Courtesy of BASS
PALATKA, Fla. — After a tough practice, Robbie Latuso said he only had one area that he felt confident about heading into Thursday’s opening round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.
But it turned out to be a good area — and it just kept getting better as the day went along.
The third-year Elite Series pro from Gonzales, La., caught a solid limit early and then steadily culled up until he had a five-bass limit that weighed 25 pounds, 2 ounces. The big bag, which was anchored by an 8-6 largemouth, was good enough for the Day 1 lead.
“I got to that spot and caught a bunch of fish that were all about 3 pounds,” Latuso said. “Then I finally caught a 3-10. Then I caught a 5-pounder. Then I caught the biggest one and another big fish — about a 5-pounder — toward the end of the day.
“So I really caught most of my big fish later.”
With three days left to fish, anglers are always stingy with details. But Latuso said he’s using a technique he’s very comfortable with — and he believes his one magic spot could actually be better for Friday’s second round.
“I think more fish are coming to that area,” he said. “So I’m just gonna go out there tomorrow and have fun again and try to get five more bites.”
Latuso’s 8-plus was impressive, but it wasn’t nearly the biggest bass caught on a day when the Florida fishery really showed its muscle. The Top 10 anglers in the standings all had more than 20 pounds, and the biggest bass of the day was an 11-2 behemoth caught by Virginia angler John Crews.
The giant fish — which Crews said broke his personal-best mark of 11-1 by an ounce — anchored a five-bass limit that weighed 24-13 and moved Crews into second place.
In a scene that would make even the most experienced anglers queasy, Crews landed the bass on a spinning rod with only 12-pound-test line.
“I had caught four, and I knew I had a pretty decent bag,” Crews said. “I knew if I could just catch one more keeper, I would be in good shape. So I actually just started fishing around and picked up that spinning rod.”
He knew the bass was big when he set the hook, but it was while before he knew exactly how big.
“It went all over the place, got hung up in a tree and came out,” Crews said. “But I didn’t get in a big hurry.
“When it jumped, I thought it was a 6- or 7-pounder. When it got close to the boat and jumped again, I thought it was an 8 or 9. Then when I lipped it, it just kept coming out of the water and I knew it was at least a 10.”
Crews referred to his day as a “typical Florida day” because along with the big fish, he also had one that weighed only about 14 ounces. He said he has no idea what Friday will hold, but he’s seen proof positive once again that a big bass can bite at any moment in this state.
Having just turned 40 last year, Crews has been with the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. Another Elite Series veteran, 54-year-old Mark Menendez from Paducah, Ky., fished his way into third place Thursday — and like the two anglers ahead of him, his bag was anchored by a giant.
Menendez weighed in five bass that tipped the scales at 24-8 with a 9-13 anchoring the bag.
“My day was real slow,” said Menendez, who has three career B.A.S.S. victories. “I lost my first two bites, and they were little peanuts.”
He was about to leave and make a long run, but instincts told him to explore the stretch he was on just a little further.
“I fished and fished and fished and kept thinking I needed to make that long run,” he said. “But then I stopped in a spot, made a pitch and caught the 9-13. I fished around a little longer and caught a solid 3 3/4.
“That’s when I decided I was going to be there a while — and before noon, I caught another 3-pounder and a 6-pounder, all on the same bait.”
When bass are moving onto the spawning beds, as they seem to be on the St. Johns this week, it’s hard to know exactly what will happen next. Warm weather could bring another big wave of bass to the shorelines overnight, making Friday’s round better. Or, the pressure from Thursday’s round could cause a downturn in the fishing.
But one thing is certain: Most of the 75-angler field left Riverfront Park Thursday with a solid understanding of the fishery’s potential.
“I really didn’t know what I could catch going into today,” said Brad Whatley, an Elite Series rookie from Bivins, Texas, who landed in fourth place Thursday with a catch of 23-4 that included two 8-pounders. “I think I’m in an area that has some fish coming in to spawn and some leaving the beds.
“To catch 23 pounds my first day on the job, I’ll take it all day long.”
The tournament will resume Friday with a full field of 75 anglers fishing once again. Takeoff will be from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET, and weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:15 p.m.
After Friday’s competition, only the Top 35 will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 25-02 100 Day 1: 5 25-02 2. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 24-13 99 Day 1: 5 24-13 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 24-08 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 4. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 23-04 97 Day 1: 5 23-04 5. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 22-08 96 Day 1: 5 22-08 6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 21-06 95 Day 1: 5 21-06 7. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 21-05 94 Day 1: 5 21-05 8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 21-01 93 Day 1: 5 21-01 9. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 20-10 92 Day 1: 5 20-10 10. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 5 20-08 91 Day 1: 5 20-08 11. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 19-13 90 Day 1: 5 19-13 12. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 19-12 89 Day 1: 5 19-12 13. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 19-07 88 Day 1: 5 19-07 14. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 19-03 87 Day 1: 5 19-03 15. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 19-02 86 Day 1: 5 19-02 16. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 18-14 85 Day 1: 5 18-14 17. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 18-08 84 Day 1: 5 18-08 18. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 18-03 83 Day 1: 5 18-03 18. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 18-03 83 Day 1: 5 18-03 20. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 17-08 81 Day 1: 5 17-08 20. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 17-08 81 Day 1: 5 17-08 22. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 17-07 79 Day 1: 5 17-07 23. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 17-05 78 Day 1: 5 17-05 24. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 5 17-02 77 Day 1: 5 17-02 25. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 16-13 76 Day 1: 5 16-13 26. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 16-00 75 Day 1: 5 16-00 27. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 14-13 74 Day 1: 5 14-13 28. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 4 14-04 73 Day 1: 4 14-04 29. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 14-03 72 Day 1: 5 14-03 30. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 13-15 71 Day 1: 5 13-15 31. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-11 70 Day 1: 5 13-11 32. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 13-10 69 Day 1: 5 13-10 33. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 13-08 68 Day 1: 5 13-08 34. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 13-07 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 34. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 13-07 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 36. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 13-04 65 Day 1: 5 13-04 37. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 12-15 64 Day 1: 5 12-15 38. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 12-12 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 38. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 12-12 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 40. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 12-10 61 Day 1: 5 12-10 41. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 12-09 60 Day 1: 5 12-09 41. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 12-09 60 Day 1: 5 12-09 43. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 12-00 58 Day 1: 5 12-00 44. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 11-15 57 Day 1: 5 11-15 45. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 11-15 56 Day 1: 4 11-15 46. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 4 11-13 55 Day 1: 4 11-13 47. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-08 54 Day 1: 5 11-08 48. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 11-07 53 Day 1: 5 11-07 49. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 11-06 52 Day 1: 5 11-06 50. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 11-05 51 Day 1: 5 11-05 51. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 11-02 50 Day 1: 5 11-02 52. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 10-15 49 Day 1: 5 10-15 53. Drew Cook Midway, FL 5 10-13 48 Day 1: 5 10-13 54. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 4 10-10 47 Day 1: 4 10-10 55. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 10-03 46 Day 1: 5 10-03 56. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 10-00 45 Day 1: 5 10-00 57. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 09-08 44 Day 1: 5 09-08 58. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 09-05 43 Day 1: 4 09-05 59. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 08-13 42 Day 1: 5 08-13 60. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 3 08-11 41 Day 1: 3 08-11 61. Frank Talley Temple, TX 4 08-10 40 Day 1: 4 08-10 62. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 08-01 39 Day 1: 5 08-01 63. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 08-00 38 Day 1: 5 08-00 64. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 3 07-13 37 Day 1: 3 07-13 65. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 2 07-13 36 Day 1: 2 07-13 66. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 07-08 35 Day 1: 5 07-08 67. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 3 07-05 34 Day 1: 3 07-05 68. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 3 06-05 33 Day 1: 3 06-05 69. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 2 06-05 32 Day 1: 2 06-05 70. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 3 05-12 31 Day 1: 3 05-12 71. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 1 05-02 30 Day 1: 1 05-02 72. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 2 04-09 29 Day 1: 2 04-09 73. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 02-04 28 Day 1: 2 02-04 74. David Fritts Lexington, NC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 74. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00
COX CATCHES 31-POUND LIMIT, LEADS DAY ONE OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Courtesy of FLW
Florida Pro Grabs Day One Lead with Largest Limit Ever Weighed at Lake Toho in FLW Tour Competition
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2019) – Pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, hauled in a massive five-bass limit weighing 31 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest limit ever weighed in FLW Tour competition at Lake Toho – to grab the lead after day one of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Cox will bring a 6-pound, 10-ounce advantage over second-place pro John Voyles of Petersburg, Indiana, into Day Two of the four-day tournament thatfeatures 170 of the world’s most decorated bass-fishing professionals casting for a top award of up to $125,000 cash.
“When I got up this morning, I was just excited to go fishing,” said Cox, the 2016 FLW Cup Champion who has more than $1.1 million in career earnings. “The weather was warm – for once – and it was going to be sunny and not windy. It was an awesome day.
“I ran a ton of spots. I ran all around this lake [Toho] and then went down and ran around the other lakes and just kept spot-hopping,” continued Cox. “I caught one good one early and then it was steady – you’d get one here, get one there.”
Cox said he made roughly 30 stops throughout the day.
“I tried to do the sight-fishing thing, but there’s just no movement. There’s no fish moving,” said Cox. “There’s a few fish still there, but most of them left for some reason, so I just started fishing and caught two good ones.”
One of Cox’s two “good ones” was a 10-pound, 9-ouncer that he wrangled a bit deeper using a Berkley Windup Worm. It ended up being the third-largest bass ever weighed in FLW Tour competition at Lake Toho.
Overall, three of Cox’s fish came from beds, and two came from the Windup Worm. He said he culled three times as well.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow – probably run a lot of the same spots.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Toho are:
1st: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 31-9
2nd: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., five bass, 24-15
3rd: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 24-12
4th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., five bass, 21-11
5th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 21-10
6th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 21-7
7th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., five bass, 21-6
8th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Cal., five bass, 21-4
9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., five bass, 21-2
10th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 19-10
10th: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., five bass, 19-10
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Cox’s 10-pound, 9-ounce largemouth was the heaviest fish weighed in the pro division Thursday, and earned him the day’s Big Bass Award of $500.
Overall there were 815 bass weighing 2,032 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 169 pros Thursday. The catch included 154 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 9-10, will also be held at the marina, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to weigh-in each day FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the marina on Saturday, Feb. 9, from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
DICK’S Sporting Goods To Entitle The Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Of The Year Award
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — DICK’S Sporting Goods, the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer, has become the title sponsor of the coveted Bassmaster Rookie of the Year award for 2019.
Only first-time qualifiers for the Bassmaster Elite Series who are new to top-tier competitive bass fishing are eligible to receive the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year award, which will be presented to the rookie who ranks highest in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race by the end of the season.
DICK’S will award a $500 prize to the points leader in the Rookie of the Year race at the conclusion of each of the nine regular-season Elite Series tournaments, including the season opener — the Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River — which gets under way Feb. 7 at Palatka, Fla.
At the end of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament in September, the angler crowned Rookie of the Year will receive $10,000 from DICK’S.
The AOY Championship, to be held at a site to be announced later, also determines the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 39 of the 53 berths in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
“We’re excited that DICK’S has decided to encourage and reward some of the up-and-coming anglers on the Elite Series by sponsoring Rookie of the Year,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We have one of the strongest fields of rookie anglers ever to qualify for the Elite Series, including 12 standouts in college bass fishing. We expect the ROY race to be intense this year.
“DICK’S has been a presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic, our Classic Expo and many other events and programs over the years, and we appreciate their support for this prestigious award. I know the anglers, along with our fans and members, do, too.”
A total of 18 Elite anglers who qualified through the Bassmaster Opens Series or the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship are deemed rookies. Other newcomers from the Opens have built successful careers with other tournament organizations and now are fulfilling long-held dreams of competing in the Elite Series and, perhaps, qualifying for the ultimate stage in bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
Anglers earn AOY points based on their finishes at each of the 10 stops along the 2019 Elite Series circuit, including the AOY Championship. Points are allocated on the basis of one point per place, in descending order from first place, which is worth 75 points in a full-field event.
Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., the 2018 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year, lists the award as one of the highest honors he’s ever received. An all-conference lineman on his high school’s state championship football team, Whitaker switched to bass fishing when he enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his teammate won the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship in 2014, and he was the 2015 College Classic exhibition tournament champion.
Whitaker said the ROY title has been great for his career and valuable in terms of sponsor support. More than that, however, his quest for the title spurred him to fish to the best of his abilities.
“The rookies who came in last year were really good fishermen. They had proved themselves in the Opens and on other circuits,” he said. “To be ranked the best among those guys was really cool.”
He said the competition for the title this year is just as stiff, adding, “I tell people all the time that there may be some new faces this year, but there’s a lot of guys everyone’s going to know about really soon.”
His rookie year behind him, Whitaker has set his sights even higher. From Rookie of the Year to Angler of the Year? It’s happened before, and Whitaker wants to make it happen again.
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race will be covered in all of B.A.S.S.’s industry-leading media, including Bassmaster LIVE, Bassmaster.com, The Bassmasters TV show, Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines, and its extensive social media network. For more information and to follow the action from the St. Johns River live, visit Bassmaster.com.
The following Elite Series anglers will be competing for the 2019 DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year title:
Quentin Cappo, Prairieville, La.
Gary Clouse, Winchester, Tenn.
Drew Cook*, Midway, Fla.
Rob Digh, Denver, N.C.
Greg DiPalma, Millville, N.J.
Dale Hightower, Mannford, Okla.
Harvey Horne, Bella Vista, Ark.
Derek Hudnall, Baton Route, La.
Mike Huff*, Corbin, Ky.
Lee Livesay, Longview, Texas
Ed Loughran III, Richmond, Va.
Luke Palmer, Coalgate, Okla.
Garrett Paquette*, Canton, Mich.
Randy Pierson, Oakdale, Calif.
Tyler Rivet*, Raceland, La.
Frank Talley, Temple, Texas
Patrick Walters*, Summerville, S.C.
Brad Whatley, Bivins, Texas
(*Former Bassmaster College Series angler)
Brock Mosley competing with his dad’s Devil’s Horse lure
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s only been a few years since Brock Mosley was competing in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series as a student at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, and cramming himself into a hotel room with Matt Lee, Jordan Lee, and Drew Benton to save on travel expenses.
Speed ahead seven or eight years, and the former standout baseball outfielder is now a full time 30-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series pro with $200,000 in prize winnings, and he’s kicking off the 2019 season with a lure as old as he is.
“It’s an old Devil’s Horse topwater prop bait I found in my dad’s tackle box several years ago, and when you come to Florida you better have one tied on,” says Mosley.
Fact is, if you could see the front decks of all 75 pros this morning, just about every one of them has a topwater prop bait tied on. Could be a Devil’s Horse like Mosley’s, a Bagley’s Bang O Lure, Boy Howdy, or another famous variety – but in Florida this sort of floating cigar shaped lure with spinning props on its ends is as much a staple as oranges, oysters, and palm trees.
“I can’t tell you why bass love them down here, nor can I tell you why you rarely see us throw them in other parts of the country. All I know is down here it’s magical,” says Mosley, winner of the 2011 Carhartt Bassmaster Regional on the Alabama River.
The lure is particularly effective during the spawn, and with a week of warm nights, it’s predicted that 20 to 50-percent of the bass weighed in today could come from spawning beds.
“Dad’s a wholesale car dealer that only fishes when I’m around, but when you see how well local sticks Terry Scroggins and Cliff Prince did on a topwater prop bait the last time we competed here on the St. Johns in 2016, I was real glad Dad had one in his tackle box that I could bring with me,” adds Mosley.
Mosley ties the lure to a 20-pound monofilament leader that’s connected to 50-pound braid as his main line. “Braid gives you a better hookset, but I don’t like tying the Devil’s Horse directly to braid, because sometimes braid will tear the hooks from the mouth of a big fish,” he explains.
Mosley has certainly come a long way from sharing hotel rooms with three other anglers, but here on the St. Johns River he remains directly grounded to his bass fishing roots in Collinsville, MS – mostly as a result of digging through his dad Danny’s old tackle box, and leaning on a lure this week that’s as old as he is.
Cliff Prince is hometown proud in Palatka
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
In the 1970s and 1980s the St. Johns River, home to this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series event, was an absolute bass fishing mecca, and the town of Palatka, Florida was very much its epicenter.
It was a place where big bass lived, and anglers traveled from all over America to fish for them. A place where Bassmaster Classic winning lures like Bobby Ditto’s GatorTail worm originated, and aspiring young teenage anglers like Cliff Prince and Terry “Big Show” Scroggins grew up to be pros.
Today, Palatka is still rich with pride. Fishing pride, hometown pride, and Made in America pride. If you have any doubt, grab a cup of coffee, and stop by Futch’s Marine and Power Depot. They’re the official sponsor of Elite Series pro, Cliff Prince, and they’re darn proud of it.
“Cliff is a hometown boy like us, he grew up on this river like us, and when I heard him tell his story of becoming a full time Bassmaster pro at our local Kiwanis Club meeting, I knew we wanted to be a part of his career,” says Futch’s owner Shawn Sadler.
Futch’s very quickly became part of Gravely Mowers’ Million Dollar Club for their incredible success selling the top-quality mowers that have been made in Wisconsin since 1916, and to further their success, they have invested in the Gravely brand as Cliff Prince’s title sponsor for 2019.
“I mean heck, at the end of the day, what small business wouldn’t be proud to have their name on an Elite Series angler’s boat and Tundra?” says Sadler.
“I feel like family here at Futch’s,” says Prince. “They’ve been my title sponsor for four years. I love the way they get engaged with the tournament when the Elite Series is here in Palatka. And heck, I’ve even been known to stop by here and borrow some ice out of their big ice machine when I’m headed out saltwater fishing,” smiles Prince.
Speaking of fishing, Prince thinks the gorgeous weather will bring on a batch of early spawners. “I think as many as 50-percent of the bass weighed-in the first two days will be caught from spawning beds, but when that cold front blows in Saturday it will put a serious end to a lot of that,” says the former Palatka Panther from the Class of ’89.
He’s also forecasting that 13-pounds per day will get an angler to Sunday’s final round, and he says because a large number of fish will likely push shallow to spawn, it will level the playing field, as the local deep water honey holes located on shell beds and such will be less of a factor.
A variety of lures will be used this week, but Prince won’t leave home without a Booyah One Knocker lipless bait, or a Bass Assassin Fat Job soft plastic stick bait – two lures bass are known for eating regularly on the St. Johns.
But as far as what the hometown folks love to eat around here, Prince says to try the fried shrimp at Bradley’s Steak and Seafood, or steaks and gator tail at Corky Bell’s.
Oh, and if you need a bag of ice or a new mower, stop by Futch’s and tell them Cliff Prince sent ya. You’re sure to be greeted with a grin and a whole lot of hometown pride.
The Jordan Lee / MLF Bass Pro Tour Show!
This week the boys are trying to catch up after watching too much MLF Live last week. They welcome in Carhartt Pro Jordan Lee, the winner of the inaugural Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Toho. The boys also welcome in Media member Rob Lever, SC Woods & Water writer Roger Metz, fishing fan Kenneth Grover and of course Intern David to give expert opinions on what they each thought of last weeks inaugural Bass Pro Tour event. Intern David sticks around for the Progressive Bass Wrap up and helps Jason with the Costa Countdown to blast off!
