FISHING LEAGUE WORLDWIDE ANNOUNCES 2019 FLW TOUR ANGLER ROSTER
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 26, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the complete professional angler roster for the upcoming 2019 FLW Tour season, the 24th season of the FLW Tour. The field will be showcased along the 2019 FLW Tour, which features seven regular-season tournaments around the country with competition kicking off at Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jan. 10-13, in Brookeland, Texas, and culminating with the world championship of bass fishing – the FLW Cup at Lake Hamilton, Aug. 9-11, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
There was enormous demand to compete on the 2019 FLW Tour, with 210 anglers registering for a slot on the prestigious tournament circuit in its final year of priority registration before switching to a strict qualifying process and a 150-pro field in 2020. To accommodate all anglers earning priority entry through the 2018 FLW Tour, Costa FLW series, T-H Marine BFL All-American, YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship and TBF National Championship plus sponsor entries, the 2019 FLW Tour field will feature 170 pros.
The top award at each qualifier is $125,000 with $300,000 going to the winner of the FLW Cup. Since the final field exceeds the published payout basis of 150 pros, FLW will survey all 170 participating pros to finalize the 2019 payout structure.
The 2019 FLW Tour roster is headlined by a stout contingent of bass-fishing heavyweights, including three-time Angler of the Year (AOY) and 2003 FLW Cup champion David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia, 2015 AOY and 2011 FLW Cup champion Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, and two-time Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina. They’ll be joined by bass-fishing legends Jimmy Houston of Cookson, Oklahoma, and Larry Nixon of Quitman, Arkansas, as well as three former FLW Cup champions – John Cox (2016), Brad Knight (2015) and Darrel Robertson (2002). James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, the 2019 FLW Cup runner-up, and rising star Luke Dunkin of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, are also among the top contenders for 2019. The 2019 Tour will also feature 34 rookies from around the country.
“With the demand we saw this year to join the FLW Tour, we couldn’t be more eager to kick off another season at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in January,” said Bill Taylor, FLW’s Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “FLW has long been the home to some of the most decorated bass anglers in the sport, and with the expanded live coverage at all of our Tour events this year, we are more than ready to show off their skills at some of the best fisheries in the world.”
In FLW Tour competition anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be held on Lake Hamilton and is being hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
For complete details and updated information, visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishingand on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
2019 FLW Tour Anglers
Jason Abram Piney Flats, Tenn.
Randy Allen Gilliam, La.
Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, Okla.
Evan Barnes Hot Springs, Ark.
Clayton Batts Butler, Ga.
*Bradford Beavers Summerville, S.C.
Matt Becker Finleyville, Pa.
Bob Behrle Hoover, Ala.
Daryl Biron South Windsor, Conn.
Randy Blaukat Joplin, Mo.
Greg Bohannan Bentonville, Ark.
Terry Bolton Benton, Ky.
Lionel Botha Malabar, Fla.
*Bailey Boutries Daphne, Ala.
Jay Brainard Enid, Okla.
Christopher Brasher Longview, Texas
Jimmy Brewer Marshall, Texas
Aaron Britt Yuba City, Calif.
Grae Buck Harleysville, Pa.
*Miles Burghoff Hixson, Tenn.
Tim Cales Sandstone, W. Va.
*Jonathan Canada Helena, Ala.
Robert Case Jr. Point, Texas
Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, Texas
Russell Cecil Willis, Texas
Ryan Chandler Hebron, Ind.
Glenn Chappelear Acworth, Ga.
*Jason Christy Dadeville, Ala.
Joey Cifuentes Clinton, Ark.
Sheldon Collings Grove, Okla.
Ramie Colson Jr. Cadiz, Ky.
Kyle Cortiana Coweta, Okla.
John Cox DeBary, Fla.
Alex Davis Albertville, Ala.
Darrell Davis Dover, Fla.
*Randy Despino Colfax, La.
Tommy Dickerson Orange, Texas
Jeff Dobson Bartlesville, Okla.
Bradley Dortch Atmore, Ala.
Josh Douglas Isle, Minn.
Kurt Dove Del Rio, Texas
David Dudley Lynchburg, Va.
Tony Dumitras Winston, Ga.
Luke Dunkin Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
*Dakota Ebare Stephenville, Texas
*Jon Englund Farwell, Minn.
Charlie Evans Berea, Ky.
Ron Farrow Rock Hill, S.C.
Austin Felix Eden Prairie, Minn.
*Kevin Finley Phoenix, Ariz.
Mark Fisher Wauconda, Ill.
Tim Frederick Leesburg, Fla.
*Hunter Freeman Monroe, La.
*Derek Fulps Broken Arrow, Okla.
Nick Gainey Charleston, S.C.
*David Gaston Sylacauga, Ala.
*Sam George Athens, Ala.
Matt Greenblatt Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, Minn.
*Brant Grimm Church Hill, Tenn.
Buddy Gross Chickamauga, Ga.
Cody Hahner Wausau, Wis.
Bradley Hallman Norman, Okla.
*Chip Harrington Olathe, Kan.
Dylan Hays El Dorado, Ark.
Billy Hines Vacaville, Calif.
Jamie Horton Centreville, Ala.
Jimmy Houston Cookson, Okla.
Miles Howe San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Rex Huff Corbin, Ky.
John Hunter Shelbyville, Ky.
Bill Hutchison Bessemer, Ala.
Charlie Ingram Centerville, Tenn.
Eric Jackson Walling, Tenn.
*Rex Jaeger Hamilton, Ohio
Jim Jones Big Bend, Wis.
Rob Jordan Flowery Branch, Ga.
Cody Kelley Conway, Ark.
Jay Kendrick Grant, Ala.
Rob Kilby Hot Springs, Ark.
Brad Knight Lancing, Tenn.
Brian Latimer Belton, S.C.
*Marty Lawrence Mesa, Ariz.
Jeremy Lawyer Sarcoxie, Mo.
*Nick LeBrun Bossier City, La.
Wes Logan Springville, Ala.
Richard Lowitzki Hampshire, Ill.
Tim Malone Kodak, Tenn.
Scott Martin Clewiston, Fla.
Lendell Martin Jr. Nacogdoches, Texas
*Michael Matthee Centurion, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Billy McCaghren Mayflower, Ark.
Chris McCall Palmer, Texas
Johnny McCombs Morris, Ala.
Bill McDonald Greenwood, Ind.
Brandon McMillan Clewiston, Fla.
Jared McMillan Belle Glade, Fla.
Chuck Medley Owens Cross Roads, Ala.
Jason Meninger Saint Augustine, Fla.
Kerry Milner Bono, Ark.
Kurt Mitchell Milford, Del.
Tom Monsoor �� La Crosse, Wis.
Harry Moore Valley, Ala.
Bob Morin Seymour, Tenn.
Troy Morrow Eastanollee, Ga.
Brandon Mosley Choctaw, Okla.
Jim Moynagh Carver, Minn.
Shawn Murphy Nicholasville, Ky.
*Cody Murray Nampa, Idaho
Chris Neau New Orleans, La.
*Corey Neece Bristol, Tenn.
*Ron Nelson Berrien Springs, Mich.
*Dicky Newberry Houston, Texas
James Niggemeyer Van, Texas
Larry Nixon Quitman, Ark.
Jordan Osborne Longview, Texas
Robert Pearson Herndon, Va.
Pete Ponds Madison, Miss.
*Hensley Powell Whitwell, Tenn.
Chad Randles Elkhorn, Neb.
* Drew Ratley Shreveport, La.
Tom Redington Royse City, Texas
Matt Reed Madisonville, Texas
Clark Reehm Elm Grove, La.
Jimmy Reese Witter Springs, Calif.
Jason Reyes Huffman, Texas
Curtis Richardson Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Darrel Robertson Jay, Okla.
*Troy Roder Brookeland, Texas
Zell Rowland Montgomery, Texas
Craig Rozema Simpsonville, S.C.
*Ryan Salzman Huntsville, Ala.
Casey Scanlon Lake Ozark, Mo.
Bryan Schmitt Deale, Md.
Colby Schrumpf Highland, Ill.
Braxton Setzer Montgomery, Ala.
Billy Shelton III La Crosse, Va.
Charles Sim Nepean, Ontario, Canada
*A.J. Slegona Pine Bush, N.Y.
Blake Smith Lakeland, Fla.
Derrick Snavely Piney Flats, Tenn.
Matthew Stefan Junction City, Wis.
Tyler Stewart West Monroe, La.
*Chuck Stratton Chaffee, Mo.
*Wade Strelic Alpine, Calif.
Mike Surman Boca Raton, Fla.
Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Bryan Thrift Shelby, N.C.
Rusty Trancygier Hahira, Ga.
J. Todd Tucker Moultrie, Ga.
Jim Tutt Longview, Texas
Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, Okla.
John Voyles Petersburg, Ind.
*Jacob Wall Jacksonville, Ore.
Chad Warren Sand Springs, Okla.
Joshua Weaver Macon, Ga.
Joseph Webster Winfield, Ala.
Kyle Weisenburger Ottawa, Ohio
Chris Whitson Louisville, Tenn.
Andy Wicker Pomaria, S.C.
Scott Wiley Bay Minette, Ala.
*Joel Willert Prior Lake, Minn.
David Williams Maiden, N.C.
*Austin Wilson Citrus Heights, Calif.
Barry Wilson Birmingham, Ala.
Matt Wittekiend Angleton, Texas
*Tyler Woolcott Port Orange, Fla.
David Wootton Collierville, Tenn.
Gary Yamamoto Palestine, Texas
Andy Young Isle, Minn.
* denotes 2019 FLW Tour Rookie
Sportsmans Warehouse Black Friday Deals!
AC's John Byrne and the Crew from Sportsmans Warehouse talk Black Friday Specials in-store and online at www.sportsmanswarehouse.com
AC Insider Podcast - FLW, BASS & MLF News, Thanksgiving Holiday & Iron Bowl Week and More!!
This week the boys get down and dirty on some industry news, FLW, BASS & MLF News as well as discuss some big derbies from the past weekend including a 30 pound bag on Pickwick. Jason looks ahead on the Costa Countdown to blastoff and the boys continue to fast in order to get all they can when they pull up to the dinner table on Thanksgiving day. Its a Thanksgiving week/Iron Bowl week party here on the AC Insider Podcast, Check it out!
FLW AND RAPALA FISHING LOOKING FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ANGLERS FOR NEW YOUTUBE REALITY SERIES
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 20, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that they are seeking applicants to be featured in a new, original YouTube based reality series, presented by Rapala, called Varsity Bass. Applicants should be a current high school or college fishing angler or team and are asked to submit their video through social media.
Similar to the hugely successful FLW Circuit Breaker series, each episode will document life as an angler that is just starting out in the sport of tournament bass fishing. It will allow fans to experience firsthand what life as a student angler is really like and feel both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as it happens to the young anglers competing in the YETI FLW College Fishing and Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Open circuits. A new angler or team will be featured in each episode.
“We are extremely excited to partner with FLW and showcase the talented young bass anglers that compete at the high school and college levels,” said Matt Jensen - Director of Marketing for Rapala USA. “We know that there are some unique, compelling stories that are waiting to be told and after the success of FLW’s Circuit Breaker series we are eager to see what the talented production team at FLW can come up with. Rapala is proud to be associated with such a fresh and innovative idea, which matches our strategic initiatives to support the fast pace growth of youth fishing! We expect Varsity Bass to be a huge success.”
Anglers are encouraged to submit a video – up to 10 minutes in length – that captures why they would be a great fit to be featured on Varsity Bass. Personality, creativity, uniqueness and passion for the sport are all qualities that producers of the show will be looking for on the submission videos.
To apply, visit http://bit.ly/VarsityBass. Videos should be uploaded to YouTube with the privacy set to “Unlisted.” Video links along with the application can be submitted starting Monday, Nov. 19 through the end of the year.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Dunlap Wins ABA AFT D125 on Lake Allatoona
The American Bass Angler’s D125’s newest member Johnny Dunlap of Acworth, GA takes first place at the American Fishing Tour Division 125 Georgia North Tournament held at Lake Allatoona on November 17. Running out of Galts Ferry near Acworth, GA, Johnny brought back 5-fish that locked in the scales at 8.11-lbs. anchored by a 3.08-lb. kicker. For the victory, Johnny took home a check for $620.
“I just threw a crank-bait and worms” Johnny stated in his post-tournament interview.
Second place was claimed by Mike Cronin with 5-fish and a total weight of 7.92-lbs. For his efforts, Mike took home $375 in prize money.
JohnKisella took third place with 5-fish and a total weight of 7.85-lbs. and took home $130 in prize money.
The fourth-place money winner was Nick Tunney with a five-fish limit weighing in at 7.44-lbs. Nick took home $101.
The Biggest Bass of the tournament was caught by David Huie. His spotted bass topped the scales at 3.21-lbs. earning him $125.
The next tournament in this division will take place on December 1, 2018 launching from Galts Ferry Ramp on Lake Allatoona.
For more information on this event or division please contact local director Matt West at (404)641-6345 or visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
TRUMANN HIGH SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE HAMILTON OPEN
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Nov. 19, 2018) – The Trumann High School duo of Jay Morgan and Jackson Darr, both of Trumann, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Hamilton Open by a near 5-pound margin.
According to post-tournament reports, the Wildcat duo caught their fish flipping a jig and throwing a white swimbait.
A field of 20 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commision-Hulsey Hatchery Access in Hot Springs. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top two teams on Lake Hamilton that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Trumann High School – Jay Morgan and Jackson Darr, both of Trumann, Ark., five bass, 15-8
2nd: Rogers County Bass Anglers – Dakota Page, Catoosa, Okla., and Bryce Blue, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 10-14
Rounding out the top 10 were:
3rd: Bauxite High School, Bauxite, Ark. – Brody Jacks, Tull, Ark., and Kanon Harmon, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-13
4th: Scotts Hill High School, Scotts Hill, Tenn. – Chase Milholen, Lexington, Tenn., and Jaxon Sullivan, Reagan, Tenn., five bass, 9-7
5th: Henryetta High School, Henryetta, Okla. – Connor Bullard and Quinton Story, both of Henryetta, Okla., five bass, 9-1
6th: Calvary Baptist Academy, Shreveport, La. – Jackson Gregory, Shreveport, La., and John Kyle Pearce, Frierson, La., five bass, 8-12
7th: Alpha Anglers of Atascocita – Maverick Winford and Dustin Walters, both of Humble, Texas, five bass, 7-14
8th: Jessieville High School, Jessieville, Ark. – Beau Browning and Braxton Shifflett, both of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 7-2
9th: Central Arkansas Youth Fishing Association – Andrew Bean and Anthony Bean, both of Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 6-14
10th: Fountain Lake High School, Hot Springs, Ark. – Milachi Thornton, Lonsdale, Ark., and Evan East, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 6-8
Complete results and photos of the top five finishers from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Hamilton 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.
Pietsch & Dawson with Texas A&M Win College National Championship Qualifier on Sam Rayburn with 34.13 total
Congratulations to Derek Pietsch and Trey Dawson fishing for Texas A&M Galveston! They held onto their Day 1 lead in The Bass Cat College National Championship Qualifier presented by Ross Motorsports finishing with 34.13 lbs and earning a berth to The Bassmaster College National Championship.
Evinrude Announces Program Year 2018 Dealer of the Year Award Winners
STURTEVANT, Wis., November 19, 2018 – Evinrude announced today the recipients of their Program Year 2018 Dealer of the Year awards; recognizing the Evinrude dealer network in the U.S. and Canada for excellence in sales and support. Award categories are further broken down into district, region and national recipients.
“Beyond the technological advances we’ve put into the Evinrude E-TEC G2 engines, we are equally proud of having built a strong network of dealers who offer customers the best ownership experience from sale to service,” said Tracy Crocker, president of the BRP Marine Group and senior vice president and general manager of Evinrude. “We are honored to recognize our Dealers of the Year and thank all of those who provide excellent support to our loyal customers.”
"Evinrude engines are the most technologically advanced line on the market,” said Richard Thayer, business manager, Thayer Marine. “Their quest to give anglers the most efficient, cost effective and advanced engine is clear. If something goes wrong, they are the fastest company I work with to turn negatives into positives. From the top down, Evinrude does everything they can to help us grow our business. That is why over 90% of the Rangers we sell are powered by Evinrude.”
National Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Engines)
- Martin Motor Sports – Edmonton, AB
- River Valley Power & Sport – Red Wing, MN
National Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Parts and Accessories)
- AVO Marine Sales and Service – Winnepeg, MB
- Boaters World Marine Centers – Lake Placid, FL
Regional Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Engines)
- Martin Motor Sports – Edmonton, AB
- Mike’s Marine – Carleton Place, ON
- River Valley Power & Sport – Redwing, MN
- Short’s Marine – Millsboro, DE
Regional Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Parts and Accessories)
- AVO Marine Sales and Service – Winnepeg, MB
- Boater’s World Marine Centers – Lake Placid, FL
- Jacobsen’s Marine – Edmonds, VA
- White Water Marine – Sackville, NS
District Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Engines)
- American Marine & Motorsports – Shawano, WI
- Bay Marine – Trenton, ON
- C&P Marine – Bronston, KY
- Century Marine – Century, FL
- Cowtown USA – Cuba, MO
- Crowley Marine – Denver, CO
- Gulf Coast Marine Center – Port Charlotte, FL
- Lakeside Motor Sports – Mecosta, MI
- Long Island Marina – Catawba, NC
- Martin Motor Sports – Edmonton, AB
- Mike’s Marine – Carleton Place, ON
- Real Deal Marine – Pineville, LA
- River Valley Power & Sport – Redwing, MN
- Short’s Marine – Millsboro, DE
- Thayer’s Marine – Norwich, CT
- Waypoint Marine – Corpus Christi, TX
District Evinrude Dealers of the Year (Parts and Accessories)
- AVO Marine Sales and Service – Winnepeg, MB
- American Marine & Motorsports – Shawano, WI
- Atlantic Outboard – Westbrook, CT
- Beck’s Outboard – Jacksonville, FL
- Boaters World Marine Centers – Lake Placid, FL
- Clark’s Jet-A-Marina – Calvert City, KY
- Cope Marine – O’Fallon, IL
- Hannay’s Marine – St. Anthony, MN
- Jacobsen’s Marine – Edmonds, VA
- Leaders Marine – Kalamazoo, MI
- Magnum Outboard Company – Harvey, LA
- Martin Motor Sports – Edmonton, AB
- Ron’s Marine & Equipment – Portsmouth, VA
- Short’s Marine – Millsboro, DE
- Waypoint Marine – Corpus Christi, TX
- White Water Marine – Sackville, NS
Evinrude’s engine line up, from 3.5 to 300 HP, offers customers superior value across a full range of applications, and are available at authorized Evinrude dealerships worldwide. Follow Evinrude on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brpevinrude.
For a complete list of new and existing Evinrude dealers, visit
www.evinrude.com.
Swider & White drop over 30 pounds on scales for Pickwick Winter Bass Series Win!
Courtesy of Midway Marine:
Midway Marine PWBT started off right with 120k in current and great temps!! 8 teams over 20 pounds and multiple 7-8.5 pounders!!! Congrats to Michael Swider and Tommy White for the win with a whopping 30.98 pounds with $1000 1st and $380 1BB of 8.34!!! Mike Roach and Tom Cook took second with 25.83. Mark Davis has 2nd BB with 8.31. Carroll Hoselton and Kevin King got 3rd with 22.88. 4th was Newman and Nichols with 22.01. We had 36 boats and paid 9 places. Next tournament is on December 1st!!!
Costa Sunglasses® Wins Inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award
Daytona Beach, Fla. – November 15, 2018 – Costa Sunglasses® earned top honors for innovation at last week’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show in Denver. The new Baffin sunglass frame from The Untangled Collection, released in 2018, was awarded with the show’s inaugural Innovation Award presented by Capitol One Spark Business and A+E Networks® as the show kicked-off on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
The awards recognized new products in the areas of design, innovation and achievement in the outdoor industry, and will become a fixture at Outdoor Retailer’s Winter Market show each year. Thirty-two products and services were selected as finalists by judges from the outdoor industry, and a panel of 20 determined the inaugural winners. Judges evaluated entries based on a variety of factors, including concept, design, functionality, originality, sustainability and impact. Costa’s Baffin sunglass frame from its Untangled Collection, made from recycled fishing nets, was one of 12 winners with other products including sustainable materials, footwear, apparel and outdoor equipment for all seasons.
“Innovation has always been at the core of our industry and is driven by the desire to make the outdoor experience more joyful and to encourage others to participate,” said Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer vice president and show director. “The 12 winners took that inspiration and created something that can transform an outdoor experience and improve our relationship with the natural environment. We were so thrilled to be able to celebrate the finalists, winners and all of the visionaries shaping our industry.”
The Untangled Collection includes four new frame styles made from 100 percent recycled fishing nets, each featuring mineral glass polarized lenses, recycled aluminum Costa logos, PLUSfoam recyclable temple and nose pads, and a unique tumbled finish. The Untangled Collection includes two male/unisex styles, Pescador and Baffin; and two female styles, Victoria and Caldera. All styles feature Costa’s patented 580 Lightwave® Glass lenses, providing 100 percent UV protection and polarization to offer the clearest lenses on the planet. The Costa 580® color-enhancing lens technology reduces glare and eye fatigue while selectively filtering out harsh yellow light for superior contrast and definition and absorbing high-energy blue light to cut haze and enhance sharpness.
The collection was created in partnership with Bureo, pioneers in recycled fishnet products. Identified as the most harmful form of ocean plastic, discarded fishing nets and gear account for ten percent of ocean plastic pollution, which grows by an estimated 640,000 tons every year. Bureo’s Net+Plus recycling program is working to prevent fishing net pollution by partnering directly with fishermen to collect back discarded nets at their end of life and providing funds to local communities for every pound of fishing net collected. Costa’s Untangled Collection supports Bureo’s ongoing efforts to generate a net positive impact for this once harmful material. To date, the Bureo team has collected more than 220,000 pounds of discarded fishing nets.
“We are truly honored to receive this year’s Innovation Award at the OR Winter Market trade show— the opportunity to create a collection of products that so closely ties to our broader mission of protecting our oceans and waterways, while raising awareness for plastic pollution and giving our consumers the opportunity to be a part of the solution, has been such a rewarding experience for the Costa team,” said Holly Rush, CEO of Costa Sunglasses. “Topping it off by being recognized by the industry that sets the standard in sustainable products and environmental impact has been complete validation of our efforts. We simply could not have brought this collection to life without the full partnership of the Bureo team, and we are so grateful to them for believing in our brand and this project so passionately from the beginning.”
The Untangled Collection is available at retailers now. For more information visit
http://www.CostaSunglasses.com/UntangleOurOceans.
FLW ANNOUNCES EXPANDED FLW LIVE COVERAGE ACROSS MULTIPLE CIRCUITS FOR 2019
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 15, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization announced today a greatly expanded FLW Live schedule for the 2019 season as part of its commitment to growing the sport of tournament bass fishing and bringing more publicity to the anglers who fish its circuits. Fans will now be able to watch more than 700 hours of live coverage in 2019, including 286 weigh-in broadcasts from every FLW tournament and 23 days of on-the-water live streaming.
Originally airing from 8 a.m. to Noon during events, the FLW Live on-the-water program has been extended two hours and will now broadcast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The FLW Live schedule will extend from January through November, providing nearly year-round viewing opportunities for fans, and more chances than ever for FLW anglers and their sponsors to receive exposure on the internet and to FLW’s social media audience of more than a million followers.
Here’s a rundown by circuit of what’s in store in 2019:
Forrest Wood Cup
On-the-water stream: The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air all three days of the FLW Cup and will be broadcast from the floor of the FLW Expo in the Hot Springs Convention Center. Fans can stop in and watch the show hosts and FLW pros break down the action at bass fishing’s main event.
Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.
FLW Tour
On-the-water stream: The live on-the-water broadcast will air on days three and four of all FLW Tour regular-season events from the boats of the tournaments’ top pros.
Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.
Costa FLW Series
On-the-water stream: For the first time ever, FLW will stream a live on-the-water broadcast, complete with expert hosts and commentary, from the Costa FLW Series Championship, which will be held at Lake Cumberland. Coverage will air Nov. 1—2 on days two and three of competition.
Daily weigh-ins: Every weigh-in at the championship as well as all 15 regular-season events will be broadcast on FLWFishing.com.
T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League
On-the-water stream: Grassroots bass fishing will experience its first-ever live on-the-water tournament broadcast at the 2019 BFL All-American on the Potomac River. The broadcast will air May 31-June 1 for days two and three of competition, in the same hosted format as FLW Tour and Costa FLW Series events.
Daily weigh-ins: New this year, all 120 regular-season BFL events, six BFL Regional Championships, the BFL Wild Card and the All-American will feature FLW Live weigh-in broadcasts, allowing friends, fans and family to follow their favorite BFL anglers in action from anywhere in the world. That’s 168 total weigh-ins being broadcast live in 2019.
YETI FLW College Fishing
On-the-water stream: FLW Live from on the water will debut at the collegiate level at the National Championship on the Potomac River June 5-6 for days two and three of competition. FLW’s hosts and experts will break down the fishing action as it happens.
Daily weigh-ins: The FLW Live weigh-in broadcast schedule now includes all 15 regular-season FLW College Fishing events, the FLW College Fishing Open and the National Championship.
Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Opens
Daily weigh-ins: The fastest-growing segment of tournament bass fishing will get an additional boost in 2019 thanks to FLW Live weigh-in broadcasts from all High School Fishing Opens. National Championship weigh-ins will also be broadcast live.
You can watch any FLW Live broadcast – either from on the water or weigh-in – by logging on to FLWFishing.com and clicking on the FLW Live page link. On-the-water broadcasts will be simulcast on FLWFishing.com, YouTube.com/FLWFishing and Facebook.com/FLWFishing. All FLW Live broadcasts are free to watch.
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.
Bass Fishing Pro Brent Chapman Joins KastKing
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(For Immediate Release - Thursday, November 15, 2018 - Garden City, Long Island NY) KastKing, (www.kastking.com) a brand of Eposeidon, Inc. in Garden City, New York, has added renowned veteran professional angler Brent Chapman to their team. Chapman will exclusively use KastKing fishing rods, fishing reels, KastKing braid fishing line, and other products while competing on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2019.
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"KastKing Speed Demon Pro fishing tackle gives me an advantage and are top quality. No doubt... KastKing will give me a competitive edge and help me put more fish in the boat. It feels good to work with a brand that can deliver on their slogans; KastKing Keeps Fishing Fun and Affordable Innovation by making great fishing tackle affordable and easily available to anglers everywhere at almost any fishing budget level. I look forward to working with KastKing to develop additional pro-level fishing gear and more products that recreational anglers and tournament anglers can enjoy and benefit from."
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In 2019 Chapman will compete in the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour with 80 other top-ranked professional anglers that brings a strong schedule of television programming across six networks. According to Major League Fishing, "...While MLF will continue its popular Cup events and World Championship, airing on Outdoor Channel, CBS Network and CBS Sports cable, it will now also have the Bass Pro Tour competitions and championship airing as originals on Discovery Channel with re-airs on Sportsman Channel in 2020. Altogether, Major League Fishing will air more than 850 hours of television programming in addition to the more than 350 hours of live coverage that will be streamed on majorleaguefishing.com..."
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Brent Chapman and Family
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Brent Chapman is married with two children. His wife Bobbi and their children accompany him around the country on bass fishing tournament trails. Chapman is an outdoor enthusiast both as a profession and as a hobby. He is an accomplished hunter with both a bow and firearms. Brent enjoys spending his off season stalking big game and working with the hunting community on game and land management. Brent has enjoyed hunting in many states and has been featured on the Outdoor Channel for live hunts, and providing hunting tips to hunters around the globe.
MLF, BASS or FLW - Who's Going Where in 2019? UPDATED 10.25
Here is a running list of Anglers who have made a public statement with their decisions in regards to where they will fish in 2019.
11.15.18 Update -With both the MLF & BASS fields set, FLW's deadline is today and several new additions to the FLW Tour are making their decisions known.
FLW
1. Bryan Thrift - Declined Elite & MLF Invitation
2. Hunter Freeman 2019 Rookie Class
3. Joel Willert - 2019 Rookie Class
4. Nick LeBrun - All American Winner - 2019 Rookie Class
5. David Dudley - Declined Elite Invitation
6. Larry Nixon
7. Cody Kelley
8. Scott Martin
9. Chad Grigsby
10. James Niggemeyer - Declined Elite Invitation
11. David Williams - Declined Elite Invitation
12. Andrew Upshaw
13. Sam George - 2019 Rookie Class
14. Jordan Osbourne
BASS
1. Chris Zaldain (Invitee - Declined)
2. Keith Combs
3. Matt Herren
4. Kelley Jaye
5. Bill Lowen (Invitee - Declined)
6. Seth Feider (Invitee - Declined)
7. Brandon Card
8. John Crews
9. Steve Kennedy (Invitee - Declined)
10. Drew Benton - (Invitee - Declined)
11. Mark Menendez
12. Micah Frazier
13. Cliff Pirch
14. Brandon Lester
15. Chad Pipkens
16. Cliff Prince
17. Hank Cherry
18. Stetson Blaylock (Invitee - Declined)
19. Jason Williamson
20. Patrick Walters - BASS Open Invite
21. Yusuke Miyazaki - FLW - Former Elite Pro - Returing to BASS
22. Tyler Rivet - BASS Open Invite
23. Gary Clouse - BASS Open Invite
24. Jeff Gustafson - Former FLW Pro
25. Clark Wendlandt - Former FLW Pro
26. Matt Arey - Former FLW Pro
27. Jake Whitaker - 2018 BASS ROY
28. Brandon Cobb - Former FLW Pro
29. Chris Johnston - Former FLW Pro
30. Cory Johnston - Former FLW Pro
31 - Scott Canterbury - Former FLW Pro
32. Chad Morganthaler - FLW - Former Elite Pro - Returing to BASS
33. Drew Cook - BASS Open Invite
34. Brad Whatley - BASS Open Invite
35. Clent Davis - FLW - Former Elite Pro - Returing to BASS
37. Derek Hudnall - BASS Open Invite
38. Harvey Horne - BASS Open Invite
39. Quentin Cappo - BASS Open Invite
40. Lee Livesay - BASS Open Invite
41. Shane Lehew - Former FLW Pro
42. Carl Jocumsen - FLW - Former Elite Pro - Returning to BASS
43. Skylar Hamilton
44. Brian Snowden
Full List:
| Bernie Schultz |
| Bill Lowen |
| Bill Weidler |
| Brad Whatley |
| Brandon Card |
| Brandon Cobb |
| Brandon Lester |
| Brett Pruett |
| Brian Snowden |
| Brock Mosley |
| Caleb Sumrall |
| Carl Jocumsen |
| Chad Morganthaler |
| Chad Pipkens |
| Chris Groh |
| Chris Johnston |
| Chris Zaldain |
| Clark Wendlandt |
| Clent Davis |
| Cliff Prince |
| Clifford Pirch |
| Cory Johnston |
| Dale Hightower |
| Darrell Ocamica |
| David Fritts |
| David Mullins |
| Derek Hudnall |
| Drew Benton |
| Drew Cook |
| Ed Loughran III |
| Frank Talley |
| Garrett Paquette |
| Gary Clouse |
| Greg DiPalma |
| Hank Cherry |
| Harvey Horne |
| Hunter Schryock |
| Jake Whittaker |
| Jamie Hartman |
| Jason Williamson |
| Jay Yelas |
| Jeff Gustafson |
| Jesse Tacoronte |
| John Crews |
| Keith Combs |
| Kelley Jaye |
| Koby Kreiger |
| Kyle Monti |
| Lee Livesay |
| Luke Palmer |
| Mark Menendez |
| Matt Arey |
| Matt Herren |
| Micah Frazier |
| Mike Huff |
| Patrick Walters |
| Paul Mueller |
| Quentin Cappo |
| Randy Sullivan |
| Ray Hanselman Jr. |
| Rick Clunn |
| Rick Morris |
| Rob Digh |
| Robbie Latuso |
| Scott Canterbury |
| Seth Fieder |
| Shane Lehew |
| Shane Lineberger |
| Skylar Hamilton |
| Stetson Blaylock |
| Steve Kennedy |
| Todd Auten |
| Tyler Carriere |
| Tyler Rivet |
| Yusuke Miyazaki |
10.24.18 MLF BPT Updates:
*Gary Clouse removes name from MLF BPT and accepts invite to fish BASS Elites
*Anthony Gagliardi accepts invitation to join MLF BPT in spot vacated by Clouse.
*JT Kinney removes name from MLF BPT to become Live Color Analyst with MLF
*Jeff Sprague accepts invitation to join MLF BPT in spot vacated by JT Kinney
MLF/Bass Pro Tour Commitments & Tour they fished in 2018
| 1 | Aaron Martens | BASS |
| 2 | Adrian Avena | BASS |
| 3 | Alton Jones | BASS |
| 4 | Alton Jones Jr | BASS |
| 5 | Andy Montgomery | BASS |
| 6 | Bobby Lane | BASS |
| 7 | Boyd Duckett | BASS |
| 8 | Bradley Roy | BASS |
| 9 | Brandon Coulter | BASS |
| 10 | Brandon Paulaniuk | BASS |
| 11 | Brent Chapman | BASS |
| 12 | Brent Ehrler | BASS |
| 13 | Brett Hite | BASS |
| 14 | Casey Ashley | BASS |
| 15 | Chris Lane | BASS |
| 16 | Cliff Crochet | BASS |
| 17 | Cliff Pace | BASS |
| 18 | Dave Lefebre | BASS |
| 19 | David Walker | BASS |
| 20 | Dean Rojas | BASS |
| 21 | Dustin Connell | BASS |
| 22 | Edwin Evers | BASS |
| 23 | Fletcher Shryock | BASS |
| 24 | Fred Roumbanis | BASS |
| 25 | Gary Klein | BASS |
| 26 | Gerald Sphorer | BASS |
| 27 | Gerald Swindle | BASS |
| 28 | Greg Hackney | BASS |
| 29 | Greg Vinson | BASS |
| 30 | Ish Monroe | BASS |
| 31 | Jacob Powroznik | BASS |
| 32 | Jacob Wheeler | BASS |
| 33 | James Elam | BASS |
| 34 | Jared Lintner | BASS |
| 35 | Jason Christie | BASS |
| 36 | Jeff Kriet | BASS |
| 37 | Jesse Wiggins | BASS |
| 38 | John Murray | BASS |
| 39 | Johnathon Van Dam | BASS |
| 40 | Jordan Lee | BASS |
| 41 | Josh Bertrand | BASS |
| 42 | Justin Lucas | BASS |
| 43 | Keith Poche | BASS |
| 44 | Kelly Jordon | BASS |
| 45 | Kevin Van Dam | BASS |
| 46 | Luke Clausen | BASS |
| 47 | Mark Daniels | BASS |
| 48 | Mark Davis | BASS |
| 49 | Marty Robinson | BASS |
| 50 | Matt Lee | BASS |
| 51 | Mike Iaconelli | BASS |
| 52 | Mike McClelland | BASS |
| 53 | Ott DeFoe | BASS |
| 54 | Paul Elias | BASS |
| 55 | Randall Tharp | BASS |
| 56 | Randy Howell | BASS |
| 57 | Roy Hawk | BASS |
| 58 | Russ Lane | BASS |
| 59 | Shaw Grigsby | BASS |
| 60 | Shin Fukae | BASS |
| 61 | Skeet Reese | BASS |
| 62 | Stephen Browning | BASS |
| 63 | Takahiro Omori | BASS |
| 64 | Terry Scroggins | BASS |
| 65 | Tim Horton | BASS |
| 66 | Todd Faircloth | BASS |
| 67 | Tommy Biffle | BASS |
| 68 | Wesley Strader | BASS |
| 69 | Andy Morgan | FLW |
| 70 | Anthony Gagliardi | FLW |
| 71 | Britt Meyers | FLW |
| 72 | Cody Meyer | FLW |
| 73 | James Watson | FLW |
| 74 | Jason Lambert | FLW |
| 75 | Jeff Sprague | FLW |
| 76 | Justin Atkins | FLW |
| 77 | Mark Rose | FLW |
| 78 | Michael Neal | FLW |
| 79 | Scott Suggs | FLW |
| 80 | Zack Birge | FLW |
AC Insider Featuring BASS Nation Champ Randy Pierson & More MLF, BASS & FLW News!
This week the boys are back and welcome in newly crowned BASS Nation Champ Randy Pierson from Oakdale, California. Randy has now qualified for 2019 Classic and as you'll hear, Randy has an exciting announcement regarding his 2019 invitation into the Bassmaster Elite Series. The boys also look back and talk about the latest Major League Fishing, BASS & FLW Tour news along with high flying dunks, the Price is Right and more! So ya'll "Come on Down" and enjoy!
Humminbird® HELIX® Adds MEGA Imaging+™ and Dual Spectrum CHIRP to Product Features
RACINE, Wis., Nov. 14, 2018 – For years, anglers have relied on the Humminbird® HELIX® Series of fish finders to help them find fish. Now, Humminbird is debuting the third generation (G3) HELIX models featuring MEGA Imaging+™, Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar and networking (G3N), at a range of prices and screen sizes.
“Our team has dedicated itself to continually innovating and providing anglers with access to the best technology to help them find and locate fish and fish-holding structure,” said Mark Gibson, Humminbird director of research and development.
The new HELIX G3/G3N units feature MEGA Imaging+, sonar frequency three-times greater than traditional 455 kHz frequencies, resulting in the clearest, sharpest underwater views. In addition to the detailed imaging returns, MEGA Imaging+ now gives anglers the ability to see out 200 feet to each side, and 200 feet below the boat and unlock more fish and structure with 20 percent more detail than MEGA Imaging®.
These new fish finders also come equipped with Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar. This new sonar technology is designed to help you see individual fish, clearly identify bait and structure, and reach greater depths and range. Dual Spectrum CHIRP allows anglers to choose between Wide Mode, showing bigger and better fish arches, and Narrow Mode, maximizing detail and target separation.
Humminbird Basemap comes standard on all new HELIX G3/G3N units. Basemap provides depth and points-of-interest to the entire U.S. coast and more than 10,000 lakes, letting anglers confidently fish right out of the box. The units are also equipped with AutoChart® Live, allowing anglers to easily create fishing maps in real time with more detail, including depth contour, vegetation and bottom hardness. Humminbird’s new AutoChart LiveShare also lets anglers share and view AutoChart Live data from anglers around the world.
Anglers can also employ the One-Boat Network™ when they have a Minn Kota® trolling motor equipped with i-Pilot® Link™ or a Minn Kota Talon™. With Humminbird and Minn Kota technologies working together, an angler can tell the Minn Kota trolling motor to “follow” a specific contour at a set speed, and with the press of a button the boat will precisely follow the exact path. Now, anglers no longer need to guess where fish-holding structure is located – when One-Boat Network products talk to each other, they can navigate the boat automatically and reposition or anchor effortlessly.
Select HELIX G3/G3N units feature built-in Bluetooth®, which allows users to sync their smartphones and other devices, delivering text messages, missed calls, signal strength and battery life on the Humminbird display. It creates a flawless on-board network of electronics and connectivity.
The HELIX G3/G3N family consists of five screen sizes (7-inch, new 8-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch), with each size offering three CHIRPing sonar model options – GPS 2D sonar, MEGA Down Imaging+™, and MEGA Side Imaging+™. All models allow users to download software updates via Bluetooth when available and come with a manufacturer’s warranty (one year for HELIX 7 units and two years for HELIX 8, 9, 10 and 12 units). The new units are also compatible with Humminbird LakeMaster® charts, SmartStrike™ and Navionics® + and HotMaps TM Platinum+.
For more information call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit http://www.humminbird.com.
WIN Randy Howell's 2018 Tournament Rig!!!
Humminbird® Introduces Second Generation SOLIX®Series with Advanced Sonar and Imaging Capabilities
RACINE, Wis., Nov. 13, 2018 – With the inclusion of brand new technologies like MEGA Imaging+™ and Dual Spectrum CHIRP, the new SOLIX® Series second generation (G2) units continue to build on Humminbird’s commitment to giving anglers a more complete picture of the water beneath them to help them find and catch more fish.
When Humminbird® introduced award winning SOLIX, it was recognized as the most advanced fish finder of its time. Now, with new technologies and unmatched integration capabilities with Minn Kota® trolling motors, the SOLIX is once again redefining excellence in the category. MEGA Imaging+, featured in the new SOLIX G2 units, extends Humminbird’s exclusive and best-in-class imaging capabilities down 200 feet for MEGA Down Imaging+ TM and 200 feet to each side with MEGA Side Imaging+ TM. Humminbird’s MEGA Imaging+ technology is in the megahertz range with performance that’s three times greater than traditional 455 kHz frequencies. It provides the clearest, sharpest imaging returns ever, unlocking more fish and structure with 20 percent more detail than MEGA Imaging®.
SOLIX G2 units also come equipped with Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar – engineered to help anglers see individual fish, clearly identify bait and structure, and reach greater depths. Anglers can easily see fish, lure and activity along the bottom in more detail with fewer setting adjustments. Dual Spectrum CHIRP allows anglers to choose between Wide Mode, showing bigger and better fish arches, and Narrow Mode, maximizing detail and target separation.
In true Humminbird fashion, these technologies are packaged in an easy-to-use interface and system that can make any angler better. The SOLIX G2 comes standard with Humminbird’s Cross Touch® Interface, letting anglers operate the unit via touchscreen or keypad, all while customizing the screen with up to four independent viewing panes.
In addition to providing the clearest, sharpest imaging returns, the SOLIX G2 units offer advanced mapping capabilities to identify fish-holding areas and eliminate non-productive water. The SOLIX G2 units come equipped with AutoChart® Live technology that creates and saves structure maps on any body of water. AutoChart Live identifies and maps depth, bottom hardness and vegetation. Anglers know that fish relate to depth, weed lines and transition points in bottom type – for example where a soft, muddy bottom transitions to firm sand or rock. By collecting all that data on an AutoChart Live map, Humminbird helps anglers keep their boat in the strike zone on productive structures. The units also come pre-loaded with Humminbird Basemap, a mapping system that includes contour maps for more than 10,000 U.S. lakes.
Fishing takes another huge step forward when the One-Boat Network™ is employed and AutoChart Live is used in conjunction with i-Pilot® Link™ from Minn Kota. Through the One-Boat Network, both technologies cooperate, allowing anglers to tell the Minn Kota trolling motor to “follow” a specific AutoChart Live contour at a set speed, and with the press of a button the boat will precisely follow the exact path. Now, anglers no longer need to guess where a fish-holding structure is located. They can precisely follow the weed line, bottom hardness or depth contour, and stay within easy casting distance of their target. The One-Boat Network allows anglers to navigate their boat automatically and reposition or anchor effortlessly.
“The new SOLIX G2 fish finders, joined with the power of Minn Kota Built-In MEGA Down ImagingTM trolling motors combine the full capabilities of Humminbird and Minn Kota product through the One-Boat Network,” said Joe Brown, senior director brand management, Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics. “New technologies like MEGA Imaging+ and Dual Spectrum CHIRP only add to that system as we make time on the water more efficient and more productive for anglers everywhere.”
In addition, Bluetooth® is built into every unit, allowing anglers to sync smartphones to the units. Text messages, missed calls, signal strength and other notifications appear right on the Humminbird display, so phones can stay safely in pockets where they belong for hands-free fishing. It creates a flawless on-board network of electronics and connectivity. Wi-Fi is also included.
For plug-and-fish networking, high-speed ethernet provides easy connectivity to Humminbird 360 Imaging, Minn Kota i-Pilot Link, Humminbird CHIRP Radar, and additional SOLIX or select HELIX® units. The new units are fully compatible with Humminbird LakeMaster® charts, SmartStrike™ and Navionics® + and HotMaps™ Platinum+. Users are also able to sync each unit with their phone using the Humminbird FishSmart® app, to search for available software updates, and send the files wirelessly to the fish finder. All SOLIX units come with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
For more information call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit http://www.humminbird.com.
Humminbird® Announces New Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar
RACINE, Wis., Nov. 12, 2018 – Humminbird® is giving anglers another advantage in finding and catching more fish with the announcement of its new Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar, designed to deliver the best 2D sonar returns ever with minimal setting adjustments.
Through its new Low Q transducer, Humminbird allows the user to choose from multiple settings to maximize their 2D sonar based on application and goals. It is included with select new HELIX third generation (G3/G3N) and SOLIX second generation (G2) units and the new Minn Kota® Built-In MEGA Down Imaging™ trolling motors. The transducer will also be available as an aftermarket product compatible with second and third generation HELIX models and all SOLIX models.
“The easiest way to explain Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar is that we are providing flexibility within 2D sonar based on different frequencies and cone angles,” said Justin Freeman, Humminbird product manager. “Anglers can choose Wide Mode, which delivers a wider cone angle and big, clearly defined fish arches to ensure that what you’re seeing is actually a fish. Narrow Mode gives you a tighter cone angle which allows you to clearly distinguish fish, bait and structural details and provide the ultimate in target separation even when fish are tight to bottom.”
Wide Mode chirps between 140 and 200 kHz and Narrow Mode chirps between 180 and 240 kHz. When combined, they work together to create the most complete 2D picture. Anglers can choose the correct mode for their style of fishing, ultimately leading to the strongest sonar returns ever in a Humminbird unit and a clear screen with minimal adjustments to sensitivity.
For more information, call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit http://www.humminbird.com/.
Ranger Boats Expands Deep V Aluminum Line with All-New VX1888, VX1788 and VS1660
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Existing model lineup also receives new design and styling
FLIPPIN, Ark. (November 12, 2018) - Ranger's popular Deep V Aluminum line of boats is expanding with the introduction of the all-new VX1888, VX1788 and VS1660 models. Ranger Boats' aluminum line has seen explosive growth due to an unrelenting commitment to delivering innovative designs, feature-packed interiors and unrivaled styling.
 "We have long received positive feedback from customers and dealers on the versatility of our popular 1850MS Reata and 1880MS Angler. We wanted to extend those features and benefits to our aluminum line in the VX1888 and VX1788 and are excited to bring them to market," said Ranger Sales Manager Mark Zwicker. "The new VS1660, not to be outdone, was designed for the value-minded angler who needs a smaller boat that doesn't compromise on features and performance."
The VX Series sports a refined look with custom fitted, color-matched marine upholstery, high gloss paint, rich chrome Ranger graphics and custom-built Ranger Trail trailer for a sharp fit and finish. The boats borrow their fiberglass console design from the 1850MS Reata with flush-mounted electronics and a host of easy-to-read gauges.
Versatility is paramount in the VX Series. The front bow serves double duty as a casting deck or, with the addition of included padding and permanent side bolsters, a lounging area for family members. The center storage holds either fishing rods up to 7 feet, 6 inches, or a collection of water skis. The trolling motor foot pedal conveniently stores in a custom compartment under the deck when not in use.
The influence from the 1850MS Reata and the 1880MS Angler continues with the inclusion of fiberglass into the bow panel that accepts electronics up to 12 inches along with a forward fiberglass baitwell. The spacious rear casting deck houses two fold-down jump seats flanked by an innovative fiberglass fish station complete with an oversized, aerated livewell.
For families, the VX Series comfortably sits up to six people and offers family-friendly features such as integrated drink holders, on-board USB charging at both consoles, chrome reboarding ladder, available ski tow, in-floor cooler, ample gunnel storage, stereo and concealed bimini storage.
The VX1888 measures 18 feet, 11 inches, with a 102-inch beam that will accept a variety of factory-installed outboards up to 225 horsepower. The VX1788 comes in at 18 feet, 2 inches, and accepts outboards up to 175 horsepower. The VX1888 and VX1788 are both available in either walk-through windshield or dual console configurations.
Switching gears, the all-new VS1660 is designed to be easy on the wallet and also a serious fishing machine that fits into just about any garage. The 16-foot boat has a 75-inch transom and will accept outboards up to 50 horsepower. Despite its small footprint, storage does not suffer with the VS1660. Lockable storage compartments along the gunnels provide ample room to keep items dry and out of the way.
A wide-open cockpit space with multiple configurations for seating allow for the optimal set up for any given day. The fiberglass console features a binnacle-mounted throttle and accepts electronics up to 7 inches with the bow handling 9-inch electronics.
 Features of the VS1660 that are not usually associated with economically priced boats includes 8-foot rod storage, premium seating, livewell/baitwell and concealed battery and fuel storage. A portable 6-gallon fuel tank also comes standard, with room for a second. This small boat packs lots of features and looks as good as it performs.
The original aluminum lineup - VS1882, VS1782, VS1682, VS1670- have adopted the new design and styling of the VX Series for 2019 models. These proven and popular boat models are also available in three new color packages - Carbon Metallic, Midnight Blue Metallic and Fusion, which features lime green accents. The new look is complemented with a custom-built Ranger Trail® trailer that perfectly matches each boat for smooth, easy towing and maneuvering.
Ranger's new Deep V aluminum offerings are built in Flippin, Arkansas, and benefit from more than 50 years of experience making the best boats in the market. With the continued growth of the aluminum line, Ranger has been able to expand its capabilities in the Flippin plant to accommodate the increased demand for durable and quality aluminum products Ranger owners have come to expect.
2019 RANGER VX1888 WT/DC
Overall Hull Length: 18 feet, 11 inches
Beam: 102 inches
Maximum HP: 225
Inside Depth: 27 inches
Fuel Capacity: 47 gallons
Approx. Boat Weight: 2,100 lbs.
Trailer GVWR: SM4700
2019 RANGER VX1788 WT/DC
Overall Hull Length: 18 feet, 2 inches
Beam: 102 inches
Maximum HP: 175
Inside Depth: 27 inches
Fuel Capacity: 40 gallons
Approx. Boat Weight: 1,950 lbs.
Trailer GVWR: SM4200
2019 RANGER VS1660SC
Overall Hull Length: 16 feet
Beam: 75 inches
Maximum HP: 50
Inside Depth: 20 inches
Fuel Capacity: 6 gallons (12 gal. with optional second tank)
Approx. Boat Weight: 975 lbs.
Trailer GVWR: SM2995
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About Ranger Boats
Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation's premier manufacturer of legendary fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats, with acclaimed models and series in the bass, multi-species, fish 'n play, saltwater, waterfowl utility and pontoon boat segments. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com.
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KENTUCKY’S CORN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE WILD CARD TOURNAMENT ON OLD HICKORY LAKE
Gustafson Grabs Co-angler Title
GALLATIN, Tenn. (Nov. 12, 2018) – Boater Toby Corn of Calvert City, Kentucky, caught a two-day cumulative total of seven bass weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Wild Card tournament on Old Hickory Lake. For his efforts, Corn one of the final berths into the 2019 BFL All-American Championship.
The BFL Wild Card tournament is a last-chance shot at the All-American for BFL anglers that didn’t qualify for a Regional Championship.
“This was the first time I’ve been there [to the lake], so I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Corn, who earned his fourth win in BFL competition. “I got there for practice the Sunday before the tournament and didn’t do well at all – I only caught one keeper. On Monday, I caught three keepers from three different locations.”
Corn said tornadoes and storms rolled through the Nashville area overnight Monday, pushing the water level up and turning just about everything to mud.
“I fished until noon on Tuesday and pretty much realized I was wasting my time, so I went back home and worked on Wednesday,” said Corn. “I returned Thursday and saw the water was falling, but it was still fairly muddy. Long story short, I’d had one decent day of practice.”
On Friday, Corn started the tournament near takeoff and caught one keeper on a black buzzbait, the lure that would produce most of his fish that day. He then ran up the Cumberland River to the areas that would win him the event.
“I had two different no-name sloughs,” said Corn. “I went into the first one and it was very muddy. I caught three in there – two of them were small and one was about a 3-pounder. Then I went to my second little slough and I didn’t realize what I’d found until I got in there. Between me and my co-angler, we caught 10 keepers in there in about 45 minutes.”
Corn’s two sloughs were both very shallow – no more than 2 to 3 feet deep – and well up the river, approximately a 40-mile run from takeoff. He said one was quite muddy, but the more productive one was clear.
Friday was cold and cloudy, with temperatures in the 40s all day long. Saturday dawned clear and even colder – in fact, temperatures remained below freezing for much of the day. Corn returned to his second slough Saturday morning and caught a 5-pounder in the first few minutes. After that, he struck out for the next several hours. Switching sloughs, Corn added a 3-pounder and that was it.
Corn said his 5-pounder ate a Dave’s Custom Baits Black Market Balsa square-billed crankbait in “Diet Dew splatterback”, which Corn described as a faded chartreuse with a black splatter. The crankbait also accounted for a good fish on Day One. Corn also rotated in a Riot Baits Minima Jig.
“When I caught that big one in the first 10 minutes Saturday, I felt like I’d made the All-American,” says Corn. “After I caught that second fish I still felt like I needed one more fish to win.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:
1st: Toby Corn, Calvert City, Ky., seven bass, 21-2, $200
2nd: Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., seven bass, 18-14, $3,049
3rd: Stacey Edwards, Milton, Ky., 10 bass, 17-8, $1,475
4th: Jason Grape, Attalla, Ala., eight bass, 17-6, $997
5th: Keith Hays, Broken Arrow, Okla., six bass, 17-2
6th: Sean McAllister, Checotah, Okla., five bass, 16-1
Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:
7th: Mario Riojas, Blanchard, Okla., eight bass, 15-4, $897
8th: Jared Kutil, Beaufort, S.C., four bass, 14-6, $962
9th: David Wootton, Collierville, Tenn., seven bass, 14-1, $717
10th: Donnie Rubel, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 13-0, $803
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rubel caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Boater Division Friday, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces, which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $165.
Gary Gustafson of Gilbertsville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division with a two-day cumulative of three bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:
1st: Gary Gustafson, Gilbertsville, Ky., three bass, 11-12
2nd: Keenan Hess, Herrin, Ill., four bass, 10-7, $100
3rd: Zach Barnes, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 9-6
4th: Scott Bussey, Hayden, Ala., five bass, 9-6, $1,208
5th: Wayne Miller, Morgantown, Ky., five bass, 9-3, $604
6th: Dickey Reece, Lafayette, Ky., three bass, 8-7, $408
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
7th: Rick Lovall, Sikeston, Mo., three bass, 7-3, $417
8th: Derek Henderson, St. Louis, Mo., three bass, 6-3
9th: Dewayne Marshall, Folkston, Ga., three bass, 6-1, $327
10th: Vincent Jones, Robertsville, Mo., two bass, 6-0, $351
Jones caught the heaviest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces, which earned him the day’s Co-Angler Big Bass Award of $57.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Wild Card tournament on Old Hickory Lake was hosted by the Sumner County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
The 2018 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 take place May 30-June 1 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism. 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, YouTube and Snapchat.
Humminbird® Extends Range of Best-In-Class Imaging With New MEGA Imaging+™
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIb-oMYgOJs&feature=youtu.be
RACINE, Wis., Nov. 12, 2018 – Humminbird® was the first to take sonar into the Megahertz range with the launch of MEGA Imaging® in 2016. Now, Humminbird announces MEGA Imaging+™ which allows anglers to see beneath the water’s surface even further, providing the most accurate representation of structure that’s ever been seen.
MEGA Imaging+ gives anglers the ability to see out 200 feet to each side, and 200 feet below the boat crisply and clearly. The extended Side and Down Imaging® ranges provide greater accuracy in identifying fish and fish-holding structure and make scouting time shorter so anglers can spend more time fishing the most productive water. MEGA Imaging+ unlocks more fish and structure with 20 percent more detail than standard MEGA Imaging sonar.
“Our product development team’s dedication to providing anglers with the clearest, sharpest imaging returns continues to produce industry leading technology,” said Joe Brown, senior director brand management, Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics. “The evolution of our MEGA Imaging technology provides extended coverage for anglers, so they can locate more fish at greater distances from the boat.”
The new imaging technology is available on select third generation HELIX 8, 9, 10 and 12 units, and second generation SOLIX 10, 12 and 15 units.
In addition to MEGA Imaging+ for the sharpest, most detailed screen images in fishing, the units also utilize Dual Spectrum CHIRP, resulting in greater clarity, improved target separation and reduced noise for more accurate identification of fish and structure.
The combination of MEGA Imaging+ and Dual Spectrum CHIRP delivers the finest details beneath the water’s surface, and is the most accurate representation of structure that’s ever been seen.
For more information call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit http://www.humminbird.com/.
California’s Randy Pierson Wins B.A.S.S. Nation Championship At Pickwick
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California Angler Takes Over Lead In B.A.S.S. Nation Championship
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"Negative Ghostrider, The Calendar is Full!"
Jason Duran
This time of year, you are probably looking at your calendar and trying to find some time off to spend with family over the holidays.
You may be looking to try to join a Black Friday tournament or just sneak off in the woods for a little hunting.
If you are anything like me, you have other people always adding things to your calendar that you have to attend.
If you want to follow all the pro fishing that’s going to be happening next year, the team here at AnglersChannel have a few more things to add to your calendar.
We have started to put together the 2019 Pro Calendar where all the pro tournaments are listed in one place.
So now you can add this to your calendar and let everyone know you are going to be busy watching or attending events.
Click the link to view and Download next years 2019 Pro Tour Calendars
Next year MLF has planned their BPT schedule around a “Family Friendly Schedule.” This will allow for pros to be home for all family holidays.
This is huge for the anglers. They can be home to enjoy the very important family time. The pro tour is hard enough with all the travel and time away from home but it is even harder when the whole family is gathered together,
and a father can’t be home for Father’s Day. I think this is a great step forward that the BPT planners placed the importance on the anglers and their families.
Looking at the other schedules, it looks like BASS and FLW have also worked hard to stay away from major holidays. Unless you fish the Costa's or the Opens.
If you fish the Central Costa on Table Rock, you better bring home the trophy just to keep mama happy for Mother’s Day.
The Southwest Costa on Grand Lake is on Father’s Day weekend. So, if you were hoping for a big BBQ lunch you better make the drive home Saturday night. The rest of the family holidays are wide open and provide time for anglers to be with their families.
There are only 52 weeks in the year and trying to fit in all the tournament stops is tight. Gone are the days when pros can fish multiple tours.
This year there are weekends when all three pro tours have events on the same weekend. For example, in April the MLF BPT will be on their 4th Tour Stop, BASS will be at Winyah Bay and FLW will be at Cherokee. That is an action packed weekend.
Three weeks later it is the same thing just different lakes, MLF BPT Tour stop 5, BASS TX Fest at Fork, and FLW is at Lake Chickamauga. There are multiple weekends when just two of the trails conflict as well.
We will have to wait for MLF to announce their locations to be able to tell if their guys will be able to fish one of the Costa divisions, but as of right now looking at the calendar, many of those divisions already have a conflict.
So, what does all this mean?
Well for us that like to watch fishing there will be hundreds and hundreds of hours to watch fishing. Many of us will need three monitors to watch all the action.
Like the past years there will be many Fridays you will want to tell your boss that the office internet needs to be upgraded so you can keep up with all the action.
You will still get to watch all your favorite anglers fish and next year there will be a bunch of new anglers for us all to get to know.
This coming year is really going to be interesting and probably hard to catch it all. You can use the 2019 Pro Calendar to start planning now to watch live or attend the event of your choice.
We here at AnglersChannel will do our best to help you find all the action you missed. It is going to be a great ride. I cannot wait for next year to start!
Roll Tide!
Jason
Kentucky Angler Leads B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Pickwick Lake
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BRANDON MCMILLAN JOINS THE BCB FAMILY
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Field For The 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Features Familiar Faces, Rising Stars
November 7, 2018
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With another season just three months away, B.A.S.S. officials announced Wednesday that the field for the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series has been set.
The prestigious circuit, which will feature higher payouts and lower entry fees than ever before, will consist of 75 anglers (about 40 fewer than last year), including three who have won both the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods and the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.
The season-opening event is scheduled for Feb. 7-10 on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla.
“Every year when our anglers leave the takeoff site for the opening day of the first tournament, the excitement in the air is just amazing — and that will certainly be true this year,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “As in past years, we have some familiar faces who have already accomplished great things with us.
“Then, we also have some new anglers who are bound and determined to become superstars themselves.”
Missouri legend Rick Clunn, who owns four Classic trophies and the 1988 AOY award is back from last year’s Elite Series field, along with North Carolina pro David Fritts, who won the 1993 Classic and the 1994 AOY trophy. Jay Yelas, a veteran Texas pro who won the 2002 Classic title and 2003 AOY award, will also be joining the Elite Series after several years with other circuits.
Other big names returning from last year’s Elite field will be Keith Combs, a two-time B.A.S.S. winner who is right on the cusp of the $1 million mark for career earnings, 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament winner Seth Feider of Minnesota and Nevada pro Chris Zaldain, who holds two B.A.S.S. wins of his own.
Elite Series stalwarts John Crews, Mark Menendez, Bernie Schultz, Matt Herren, Clifford Pirch and Steve Kennedy are also back, along with 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Jake Whitaker. A final spot will be added based on the top finisher from the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors.
The field will have a distinct international flavor with popular Australian pro Carl Jocumsen joining the circuit, along with Canadian pros Chris Johnston, Cory Johnston and Jeff Gustafson and Japanese angler Yusuke Miyazaki.
“We’ve got a great mix of competitors in every conceivable way,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “We have anglers from all over the United States and a few from around the world. We’ve got established pros who have seen a little bit of everything and some young guys who have been waiting on the opportunity to make their dreams come true.”
After the kickoff tournament on the St. Johns River and a second event scheduled for Feb. 14-17 on Georgia’s Lake Lanier, the Elite Series schedule will pause for the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on March 15-17 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. Seven more regular-season Elites will be held between April and August, including the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on May 2-6 at Lake Fork, Texas. Then, the season will conclude with the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, which will be held at a date and site yet to be determined.
The Bassmaster Classic, Texas Fest and the Angler of the Year Championship will all feature $1 million payouts with no entry fee.
Regular-season Elite Series events will feature a full field of 75 anglers for the first two days, 20 during the semifinal round and 10 on Championship Sunday. Instead of only the top half of the field being paid — as they were in the past — all participants will leave this year’s events with a check. The winner will still earn $100,000 and the prestigious blue trophy that has become synonymous with Elite Series victory, and the angler who finishes in 75th place will earn $2,500.
The popular Bassmaster LIVE show on Bassmaster.com, which generated over 2.8 million video views and 65 million minutes of content consumed by fans in 2018, will be produced all four days of 2019 Elite Series events instead of just the final three days of an event as in the past. There will also be live-streaming cameras on all 20 boats for the semifinal round, as well as Bassmaster LIVE cameras on all 10 anglers for Championship Sunday.
“We celebrated our 50th anniversary at B.A.S.S. this year,” Akin said. “But even after a half-century of excellence, we’re not slowing down in our efforts to create the best opportunities possible for all of our anglers.
“With the field we’ve just announced and the format changes we’ve made, we have some really exciting days ahead.”
2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Field
Name Hometown/State
1. Matt Arey Shelby, N.C.
2. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, S.C.
3. Drew Benton Panama City, Fla.
4. Stetson Blaylock Benton, Ark.
5. Scott Canterbury Odenville, Ala.
6. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, La.
7. Brandon Card Knoxville, Tenn.
8. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, La.
9. Hank Cherry Lincolnton, N.C.
10. Gary Clouse Winchester, Tenn.
11. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo.
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, S.C.
13. Keith Combs Huntington, Texas
14. Drew Cook Midway, Fla.
15. John Crews Jr. Salem, Va.
16. Clent Davis Montevallo, Ala.
17. Rob Digh Denver, N.C.
18. Greg DiPalma Millville, N.J.
19. Seth Feider Bloomington, Minn.
20. Micah Frazier Newnan, Ga.
21. David Fritts Lexington, N.C.
22. Chris Groh Spring Grove, Ill.
23. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin, Canada
24. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, Tenn.
25. Ray Hanselman Del Rio, Texas
26. Jamie Hartman Newport, N.Y.
27. Matt Herren Ashville, Ala.
28. Dale Hightower Manford, Okla.
29. Harey Horne Bella Vista, Ark.
30. Derek Hudnall Newport, N.Y.
31. Mike Huff Corbin, Ky.
32. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, Ala.
33. Carl Jocumsen Frisco, Texas
34. Chris Johnston Otonabee, Ontario, Canada
35. Cory Johnston Cavan, Ontario, Canada
36. Steve Kennedy Auburn, Ala.
37. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, Fla.
38. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, La.
39. Shane Lehew Charlotte, N.C.
40. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, Tenn.
41. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, N.C.
42. Lee Livesay Longview, Texas
43. Ed Loughran III Mechanicsville, Va.
44. Bill Lowen Brookville, Ind.
45. Mark Menendez Paducah, Ky.
46. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, Texas
47. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, Fla.
48. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, Mo.
49. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, Va.
50. Brock Mosley Collinsville, Miss.
51. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, Conn.
52. David Mullins Mount Carmel, Tenn.
53. Luke Palmer Coalgate, Okla.
54. Garrett Paquette Canton, Mich.
55. Chad Pipkens Lansing, Mich.
56. Clifford Pirch Payson, Ariz.
57. Brett Preuett Monroe, La.
58. Cliff Prince Palatka, Fla.
59. Tyler Rivet Raceland, La.
60. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, Fla.
61. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, Ohio
62. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo.
63. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, Texas
64. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, La.
65. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, Fla.
66. Frank Talley Temple, Texas
67. Patrick Walters Summerville, S.C.
68. Bill Weidler Helena, Ala.
69. Clark Wendlandt Leander, Texas
70. Brad Whatley Bivins, Texas
71. Jake Whitaker Fairview, N.C.
72. Jason Williamson Wagener, S.C.
73. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, Ore.
74. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, Nev.
75. TBD - 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors
Carter could become Classic’s oldest angler in history
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
If Tulsa area native Ken Carter does well enough at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake, he’ll earn the right to compete in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic at the age of 80, making him the oldest angler ever to compete in bass fishing’s biggest event by a wide margin.
“I tell people I’m three days older than dirt,” laughed the always-joyful Carter during a hot August summer fishing trip to Lake Keystone a few minutes west of his longtime sponsor Zebco’s headquarters.
Carter’s qualification for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship sort of started 70 years ago amid a fateful walk home from school.
“I can’t prove it for sure, but I think I may be the very first pro staffer Zebco ever had,” says Carter. “I was about 10 or 11 years old, it must have been around 1947 or 1948, I was walking home from school on Peoria Avenue in North Tulsa when two guys standing outside the Zero Hour Bomb Company called me across the street and asked me to make a few test casts with a new fishing reel they were building.”
The dates of Carter’s recollection match up well, because in 1947 a West Texas watchmaker named R.D. Hull got an idea to build a new fishing reel after watching a meat counter clerk pull string from a fixed spool.
Hull took his idea to Zero Hour Bomb Company in Tulsa, where the world’s first Zebco prototype spincast reel was eventually built, and by 1949, the first new tangle free reel rolled off their production line.
A few short years later, Ken Carter’s life continued on its fateful path when his Mom may or may not have fudged his true age in order for him to join the Navy long before he was scheduled to graduate high school.
Carter served our country for a total of six years, but an accident on the very dangerous top deck of an aircraft carrier resulted in three back surgeries, two years in a California Naval hospital … and eventually, most of his life in a wheel chair.
Bitterness and self-pity would have been understandable, but in the most admirable fashion, Carter instead chose to carve out a life focused on the one thing that brought him the most joy – bass fishing.
“You see, on land, sometimes there are obstacles that put me at a disadvantage in a wheel chair, but on the water I feel like I’m equal in ability to everybody else,” reflects Carter.
Equipped with such an admirable perspective, Carter has utilized his positive convictions as the primary ingredient to a highly admirable tournament career highlighted by being a 4-time Paralyzed Veterans of America Angler of the Year, including this year, which earned him the chance to compete in the B.A.S.S Nation Championship.
Carter was married for 56 years, and took an 8 year hiatus from fishing in a true demonstration of love, compassion, and dedication to care for his wife, who battled Alzheimer’s before passing a couple of years ago.
As has always been the case, following her death, Ken moved forward from one of his life’s hardest times – largely through fishing. He’s back to competing full time in the PVA events held across America
“We fish from Florida to Illinois and a lot of places in between, but I’d have to choose the Potomac River in our nation’s capital as my favorite. With all the aquatic vegetation there, it’s a ‘bass factory’ and they love to eat a Strike King Ocho or a topwater frog,” says Carter.
While Carter is especially fond of Quantum’s super smooth Smoke S3 PT baitcasting reel, he actually casts his Ochos with spinning tackle, using a Smoke size 25 spinning reel, and purposely moving the rod tip more than most anglers do with a soft stickbait to instigate reaction strikes.
Speaking of soft plastic lures, Ken melted two plastic worms together to form a 12” worm that lead to the biggest bass of his life – a 15 pound 1 ounce beast he caught in Cuba.
“Back in those days, nobody made really big soft plastic worms like they do today, so we melted two worms together anytime we were fishing around really big bass,” grinned Carter.
“I’ve had a great life, and I’ve tried to help a lot of people in my 79 years,” says Carter. “But fishing in this B.A.S.S. Nation Championship is certainly the proudest accomplishment of my fishing career.”
An annual fixture in the Zebco-Quantum show booth at the Bassmaster Classic Consumer Expo for the past 20 years, Ken Carter is the friendly face always willing to share his 60+ years of angling wisdom as fishing fans and consumers visit the booth.
But this year, there’s a bunch of folks hoping he’ll be too busy to work the Consumer Expo at the Bassmaster Classic – cheering instead for the chance Carter might actually be a bit too occupied as the oldest angler to ever compete in the Bassmaster Classic – from a wheel chair none-the-less, with a grin wider than a 12” plastic worm, and an attitude as proud and optimistic as R.D. Hull himself when he stopped a young kid walking home from school to show off a new tangle free fishing reel he was working on.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S D.W. DANIEL HIGH SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING DALE HOLLOW LAKE OPEN IN KENTUCKY
BURKESVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2018) – The D.W. Daniel High School duo of Levi Popham and Colt Popham, both of Central, South Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Dale Hollow Lake Open.
A field of 167 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Dale Hollow State Park Marina. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top 16 teams on Dale Hollow Lake that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: D.W. Daniel High School, Central, S.C. – Levi Popham and Colt Popham, both of Central, S.C., five bass, 10-13
2nd: Russell County High School, Russell Springs, Ky. – Jesse York, Russell Springs, Ky., and Kyle Roy, Jamestown, Ky., two bass, 6-13
3rd: Cumberland County High School, Burkesville, Ky. – John Rush and Jamie Wray, both of Burkesville, Ky., three bass, 5-12
4th: LaPorte High School, LaPorte, Ind. – Jack Schable and Mason Jones, both of LaPorte, Ind., two bass, 5-5
5th: McCracken County High School, McCracken County, Ky. – Allen Everett, Kevil, Ky., and Sarah Morehead, Paducah, Ky., two bass, 4-11
6th: North Lauren High School, London, Ky. – Brayden Bridges and Noah Creech, both of East Bernstadt, Ky., two bass, 4-8
7th: Pike Central High School, Petersburg, Ind. – Jarrett Branham and Colin Leste, both of Pikeville, Ky., two bass, 4-2
8th: Pickens High School, Pickens, S.C. – Jace Ramey, Easley, S.C., and Cameron Weathers, Seneca, S.C., two bass, 4-1
9th: Station Camp High School, Gallatin, Tenn. – Alec Lancaster, Hendersonville, Tenn., Chris Payne, Gallatin, Tenn., two bass, 4-0
10th: Estill County High School, Estill County, Ky. – Chase Rawlins, Ravenna, Ky., and Micah Adams, Irvine, Ky., two bass, 3-10
11th: Casey County High School, Liberty, Ky. – Aaron Cravens, Liberty, Ky., and Mitchell Duggins, Dunnville, Ky., one bass, 3-3
12th: George Rogers Clark High School, Winchester, Ky. – Jonathan Combs and Colby Kerr, both of Winchester, Ky., one bass, 2-15
13th: David Crockett High School, Jonesborough, Tenn. – Gavin Cloutier, Elizabethton, Tenn., and Braxton Boles, Celena., Tenn., two bass, 2-14
14th: Wayne County High School, Jesup, Ga. – Matthew Jenkins and Jaden Koontz, both of Monticello, Ky., one bass, 2-12
15th: Perry County Central High School, Hazard, Ky. – Abby Ison and Jordan Feltner, Slemp, Ky., one bass, 2-9
16th: Rockcastle County High School, Mount Vernon, Ky. – Caleb Williams, Mount Vernon, Ky., and Jaden Carpenter, Crab Orchard, Ky., two bass, 2-8
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Dale Hollow Lake 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.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
HAUGHTON HIGH SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR OPEN
MANY, La. (Nov. 6, 2018) – The Haughton High School duo of Jase White of Haughton, Louisiana, and Cole Golden of Adner, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Toledo Bend Lake Open.
A field of 49 teams competed in the no-entry-fee tournament, which launched from Cypress Bend Park. In FLW/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 Toledo Bend Lake that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Haughton High School, Haughton, La. – Jase White, Haughton, La., and Cole Golden, Adner, La., five bass, 14-11
2nd: Benton High School, Benton, La. – Peyton Grantham, Benton, La., and Tanner Underwood, Bossier City, La., five bass, 12-15
3rd: Benton High School, Benton, La. – Hunter Sanford and William Tew, both of Bossier City, La., five bass, 11-7
4th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Zachary McMillan and Julianna McMillan, both of Choudrant, La., five bass, 11-1
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
5th: Many High School, Many, La. – Cooper Miller, Many, La., and Jacob Cosenza, Marthaville , La., five bass, 9-14
6th: Tioga High School, Rapides Parish, La. – Dominick Whatley, Colfax, La., and Rylon Ganey, Pineville, La., five bass, 9-2
7th: Harleton High School, Harleton, Texas – Mattheson Wright, Diana, Texas, and Jacob Holder, Marshall, Texas, four bass, 8-5
8th: Captain Shreve High School, Shreve, La. – Clayton Page, Keithville, La., and Keegan Fort, Shreveport, La., four bass, 8-2
9th: Pineville High School, Pineville, La. – Grant Cooper and Trusten Holy, both of Pineville, La., four bass, 7-14
10th: Sterlington High School, Monroe, La. – Caden Johnson and Cameron Spence, both of Monroe, La., four bass, 6-13
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Toledo Bend Reservoir 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.
2019 TH Marine Atlas Awards Information
T-H Marine Supplies Inc. is excited to announce the return of the Atlas Awards Program for the 2019 tournament fishing season! T-H Marine will award cash prizes to Atlas Awards members who are the winners or highest qualifying finisher of sanctioned events, giving everyone the opportunity to win like the top-level pros!
The Atlas Awards program is just $29.99 for a one year (Jan. 1, 2019 – Dec. 31, 2019) membership and gives anglers the chance to compete for, and win, extra money just for having T-H Marine parts on their boat. This also includes one T-H Marine hat and 2 logo decals. Some of our rules have changed, so please see below for full rules and regulations.
The payouts below will be for SANCTIONED tournaments with a 50 boat minumum. If your tournament is not listed,have your tournament director submit this form to be qualified. So Many Ways To Win! Please see official rules for more details.
Each item is valued by credits, one credit is worth $20 in cash, or $50 in store credit.
For More Information and to Sign Up!
WEATHERING THE STORM - Introducing the UA Fish Shoreman Collection. When you’re protected from the elements, you’re powerful.
Success on the water correlates directly with the time you spend on the water. Sticking it out when the weather turns foul requires only the determination to keep casting, and the gear to maintain peak performance. Whether you’re fifty miles offshore, or fifty minutes from weigh-in, you put your trust in your gear, not the local weatherman.
Introducing the new Under Armour Fish Shoreman Collection. Conquer all conditions and fish without limits in UA Stormproof, UA Storm and GORE-TEX technologies. Rebuilt for every angler in any season, the Shoreman jacket and pant utilizes a lightweight GORE-TEX Paclite® Ripstop fabric that boasts waterproofing and extreme durability, and is ideal for packing into bags or storage compartments.
As drags sing, rods bend, and you lean into the fight, body-mapped ripstop construction provides extra durability where you need it.
The Shoreman Collection includes jackets, hoodies, pants and shorts in several colorways. Bibs will be added to the collection in January of 2019.
Be ready to weather the storm.
PEAK ROCK CAPITAL PORTFOLIO COMPANY, LEW’S, ACQUIRES SOUTHERN PLASTICS
Austin, Texas, November 6, 2018 – Lew’s Holdings Corporation (“Lew’s”), a rapidly growing supplier of fishing and hunting products with industry leading brands, including Lew’s, Strike King, and Hunters Specialties, announced today that it has acquired Southern Plastics Company, Inc. (“Southern Plastics”), a leading manufacturer of soft plastic fishing lures.
Southern Plastics is a leading manufacturer of soft plastic lures utilizing a unique variety of scents, additives, and colors supported by industry leading operational capabilities. Southern Plastics has manufactured soft plastics for Strike King for over twenty years. Based in Eufaula, Alabama, Southern Plastics benefits from an exceptional team of managers and employees.
Peter Leibman, Managing Director of Peak Rock Capital, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with one of the industry’s best-known manufacturers as Lew’s continues to grow organically and through strategic acquisitions. The addition of Southern Plastics enhances our presence in the fast-growing soft plastic lures category. Strike King and Southern Plastics are highly complementary, and we’re excited to utilize the capabilities of Southern Plastics to support the continued strong growth of Strike King.”
Ken Eubanks, CEO of Lew’s commented, “Southern Plastics shares with Lew’s a dedication to providing industry leading products and service levels to our business partners. I am excited to support Southern Plastics in continuing the tradition of exceptional service to our business partners and consumers. Terry Spence and Lisa Hagler, along with their dedicated employees, have done a tremendous job driving growth at Southern Plastics, and we are excited that they will remain involved with the company going forward.”
ABOUT SOUTHERN PLASTICS
Based in Eufaula, Alabama, Southern Plastics is a leading manufacturer of soft plastic fishing lures. The company supplies soft baits utilizing a variety of scents, additives, and color schemes resulting in industry leading quality products.
ABOUT LEW’S HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Lew’s Holdings Corporation is a Springfield, Missouri based outdoor consumer products company with a portfolio of brands, including Lew’s, Strike King, Hunters Specialties, and Buck Bomb. The company supplies branded fishing and hunting gear and accessories through the mass market, sporting goods, and specialty outdoor channels.
Pure Fishing sold to private equity group for $1.3 billion
Courtesy of Angling-International.com
Newell Brands has today announced that it has agreed the sale of Pure Fishing to a New York-based private equity group in a deal that is worth $1.3 billion.
Sycamore Partners is the surprise choice of new owner for the business. It is unknown in fishing circles and owns no outdoor leisure-related industries. It specialises in consumer, distribution and retail-related investments.
In the same press release, Newell announced the sale of Jostens, another brand deemed surplus to requirements, for $1.3 billion. The two deals will add approximately $2.5 billion to the Newell Brands balance sheet.
The proceeds of the sale of Pure Fishing will come as a surprise to many analysts and those within the industry who valued the business at between $500 million and $1billion.
“We are pleased to announce another step forward in our Accelerated Transformation Plan, with the signing of the Pure Fishing and Jostens transactions,” said Michael Polk, Newell Brands President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have full confidence that these businesses will continue to thrive under new ownership, as they leverage their strong positions in the market place.”
Newell Brands took control of Pure Fishing when it acquired the Jarden Corporation for $16 billion in April 2016, but its future with the new owner has been under a cloud for much of the time and it was officially put up for sale in May of this year.
In 2017 Pure Fishing’s net sales from its top-end brands that include Penn, Abu Garcia, Greys and Berkley, were approximately $556 million.
AC Insider - Election Day & More featuring Elite Series Pro Brandon Cobb & Costa Champ Kyle Walters!
This week your vote counts and it looks like you all voted for Bass! Thats right, we welcome in new BASS Elite Series Pro Brandon Cobb to the show to talk about his decision to move over to the Elites as well as discuss his recent China trip, some good times there. We also welcome in the Costa Series Champ Kyle Walters and talk about his pattern on Lake Guntersville as he flipped up over 44 pounds of Large heads and took home over 92K! All this and more, right here!
2019 MLF Bass Pro Tour Dates Posted "Framed Around a 'Family Friendly' Schedule"
TULSA, Oklahoma – It was a telling moment as Major League Fishing Reporter Aly Akers chatted with MLF pro Keith Poche before a competition day at the Challenge Cup: Halloween morning, and Poche knew he would be missing the evening’s trick-or-treat festivities with his daughters.
“I’m glad to be here fishing, but I’d love to be home tonight for Halloween,” Poche confessed.
That’s been a common occurrence for years for Poche and the other 79 anglers on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour: tournament schedules have frequently forced them to be on the road on holiday weekends like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Fourth of July.
“We haven’t necessarily had tournaments fall right on the holidays, but our previous schedules have almost always had us traveling on every major holiday weekend in spring, summer and early fall,” says 25-year veteran Randy Howell. “We’ve frequently had to travel on Saturday or Sunday of those holiday weekends to get to the venues to start practice on Mondays. Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July – it feels like I’ve always been driving somewhere on those weekends.”
But when Gary Klein, Boyd Duckett and MLF Bass Pro Tour league officials drew up tournament dates for 2019, they were adamant about framing both the eight regular-season events and four Cup competitions around important family holidays. The result: a family-friendly schedule that has the anglers home on Easter weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend, Mother’s Day weekend, the Fourth of July, and Halloween.
“The schedule was something we wanted to address from the get-go,” says Klein. “As professional anglers, we really didn’t appreciate having to travel on holidays, so (holiday travel) just wasn’t going to happen. Right from the start, we knew that we weren’t going to put our schedule where guys would have to leave their families on the holidays to get to practice.”
The family-focused schedule should also improve the anglers’ travel experience overall. Instead of being on the road during the most hectic weekends of the year – AAA estimates that over 140 million Americans travel on Memorial Day, Labor Day and Fourth of July weekends alone – they can delay their long drives to the week after those busy spring, summer and fall holidays.
“Everybody travels to see family during those holiday weekends, so we’ve always had to deal with extra traffic and more people trying to get somewhere,” Howell said. “This will be a nice break for all of us. Not only to be with our families but to avoid some of that heavy holiday traffic.”
Here's a look at MLF's 2019 Schedule:
The MLF Bass Pro Tour events are in yellow. Those events will be open to the public, and there will be opportunities for you and your family to interact with your favorite anglers. The MLF Cup events are in blue. The Cups are shot in the dark, which means they will not be open to the public and the results will be kept a secret until the episodes air on television.
FLORIDA’S WALTERS WINS COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
Courtesy of FLW
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Nov. 3, 2018) – Pro Kyle Walters of Grant-Valkaria, Florida, caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday – the largest limit of the event – to win the weather-shortened Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville with a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 3 ounces. Walters’ efforts earned him $92,700, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor and a slot in the 2019 FLW Cup - the world championship of professional bass fishing.
“If you would’ve told me 15, 20 years ago when I started fishing [T-H Marine Bass Fishing League] BFLs that I’d eventually be standing here as the Costa FLW Series Champion – and going to the Forrest Wood Cup – I would’ve told you that you’re crazy,” said Walters, who earned his third win in FLW competition. “To come out here and fish with all the guys you watch on TV is really special. Guys like Bryan Thrift, J.T. Kenney and John Cox – guys from Florida. There are only a few lakes that I feel like I can compete with them at and Lake Guntersville is one of them. It fits the way I like to fish.”
Walters tapped into his Florida-bred instincts this week, flipping for bass in grass mats on the main-river channel, a strategy that also helped him win a BFL Regional Tournament on Lake Guntersville back in the fall of 2013. Walters said he was able to pick apart the channel-facing hydrilla in 2013, but due to recent heavy winds and high water flow washing out the outer edge he was forced to move to the bank side of the same mats this year.
“When I showed up here, I wanted something on the main river,” said Walters. “In 2013, everything was on the main-river channel, so I immediately went and looked for hydrilla there. Well, I couldn’t find it – when I pulled out of Waterfront [boat ramp] it was gone. So I went up the river – it’s what’s we do in Florida – and I looked for something. I got a few bites the first couple of hours I was here, and I said I was going to commit to it one way or the other.
“I fished my main stretch a pretty good distance in practice,” Walters continued. “I’d get a couple bites and then I’d start fishing fast. If I got another couple of bites, I’d mark them. Then in the tournament I’d expand on them both ways and keep moving.”
Walters had two primary areas along his stretch this week – grass mats in 4- to 5-feet-of-water about a mile above of the BB Comer Bridge, and hydrilla in 8-feet-of-water a couple of miles below the bridge. His grass mats consisted of a mix of hydrilla and milfoil. Dead eelgrass and other vegetation had blown in on top of the grass and created dead, brown mats.
“I caught eight of the 10 I weighed in up there. It was milfoil, and hydrilla was growing from the bottom and then the ‘cut grass’ was all loaded up inside,” said Walters. “When one [lure] would go in, it would fall free and into a cavern and they’d kind of attack it. The big ones seemed to be within the first two feet of the mats.”
Walters said he used beaver-style baits, citing a Green Pumpkin Black Blue-colored Gambler Stinger. The lures were Texas-rigged with a 1½-ounce Picasso tungsten sinker on a 4/0-sized straight shank hook and 75-pound-test Halo Winch braided line. To hoist bass out of the vegetation, he preferred to use a Halo 7-foot, 11-inch J.T. Kenney Signature Series rod.
“In practice, I didn’t get a lot of bites at the stretch below the bridge, but I caught one big fish there each day,” said Walters. “I could never get multiple bites going on there, so when I went there, it was one of those deals where I was really going to have to fish for them to get the bites. I caught my last 4 or 5 pounder there today with an hour to go.”
The top finishing boater from each of the six Costa FLW Series divisions that qualified for the 2019 FLW Cup were:
Southeastern
1st: Kyle Walters, Grant-Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 44-3, $92,700
Southwestern
7th: Zach Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $7,000
Central
11nd: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-11, $4,000
Northern
12th: Power-Pole pro Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, nine bass, 27-10, $4,000
Western
4th: John Griffith, Mesa, Ariz., 10 bass, 31-6, $15,000
International
37th: Erik Luzak, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, eight bass, 21-5, $2,000
The top 10 overall anglers finished:
1st: Kyle Walters, Grant-Valkaria, Fla., 10 bass, 44-3, $92,700
2nd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 39-8, $25,100 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
3rd: Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., 10 bass, 37-5, $20,000 + $3,500 Ranger Cup Bonus
4th: Jon Griffith, Mesa, Ariz., 10 bass, 31-6, $15,000
5th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., nine bass, 30-0, $10,000 + $1,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
6th: Troy Gibson, Mountain Home, Ark., 10 bass, 29-5, $8,000
7th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $7,000
8th: Terry Tucker, Gadsden, Ala., 10 bass, 28-13, $6,000
9th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 28-2, $5,000
10th: Jake Ormond, Sterlington, La., 10 bass, 28-1, $4,500
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Competitors qualified for the Costa FLW Series Championship through five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – and an International division that features anglers from Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain.
The 2019 FLW Cup will be held at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11.
Jacob Traba of Pacifica, California, won the Co-angler Division and $30,000, including a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces. Scott Parsons of Rogers, Arkansas, finished in second place with nine bass weighing 23 pounds, 1 ounce, good for $12,600.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Jacob Traba, Pacifica, Calif., eight bass, 23-12, $30,000
2nd: Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., nine bass, 23-1, $12,600
3rd: Roger Stubbs, Locust Grove, Ga., seven bass, 21-6, $10,050
4th: Robbie Bartoszek, Hampshire, Tenn., seven bass, 20-7, $7,500
5th: Doug Iorio II, Kennerdell, Pa., eight bass, 20-2, $5,000
6th: Bradley Robbins, Wilmington, N.C., eight bass, 19-10, $4,000
7th: Brad Hostetler Jr., Franklin, Ind., eight bass, 19-9, $3,500
8th: Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, six bass, 18-6, $3,000
9th: Jared West, Mont Belvieu, Texas, five bass, 17-15, $2,500
10th: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., seven bass, 17-13, $2,000
The Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville was hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In Costa FLW Series competition, each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Carl Jocumsen Leads Day 1 of Costa Championship with over 20 pounds!
November 2, 2018 by Curtis Niedermier
For the last four or five years, FLW pro Carl Jocumsen has been tinkering and testing, experimenting and dialing in ways to incorporate glide baits into his tournament arsenal. He’s been trying to figure out how it can shift gears from being a big-bass bait to a tournament tool.
Apparently, he’s getting really close to nailing down those details. Today, Jocumsen used a glide bait to pound out a 20-pound, 2-ounce limit at Lake Guntersville to establish the lead at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship.
“It’s one of those days you’ll never forget,” he says. “I hope I can back it up tomorrow.”
A glide bait is a type of specialty hard-plastic jointed swimbait that’s typically fished with a slow, seductive presentation. It’s a big-fish bait, but it’s also known to be a highly niche option that’s sometimes better at getting big bass to show themselves than to actually eat the bait. Conditions have to be right for it to work, and according to Jocumsen, usually that means windy with sunshine. But not always.
Jocumsen, a native Australian who now lives in Frisco, Texas, has nicknamed 2018 the “year of the glide bait,” and one thing he’s noticed during his recent experimentation is that overcast, windy conditions are actually pretty good for getting them to eat the glide, too. Those were the conditions he had on Saturday during practice, when he had a great glide bait day. And those were the conditions today. The similarity tipped him off that he might be able to glide his way to a big bag.
“We’ve been off the water for two days [a mandatory off day and a cancellation day due to severe weather],” Jocumsen says. “I knew I was just going to have to go fishing. I picked up the big glide bait and a pretty decent sized swimbait and was just kind of going for it.”
Throughout the day, Jocumsen traded punches with his co-angler, Jared West, who leads the amateur division with 17 pounds, 15 ounces. The fish they were targeting were chasing shad, but they weren’t giving the anglers a lot of long opportunities. Shad would flip up against the grass edge, or get stirred up by Jocumsen’s Hydrowave, then big fish – multiple 20-pound stringers – would cruise through the area making chase. Jocumsen and West had to capitalize on their chances quickly.
They caught fish on a few baits, which, looking back, Jocumsen says kept him from committing to the glide all day. Had he done so, he might’ve popped a mega-bag.
With about two hours to fish, he had four quality keepers in the bag. That’s when he finally swore off all other options and glued the glide in his hand.
“I wouldn’t usually pick the glide up with two hours to go, but I had some big bites on it on Saturday in the same conditions,” he adds.
Following his gut paid off with two 5-pound-class kickers to finish off the day. All five of the keepers Jocumsen brought to weigh-in were caught on the glide bait.
Jocumsen knows there are still plenty of quality fish in the area where he caught them today, and other boats around him weren’t dialed in on the juice the way he was. So he’s confident that he’ll be in the neighborhood of a winning bag. The only catch is that, outside of that Saturday prep outing, Jocumsen says he had a terrible practice. Tomorrow’s forecast, which calls for sunny skies, means similar conditions to what he had to deal with on those tough pre-tournament days.
“I’m going to have to adjust,” he says. “I can’t get them to eat the glide in sunny, slick conditions.”
In bright skies, he says the fish see the glide bait too well and don’t commit to eating it. He hopes maybe a little stain in the water from yesterday’s storms might serve as a sort of faux cloud cover, but probably the conditions won’t be ideal to have another magical glide bait day.
“If everything goes to plan I can get on that early morning bite and get five by 10 o’clock, and then I can pick up the glide and things could get pretty scary,” he says. “I think I need to get two big bites, but I don’t think I can get five. These fish are the smartest fish I’ve ever fished for right now.”
Jocumsen has just a 3-ounce lead over Florida’s Kyle Walters, who won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Regional on Guntersville in October 2013. The entire field fishes in tomorrow’s final round because day one was cancelled due to severe storms.
West, who caught his fish on swimbaits fishing behind Jocumsen, leads the co-angler division by 1-14 over Roger Stubbs.
TOP 10 PROS
1. Carl Jocumsen – Frisco, Texas – 20-2 (5)
2. Kyle Walters – Grant Valkaria, Fla. – 19-15 (5)
3. Bryan Thrift – Shelby, N.C. – 18-3 (5)
4. Cole Floyd – Leesburg, Ohio – 18-2 (5)
5. Casey Smith – Macedon, N.Y. – 17-8 (5)
6. Dennis Shawn Perrigo – Rienzi, Miss. – 17-6 (5)
7. Terry Tucker – Gadsden, Ala. – 16-6 (5)
8. David Hudson – Jasper, Ala. – 16-3 (5)
9. Brandon Perkins – Counce, Tenn. – 15-7 (5)
9. Troy Gibson – Mountain Home, Ark. – 15-7 (5)
TOP 10 CO-ANGLERS
1. Jared West – Mont Belvieu, Texas – 17-15 (5)
2. Roger Stubbs – Locust Grove, Ga. – 16-1 (5)
3. Brad Hostetler Jr. – Franklin, Ind. – 13-15 (5)
4. Alex Redwine – Cincinnati, Ohio – 13-11 (4)
5. Jeremy Johnson – Kansas City, Kan. – 13-1 (5)
6. Robbie Bartoszek – Hampshire, Tenn. – 12-9 (4)
7. James Callaghan – De Berry, Texas – 12-7 (5)
8. Robert Olivier – Amanzimtoti, South Africa – 12-5 (5)
9. Glenn Mason – Alpharetta, Ga. – 12-3 (4)
10. Scott Bern – San Rafael, Calif. – 11-3 (5)
DD26 Fishing Releases Two New Innovative Product Families A Cull System and Motor Support for the New Mercury Four-Stroke Engines Highlight Launch
Mesa, Ariz. - October 23, 2018- DD26 Fishing announces the release of two new product families, the Mean Mount and Bandit Families. The Bandit Family consists of a one of a kind Culling Beam called the “Bandit Beam” and a Cull Tag Kit called the “Cull Bandit.” The second is the Mean Mount Series anchored by the most attractive and durable transom saver on the market.
The first DD26 Transom Savers to be released will be for the New Mercury Pro XS V8 Four-Stroke engine and the 2-Stroke Mercury Pro XS motors. Along with the Transom Saver, DD26 Fishing introduces a new take on steering stabilizers with the Mean Mount Steering Locks that match the Transom Savers in appearance and durability.
Listening to the marketplace, and then exceeding the need with innovation and functionality is what DD26 Fishing does best. Being the first to design a quality Motor Tote for the new Mercury Four-Stroke engines is an example of DD26 listening to what consumers want and engineering something unique and durable to tackle the demands of the application and of our loyal customers.
The DD26 Mean Mount Motor Tote Transom Saver and Steering Locks are unlike anything else on the market. The Toter itself is more than robust. The looks are amazing, sharp and color customizable, with the mass and bulk of a heavy weight champion. Every once in a while, the market gets stagnant and we get used to products just because they are all that’s available. The Mean Mount family is set to rejuvenate the stagnant steering locks and transom saver market, bringing the cool factor back to the function factor.
DD26 didn’t stop at the transom. The Bandit Beam may be the most dynamic Culling Beam ever made. The details are edgy and flawless. The three unique mounting options provide functionality to match the sharp looks. The Bandit Beam screams of quality right down to the custom Billet handle. One of the more unique attributes of the Bandit Beam is the ability to match the color to your Steer Stops and your Transom Saver. There are seven custom colors for you to choose from.
To make the system complete, the DD26 Cull Bandit Non-Puncture Culling System is a perfect complement to the Bandit Beam and made to work together to provide accurate culls and simplicity in use. The tags are a joint venture with Cal Coast Fishing using their highly regarded Clip-n-Cull 2.0 as the basis of the system. In addition to the great products, DD26 will also have a contingency program with the Cull Bandit Tags. Find out more at www.dd26fishing.com/contingency.
All of the Mean Mount and Bandit Family products are available at www.dd26fishing.com, direct to consumer for the time being. However, dealer programs are ready so retailers interested in carrying these unique products can visit www.dd26fishing.com/dealers for more details and to become a dealer.
DAY ONE OF COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE CANCELLED DUE TO HIGH WINDS, STRONG STORMS IN THE AREA
Advisory for Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018
WHAT: The first day of competition at the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Guntersville was cancelled by FLW officials Thursday due to high winds and strong storms in the area. Competition will resume Friday, Nov. 2, and conclude Saturday, Nov. 3.
“Based on the weather fronts that we saw in the area, including tornados that had already touched down, we decided not to take a chance,” said FLW Series Tournament Director Ron Lappin. “Forecasters said it may move to the north, but the fact that there are sustained winds in the 17- to 20- mile-per-hour range with gusts up to 27 – enough for a small craft advisory – we elected to not participate today and send everyone out the next two days. Safety is always the number one priority.”
NOTES: The full field of anglers will now compete Friday and Saturday, with the winner being determined by a two-day cumulative weight.
Anglers will take off from Guntersville City Harbor, located at 201 Blount Ave., in Guntersville, at 7:30 a.m. CDT each day. Friday’s weigh-in will take place at the harbor, and will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in, originally scheduled to take place at Cabela's in Huntsville at 3:30 p.m. will now remain at Guntersville City Harbor, and will begin at 3 p.m.
Competitors qualified for the Costa FLW Series Championship through five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – and an International division that features anglers from Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. The highest finishing pro from each U.S. division and the International division will qualify for the 2019 FLW Cup. A total of six FLW Series boaters will advance to the 2019 FLW Cup, which will be held at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11.
The Costa FLW Series Championship is hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and features a top prize of $95,000 in the Pro Division, including a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
In Costa FLW Series competition, each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Shop the Costa Sunglasses 2018 Holiday Gift Guide!
Welcome to the Costa 2018 Holiday Gift Guide. We put together some of our year’s most popular polarized sunglasses, clothing and accessories to help make your holiday shopping easier.
Have a look around and make someone’s holiday special with gifts from Costa. Share the Season.
POLARIS ACQUIRES MINORITY INTEREST IN FLW, FORMS NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 1, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, and Polaris Industries Inc., the leading global powersports manufacturer, announced today a strategic partnership that will extend and expand the outdoor brands’ complementary relationship. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The partnership leverages both companies’ consumer base, market presence and industry expertise, and will include collaboration across the organizations as well as enhanced activation and cross-marketing opportunities at select FLW and Polaris events. In particular, Polaris will have an increased presence at all FLW events and within the competition’s television programming.
“Our anglers, members, and loyal fans are always looking for more ways to enjoy the outdoors, and Polaris’ innovative products, along with their similar values and target audience make them a natural partner for FLW,” said FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake. “We’re excited to announce this partnership with Polaris and look forward to leveraging our respective customer bases, cross selling, and mutually growing our businesses.”
“Our portfolio of products offers an array of options for those looking to create lasting memories in the great outdoors,” said Bob Mack, senior vice president of Corporate Development & Strategy, and president of Adjacent Markets & Boats for Polaris. “With recreational fishing being a popular and growing sport in the U.S., this strategic partnership allows us to leverage insights and more deeply engage with FLW’s networks, fishing consumers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the globe to promote our products and brands.”
FLW will continue to be operated under the leadership of Blake and FLW President of Operations, Kathy Fennel, in their current Benton, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota locations.
Polaris will continue to be represented in FLW competitions by 23-year Tour veteran David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia, the 2003 Forrest Wood Cup champion and FLW’s all-time leading money winner with more than $3.6 million in career earnings. Dudley, who has represented Polaris on Tour for the past two seasons, is fresh off of a 12th place showing at the 2018 season-ending Forrest Wood Cup championship on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is already making preparations to kick off the 2019 season Jan. 10-13, on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas.
For more information on Polaris or to locate an authorized Polaris dealer, please visit http://www.polaris.com. For more information about FLW, their tournaments and sponsors, visit FLWFishing.com
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2017 sales of $5.4 billion, Polaris’ innovative, high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; snowmobiles; and pontoon, deck and cruiser boats. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerican Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in adjacent markets globally includes military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. Visit www.polaris.com for more information.
New Junior Division Unveiled As B.A.S.S. Announces College And High School Slates For 2019
October 31, 2018
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just when it seemed B.A.S.S. couldn’t possibly provide more competitive opportunities for anglers, the organization announced today that it will be adding a Junior Bassmaster Division to its annual slate of events in the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series.
High school tournaments are scheduled for Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C., on March 2; Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala., on March 30; Norfork Lake in Mountain Home, Ark., on April 28; and Lake Shasta in Redding, Calif., on May 11. A field of up to 50 junior division teams will compete in each event with accompanying coaches or team captains.
“This is another aggressive step toward giving more young people a chance to fish competitively,” said Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. senior manager for college and high school. “More parents are realizing that children who fish often avoid a lot of the more harmful aspects of our culture — and by creating a division for second- to eighth-graders, we’re helping parents start them out even earlier.”
Another new feature for the high school circuit will be maximum field size of 250 boats.
The schedule itself should be exciting to anglers of both age groups, with stops on lakes like Hartwell, the site of three previous Bassmaster Classics, and Guntersville, which is nationally known for producing big largemouth bass throughout the year.
“We are very excited to once again host the great folks from B.A.S.S. in Anderson County and Lake Hartwell,” said Neil Paul, executive director of Visit Anderson. “The future in bass fishing is our high school anglers, and we look forward to the opportunity to host them all in our community.”
In addition to the announcement of the high school schedule today, B.A.S.S. officials unveiled the schedule for the 2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops. That lineup includes stops at North Carolina’s Lake Norman on Feb. 21-23; Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala., March 21-23; Bull Shoals Lake in Mountain Home, Ark., April 25-27; and the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., June 20-22.
As past Bassmaster Elite Series events there have shown, a tournament on the St. Lawrence River during summer could create a dynamic atmosphere for college anglers. In August, a new Elite record was set for the heaviest daily limit of smallmouth bass — 27 pounds, 12 ounces.
“We could not be more excited about this opportunity,” said Benjamin Seaman, president and founder of the bass fishing club at Clarkson University, which will host the St. Lawrence River event. “With the Adirondack Mountains and St. Lawrence River Valley in our backyard, Clarkson University is well known among outdoor enthusiasts for its access to great hiking, mountain biking, hunting and fishing — especially world-class bass fishing.”
Unlike past years, when college tournaments were only open to anglers from corresponding regions, all events will be open to competitors from across the country. Teams will still accumulate points during the season toward an overall Team of the Year title.
“Our hope is that every college angler who wants to compete will now have a chance,” Weldon said. “You’re not limited to fishing a certain conference or region. If you want to travel to any one of these events — or all of them — you’re free to do that.”
The Bull Shoals college tournament will take place just prior to the high school event on Norfork Lake, giving Mountain Home four bass fishing-filled days in a row.
“Mountain Home and the Twin Lakes Area is thrilled to host another B.A.S.S. event,” said Jeff Pipkin, president of the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are grateful B.A.S.S. has chosen to bring the college and high school circuits to lakes Norfork and Bull Shoals in 2019.
“We fully support the educational benefits young men and women have to gain through the sport of fishing. Our entire community is equally excited to share why we call this beautiful place our home.”
Dates for the high school and college championships, as well as the annual College Series Classic Bracket, which qualifies one outstanding college angler for the Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, will be announced at a later time.
2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops Schedule
Event Lake State Date
Tour #1 Lake Norman North Carolina Feb. 21-23
Tour #2 Smith Lake Alabama March 21-23
Tour #3 Bull Shoals Lake Arkansas April 25-27
Tour #4 St. Lawrence River New York June 20-22
2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Schedule
Event Title Lake State Date
Eastern Open Lake Hartwell South Carolina March 2
Southern Open Lake Guntersville Alabama March 30
Central Open Norfork Lake Arkansas April 28
Western Open Lake Shasta California May 11
Lucas Credits Humminbird and Minn Kota Technologies with Huge Role in Angler of the Year Title
Courtesy of Johnson Outdoors
A Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year title does not come easy. A little bit of good fortune goes a long way. As does astute decision-making, a positive mental mindset, detailed game-planning and solid execution. And while 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Minn Kota/Humminbird Pro Team Member Justin Lucas will acknowledge the positive impact of all these on his season, he is quick to point to the power of Minn Kota and Humminbird technologies on his Phoenix bass boat and give credit to a good friend for getting the most out of those products.
“I’ve always felt very comfortable fishing shallow,” explains Lucas, fresh off of closing out the 2018 season on Lake Chatuge. “But I never really felt like I could contend in every tournament because I just wasn’t as strong in derbies that were won offshore.”
“My friend Brandon Palaniuk was running Humminbird and Minn Kota and he was kind enough to let me hop in his boat and see how he used everything to be a more complete angler. After seeing how he used all the technologies together, I knew that if I wanted to compete in every single tournament including those where fishing productively offshore was critical, I needed to make the switch.”
So, before the 2017 season, Lucas put four Humminbird SOLIX 12 units on his boat along with a Minn Kota Ultrex, Humminbird 360 and two 10-foot Minn Kota Talons. In 2018, he put it all to work.
“I can point to several Humminbird and Minn Kota technologies that I relied on at every single stop on the Elite Series in 2018. There is zero doubt in my mind that without them on my boat, I don’t win the Angler of the Year title.”
Staying Put
The two 10-foot Talons played a huge role on the Sabine River, Grand Lake and Kentucky Lake where staying firmly planted while flipping and picking apart shallow cover was a huge part of being productive. But Lucas was most impressed with the Talons’ performance on Pool 8 of the Mississippi River where he fished his way to a Top 12 finish, working over main river jetties with a chatterbait and swim jig.
“The river was high, and the main river was ripping,” explained Lucas. “I spent my tournament days in that heavy current and my 10-foot Talons kept me locked in place, so I could pick that structure apart with a few different baits.”
Finding the Winning Fish
In tournaments where the bite was off the bank, that’s where his Humminbird units and Minn Kota Ultrex really shined.
For Lucas, much of the preparation for a tournament happens before the boat hits the water as he uses LakeMaster mapping to break down a lake and find fish-holding areas.
“On Lake Martin, where I finished sixth, it was all about contours. I was looking for the steepest contours on short points. When I pulled up to a spot I found on my LakeMaster map, I didn’t even spend time graphing. I put the trolling motor down and fished the juice. That’s how much confidence I have in their maps.”
Once he has an initial read on a body of water, Lucas relies on MEGA Imaging from Humminbird to really understand what’s under the water. He calls that technology and its ability to clearly define bottom structure his most valuable tool in finding fish offshore.
“I had never been to Oahe, along with most of the Elite Series field. I know I maximized my practice time over those using competitive units. There is a lot of black sand and bare banks on that body of water, which translates to lots of water with no fish. But I set my Humminbird Side Imaging at 125-feet and looked for isolated rock or rock veins. With MEGA Imaging, there was never any question what I was looking at – I knew every little detail of every spot.
I’d punch in waypoints on that structure, then go back and fish it, using Humminbird 360 to keep myself about 100-feet off the spot and cast right to it. It was a deadly combination of effective search and productive fishing.”
Efficiency in Fishing
Lucas considers Humminbird 360 a secret weapon for traveling anglers, tournament fishermen or anyone who is on a body of water that is not overly familiar to them.
“On your home body of water, you can line up the perfect cast. Position your boat on a spot and cast towards a landmark and you’ll flat out catch them. We are on a new body of water every week with limited travel time. So, using Humminbird 360 to see exactly where you need to cast is incredibly helpful. It eliminates the need to have the perfect lineup using onshore cues.”
While all these technologies played an important role in Lucas’ big year, the one that had a starring role in virtually every tournament was Minn Kota’s game-changing Spot-Lock technology found in his Ultrex trolling motor. No matter the conditions or the scenario, being able to hold his boat firmly in place and focus on fishing allowed him to be more efficient in practice and tournaments alike.
Reflecting on the 2018 season, Lucas affirms it was the combination of all these technologies that gave him a real shot at the title.
“I feel like the key to my AOY title was improving significantly at fishing off the bank. I firmly believe I’m twice the offshore fisherman I was two years ago, and I know the tools provided by Minn Kota and Humminbird were the difference maker.
“I have confidence in LakeMaster mapping and MEGA Imaging makes me feel like I know each spot intimately. Using that information and relying on Humminbird 360 and Spot-Lock to fish an area efficiently is the deadliest combination in fishing today.”
While Lucas looks forward to 2019, he knows that the stiffest competition will likely come from pros running that same combination of product, even his good friend Brandon Palaniuk who turned him onto Humminbird and Minn Kota just a couple years ago.
"I’ve always been close with Justin and although we are competitive with each other, we also help one another out,” said Palaniuk. “I knew he would benefit from using the same technologies I have been using. With back-to-back AOY titles between the two of us, I would say the advantage is clear. The only question is whose turn it will be next year.”
Scroggins made 12,000 worms for Toyota event
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is one of those guys who can make just about anything -- including 11 Bassmaster Classics, the best grilled rib eye steak you’ve ever tasted, and more than $2 Million as a pro angler.
Scroggins is also a “tinkerer” who recently began making his own soft plastic lures. And for the recent Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event on Table Rock, he made 12,000 Kicker Tail worms for the 400+ amateur anglers who participated in the tournament.
“I can make about 1,000 worms an hour, so I’ve got about 12 hours in this project, but it’s really cool to be able to share something I made with all these great people that love to fish and drive a Toyota,” says Scroggins.
The roots of his soft plastics garage operation actually date back to his teenage angling years when he befriended famous lure maker Bobby Ditto – whose Gator Tail worm won a brutally tough Bassmaster Classic for Larry Nixon in 1983.
Scroggins’ time around the gracious and friendly Ditto family ultimately led to him being treated like an adopted son, and in an ironic twist of fate, he was actually able to purchase some of Ditto’s treasured molds years after Bobby Ditto passed away in 2011.
“Between the molds I bought, and those I’ve tooled myself, I’m able to make about 50 different styles of lures,” says Scroggins. “The most popular ones are the Fireclaw, Ecto Craw, a 3.8” swimbait that I caught a 33-pound limit on, and the 5.5” Kicker Tail worms I poured for the Toyota event,” says the St. Johns River pro.
For the Toyota event on Table Rock, Scroggins poured the Kicker Tail in three colors – watermelon, green pumpkin, and green pumpkin candy. He recommends throwing it on spinning tackle with 10-pound braided line, a 6-pound fluorocarbon leader, rigged on a 3/16-ounce shaky head.
“I designed the Kicker tail myself at the house one night. The guy who makes my molds was there, and we tested the prototypes in my swimming pool. When we saw how incredible the action was on a shaky head, he started working on a production mold immediately, and I caught 25-pounds on the first ones we poured,” shares Scroggins with a prideful grin.
“Pouring soft plastics is sort of addicting to be honest with ya. But so far it’s really just a hobby, and not a profit center. Mostly, it’s just a way to help myself and my buddies catch more fish,” concludes Scroggins.
Fitting perspective from the Florida pro best know for feeding people, and giving away everything from his GPS waypoints to marinated rib eye steaks. And most recently, 12,000 soft plastic worms.
MLF Bass Pro Tour anglers vote no entry fees for 2019
Lake Eufaula to Host the 2019 AFT Championship
ATHENS, Ala. – October 30, 2018 -- American Bass Anglers announced today the 2019 American Fishing Tour Championship, will be hosted by the Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce and will take place Oct. 13-18, 2019 at Lake Point Resort State Park on the Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) in Eufaula, AL. The onsite registration and dinner will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019.
Lake Eufaula is a 45,000-acre lake located on the Chattahoochee River that extends across Alabama and Georgia. This beautiful lake is nationally known for being a great bass fishery and its beautiful scenery. Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce has hosted numerous events for American Bass Anglers in which the anglers receive a warm welcome from the local community with its small hometown charm.
“The City of Eufaula is excited to host the 2019 AFT National Championship. The fishing on Lake Eufaula during October should be wonderful, and the anglers will enjoy their time on the lake. The Eufaula Alabama community has a lot to offer anglers during their visitsuch as local shopping, great eateries, and multiple lodging options all with a great small-town feel.” said Jack Tibbs Mayor of Eufaula.
This event will be open to anglers that are in the top 500 points standings nationally. There will be three new Triton Boats with Mercury Outboards, Garmin electronics, and T-H Marine products on the line for anglers from over 30 states that qualify for this event.
“Lake Eufaula is the perfect location for this event, I know anglers are looking forward to coming to one of Alabama’s most talked about lakes and experience the hospitality of the city of Eufaula and Barbour County,” said Morris Sheehan, President of American Bass Anglers. “Mayor Tibbs and all of Eufaula/Barbour County always rolls out the red carpet for our anglers, weigh-in will be at 3 pm daily and the public is invited”
Since Lake Eufaula sits on the Alabama-Georgia line, anglers can fish the lake with a license from either state. For Eufaula Barbour County area information, visit www.eufaulachamber.com.
For more information on this tournament, call ABA at 256-232-0406 or see www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, the Open Series, the Triton 100% Plus Team Tour, or the American Couples Series visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
AC Insider Podcast Featuring MLF, BASS & FLW News along with 2019 Elite Series Rookie Patrick Walters!
This week the boys are back in studio and recapping the weekends Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Championship as well as looking over the recent additions to the BASS Elite Series for 2019. They also welcome in 2019 Elite Series Rookie Patrick Walters and talk about the upcoming transition from College to the Opens and now to the Elites. Jason looks ahead in the Costa Countdown to Blastoff and Simms Shout out and more on this weeks AC insider Podcast!
MLF Bass Pro Tour & MLF Cups: How's it all going to work?
Courtesy of MajorLeagueFishing.com
By Rachel Dubrovin - October 29, 2018
The 2019 season will be nothing short of historic for Major League Fishing and the 80 anglers who have decided to compete in the brand-new MLF Bass Pro Tour.
As the season kicks off, MLF will be airing Bass Pro Tour events live on MajorLeagueFishing.com and at the same time, you’ll see new episodes of MLF Cup events on Outdoor Channel (Saturdays from 2-4pm ET)… And while that’s all happening, we’ll be shooting new MLF Cup shows for the 2020 season. So how will the MLF Bass Pro Tour and the MLF Cups co-exist?
Let’s take a look:
- 8 MLF Bass Pro Tour events feed into 4 MLF Cup events and 2 Championships
- All 80 anglers compete in each MLF Bass Pro Tour event
- Every fish counts: MLF Pros will earn points at each MLF Bass Pro Tour event based on the scoreable bass they catch
- After two tour events, the top 30 anglers based on points will move on to compete in the first MLF Cup event. This will repeat every two tour events, feeding different groups of 30 into all four MLF Cup events
- At the conclusion of the MLF Bass Pro Tour 8-event season, the top 30 anglers in year-long total points earn a spot in the MLF Redcrest.
- FORMAT: The format for MLF Bass Pro Tour events will be similar to the General Tire World Championship events that you saw on CBS in 2017 and 2018.
- The 80 anglers will be separated into two groups, 40 anglers in each
- Day 1-2 = Shotgun Round 1-2
- 40 anglers (divided into Group A and Group B) compete to catch the highest weight each day
- All anglers move on to Elimination Rounds
- Anglers’ Shotgun Round weight carries over to the Elimination Round
- Day 3-4 = Elimination Round 1
- 40 anglers (Group A and Group B) compete to catch the highest weight
- Anglers’ Shotgun Round weight is combined with the weight they catch in the Elimination Round
- Top 20 anglers from each group advance to Sudden Death Round
- Day 5 = Knockout Round
- 40 anglers (top 20 from each Elimination Round) compete
- All anglers will begin the Knockout round with zero weight
- Top 10 anglers advance to the Championship Round
- Day 6 = Championship Round
- 10 anglers compete to catch the highest weight
- A camera in every boat will livestream the action on MajorLeagueFishing.com
Four MLF Cup events and the General Tire World Championship will be shot in the dark (meaning the results are confidential until the show airs) and you will see them on TV in 2020
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- 30 anglers will compete in each MLF Cup event, based on the points they accumulate during MLF Bass Pro Tour events
- You will recognize some of the names of the events, others are new:
- Heritage Cup
- Summit Cup
- Patriot Cup
- Challenge Cup
- Each MLF Cup event will result in six 2-hour television shows that will air on Outdoor Channel
- Starting on January 5, 2019, you will see the final season of MLF Select Events (watch it on Outdoor Channel, Saturdays from 2-4pm ET)
- FORMAT: The format for MLF Cup events will be familiar to fans
- Days 1-3 = Elimination Round 1-3
- 10 different anglers will compete each day to catch the highest weight
- The top 6 anglers with the highest weight daily move on to Sudden Death
- Day 4-5 = Sudden Death Round 1-2
- Anglers race to a predetermined target weight
- The first 4 anglers to hit the target weight daily move on to the Championship Round
- Day 6 = Championship Round
- 8 anglers compete to catch the highest weight
- At the end of the day, the angler with the most weight wins the Cup
- The top 3 anglers in each MLF Cup event earn a spot in the General Tire World Championship
- Days 1-3 = Elimination Round 1-3
- GENERAL TIRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: After the 4 MLF Cup events have been completed, the qualifiers for the General Tire World Championship will be determined.
- The General Tire World Championship will also be shot in the dark, and it will result in six 1-hour episodes on CBS Network and six 2-hour television episodes that will air on the Discovery Channel.
- 16 anglers compete
- 12 qualify in MLF Cup events (top 3 from each of the 4 MLF Cup events)
- Top 2 anglers based on MLF Cup points
- 1 Redcrest Champion
- 1 reigning General Tire World Championship
MLF is an angler-driven league and the event rules and formats are subject to change at any time as determined by the Pro Bass Tour Anglers Association (PBTAA).
YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING EVENT PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS SET FOR TOLEDO BEND LAKE
MANY, La. (Oct. 23, 2018) – The YETI FLW College Fishing season will continue with an event next week, Nov. 3, at the YETI FLW College Fishing on Toledo Bend Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops. The tournament, hosted by the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission, is the third and final regular-season event for college anglers in the Southern Conference and will award a top prize of a $2,000 club scholarship and an invitation to compete in the 2019 College Fishing National Championship to the winners.
“The fishing on Toledo Bend Lake has been a bit tough the past couple of months,” said 2018 BFL All-American Champion Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana. “We had a BFL Super Tournament there a few weeks ago and it only took a two-day total of 27 pounds to win. Normally, it takes about that much at a one-day event to win. I’m hoping the cooler weather we’ve been getting will help out the bite. This cold snap could be just what the lake needs.
“I think it’s going to be more of a shallow deal [for the collegiate anglers]. Right now, guys up shallow are getting 10 to 12 pounds in a day, but in a couple of weeks that could be more in the 15- to 17-pound range,” continued LeBrun. “Anglers in those areas will be focused on the grass and lily pads. There’s not much of that stuff this year, but it will be a player. Topwater baits will be a good bet, as well as swim jigs and spinnerbaits. Basically any kind of shad-imitating bait will be good.”
LeBrun said that on the north end of the lake, there’s also potential for some offshore bites.
“It’s a deal where you’re sitting in around 20 feet of water and you’re casting into 10 to 12 feet, and usually to shallower ridges,” said LeBrun. “Competitors in those areas will probably throw a big worm, a soft-plastic on a Carolina rig or a jig.”
LeBrun went on to say that the top duo will likely need to bring in five bass weighing around 19 pounds to win the event.
“Fishing for the right five bites will be crucial. Lately, it seems like the angler catching 20 fish a day only has 10 or 12 pounds, but the angler who has only five bites or so is catching heavier fish, so getting dialed in on what the big ones are doing will be the key.”
Competitors will take off from Cypress Bend Park, located at 3462 Cypress Bend Drive, in Many, at 7:30 a.m. CDT Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the takeoff location beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com.
Schools currently registered to compete in the Toledo Bend Lake tournament include:
Abilene Christian University – Corbin Craft, Fort Worth, Texas, and John Biavati, Dallas, Texas
Abilene Christian University – Zach Pendleton, Austin, Texas, and Ethan Edwards, Abilene, Texas
Angelo State University – Steven Armstrong, Brownwood, Texas, and Nathan Ahle, Plano, Texas
East Texas Baptist University – Brett Clark, Center, Texas, and Cody Ross, Livingston, Texas
East Texas Baptist University – Colby Simmons and Brandon Barber, both of Elysian Fields, Texas
East Texas Baptist University – Jared Penton, Grand Junction, Colo., and Ashlynn Boyer, Haughton, La.
East Texas Baptist University – Mason Beatty, Hallsville, Texas, and Jacob Keith, Jefferson, Texas
Louisiana College – Jace Dennis, Pineville, La., and Judah Morris, Forest Hill, La.
Louisiana College – Trace Moore, Bridge City, La., and Ben South, Jasper, Texas
Louisiana Tech University – Jacob Mitcham and Huff McIntosh, both of Ruston, La.
McNeese State University – Annabelle Guins and Hayden Williams, both of Lake Charles, La.
Nicholls State University – Cole Amedee, Donaldsonville, La., and Seth Naquin, Gray, La.
Northeast Texas Community College – Danny Boyd, Winnsboro, Texas, and Austin King, Hughes Springs, Texas
Northeastern State University-Tahlequah – Caleb Gibson, Locust Grove, Okla., and Bo Adams, Henryetta, Okla.
Northwestern State University – Gage Ulrich, Pineville, La., and Jackson McGee, Shreveport, La.
Rogers State University – Dillon Roberts, Claremore, Okla. and Jalen Dickinson, North Platte, Neb.
Sam Houston State University – Kasey Sanders, Montgomery, Texas, and Spencer Fair, Streetman, Texas
Stephen F. Austin State University – Kyle Dragulski, Mansfield, Texas, and Chandler Burgay, Timpson, Texas
Stephen F. Austin State University – River Lee, Normangee, Texas, and Garrett Goodson, Livingston, Texas
Tarleton State University-Stephenville – Chad Jones, Stephenville, Texas, and Graham Godwin, Princeton, Texas
Tarleton State University-Stephenville – Jared Stone, Bowie, Texas, and Matthew Ford, Burleson, Texas
Tarleton State University-Stephenville – Jason Lau, Flower Mound, Texas, and Tyler Geer, Granbury, Texas
Texas A&M University-Commerce – Michael Wallace, Plano, Texas, and William Fitzgerald, Quinlan, Texas
Texas A&M University-Texarkana – Justin Striplin, Texarkana, Texas, and Nicole Gilliland, Texarkana, Ark.
Texas A&M University – Geoffrey Polefko, Cypress, Texas, and Brooklyn Goldsmith, Orange, Texas
Texas A&M University at Galveston – Mathew Dove, Deer Park, Texas, and Aaron Batten, Houston, Texas
Texas State University – Fletcher Burchell, Grand Saline, Texas, and Collin Lansdale, Georgetown, Texas
Texas State University – Gregory Lundvick and Dean Bartleet, both of San Marcos, Texas
Texas Tech University – Colton Ashcraft and Bryson Batla, both of Lubbock, Texas
Texas Tech University – Lucas Jensen, Lubbock, Texas, and Victor Martinez, Laredo, Texas
Tyler Junior College – Hudson Daille, Tyler, Texas, and Austin Davis, Whitehouse, Texas
University of Central Oklahoma – Drew Douglas, Tulsa, Okla., and Zachariah Edwards, Wellston, Okla.
University of North Texas at Dallas – Hunter Benner and Brandon Benner, both of Cedar Hill, Texas
University of Oklahoma – Keith Sherwood, McAlester, Okla. and Randy Geyer, Arlington, Texas
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2019 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.
YETI FLW College Fishing is free to enter. 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.
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.
ALABAMA’S SUMMERLIN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE CHICKAMAUGA PRESENTED BY REALTREE FISHING
Blasingame Takes Co-angler Title
DAYTON, Tenn. (Oct. 29, 2018) – Boater Gil Summerlin of Guntersville, Alabama, caught a three-day cumulative total of 15 bass weighing 47 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Regional championship on Lake Chickamauga presented by Realtree Fishing. Summerlin earned $65,000 for his efforts, including a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and automatic entry into the 2019 BFL All-American Championship.
Summerlin said he spent the event in a bay on the lower end of the lake near the Chester Frost Park area, focusing on six waypoints he had marked.
“My first keeper ended up being my biggest of the event,” said Summerlin, who earned his third career win in FLW competition. “It came on a (Sparrow-colored) Bobby’s Perfect Snag Proof Frog out of peppergrass. The frog bite died off for me when the conditions changed, but I saw some schooling-fish so I started throwing a topwater. I ended up catching the majority of my keepers on it Thursday – a (Shad White-colored) Mean Mouth Walker hardbait.
“I started out with the topwater again Friday morning, but they weren’t coming up and eating shad,” Summerlin continued. “I knew they were there holding in the little indentions in the grass line, but they weren’t showing themselves. I tried a lot of different baits before they finally ate a fluke, so I stuck with it.”
Summerlin said the bass preferred a Texas-rigged Glimmer Blue-colored Zoom Super Fluke Jr. on a 5/0-sized Lazer Trokar Wide Gap EWG Worm Hook.
“We had the same conditions Saturday as we did on Friday, so I used the fluke again and caught five keepers,” said Summerlin. “On my second-to-last cast, right before I had return to the ramp, I lost a four-plus-pounder. She didn’t really get hooked – just clamped down and then opened her mouth and the fluke came out. I thought that fish cost me the tournament.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:
1st: Gil Summerlin, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 47-3, $65,000
2nd: Matt Stanley, Alexandria, Tenn., 14 bass, 45-15, $10,200
3rd: Brennon McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., 15 bass, 42-14, $5,000
4th: Cody Santel, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 40-0, $3,000
5th: Tommy Williams, Shepherdsville, Ky., 15 bass, 38-6, $2,000
6th: Seth Davis, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 37-5, $1,900
Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:
7th: Greg Lamb, Harrison, Tenn., 14 bass, 37-1, $1,600
8th: Casey O'Donnell, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 35-11, $1,400
9th: Sam Morgan, Coalmont, Tenn., 15 bass, 34-13, $1,200
10th: Michael Black, Toledo, Ill., 11 bass, 32-0, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Lake Blasingame of Killen, Alabama, won the Co-angler Division and a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard with a three-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2019 BFL All-American were:
1st: Lake Blasingame, Killen, Ala., 10 bass, 26-12, $45,200
2nd: Mitch Murphy, Metropolis, Ill., eight bass, 24-7, $5,050
3rd: Todd Blakeman, Chatham, Ill., 11 bass, 24-3, $2,500
4th: Wayne Kilgore, Attalla, Ala., seven bass, 21-14, $1,500
5th: Terry Smith, Tullahoma, Tenn., nine bass, 20-15, $1,000
6th: Gary Megson, Dayton, Ohio, eight bass, 20-9, $900
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
7th: Harry Peyton, Decatur, Ala., nine bass, 20-9, $800
8th: Chase Maddox, Crane Hill, Ala., eight bass, 18-6, $700
9th: Billy Gardner, Livingston, Tenn., eight bass, 16-0, $600
10th: Amanda Black, Greenup, Ill., seven bass, 15-14, $500
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga presented by Realtree Fishing was hosted by the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.
The 2018 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 take place May 30-June 1 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism. 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, YouTube and Snapchat.