UPDATE - Jamie Hartman on Medical Exemption fore Remainder of 2018 Elite Season
Courtesy of Vance McCullough
AnglersChannel.com has been following the story of Elite Series pro Jamie Hartman this week. And then the call from The Pro Agency – Hartman’s rep group. “He’s done.”
It came as a shock. Honestly, we were rooting for the guy. Last word we’d received from the tough, blue collar, former truck driver was, even though a bout of sciatica had hospitalized him on Sunday and he had missed most of the official practice period for the Bassmaster Elite Series event on the upper Mississippi River, a friend would drive him up there and he would lean on the ‘old man seat’ on the deck of his boat and give his best to make a strong showing this week.
His friend, Cole Mckown, drove the 12 hours to get him there as Hartman laid in a makeshift bed in the back seat of his own truck. Hartman spent 4 hours on the water the final practice day, caught a few fish. And couldn’t drive his boat back to the ramp. “I couldn’t even use my Hot Foot,” he explained.
“I tried man. Drove my butt up there and I tried (Wednesday) and . . . ain’t gonna happen. Not gonna happen.
“I couldn’t even sit. It’s out of my control at this point. I’m done. It’s to the point where you can’t do anything at all. It’s an excruciating pain.
“I’ve had it since I was in my twenties,” shared the 45-year-old Hartman. “but it’s always been just a pinch for a few days and then it’s gone. In December it got pretty bad but only in the lower, right back. Then at the Lake Travis event I woke up with it, in the back but going down the leg. That was the first time I felt it in my leg.
“This week it was to the major extreme where I felt it in my whole lower back, all the way down my leg and into my calf. It locked my calf up so bad and went into my foot. From the middle of my thigh all the way to my toes are numb and tingling right now.”
The pain and loss of body control were debilitating. “I had to pull the plug. I had to have somebody drive my boat back while I was on the water. My leg was locked-up. I was done.”
Doctors have been unable to comfort Hartman. “I went to the clinic on Friday and ended up in the hospital again on Sunday. Nothing would relieve it – shot to the hip, pain-killers, muscle relaxers, steroids – nothing would touch it. The pain would not stop. And it was a constant pain, not like you could try to reposition and relax. It was over two days of constant level 8.”
Hartman has been fighting through the pain all season. It finally overtook him, “I’ve never had it like that. I’ll just work through like I always have and it will go away. But every single time I got on the water this year, about 11 o’clock in the morning – you know, you have two muscles that run up your back – well the one on my right side would cramp really bad every single time and I would fight through it every time. But I knew something was not right. I guess here is the outcome of it.”
Hartman had a CAT scan done during his recent hospital visit. It showed no ruptured disks. That’s good. But a CAT scan won’t show as much as an MRI, which he will have done in the near future. “I don’t know what an MRI is going to show. It may show that there’s an issue the CAT scan didn’t reveal.”
Hartman got a medical exemption from B.A.S.S. to postpone tournament participation, so he will fish the 2019 Elite Series. “That’s the only reason I stopped.
“Otherwise I would be laying there casting a Senko to the freaking shoreline, trying to catch a damned fish.
“I had to make sure that I was qualified to fish next season, which I am. My points stay as they are now (due to the hardship exemption) so I’ll finish 35th. It doesn’t affect anybody else, it just affects me. I am locked-in for next season already.”
Locked-in and committed – “They told me, ‘you have 4 tournaments that you paid for that we’ll get you back’ and I said, ‘Nope. Keep it. It’s a down payment. I’m fishing next year’.”
Delaware Takes B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional Team Title On Winyah Bay
|
|
|
Pipkens On Top After First Round At Mississippi River Bassmaster Elite
|
|||||
|
Muskegon’s College Bass Tour Shows Out at First Event
Courtesy of Jonathan LePera
The inaugural event of the College Bass Tour sponsored by DNR Sports and Kevin VanDam kicked off on Muskegon Lake in Muskegon County, Michigan this past Saturday. Muskegon Lake, which is approximately 4 000 acres in size, dumps into Lake Michigan. Both smallmouth and largemouth inhabit the lake and each took their turns visiting the scales today. Kevin VanDam and Mark Zona helped kick off the tour in style with a full tailgate spread, cash winnings and giveaways from many national sponsors.
The event saw 34 teams travel from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio to participate in the event.
The first half-hour after blast-off suggested a beautiful day ahead but such was not to be. A front from the North moved in and launched a torrential downpour for the next 4 ½ hours. The sun finally reappeared in the afternoon.
Once the scales settled, the team of Joshua Lopez and John Neubauer bested the field with a 16.71-pound limit anchored by a 4.27-pound largemouth.
1stPlace, Joshua Lopez and John Neubauer (16.71-pounds)
While pre-fishing the event, Neubauer was surprised to find the water stained which is not typical for the lake that time of year he said.
The front actually played right into their hands as they needed the wind to blow, cloud cover, or both for their pattern to work. During pre-fish, they’d found scads of bluegill set up on beds and immediately knew it was “game-on”.
“Today was one of those days that reminded me why we do this,” Neubauer said.
Targeting isolated weed patches with milfoil mixed in, they knew a swim jig would be the ticket. Finding reeds with mixed in with old wood proved valuable as well.
There best water was at the mouth of the Muskegon River, where the combination of wind, reeds, grass patches, and grass mats, proved invaluable as it reloaded with quality fish throughout the day.
“I didn’t realize the current affected the lake so much,” Lopez said.
On Neubauer’s first cast, several bluegill followed his 3/8-ounce homemade green pumpkin colored swim jig rigged with a Bizz Baits BB Magic Craw-colored Killer Craw back to the boat only to clear the way for a charging 4-pound largemouth to engulf the jig. He fished the jig on a 7-foot medium heavy action Fox River rod paired with a Revo SX reel spooled with 15-pound fluorocarbon.
On a day where there enjoyed steady action throughout, Lopez “called an audible” and made a cast with a Booyah Popping Pad Crasher only to have a 4-pound largemouth blow up on it and completely miss. That keyed the team into fishing those isolated patches with milfoil much slower. Using a 7-6 Fox River Rod paired with a Lews Tournament MB reel spooled with 50-pound Sunline FX2 braided, he made ultra-long casts to get his fish to commit to the frog.
While Neubauer fished his, Lopez opted for a 9K Elite Lures swim jig outfitted with a Case Plastics Cash Craw. Fished on a steady retrieve, the swim jig accounted for the majority of their limit with the odd frog fish mixed in. Whenever they’d impart any time of action to the jig during the retrieve, the bass showed no interest.
2ndPlace, Lucas Murphy and Nolan Hitt (15.78-pounds)
The team of Murphy and Hitt came into the event with plenty of confidence after winning 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour this past May.
Like the winners, they also keyed in on the bluegill spawn and targeted grass flats.
In the morning during the heart of the storm, the bites were aggressive, their baits often got snatched before they hit the bottom. If it didn’t, they’d hop it once, before making another cast nearby.
“Keeping our baits in the water was key,” Lucas started. “You could flip a foot to the left or right of where you just cast and get bit.” After the storm rolled through, they noticed that while their fish were still there, they’d turned lazy.
“You really had to knock them on the head to get them to bite”, Murphy said.
The team flipped grass quickly and efficiently using green pumpkin Texas-Rigged Strike King Rage Craws rigged on a 1-ounce tungsten weight while they fished Strike King Cut R Worms around sparse weeds rigged on a ½-ounce weight. Towards the end of the day, they were trying to almost create a reaction bite while pitching and flipping.
The craw was fished on a 7-6 Denali Lithium extra-heavy action rod paired with a Shimano casting reel spooled with 65-pound Sunline FX2 braided line. They fished a medium-heavy action Denali Lithium worm/jig rod paired with 12-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon for the worm.
3rdPlace, Danny Sprague and Riley Welch (15.35-pounds)
For Sprague and Welch, focussing on current was the ticket to cashing a cheque.
Despite having to share some of their spots with other boats, Sprague mentioned they had a rather unique way of looking at the situation.
“It actually gave us confidence knowing that our fish were still in the area even if others were catching them nearby,” he said.
They worked through different periods of time during the day when the bass would feed in flurries and while the storm helped some teams, it forced them to keep an open-mind.
“With the overcast conditions all day, there were much more spread out and roaming rather than locked tight to any certain type of structure,” Welch said.
“One thing I didn’t realize was how much the bass related to cover once the sun came out in the afternoon,” Sprague said.
The abundance of clouds scattered their fish which left them to cover water with an out-of-production Smithwick jerkbait that mimicked a green perch and a tube jig.
They fished the jerkbait on a medium-action Shimano Zodias rod paired with a Curado bait casting reel spooled with 20-pound Berkley FireLine. They fished the tube jig on a medium-heavy action Shimano Zodias rod paired with a Shimano Sahara spinning reel spooled with 10-pound Seaguar Abrazx.
4thPlace, Kyle and Colin Jump (14.59-pounds)
After losing the first 3 fish of the day, the Jump brothers got things turned around quick.
During their pre-fish, they’d noticed that the bluegills were on beds on the northwest side of the lake with better than average largemouth roaming nearby.
They figure they weeded through 20- to 25-keepers during the course of the day.
Using their 2d imaging, they’d discovered that the coon tail flats they’d targeted had thicker weeds on the steeper drops. In 8 ½ to 9 ½ feet of water. They decided to target the thickest weed growth that they could find.
Initially they thought that with the front moving through that the largemouth would be roaming and that they’d pick them off with black/blue Chatterbaits outfitted with a Case Plastics Cash Craw trailer. Quickly they realized that their fish a change of heart.
Instead, they slowed down and dissected the area with Texas-rigged Case Plastics Paddle Jack craw worm rigged on ¾ and 1-ounce tungsten sinkers. They fished it on a 7-6 RaZr Rods flipping stick paired with a Lews Tournament MB reel with 8:3:1 gearing spooled with 50- to 65-pound braided line. IF they didn’t get bit on the drop or when the bait just hit bottom, they’d reel in and continue to cover water.
“This area was perfect for post-spawn bass to ambush prey and feed,” Kyle Jump said. “They’re starting to munch now.”
5thPlace, Christopher Oja and Brandon Nastally (14.54-pounds)
Sometimes it’s good to zig when others zag and that is exactly what the team of Oja and Nastally did to crack the Top 5.
While many teams focussed on the bluegill spawn or targeted vegetation, they elected to run to the channel that pushes water from Lake Michigan into Muskegon Lake.
Upon arriving at their spot, they were amazed to see that the wind had shifted and actually stalled the current allowing their baits to fall vertically instead of gliding. “The wind made its on current,” Oja said.
Fishing a Ned Rig with a Z-Man TRD Finesse worm, they alternated between several head weights to get the proper rate of fall depending on what the current was doing.
Once the bait hit the bottom, Oja would hop it but got most of his bites once he imparted a quick turn after popping the bait.
The fish were stingy- the team only caught 6 fish all day.
Line watching to detect their bites was key so they fished 8-pound fluorescent green and orange Berkley FireLine braided line with a 12-pound fluorocarbon leader.
Big Bass of the Day, Austin Sherwood and Jared Havenaar, 5.7-pounds
Muskegon Official Final Standings
1stPlace, Joshua Lopez and John Neubauer (16.71)
2ndPlace, Lucas Murphy and Nolan Hitt (15.78-pounds)
3rdPlace, Danny Sprague and Riley Welch (15.35-pounds)
4thPlace, Kyle and Colin Jump (14.59-pounds)
5thPlace, Christopher Oja and Brandon Nastally (14.54-pounds)
For more information on the College Bass Tour, visit CollegeBassTour.com or KevinVanDam.com.
Florida Angler Grabs Early Lead In B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional Bass Tournament At Winyah Bay
|
|
|
Jamie Hartman to step away from remainder of 2018 Elite Series Season
AC Editor
Due to severe Sciatic Nerve pain that hospitalized Jamie Hartman earlier this week. In a recent announcement in his Facebook Page, He left the following post.
"Over the course of this Season I have experienced Sciatic pain that made me question if I was going to be able to go out and do my job. Somehow I was able to push through those tournaments at that level of pain and compete. This time, unfortunately and with every bone in my body I hate to say I can't bear it. I left the ER and commuted to Wisconsin. I attempted to practice in hopes if I got in the boat I would be able to figure it out and push through the pain, but it only became worse. I can't continue and I need to go home and seek further medical attention so that I will be able to compete in the future.
I am so thankful to have been able to participate in The Bassmaster Classic this year and compete in more than half of the Elite Series events. I appreciate BASS for allowing me to focus on my health and working with me through this situation.
I truly appreciate all of the support from my Sponsors, friends and family. I can't do this without you. Seeing your messages, texts, calls and being able to meet you is something I always look forward to. Above all of that, knowing that I have you supporting me is always a blessing I count.
This is one of - if not the most hardest decision I have had to make in my life, but I need to take this time now to get better so that I can come back next year and continue to do so for seasons to come. Competing at the highest level of Professional Fishing in the world is an honor that I am still humbled by til this day. Thank you."
Stay tuned for more to come and please keep Jamie in your prayers.
T-H MARINE HIRES SHANA RAMSEY FOR MARKETING TEAM
|
|
|
|
|
AC Insider Podcast Featuring Red River Opens Winner Patrick Walters!!
BASS Open Pro and Red River Champ Patrick Walters breaks down his win on the Red River in the Central Open last weekend. Chris breaks down his back-to-back TOC Wins on Lake Guntersville.
The boys talk Fake News and checking your facts before running your mouth, Progressive Bass Wrap Up, Costa Countdown to blastoff and plenty more in this weeks AC Insider Podcast!
VERMONT’S JUDD WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL NORTHEAST DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Co-angler Title Goes to Pennsylvania’s Fenstermaker
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 18, 2018) – Boater J.J. Judd of Saint Albans, Vermont, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Lake Champlain. Judd earned $5,138 for his win.
Judd said he spent his day on a southern section of the main lake, and targeted smallmouths that were still spawning.
“I went to my five biggest ones that I had located and caught them,” said Judd, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “I found fish in areas where they’ve spawned in the past, but with the water lower, they were surprisingly shallow. I think this is the tail-end of the spawn. A lot of the fish I found had been on beds for over two weeks and had lost quite a bit of weight.”
Judd said he fished a white Bass Pro Shops XPS Tender Tube with a ¼-ounce jighead on 10-pound-test P-Line fluorocarbon line.
“I throw white because I can see it well. I threw it in the bed and stared at it until I couldn’t see it, and that’s what told me it was in the fish’s mouth,” said Judd. “One of the big keys was my Costa sunglasses. On this lake, the green mirror finish helps me see really well.”
Around 10 a.m., Judd switched patterns and focused on postspawn smallmouth on the northern end of the lake in 18 to 20 feet of water with a 6-inch AYU-colored Roboworm Straight Tail Worm on a drop-shot rig.
“I fished near isolated boulders. I’d say 90 percent of the fish are done spawning up there. I culled up twice and went looking for a big largemouth to cap it off, but didn’t have any luck,” said Judd. “It was a tricky tournament to manage my fish. I’m fishing in the upcoming Costa (FLW Series) event this weekend and I didn’t want to burn too much, but I still wanted to do well.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: J.J. Judd, Saint Albans, Vt., five bass, 19-14, $5,138
2nd: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., five bass, 19-13, $2,469
3rd: Jason Stoddard, Saint Albans, Vt., five bass, 19-10, $1,646
4th: Perry Marvin, Peru, N.Y., five bass, 19-0, $1,152
5th: Charles Sim, Nepean, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 18-14, $1,388
6th: Ronald Penders Jr., Rochester, N.Y., five bass, 18-13, $864
6th: Jesse Spellicy, Gouverneur, N.Y., five bass, 18-13, $864
8th: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., five bass, 18-11, $741
9th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., five bass, 18-10, $617
9th: Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., five bass, 18-10, $617
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Brian Squires of Schenectady, New York, brought a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $745.
Mark Fenstermaker of Allentown, Pennsylvania, won the Co-angler Division and $2,436 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mark Fenstermaker, Allentown, Pa., five bass, 17-5, $2,436
2nd: Dylan Boyle, Coopersburg, Pa., five bass, 17-3, $1,218
3rd: William Ambler, Alderson, W. Va., five bass, 16-9, $1,014
4th: Henry McKee, Haddon Heights, N.J., five bass, 16-5, $618
5th: James Ohono, Bridgeton, N.J., five bass, 15-14, $487
6th: Craig Cleveland, Utica, N.Y., five bass, 15-10, $447
7th: Mike Urbania, Mentor, Ohio, five bass, 15-8, $365
7th: Chris Morrison, Columbia, Md., five bass, 15-8, $365
7th: Ryan Spaulding, North Bangor, N.Y., five bass, 15-8, $365
10th: Gordon Bocash, Woodstock, Conn., five bass, 15-7, $284
Wes Vyverberg of Rochester, New York, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $367.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Lake Champlain was hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 11-13 BFL Regional Championship on Chesapeake Bay in North East, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
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. 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.
BATES WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MISSISSIPPI DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE FERGUSON
Iuka’s Whipple Earns Co-angler Title
GREENVILLE, Miss. (June 18, 2018) – Local boater Terry Bates of Greenville weighed a 22-pound, 15-ounce limit of bass to win Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Lake Ferguson. Bates pocketed $4,559 for his catch.
“I made a 40-minute run from takeoff to Lake Lee to fish humps,” said Bates, who earned his third career win in BFL competition. “I pulled up to one and caught three, but also lost a couple of good ones. There were a lot of gar in the area and they tore up my bait so I decided to leave.”
Bates said he used Watermelon Candy- and Black Ruby-colored Zoom Brush Hogs along with a Carolina-rigged 10-inch plum-colored Berkley Powerbait Power Worm. He also caught some fish with a ¾-ounce football-head jig with a Watermelon Candy Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw trailer.
“I moved to another hump around 10 a.m. and caught two to finish my limit,” said Bates. “I kept moving and had five different areas to fish. I wasn’t able to cull so I went back to Lake Ferguson around 10:30 (a.m.).”
Bates’ winning limit was caught on 17-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100 percent Fluorocarbon Ice line on a 7-foot, 11-inch Fenwick Elite Tech Casting Rod and Abu Garcia Revo SX Generation 3 reel.
“On Ferguson I fished some gravel humps in 15 to 20 feet of water,” said Bates. “I got rid of a small 13-incher from Lee with a 2½-pounder. The last fish I caught was at 12:30 (p.m.) – a 6-pound, 9-ouncer.”
Bates’ final bass ended up being the largest fish of the event – caught with the Carolina-rigged Watermelon Candy Brush Hog.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Terry Bates, Greenville, Miss., five bass, 22-15, $4,559
2nd: Jeff Johnston, Marion, Ark., five bass, 20-12, $2,005
3rd: Tim McDaniel, Grenada, Miss., five bass, 19-3, $1,336
4th: Heath Gilmore, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 18-11, $1,135
5th: Marty Torrence, Crystal Springs, Miss., five bass, 18-4, $802
6th: Chad Mayfield, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 17-13, $835
7th: Percy Jones, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 17-10, $668
8th: Joel Barber, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 16-14, $601
9th: Sawyer Sparks, Summit, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $535
10th: David Dove, Steens, Miss., five bass, 16-7, $444
10th: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 16-7, $444
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Bates’ 6-pound, 9-ounce bass earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $550.
Keith Whipple of Iuka, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $2,205 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Keith Whipple, Iuka, Miss., five bass, 21-10, $2,205
2nd: Leland Brown, Fulton, Miss., five bass, 19-6, $1,002
3rd: Bobby Bullock, Florence, Miss., five bass, 18-10, $718
4th: Kevin Culpepper, Seminary, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $468
5th: Austin Navarre, Carriere, Miss., five bass, 15-7, $401
6th: Jim Pierce, Medon, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $368
7th: Jimmy Hughes, Bartlett, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $334
8th: John Swords, Collierville, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $284
8th: Justin Ketteringham, Pearl, Miss., five bass, 13-4, $284
10th: Joseph Breeden, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 13-1, $234
Louis Stevens of Grenada, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $275.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Lake Ferguson was hosted by the Greenville/Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
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. 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.
TENNESSEE’S MCCLURE WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL LBL DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON KENTUCKY AND BARKLEY LAKES
Campbellsville’s Pillow Takes Co-angler Title
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 18, 2018) – Boater Brad McClure of Brentwood, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) LBL Division tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his efforts, McClure took home $4,963.
“I caught them on deep brush piles, 12 to 17 feet down,” said McClure, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “I was on Lake Barkley, and used a plum-colored Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm.”
McClure said he caught 11 of his 12 keepers from a mid-lake area that contained several brush piles. He said one pile ended up producing three of his largest fish, and that he caught everything he weighed in between 8:30 and 9:10 a.m.
“I think finding the fish in that one spot with my Lowrance unit was key for me,” said McClure. “They were stacked because of the brush piles, stumps and baitfish. I put waypoints down for the individual brush piles and then used my MinnKota Ultrex Spot Lock feature to keep me stationary so I could make the same casts over and over to the piles.”
McClure said his worm was Texas-rigged with a 3/8-ounce Strike King Tour Grade tungsten weight on a 4/0 Bass Pro Shops XPS Round Bend Offset Hook and 15-pound-test Berkley Big Game line. He threw it on a 7-foot, 6-inch Abu Garcia Vendetta medium-heavy casting rod and Pflueger Supreme baitcasting reel.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brad McClure, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 23-14, $4,963
2nd: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 19-15, $2,181
3rd: Chris Beaudrie, Princeton, Ky., five bass, 18-6, $1,422
4th: Jordan Hartman, Murray, Ky., five bass, 17-8, $925
5th: Larry Bailey, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $793
6th: Jim Eakin, Clarksville, Tenn., four bass, 16-13, $1,027
7th: Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 16-11, $660
8th: Josh Malone, Alma, Ill., five bass, 15-10, $594
9th: Stephen Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 15-6, $528
10th: Tim Collier, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 15-3, $462
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Arby Tevault of Elberfield, Indiana, brought a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $535.
Robert Pillow of Campbellsville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,981 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Robert Pillow, Campbellsville, Ky., five bass, 15-2, $1,981
2nd: Greg Henry, Hixson, Tenn., five bass, 14-6, $991
3rd: Spencer Childers, Jasper, Ga., four bass, 13-12, $662
4th: Jake Steinkuhl, Evansville, Ind., four bass, 12-0, $562
5th: Roger Richardson, Belleville, Ill., two bass, 11-6, $663
6th: Wendy Kmucha, Harrisburg, Ill., four bass, 10-13, $363
7th: Luke Lamb, Nicholasville, Ky., four bass, 10-0, $330
8th: Thomas White, Iron City, Tenn., three bass, 9-15, $347
9th: Danny Robinson, Fairland, Ind., three bass, 9-2, $264
10th: Chuck Rounds, Benton, Ky., two bass, 8-2, $231
Richardson caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $267.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) LBL Division tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
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. 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.
HOT SPRINGS’ BROWN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL ARKIE DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE DARDANELLE PRESENTED BY GEARED
Fulton’s Crider Grabs Co-angler Title
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (June 18, 2018) – Boater Kevin Brown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Lake Dardanelle presented by GEARED. Brown earned $6,256 for his win.
Brown said he fished from the takeoff ramp to Shoal Bay, working through five or six key areas and catching around 30 keepers throughout the event.
“I fished shell drops and brush piles from 5 to 13 feet down,” said Brown, who earned his third career win in BFL competition. “I caught them on a Texas-rigged Yum Ribbon Tail worm in plum and red shad colors. I also used shad and chartreuse-colored medium- and deep-diving Bomber crankbaits.”
Brown said he was able to put a limit of fish in the boat by 10 a.m.
“Sometimes I went for an hour or two without a bite, so I just kept moving,” said Brown. “But overall, it was a fun day from start to finish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 19-2, $4,256 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Sawyer Grace, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 17-11, $1,978
3rd: Dustin Huggins, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 17-2, $1,253
4th: Josh Hilton, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 15-13, $876
5th: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-11, $751
6th: Cody Kemp, Donaldson, Ark., five bass, 15-8, $689
7th: Chuck Hamby, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-1, $1,116
8th: Justin Swayze, Gurdon, Ark., five bass, 14-3, $563
9th: Spencer Grace, Dardanelle, Ark., five bass, 14-0, $501
10th: Josh Ray, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 13-13, $438
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Hamby brought a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $490.
Johnny Crider of Fulton, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,078 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Johnny Crider, Fulton, Ark., five bass, 13-14, $2,078
2nd: Charles Swilley, Ashdown, Ark., five bass, 13-11, $939
3rd: Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., five bass, 13-8, $627
4th: John McCullar, Benton, Ark., five bass, 12-4, $438
5th: Tony Smith, Benton, Ark., four bass, 11-6, $376
6th: Robert Scott, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 9-15, $344
7th: Todd Brown, Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 9-6, $363
8th: Kenyon Johnson, Mountain Home, Ark., three bass, 9-4, $282
9th: Kevin LaRue, Royal, Ark., four bass, 8-4, $234
9th: Jason Mullins, Benton, Ark., four bass, 8-4, $234
Daniel Elam of Lamar, Arkansas, also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $245.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Lake Dardanelle presented by GEARED was hosted by Russellville Advertising and Promotions.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
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. 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.
Patrick Walters Saves Gas And Wins A Boat In Bassmaster Open On The Red River
|
|
|
Kimura Takes First-Round Lead In Bassmaster Open Tournament On The Red River
|
|
|
Taking Care of Those Who Took Care of us.
-Vance McCullough
John Laurenza, Jr. makes custom fishing lures under the name of Lure Concepts of Vero.
As fired-up as he is about making lures, Laurenza is at least as passionate about giving back to our soldiers.
“John donates a care package with several of his custom baits to a veteran each month,” said Will Mansfield, an army veteran and kayak-crazy bass angler. “I was fortunate to receive it for May!”
Mansfield noted, “He donates hundreds of baits a year to the Reel American Heroes Foundation bass tournament each year in Virginia. This dude is a patriot. Very selfless guy.”
Laurenza makes spinnerbaits and buzzbaits for the bass fishing market. “I wire wrap my skirts so they don’t come undone like they would if I used a standard collar,” says Laurenza.
In spite of the quality craftsmanship, Laurenza found the fishing lure market a tough nut to crack. “I didn’t take the hand-crafted lure market by storm like I thought I would. But a man named Ron Defreitas contacted me on Facebook and asked if I would donate a couple dozen lures to the Reel American Heroes Foundation which helps veterans with recreational therapy through fishing. I agreed to do that. Now I am a team member. I set up my tent at the tournament every year and, the money I make selling lures, I put back into making lures to give away to veterans.
“I also send out my baits, randomly, to men and women who have served this country. I may meet someone along the bank or at a ramp and give them some of my personal lures just to say ‘thank you’ for their service.
“I was taught by a friend in 2009 how to mold hand-crafted spinnerbaits - Don Ludwig - he was my service manager when I worked at Firestone. He lives in Pittsburg, but we still talk about fishing all the time,” said Laurenza who now lives in Vero Beach, Florida.
Laurenza will donate 300 lures to the 8thannual RAHF fishing tournament this August 4that Hope Springs Marina in Virginia. “Every veteran that takes part in our event will get a brand-new rod and reel from Lew’s. They’ll also get a tackle box full of lures. My friend Will Mansfield will be coming up. He’s already registered to participate in the event.
“Last July we put 117 heroes on the water. This year we want to beat that. We have a lot of celebrity anglers at the tournament – Shaw Grigsby, Timmy Horton, John Crews & Steve Parks from Strike King.”
To buy some lures and support Laurenza’s efforts, find him on Facebook under his name or under Lure Concepts of Vero. You can also call him at 724-664-2761.
To learn more about RAHF – a 501c3 non-profit, 100% volunteer-run organization, check out ReelAmericanHeroes.org.
Table Rock Lake To Host The Bassmaster Opens Championship In October
|
|
AC Insider: Elite Series Winner Greg Hackney & Mr. Bass of Arkansas Winner Hunter Baughman
On this weeks AC Insider Podcast Bass Mafia Pro Greg Hackney Breaks down his wire-to-wire win on the Sabine River last weekend and talks about Patience and how to mentally survive a 4-day grind. Arkansas Angler Hunter Baughman is not "Normal" and you'll hear why when the boys talk to him about his life and his recent Mr. Bass of Arkansas Win. The boys talk opinions, spectators, diets and more on this weeks AC Insider Podcast!
PINEY FLATS’ NEAL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL VOLUNTEER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON DOUGLAS LAKE
Kentucky’s Moore Claims Co-angler Title
KODAK, Tenn. (June 11, 2018) – Boater Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division tournament on Douglas Lake. For his efforts, Neal took home $3,505.
According to post-tournament reports, Neal targeted points in 32 to 42 feet of water with a green-pumpkin-colored worm to catch his fish.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Larry Neal, Piney Flats, Tenn., five bass, 21-12, $3,505
2nd: Michael Cantrell, Philadelphia, Tenn., five bass, 20-2, $1,753
3rd: Jason Bridwell, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $1,589
4th: Rex Pendergrass, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 16-6, $1,218
5th: Tim Smiley, White Pine, Tenn., five bass, 16-3, $701
6th: Bryant Ailor, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 15-8, $643
7th: Jonathan Bowling, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $584
8th: Willie Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $496
8th: Matt Brown, Corbin, Ky., five bass, 14-13, $496
10th: Tee Watkins, East Point, Ky., five bass, 14-9, $409
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jeffrey Mahaffey of Bristol, Tennessee, brought a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $220.
Eric Moore of Union, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,753 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Eric Moore, Union, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $1,753
2nd: Colton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 15-11, $876
3rd: Chad Ball, Abingdon, Va., five bass, 13-9, $585
4th: Matthew Rasnick, Elizabethton, Tenn., three bass, 10-10, $629
5th: Ben Hudson, Lynchburg, Va., four bass, 10-8, $351
6th: Jose Salgado, Artemus, Ky., four bass, 10-6, $421
7th: Scott Standafer, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 9-14, $292
8th: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 9-7, $263
9th: Jacob Linkous, Rogersville, Tenn., four bass, 9-0, $234
10th: David Shreve, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 8-14, $204
Rasnick caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $220.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
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 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. 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.
Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament at home on Table Rock
Ridgedale, Mo. (May 23, 2018) – The unparalleled outdoor elegance of the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Academy, along with nearby Long Creek Marina have provided a perfect venue the past two years for the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event. Hence, the highly popular 7thAnnual event will return to these two best-in-class facilities at Table Rock Lake on October 27-28, 2018.
Saturday evening’s registration meeting and free dinner will take place again at the Bass Pro Outdoor Academy, with launch and weigh-in a very short distance down Missouri’s Highway 86 at Long Creek Marina and Boat Ramp.
All eligible registered Bonus Bucks participants are invited to participate and register a team for the Owners Tournament, with the exception of Bassmaster Elite Series and Walmart FLW Tour pros. Only one of the team members must be registered in the Bonus Bucks Program to be eligible to compete.
The top 30 teams are guaranteed a paycheck. A free gift bag will be given to the first 200 anglers to sign up for the tournament, and all teams will have a chance to visit with Team Toyota and Bassmaster Elite Series pros who will be on hand to help with the event.
Anglers are required to pre-register by October 19, 2018. B.A.S.S. tournament staff will conduct the tournament, and be onsite Saturday afternoon October 27th at 4:00 p.m. CDT for official angler check-in at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Academy near Big Cedar Resort in Ridgedale, Missouri.
Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible for this fellowship-filled, prize-rich event. Limited space is available. To register, visit toyotafishing.com. You can also call Kendell at (918) 742-6424, or email: bonusbucks@dynamicsponsorships.com.
Charlie Doss Tops 2300 Anglers in Skeeters Owners Tournament on Lake Fork with 11.19 GIANT!!!!!
| Angler | City | State | Weight | Prize Amount | |
| CHARLES DOSS | Fort Worth | TX | 11.19 |
|
|
| ROBBIE JOHNSON | Goodrich | TX | 3.02 |
|
|
| LISA INGRAM | Hughes Springs | TX | 8.26 |
|
|
| GABE COMPTON | El Reno | OK | 2.00 |
|
|
| SABRINA WAGONER | Springtown | TX | 2.66 |
|
|
| MATTHEW MAFFEI | Lake Wales | FL | 2.00 |
|
|
| CHEREE WATTS | San Angelo | TX | 2.43 |
|
|
| LAUREN WILLIAMS | Weatherford | TX | 2.43 |
|
|
| BRODIE MCMAHON | Hallsville | TX | 2.00 |
|
|
| JACK DUEWALL | Hurst | TX | 2.18 |
|
|
| CHARLES DOSS | Fort Worth | TX | 11.19 |
|
|
| GAVYN JONES | White Oak | TX | 10.49 |
|
|
| SHANE HARTLESS | Longview | TX | 10.34 |
|
|
| ADAM CLARK | Dripping Springs | TX | 10.01 |
|
|
| GREG GILLUM | Plano | TX | 9.81 |
|
|
| KEITH BRADSHAW | Tyler | TX | 9.72 |
|
|
| RIVER LEE | Normangee | TX | 8.76 |
|
|
| ROY ARAGONEZ | Celina | TX | 8.44 |
|
|
| BRANDON MCQUEEN | Belton | TX | 8.38 |
|
|
| DONALD FISHER | Mount Pleasant | TX | 8.22 |
|
|
| RAY PEBWORTH | Coalgate | OK | 6.94 |
|
|
| ERIC CEGLINSKI | Woodlawn | IL | 2.73 |
|
|
| PAUL KELBE | Alba | TX | 2.58 |
|
|
| GAVIN DAWS | Durant | OK | 9.98 |
|
|
| MARK SMITH | Fort Worth | TX | 9.69 |
|
|
| CECIL TUBB | Dike | TX | 8.83 |
|
|
| ARNOL GEORGE | Longview | TX | 8.61 |
|
|
| LEROY SCHROEDER | Magnolia | TX | 8.30 |
|
|
| JAMES STEIN | Lakehills | TX | 8.13 |
|
|
| CALEB MCKINNEY | Ninnekah | OK | 2.95 |
|
|
| ADAM MIRANDA | Brownwood | TX | 2.81 |
|
|
| RICARDO GUZMAN | Columbia | MO | 2.77 |
|
|
| DANNY KATZER | Pipe Creek | TX | 2.71 |
|
|
| JEFF RANDOLPH | Huntsville | TX | 2.66 |
|
|
| GEORGE JETT | Arlington | TX | 2.55 |
|
|
| CLAYTON CEGLINSKI | Salem | IL | 2.61 |
|
|
| GARRY SIGLER | Woodway | TX | 2.61 |
|
|
| MATT BEARD | Abilene | TX | 9.93 |
|
|
| MARK MITCHELL | Sanger | TX | 9.47 |
|
|
| LISA INGRAM | Hughes Springs | TX | 8.26 |
|
|
| TERRY NEAL | Longview | TX | 7.99 |
|
|
| WAYNE KRALIK | Plano | TX | 6.59 |
|
|
| SABRINA WAGONER | Springtown | TX | 2.66 |
|
|
| NATHAN LONG | Cleveland | TX | 2.64 |
|
|
| CHASE BRECKENRIDGE | Longview | TX | 2.62 |
|
|
| DANNY TALIAFERRO | Palestine | TX | 2.54 |
|
|
| SHANE HENDERSON | Yantis | TX | 2.50 |
|
|
| MIKE TAYLOR | Stilwell | OK | 2.48 |
|
|
| CHRIS ZACHRY | Streetman | TX | 2.44 |
|
|
| JOHN ZANTER JR | Mart | TX | 8.00 |
|
Allen Yarborough and Kyle Dorsett win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail at Logan Martin
by Dan O’Sullivan
June 9, 2018 – Cropwell, Ala. – Any time one ventures out in a summer tournament, the chances of a lake resembling an ocean are great. With the fourth tournament on the 2018 Alabama Bass Trail’s Northern Division schedule being on Logan Martin, those chances became reality.
Logan Martin is one of the bodies of water that is known as a playground for Birmingham, and when warm summer conditions were on the forecast for tournament day, people came out to play in the water. The heavy boating traffic and hot conditions made for less than ideal navigation for the 203 team field, and put the Coosa River’s resident largemouth and spotted into a slight funk.
However, as with every tournament, someone will figure out how to do enough to win, and despite the weights being lighter than anticipated, the team of Allen Yarborough and Kyle Dorsett produced a 16.68-pound limit, which earned them the day’s victory and the $10,000 first prize.
The pair, who has vast knowledge of the lake were a little surprised by the result. “We really didn’t think we had enough to win,” they said. “We knew it was tough, but never would have thought that less than 17 pounds would have won today; this is a great surprise.”
Yarborough and Dorsett said that they spent their day fishing from the Logan Martin Dam on the lower end of the lake and working their way back upstream to the mid lake area. They concentrated on Flippin’ docks with a 3/8 “green and blue jigs with Zoom Chunk trailers and Zoom Trick Worms and NetBait TMac worms, while catching a few key fish off of brushpiles throughout the day as well. “We had to really scale down because they didn’t pull as much current as we thought they would,” they said. “We just did the best we could, trying to get bites, and we’re really happy with the way things turned out.”
The second place team of Michael Stevens Jr. and Paul Arnold find themselves in a familiar position having finished second the last time the Northern Division made a regular season stop at Logan Martin. The pair from Fayetteville, Tenn. and Woodville, Ala. said they were satisfied with how they fished, but slightly frustrated to finish in the runner up position again. “We had a great day on the water, but it’s frustrating to come so close and fall short again,” they said. “We caught 50 fish upriver in current eddies on a Spot Remover head and green pumpkin Trick Worm. It was a fun day, and while we would rather have won, we’re grateful for the good finish with one more event left.” The pair earned the $5,000 second place prize, along with the $250 ABT Gear bonus for wearing an item of Alabama Bass Trail Apparel during the event and weigh-in.
The team of Jim Marona and Cory Jones caught a 5.28-pound largemouth that anchored their 14.42-pound limit. Their effort earned them sixth place for the day, as well as the $500 Mountain Dew Big Bass bonus for weighing in the largest fish of the event.
The rest of the Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lml-results/
| Place | Anglers | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Allen Yarborough / Kyle Dorsett | 16.68 | 4.44 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Michael Stevens Jr / Paul Arnold | 15.95 | 4.02 | $5,000 |
| 3 | Allen Hayes / Danny Bishop | 15.71 | $4,000 | |
| 4 | Russ Sapp / Joey Nania | 15.54 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | Bradley Jones / Andy Kilgore | 14.69 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | Jim Marona / Cory Jones | 14.42 | 5.28 | $1,500 |
| 7 | Chad Hall / Jake Smith | 14.37 | $1,100 | |
| 8 | Charlie Cummings / Greg Pugh | 14.33 | $1,100 | |
| 9 | Tracy Robinson / Willie Staten | 14.14 | $1,100 | |
| 10 | Lanny Guthrie / Lee Hurley | 14.11 | $1,100 |
Hackney Records Wire-To-Wire Victory In Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Sabine River
|
|||||
|
Red River Set To Challenge Bassmaster Opens Anglers
|
|
PARIS’ LAWRENCE LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES AT LAKE BARKLEY PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE
Courtesy of FLW Fishing
CADIZ, Ky. (June 9, 2018) – Boater Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, won the Costa FLW Series at Lake Barkley presented by T-H Marine Saturday after bringing a limit of bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces to the scale. Lawrence’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 72-4 gave him the win by a 7-pound, 5-ounce margin and earned him the top prize of $48,300.
Lawrence said that he knew most of the bass would be located offshore on the deeper ledges, where they would be easy to locate but challenging to catch. He also knew the early combination of heavy rain and high water coupled with the strong current would send some fish seeking shallower cover. That’s where he trained his efforts; specifically an area near the mouth of a small creek south of the Highway 79 bridge.
Lawrence was targeting fish in the 8-12 foot zone. He primarily threw a 10-inch V&M J-Mag Worm in red bug (either on a Neko Rig or a swing head), but he says he also caught fish on a Scrounger with a Castaic Jerky J, as well as a custom-made hair jig, a football jig and a spoon.
Most of Lawrence’s fish came each morning from the same area following a nearly 90-minute run from the Lake Barkley State Park launch site. The day one morning result was a fantastic 28-pound 15-ounce limit. He collected a 21-10 limit on day two. On day three he had a winning limit in the boat by 7:30 and caught his last fish around 11 o’clock.
“Conditions are changing,” he said. “This was about the last day of it. I’m glad it lasted as long as it did.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Barkley finished:
1st: Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 15 bass, 72-4, $48,300
2nd: Garrett Paquette, Canton, Mich., 15 bass, 64-15, $18,500
3rd: Mike Roller, Purdy, Mo., 15 bass, 58-10, $13,500
4th: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 57-7, $11,600
5th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 55-9, $10,500
6th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-8, $8,750
7th: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 14 bass, 54-13, $7,600
8th: Cody Harrison, Tuscumbia, Ala., 13 bass, 52-11, $6,600
9th: Adam Craig, Buchanan, Tenn., 12 bass, 44-6, $5,600
10th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 12 bass, 41-10, $4,300
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Lawrence caught an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass Thursday – the biggest of the tournament – and also earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Hunter Fillmore of Waynesville, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower outboard motor with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 37 pounds, 8 ounces. Brian Peterson of Clarksville, Tennessee, finished runner-up with 11 bass weighing 37-1, good for $5,750.
The top 10 Co-anglers on Lake Barkley finished:
1st: Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, 11 bass, 37-8, Ranger Z175 boat with 90-horsepower outboard
2nd: Brian Peterson, Clarksville, Tenn., 11 bass, 37-1, $5,750
3rd: Douglas Colson, Cadiz, Ky., 13 bass, 36-0, $4,650
4th: Mark Howard, Mesquite, Texas, 10 bass, 35-11, $4,000
5th: Ben Jackson, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 30-3, $3,300
6th: Christopher Lemon, Mooresville, Ind., nine bass, 30-1, $2,800
7th: Rick Parker, Kaufman, Texas, nine bass, 26-4, $2,300
8th: Michael Allbright, Athens, Texas, nine bass, 26-0, $1,900
9th: John Magness, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 25-4, $1,560
10th: Adam Lock, Metropolis, Ill., five bass, 19-4, $1,310
Howard caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a bass weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake Barkley presented by T-H Marine was hosted by the Cadiz-Trigg County Tourist and Convention Commission. It was the second of three regular-season FLW Series Central Division tournament in the 2018 season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Northern Division tournament, held June 21-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York presented by Power-Pole. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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.
Hackney Extends His Lead At The Bassmaster Elite Series Event On The Sabine River
|
|||||
|
Hackney Holds Onto Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On The Sabine River
|
|||||
|
Jake Lawrence Leads FLW Costa Central on KY/Barkley Lakes with over 28 pounds!!!
June 7, 2018 by Gary Garth - Courtesy of FLW Fishing
Jake Lawrence knew where the fish were and knew where he wanted to fish.
When the Paris, Tenn., pro roared away from the Lake Barkley State Park Marina Thursday morning for the opening round of Costa FLW Series event presented by T-H Marine he headed down Lake Barkley to the canal that links Barkley and its sister impoundment, Kentucky Lake.
He turned west and sliced through the canal and then headed south, up Kentucky Lake to a patch of water near Paris Landing State Park. It’s a long run; about 80 miles one way. Lawrence wasn’t alone in his destination. Most of the field headed to Kentucky Lake to probe its ledge cover for the legions of bass that flock to it when summer’s heat arrives.
Lawrence, however, enjoyed something his fellow anglers did not. He had a short work day. By late morning he was finished.
“I quit fishing around 11,” says Lawrence, who roared into the lead with a 28-pound 15-ounce five-fish limit. “I didn’t come in. But I quit fishing seriously.”
Lawrence’s sack was anchored by an 8-8 largemouth and he says he caught four of his keepers from one spot and the fifth from another.
Whether Lawrence dialed in the motherlode or happened to hit the right place at the right time he wouldn’t say. He also declined to offer specifics about his baits. “I’d rather not get into that,” he graciously replies. “But it was a good day. Real good.”
He’s got to put some gas in the boat tonight and more at a marina tomorrow, but he says he's hoping for a repeat and is anxious to make the 160-mile round trip again.
Top 10 pros
1. Jake Lawrence – Paris, Tenn. – 28-15 (5)
2. Hensley Powell – Whitwell, Tenn. – 23-3 (5)
3. Brandon Hunter – Benton, Ky. – 22-1 (5)
4. Ramie Colson Jr. – Cadiz, Ky. – 21-0 (5)
5. Cole Floyd – Leesburg, Ohio – 20-15 (5)
6. Jeremy Lawyer – Sarcoxie, Mo. – 20-13 (5)
7. Todd Castledine – Nacogdoches, Texas – 20-12 (5)
8. Marcus Sykora – Osage Beach, Mo. – 20-10 (5)
9. Lance Williams – Billings, Mo. – 20-4 (5)
10. Stacey King – Reeds Spring, Mo. – 20-2 (5)
HARTMAN LEADS CO-ANGLERS
Fishing behind Cole Floyd on Kentucky Lake is always going to be a learning experience, but it was also fish-catching one for Jordan Hartman. From nearby Murray, Ky., and a member of the Murray State Bass Fishing Team, Hartman rustled up 18-10 to grab the lead on the co-angler side. There are a bevy of bags in the teens behind him, so he’ll likely need to keep catching to make the weekend and have a shot at a win.
Early Big Bite Lifts Hackney Into Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On The Sabine River
|
|||||
|
Brad Knight - "I will find my way"
Courtesy of FLW Tour Pro Brad Knight
Photos Courtesy of FLW Fishing
Well folks, as we head into the home stretch of the FLW Tour season, my 2018 has not been what I had hoped it would. The one-word summary would be ‘disappointing’.
But, I’ve had good seasons and I’ve had bad. I’ll recover from it next year and have another good one, hopefully.
We started with two tournaments in Florida. That put me behind the 8-ball right from the start. I made some decisions, trying to get myself back into good position and those didn’t pan out.
Of course, I lost a couple of big fish that would have made a difference, but that happens to everybody and it’s not an excuse.
To put my finger on exactly what went wrong, I’m not sure, to be honest. Not getting any momentum to start the year didn’t help. It had a bit of a snowball effect. You don’t want to dig yourself a hole at the start of the year and then feel like you’re playing catch-up. That’s what happened.
Now, I’ve been around some fish and it has not worked out. I kind of rolled the dice, trying to make things happen. I fished against my strengths a little bit this year, trying to win. Lanier is a perfect example. I knew it was going to be won on the lower end, out off the bank. The water was up and dirty. Shallow, dirty water is my strength. But I knew it wasn’t going to be won that way. I’m trying to put myself in position to win tournaments. That may cost you a little bit of consistency and it may cost you a few checks along the way, but as long as it puts you in position to win an event every year or two, that’s the goal for me at every tournament because in our sport, wins are what counts.
One big difference is I haven’t had my wife, Becky, or my daughter, Tinsley with me. Tinsley just graduated kindergarten, so we’re excited about that. And I have enjoyed sleeping in my Lance camper, though I had grown accustomed to having Becky and Tinsley waiting for me each day when I came off the water in our old 40-footer.
The Lance has made me feel right at home - off the water - no matter where I’ve gone this year, even when the fish treated me like a stranger on the water.
The FLW Tour takes us to Lake St. Clair next. I need to go up there and have a good week, turn the whole season around. It’s funny how your whole season can get defined by one good week. The chance to whack on some smallmouth is a welcome thought. The weather should be good. Being up there so early in the year is going to be a little different for everybody. We will either be on the tail end of the spawn or the immediate post-spawn. Sight-fishing could play a role. I wouldn’t mind having a couple of good ones to start on, if that’s a viable option.
There may be a strong topwater bite. It should be a really fun event. I look forward to getting up there.
As for the Bassmaster Opens, I would really like to qualify for the championship and fish for that Bassmaster Classic Berth. I would be lying if I said that fishing the Bassmaster Classic wasn’t on my bucket list. And the Classic will be on Fort Loudon, in my back yard. It would be awesome to fish the Classic and get to sleep in my own bed.
In order to do that, I need to do well in the last two Eastern Open events on Lake Champlain and Douglas Lake, which is about an hour from my house. I’ve got a lot of familiarity with Douglas, but September is kind of a tough time to fish there, although that could help me out some, make it tougher on everybody. My local knowledge could be an advantage then.
First though, I have to survive Champlain with a decent finish. Ounces matter. You can have a really good day of fishing and eight ounces could make a 30-place difference. You could have 16 pounds, a decent day, and be in 100thplace or have 17 pounds and be in 30thplace.
On the business side, I’m looking forward to the big ICAST show in July, catching up with friends and seeing the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. That’s always exciting. I enjoy working for my sponsors.
On the tournament side, I will find my way. I will make it back again.
AC INSIDER PODCAST - "Louisiana Saturday Night" Featuring ULM's Hunter Freeman & All American Champ Nick LeBrun!
Sit down, Buckle up and Hold on!! The Boys are jacked up and ready to talk fishing with some Louisiana Hammers in this weeks AC Insider Podcast! First up is ULM Senior Hunter Freeman. Freeman and Partner Thomas Soileau (pronounced swallow) Won the FLW YETI College Championship on the Red River and Hunter went on to win the fish off to qualify for the FLW Cup in August. Hunter talks about everything from the Red River to practice and preparation to his "Hair Flow."
Next up the Boys talk to TH Marine BFL All-American Champ Nick LeBrun and how he won the All-American 5 minutes from his house and what this win will do for his business and his career. The boys also talk Progressive Bass Wrap up, Costa Countdown to blastoff and a ton more! It might be a weekday show, but its always a Louisiana Saturday night somewhere! Check it out!!!
WISCONSIN’S ELK MOUND HIGH SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING WHITEFISH CHAIN OPEN PRESENTED BY YETI IN MINNESOTA
CROSSLAKE, Minn. (June 4, 2018) – The Elk Mound High School duo of Cole Steinhorst and Blaze Todd, both of Elk Mound, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Whitefish Chain Open presented by YETI tournament. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National championship, held June 26-30, on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
According to post-tournament reports, the duo fished docks using white- and black and blue-colored swimbaits.
A field of 96 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Moonlite Bay in Crosslake. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top nine teams on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Elk Mound High School, Elk Mound, Wis. – Cole Steinhorst & Blaze Todd, both of Elk Mound, Wis., five bass, 15-14, $400
2nd: Brainerd High School, Brainerd, Minn. – Leana Ruggles and Lexus Ruggles, both of Brainerd, Minn., five bass, 15-12
3rd: Pequot Lakes High School, Pequot Lakes, Minn. – Grant Loge, Breezy Point, Miss., and Ryan Foty-Helmer, Pequot Lakes, five bass, 15-7
4th: St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael, Minn. – Tyler Suchla and Brant Lewis, both of St. Michael, Minn., five bass, 15-4
5th: Brainerd High School, Brainerd, Minn. – Wyatt Cronin and Austin Neyens, both of Brainerd, Minn., five bass, 15-4
6th: Pequot Lakes High School, Pequot Lakes, Minn. – Dylan Semler, Merrifield, Minn., and Hunter Wendt, Pequot Lakes, five bass, 14-9
7th: Catholic Central High School, Burlington, Wis. – Jacob Bigelow, Cecil, Wis., and Bailey Bleser, Burlington, Wis., five bass, 14-7, $400
8th: St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael, Minn. – Haley Peterson and Courtney Jenniges, both of St. Michael, Minn., five bass, 14-1
9th: Becker High School, Becker, Minn. – Jon Novak and Jacob Novak, both of Clear Lake, Minn., five bass, 13-15
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Whitefish Chain 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 High School Fishing National Championship. 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 high school bass tournament, the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
HUGE DAY ONE BUOYS CHAMPIONSHIP WIN FOR BOULWARE AND COLLINS IN TEXAS TEAM TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIP
By David A. Brown
Two Summer Lures VanDam Won’t Leave Home Without
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
The greatest professional bass angler of all time got his start while casting topwater lures at summertime bass as a young teenager while walking the shoreline of School Section Lake where his grandparents lived in Central Michigan.
Not much has changed in 40 years for Kevin VanDam. When asked recently to choose just two lures all anglers should consider having in their summer arsenal – he chose a topwater walking bait and a deep diving crankbait.
Topwater was my thing back in those days, from Jitterbugs to buzzbaits, and now it’s a 4.5” KVD Sexy Dawg topwater that I’ve always got tied-on in summer,” says the 7-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year. “The thing is, no matter how hot it gets, there’s always a few bass shallow that are willing to hit a topwater at sunrise or sunset in the summertime.”
One tip that might surprise a lot of anglers regarding VanDam’s topwater tactics is his insistence on always using 40-pound braided line. He says braid helps the Sexy Dawg ‘walk’ a little better on the surface, and even more importantly, leads to far firmer hooksets at the end of a long cast, as opposed to monofilament.
VanDam spools his braided line to a fairly speedy 7.3:1 gear ratio Quantum Smoke S3 reel. The compact reel features a larger spool to hold more line that leads to longer smoother casts. He uses a 7’ 4” TourKVD rod with a soft and forgiving enough tip to make sure bass get a good grip and stay hooked when they smash his surface lure.
As the day heats up, and topwater action is likely to fade, VanDam ties on a deep diving crankbait that has earned him hundreds-of-thousands of dollars – a Strike King 6XD that will dive to depths of 20-feet on 12 pound line.
This lure allows the career long Quantum pro to dig depths on main lake points and deep aquatic vegetation where fat bass are likely to live in mid summer -- and to do so at a fairly efficient pace compared to a heavy jig or large plastic worm.
In lakes where the water is pretty clear he likes the color “Blue Gizzard Shad” when cranking a 6XD – and if it’s dingier, he leans mostly on the color he made famous – “Sexy Shad.”
Either way he ties them to a long 7’ 10” TourKVD rod that allows him to launch the lure as far as possible, which in turn maximizes its diving depth on the retrieve. And much like it’s tough to tow a large bass boat with a sports car, when deep cranking, he reaches for the Toyota Tundra of baitcasters – the large spooled 5.3:1 Quantum Smoke HD.
VanDam no longer spends a lot of time walking the shores of School Section Lake casting Jitterbugs, but he absolutely loves sharing time on the water in the heat of summer away from the Elite Series by meandering various Michigan waterways in the family’s Regency pontoon. Of course, the pontoon is rigged to be fishing friendly for he and sons Jackson and Nicholas – and there’s typically a topwater tied-on within arms reach, even when he’s just chillin to beat summer’s heat.
ULM’S FREEMAN WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FISH-OFF ON RED RIVER, AUTOMATIC ENTRY TO 2018 FORREST WOOD CUP
SHREVEPORT, La. (June 2, 2018) – For the third time in YETI FLW College Fishing history, the National Championship winners Hunter Freeman and Thomas Soileau from the University of Louisiana-Monroe faced off Saturday in a one-day fish-off on the Red River to decide which team member would represent their school at the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
After the scales settled and the final fish had been weighed, Freeman won the automatic entry into the Forrest Wood Cup after weighing a five-bass limit totaling 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Soileau weighed a five-bass limit totaling 6 pounds, 9 ounces, giving Freeman the win and advancing him to compete against the best anglers in the world August 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at the Forrest Wood Cup.
“This has been an incredible week,” said Freeman, a junior majoring in business administration who resides in Monroe, Louisiana. “I’ve been on the water so much over the past few weeks that I am mentally and physically exhausted, but winning the championship with Thomas and now getting to compete at the Forrest Wood Cup makes it all so worth it.”
Freeman is guaranteed at least a $10,000 paycheck, as that amount is awarded to the last-place finisher at the Forrest Wood Cup. The angler that wins the Forrest Wood Cup will earn $300,000 – professional bass fishing’s most lucrative prize.
“Every little boy’s dream is to fish in the biggest tournament there is, and that’s the Forrest Wood Cup,” Freeman said. “When they announced this tournament on the Red River, I said, ‘That’s my shot. If I’m ever going to make it, I have to do it.’
“I spent so much time and money up here practicing. To make it, it’s a dream come true. I’m not just going to show up at the Cup; I’m going to try to bring it and represent the whole College Fishing crowd.”
The final standings after the one-day fish-off on the Red River were:
1st: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., five bass, 7-11, Entry into 2018 Forrest Wood Cup
2nd: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Thomas Soileau, Monroe, La., five bass, 6-9
Full results and standings for the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis on the Red River was hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission and featured 168 of the top college bass fishing clubs from across the nation competing for the top prize of $30,000, including a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard.
Television coverage of the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis on the Red River will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 15 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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 fishing club recognized by their college or university.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follo
11thAnnual Chris Lane Kids Fishing Camp Held Memorial Day Weekend Coincides with Fourth Foodland Bass Team Tournament at Lake Guntersville
Guntersville, Ala. – June 4, 2018– Each year, on Memorial Day weekend, when the whole country turns its focus on remembering the men and women of the U.S. Military, Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2012 Bassmaster Classic Champion Chris Lane along with his family and friends at Mitchell Foods / Foodland Grocery Stores add giving back into the equation.
Lane, who moved to Guntersville, Ala. nearly a decade ago, held his 11thannual Chris Lane Kids Fishing Camp at Bucky Howe Park in the Spring Creek arm of Lake Guntersville this past Memorial Day weekend. The camp is a way for Lane to share the love of his occupation with young people in an effort to grow the sport, but it is also a way for him to show appreciation to his community.
For the whole of the event, the children rotate through stations coached by Elite Series pro Justin Lucas and Devin Campbell, as well as local high school fishing team members and coaches. Each of the attendees receives instruction in fishing skills such as proper casting technique, rigging of rods, decorating lures, riding on pontoon boats and catching bluegill, bass, catfish, and drum from the docks at the park.
As happened in each of the previous events, the young participants received a gift pack from some of Lane’s outstanding sponsors. They received rod and reel combos and gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, along with apparel and products from Power Pole, Luck-E-Strike, Frogg Toggs, Eagle Claw TroKar, TH Marine, Costa, and River2Sea. The kids and their parents were treated to lunch prepared by Tony Chachere; who came from Louisiana to cook for everyone. They had a selection of cold Gatorade beverages to enjoy as well.
Lane said the event has significant meaning for him and his family. “Fishing is my profession and it was at events like this I learned to love the sport enough to make it a career,” he said. “I have been so fortunate in my career, and so accepted by the people of Guntersville, that I’ve wanted to share this sport with my community and give something back to them. This event is all about food, family, fishing and fun for us, and we hope the people of this community feel that.”
The fourth annual Foodland Bass Team Tournament was held in conjunction with Lane’s Fishing Camp again this year. The event; which is limited to 200 teams, features a $100 team entry fee that produces a $10,000 first prize, paychecks to the top 40 places and first and second big fish prizes worth $1,000 and $500. The teams fish from safe light, with the first flight due back at Bucky Howe Park at 1:00PM; they may present a three fish limit at the scales.
As for the tournament, the team of Charles Thompson and Walt Mullins proved to be the most successful team for the day. The Georgia based team’s three fish limit came to a total of 19.63 pounds and included the 7.94-pound second big fish of the event. Their effort earned them the $10,000 first prize along with the $500 bonus from River Rocks Plantation for having the second biggest bass of the event.
The pair was shocked and overjoyed by the outcome. “We absolutely love coming to Lake Guntersville, so fishing this event was just another excuse to be on this lake; we did not expect to have a day like this,” they said. “This is the biggest event that we have ever won; we are absolutely stunned and so happy to be standing here as the winners of the event; it’s been a great day.”
The pair reported running just north of the power lines near Seibold and fishing a grassy ledge to catch their fish. They reported catching a total of nearly 50 bass on 1/4-ounce Spot Remover Shaky Heads matched with green pumpkin Zoom Magnum Trick Worms.
The day’s Big Bass prize was presented to the team of Mitch Smith and Jimmy Shaver who finished the event in fifth place, but their creel was anchored by the 8.20-pound lunker that earned them the $1,000 bonus from River Rocks Plantation for the event.
David Mitchell, president of Mitchell Foods and Foodland said that the event is something he and his team look forward to each year. “This is something we look forward to each year now,” said Mitchell. “There is no telling how many hundreds of hours our people put into this, but it is worth it to give back to our community, and to be a part of something the Chris (Lane) has dedicated a ton of time to as well. He is such a genuine person and a great ambassador for our area that we want to be a part of sharing his vision and add something to the day; it is just a true joy for us to be a part of.”
2018 Foodland Bass Team Tournament Results
| Place | Team | Fish* | Big Fish | Total Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Thompson/Walt Mullins | 3/3 | 7.94 2nd Big Bass | 19.63 |
| 2 | Heath Martin/ Jesse Martin | 3/3 | 18.41 | |
| 3 | Wes Ward/ Chad Hall | 3/3 | 7.49 | 17.79 |
| 4 | Alan Barrett/ Tyler Caldwell | 3/3 | 16.98 | |
| 5 | Mitch Smith/ Jimmy Shaver | 3/3 | 8.20 1st Big Bass | 16.94 |
| 6 | Tim Buckner/ Connie Buckner | 3/3 | 6.18 | 16.91 |
| 7 | Brandon Smith/JT Thomason | 3/3 | 16.84 | |
| 8 | Lance Whitaker/ Jeremy Briscoe | 3/3 | 6.24 | 16.47 |
| 9 | Jeffrey Moore/Kenneth Moore | 3/3 | 6.43 | 16.25 |
| 10 | Bryon Luman/ Keith Miller | 3/3 | 16.19 | |
| 11 | Blake Hall/ Hadley Coan | 3/3 | 15.97 | |
| 12 | Jim Leary/ Eric Wilson | 3/3 | 15.88 | |
| 13 | Shawn Hornbuckle/ Jason Hysell | 3/3 | 15.84 | |
| 14 | Steve Green/ Ricky McBride | 3/3 | 6.78 | 15.57 |
| 15 | Zach West/ Rodney Evans | 3/3 | 15.47 | |
| 16 | Marty Likos/ Michael Carter | 3/3 | 15.32 | |
| 17 | Chris Burgess/ Mark Arnold | 3/3 | 14.60 | |
| 18 | Matt Bradley/ Michelle Bradley | 3/3 | 14.43 | |
| 19 | Michael Seeley/ Kellie Seeley | 3/3 | 14.40 | |
| 20 | Dustin McCullars/ Lee Oliver | 3/3 | 14.33 | |
| 21 | Chris white/ Rick Armstrong | 3/3 | 7.08 | 14.31 |
| 22 | Cody Vaughn/ Brian Franks | 3/3 | 14.26 | |
| 23 | Lee Stephens/ Philip Browns | 3/3 | 14.09 | |
| 24 | Bobby Gregory/ Cannon Talton | 3/3 | 13/76 | |
| 25 | Robert Keel/ Kyle Howard | 3/3 | 13.60 | |
| 26 | Claude Simpson/ Tim Mccoy | 3/3 | 13.41 | |
| 27 | Kadin Dick/ Richard Peek | 3/3 | 13.35 | |
| 28 | Alvin Torrey/ Kerri Torrey | 3/3 | 13.21 | |
| 29 | Paul Wilder/ Jerry Wells | 3/3 | 13.09 | |
| 30 | Billy Copeland/ Bo Copeland | 3/3 | 12.75 | |
| Tied 30 | Ted McClellan/ Frankie Otwell | 3/3 | 12.75 | |
| 32 | Aubrey Mauldin/ Patrick Drain | 3/3 | 12.73 | |
| 33 | James Luna/ Shawn Newby | 3/3 | 12.66 | |
| 34 | Daniel Heideger/ Larry Stanley | 3/3 | 12.58 | |
| 35 | Chris Hester/ Tammie Hester | 3/3 | 12.27 | |
| 36 | Kevin Stubblefield/ Scott Randles | 3/3 | 12.02 | |
| 37 | Jay Holcomb/ Roger Chisenall | 3/3 | 11.88 | |
| Tied 37 | Chris Tate/ James Stoller | 3/3 | 11.88 | |
| 39 | Kobi Mears/ Nick McAnally | 3/3 | 11.80 | |
| 40 | Alan McRoberts/ Mike Hopkins | 3/3 | 11.76 | |
| 41 | Alan Smart/ Alyson Smart | 3/3 | 11.75 | |
| 42 | Kevin Walker/ Lindsey Walker | 3/3 | 11.66 | |
| 43 | Mark Horton/ Dave Rigsby | 3/3 | 11.62 | |
| 44 | William Grisham/ Bryan Whitt | 3/3 | 11.59 | |
| 45 | Danny Latty/ Johnny Harper | 3/3 | 11.59 | |
| 46 | Chris Hargrove/ Britt Perry | 3/3 | 11.53 | |
| 47 | Wesley Brown/ James Klingbell | 3/3 | 11.44 | |
| 48 | John Tracy/ Luke Lacy | 3/3 | 11.29 | |
| 49 | Bland Morris/ David Smart | 3/3 | 11.23 | |
| 50 | Sam Long/ Don Long | 3/3 | 11.22 | |
| 51 | Aaron Hargrove/ Justin Romine | 3/3 | 11.21 | |
| 52 | Hoyt Barnard/ Richard Payne | 3/3 | 11.19 | |
| 53 | Ronald Slawson/ Don Horner | 3/3 | 11.14 | |
| 54 | David Nixon/ Delnad Green | 3/3 | 10.76 | |
| 55 | Darrell Yockel/ Keith Bellomy | 3/3 | 10.74 | |
| 56 | David White/ Hannah Peoples | 3/3 | 10.71 | |
| 57 | Rex Chambers/ Kevin McMahan | 3/3 | 10.70 | |
| 58 | Barry Wesley/ Brian Wesley | 3/3 | 10.69 | |
| 59 | Tracy Gay/ Jeremiah Johnson | 3/3 | 10.62 | |
| 60 | Jeff Ragsdale/ Hunter Ragsdale | 3/3 | 10.60 | |
| 61 | John Ard/ Jim Reising | 3/3 | 10.56 | |
| 62 | Robert Lang/ Trent Noojin | 3/3 | 10.52 | |
| 63 | Roy Brown/ Ryan Bradford | 3/3 | 10.46 | |
| 64 | Delmus Grayson/ Mike Chastain | 3/3 | 10.45 | |
| 65 | Shane Combs/ Kris Walker | 3/3 | 10.44 | |
| 66 | Danny Jenkins/ Scott Crutches | 3/3 | 10.41 | |
| 67 | David White/ Fisher White | 3/3 | 10.38 | |
| 68 | Franklin Beard/ Casey Bears | 3/3 | 10.36 | |
| 69 | Evan Boutwell/ Wayne Christopher | 3/3 | 10.34 | |
| 70 | Joe Avery/ James Hudgins | 3/3 | 10.33 | |
| 71 | William South/ David Ferree | 3/3 | 10.18 | |
| 72 | Roger Morse/ Matthew Morse | 3/3 | 10.13 | |
| 73 | Brian Shook/ Randy Tolbert | 3/3 | 10.08 | |
| 74 | David Davis/ Hunter Davis | 3/3 | 10.08 | |
| 75 | Chris Hopper/ Charlie McMichael | 3/3 | 9.94 | |
| 76 | Mike Morris/ Dan Melton | 3/3 | 9.92 | |
| 77 | Michelle Norrodo/ Austin Daniel | 3/3 | 9.90 | |
| 78 | Jason Dabbs/ Shane Dick | 3/3 | 9.89 | |
| 79 | Jeff Gray/ Kristi Little | 3/3 | 9.62 | |
| 80 | Don Nave/ Wesley Black | 3/3 | 9.60 | |
| 81 | Colton Robinson/ Kevin Tucker | 3/3 | 9.58 | |
| 82 | Jerry Ellis/ Skylar Langston | 3/3 | 9.40 | |
| 83 | Kevin Shikle/ Dan Avis | 3/3 | 9.36 | |
| 84 | Brad Kesler/ Darrin Young | 3/3 | 9.32 | |
| 85 | Matthew Duke/ Phillip Curvin | 3/3 | 9.27 | |
| 86 | Timothy Haney/ Skylar Haney | 3/3 | 9.27 | |
| 87 | Bobby Gregory/ Joe Kersey | 3/3 | 9.26 | |
| 88 | Shane McAllister/ JR Lewis | 3/3 | 9.17 | |
| 89 | Matthew Thomas/ Brantley Whitlow | 3/3 | 9.14 | |
| 90 | Matt Schlosser/ Jerry Perkins | 3/3 | 9.13 | |
| 91 | Paul Gring/ Andy Johnson | 3/3 | 9.12 | |
| 92 | Micheal Clay/ Rick Hamby | 3/3 | 9.10 | |
| 93 | Tony Randles/ Tony Blackwell | 3/3 | 9.09 | |
| 94 | Dan Beddingfield/ Daniel Beddingfield | 3/3 | 9.08 | |
| 95 | Robert Lane/ Chris Lane | 3/3 | 9.05 | |
| 96 | Kent Ware/ Emily Ware | 3/3 | 8.99 | |
| 97 | Danny Long/ Rick Hensley | 3/3 | 8.98 | |
| 98 | Darrin Baker/ Drew Schaffer | 2/2 | 8.93 | |
| 99 | Steven Lindsey/ Kevin Murphy | 3/3 | 8.81 | |
| 100 | Allen Fuller/ Shane Brysin | 3/3 | 8.75 | |
| 101 | Mike Fawcett/ Kyle White | 3/3 | 8.71 | |
| 102 | Rick Mettler/ Rick Murray | 3/3 | 8.71 | |
| 103 | James Bean/ Kelly Marchal | 3/3 | 8.70 | |
| 104 | Deon Smith/ Todd Hathcock | 3/3 | 8.69 | |
| 105 | John Keith/ Tony Tidwell | 3/3 | 8.68 | |
| 106 | Charles Hodle/ Tommy Hodle | 3/3 | 8.64 | |
| 107 | Timothy Boyet/ Brian Sims | 3/3 | 8.44 | |
| 108 | Betty Stahl/ Eric Stahl | 3/3 | 8.39 | |
| 109 | Micheal Cooper/ Darren Cooper | 3/3 | 8.36 | |
| 110 | Darryl Gentry/ Robert Hargis | 3/3 | 8.34 | |
| 111 | Micheal Stevens/ Paul Arnold | 3/3 | 8.20 | |
| 112 | Chuck Medley/ Chris Roberts | 3/3 | 8.16 | |
| 113 | Caleb Beaumont/ Taylor Smith | 3/3 | 7.98 | |
| 114 | Jess Beihoffer/ Jake Beihoffer | 3/3 | 7.78 | |
| 115 | Jonathan Dauwen/ Pete Spaulding | 3/3 | 7.66 | |
| 116 | Jesse Rigsby/ Scott Rigsby | 3/3 | 7.65 | |
| 117 | Charles Horton | 3/3 | 7.55 | |
| 118 | Ben Jennings/ Illya Gibbons | 3/3 | 7.52 | |
| 119 | Diane Fletney/ Sean Cooper | 3/3 | 7.39 | |
| 120 | Toby Beach/ Ron Fudge | 3/3 | 7.31 | |
| 121 | Danny Self/ David Bailey | 3/3 | 7.16 | |
| 122 | Scott Marshall/ Doug Webster | 3/3 | 7.12 | |
| 123 | Tyler Gillian/ Bobby Colquitt | 3/3 | 7.05 | |
| 124 | James Hughes/ Tommy Moultrie | 3/3 | 6.94 | |
| 125 | Casey Chambers/ Phillip Bell | 2/2 | 6.68 | |
| 126 | Randy Waddel/ Brad Tedford | 3/3 | 6.65 | |
| 127 | Troy Frazier/ Jerry Frazier | 3/3 | 6.50 | |
| 128 | Charles Fallin/ Joe Maclean | 3/3 | 6.37 | |
| 129 | Roger Gray/ Joshua Gray | 3/3 | 6.32 | |
| 130 | Brian Surber/ John Mobley | 3/3 | 6.25 | |
| 131 | James Ellis/ Kelly Ellis | 3/3 | 6.24 | |
| 132 | Shane Moss/ Westin Moss | 3/3 | 6.14 | |
| 133 | Joseph Calrk/ Blake Farmer | 3/3 | 5.97 | |
| 134 | Clint Crew/ Jake Crew | 3/3 | 5.97 | |
| 135 | Dusty Walker/ Wayne Guffey | 3/3 | 5.87 | |
| 136 | Bradley Hodges/ Mike Hodges | 2/2 | 5.34 | |
| 137 | Eugene Hall/ Patrick Hall | 2/2 | 4.62 | |
| 138 | Colby Seymoure/ Dakota Landers | 3/3 | 3.69 | |
| 139 | K Dixon/ J Gilbert | 1/1 | 2.11 | 2.11 |
BOSSIER CITY’S NICK LEBRUN WINS T-H MARINE BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON CROSS LAKE
Courtesy of FLW Fishing
Nick LeBrun tops Boater Division, wins $100,000 and invitation to Forrest Wood Cup
SHREVEPORT, La. (June 2, 2018) – Local boater Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the 35th annual T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American on Cross Lake with a three-day cumulative total of 15 bass weighing 62-8. LeBrun’s weight helped him edge second-place angler and friend Randy Deaver of Blanchard, Louisiana, by 2 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned him $100,000 and a berth into the world championship of bass fishing – the Forrest Wood Cup.
“To win this caliber of tournament right here at home means everything to me, my family, my career and my sponsors,” said LeBrun, who earned his third career win in FLW competition. “Fishing in an event like the Forrest Wood Cup is something I’ve dreamed about since I competed in my first club tournament. I’m truly humbled and blessed.”
Lebrun’s go-to pattern this week involved fishing cypress trees and duck blinds on the western end of the lake. He focused on trees in various bayous, and relied heavily on a 6th Sense Movement 80X crankbait on a 7-foot Fitzgerald Rods Bryan Thrift cranking rod with 17-pound-test Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon line, as well as a V&M flipping jig with a V&M Flat Wild trailer. LeBrun also used a Spro popping frog to catch a couple of key fish up shallow on Day Two to complete a limit.
“The 80x was my main bait this week and is what produced the majority of my 26-pound limit on Day One,” said LeBrun. “It’s a deal where it catches 3-plus pound fish, but not a lot of them. Today, I caught four out of the five I weighed in on it.”
LeBrun used a methodical approach to picking apart his cover this week, taking advantage of his bait’s abilities to lure fish.
“Basically one was a moving bait and one was a pitching bait,” said LeBrun. “Whenever I was somewhere I couldn’t throw the crankbait, like a certain tree where the limbs were too low or too long, that’s when I would pick up the jig as a little insurance. Every time I fished a duck blind, I’d parallel the edges with the 80X, but before I’d leave, I’d pick up the V&M jig to kind of probe and throw up in the blind and in places you have to beg one to bite.”
LeBrun’s win was especially emotional for him and his family Saturday. Earlier this week, Lebrun shared that he lost his father,
Billy LeBrun, in February, and that he dedicated an 8-pound kicker to him on the water. Today, the Louisiana boater said he experienced another moment that told him it would be a special day.
“When we were at the takeoff ramp, I was pacing around the dock before getting in the boat, and there was some music playing over the loud speakers. A song called “Small Town Southern Man” by Alan Jackson came on, and it’s one of the songs my family and I remember my Dad with. It’s been tough this year, but when I heard that, I felt like he stepped in the boat with me. It’s something that’s just hard to explain.”
The top 10 boaters on Cross Lake finished:
1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 15 bass, 62-8, $100,000
2nd: Randy Deaver, Blanchard, La., 15 bass, 60-5, $20,200
3rd: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-13, $15,100
4th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 14 bass, 52-7, $14,000
5th: Tyler Morgan, Columbus, Ga., 15 bass, 50-14, $13,000
6th: John Duvall, Madison, Ga., 15 bass, 50-9, $12,000
7th: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., 14 bass, 49-5, $11,000
8th: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., 15 bass, 48-13, $10,000 + $4,000 Ranger Cup Contingency
9th: Heath Pack, Ellijay, Ga., 13 bass, 39-0, $9,000
10th: Ben Blaschke, Muldrow, Okla., 12 bass, 37-11, $8,000
A complete list of results is posted at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 43 bass weighing 128 pounds, 7 ounces, caught by the final 10 boaters Saturday. The catch included six five-bass limits.
Matthew Bouldin of Smithville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $50,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 39 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Jesse Parks of Avondale, Arizona, in second place with 13 bass weighing 39-1.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Matthew Bouldin, Smithville, Tenn., 15 bass, 39-5, $50,000
2nd: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., 13 bass, 39-1, $15,000
3rd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., 12 bass, 32-0, $6,200
4th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 13 bass, 28-6, $5,050
5th: James McWhorter, Hamilton, Ohio, nine bass, 25-12, $4,500
6th: Brandon Brock, Honea Path, S.C., nine bass, 23-6, $4,000
7th: Hernandez Ruffin, Bellevue, Wash., eight bass, 22-9, $3,500
8th: Michael Nelms, Hartwood, Va., eight bass, 22-8, $3,000
9th: Daniel Tuten, Byron, Ga., eight bass, 20-15, $2,500
10th: Ray Blash, Waynesville, Mo., eight bass, 18-4, $2,000 + $1,000 Ranger Cup Contingency
Overall there were 24 bass weighing 68 pounds, 11 ounces caught by nine Co-anglers Saturday. The catch included two five-bass limits.
Hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, the BFL All-American featured 98 of the best boaters and co-anglers from across the 24-division T-H Marine BFL circuit casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an invitation to compete for bass fishing’s most coveted prize – the Forrest Wood Cup – held Aug. 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Television coverage of the 2018 T-H Marine BFL All-American at Cross Lake will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 1 from Noon to 1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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. 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.
ULM GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SHREVEPORT, La. (June 1, 2018) – The University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) duo of Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, Louisiana, weighed a five-bass limit Friday totaling 15 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest limit weighed in the three-day tournament – to win the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis. The Warhawk duo led the event wire-to-wire, and their three-day total of 15 bass for 42-8 gave them the win by a 7-pound, 6-ounce margin – the largest margin of victory in FLW College Fishing Championship history. Cody Huff and Garrett Enders from Tennessee’s Bethel University finished second with 15 bass for 35-2.
“I had confidence coming into the event that we were going to do well, but if you had told me we were going to lead for three straight days and then win I would have told you that you were crazy,” said Freeman, a junior majoring in business administration. “This is pretty special. The Red River has been good to us this week and I can’t ask for any more.”
“This is unreal,” said Soileau, a recent criminal justice graduate. “Today started off really slow and we kind of got down on ourselves. We only had three fish for five pounds around 11 (a.m.), so we had to scramble and went to a spot that we hadn’t hit all week and it paid off. We caught three solid fish off of it and that put us right up around 15 pounds.”
The ULM team caught the majority of their fish this week targeting bass in the mouths of creeks and bays on the south end of Pool No. 4. They said that their key baits were a chartreuse and black-colored Black Label Tackle Cliff Pace Ricochet Crankbait, a Carolina-rigged California 420-colored Zoom Brush Hog, a jig with a Strike King Rage Craw and a Yamamoto Senko with a spinner blade on it – a bait they called a ‘hootenanny’.
The Warhawk team will now advance to compete in a one-day fish-off on Saturday against each other in the marina bay of the Red River South Marina in Bossier City. The two anglers will weigh in Saturday at 3:25 p.m. prior to the final weigh in of the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American championship at Cross Lake. The winner will receive entry into the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, held August 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“We work really well together as a team, and he’s the one that usually makes the calls so it’s going to be tough to beat Hunter,” said Soileau. “But, I’m not giving up and I’m going to give it all that I have got. I definitely would love to fish in the Forrest Wood Cup. We’ve fished against each other in some small tournaments, but never with anything like this on the line. All I know is that it’s going to be fun, and I can’t wait to go fishing tomorrow.”
“Thomas is a really good angler and he’s the perfect partner to have in the boat, which is why we work so well together,” Freeman went on to say. “We put our time in and really deserved to win his event. Now, tomorrow, it’s just going fishing – just another tournament. We’ll go fishing tomorrow and see how it all shakes out.”
The top 10 teams on the Red River finished:
1st: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, La., 15 bass, 42-8, Ranger Z175 w/ 90-horsepower outboard
2nd: Bethel University – Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., and Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., 15 bass, 35-2, $5,200
3rd: Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Chuckey, Tenn., and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 15 bass, 34-5, $4,000
4th: Adrian College – Nicholas Czajka, Brighton, Mich., and Jack Hippe III, Davison, Mich., 15 bass, 30-14, $3,000
5th: University of Nebraska – Jackson Ebbers, Cambridge, Neb., and Charlie DeShazer, Fremont, Neb., 15 bass, 30-9, $2,000
6th: Northwestern State University – Hunter Malmay, Zwolle, La., and Robert Jones, Minden, La., 15 bass, 28-3
7th: Adrian College – Cody Batterson, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 27-4
8th: Murray State University – Nick Montilino, Edina, Minn., and Brock Spencer, Waynesfield, Ohio, 15 bass, 27-2
9th: University of Pittsburgh – Michael Dunn and Henry Colberg, both of Pittsburgh, Pa., 14 bass, 26-4
10th: University of Missouri – Gabriel DuBois, Mason, Ohio, and Brandon Heizer, St. Louis, Mo., 13 bass, 25-3
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 48 bass weighing 91 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final 10 college teams Friday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.
The 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis on the Red River was hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission and featured 168 of the top college bass fishing clubs from across the nation competing for the top prize of $30,000, including a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard.
Television coverage of the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 15 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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 fishing club recognized by their college or university.
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.
BOSSIER CITY’S LEBRUN LEADS DAY ONE OF T-H MARINE BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON CROSS LAKE
Arizona’s Parks Leads Co-anglers
SHREVEPORT, La. (May 31, 2018) – Local boater Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, grabbed the early lead at the 35thannual T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American on Cross Lake Thursday with a massive five-bass limit weighing 26 pounds, 9 ounces. LeBrun will begin day two of the three-day competition with a 3-pound, 13-ounce, lead over Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tennessee, and Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Virginia, who are tied for second place after each weighing five bass good for 22 pounds, 12 ounces.
The BFL All-American features 98 of the best boaters and co-anglers from across the 24-division T-H Marine BFL circuit casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division. In addition to the six-figure payout, the top boater will receive an invitation to compete for bass fishing’s most coveted prize – the Forrest Wood Cup – held Aug. 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“I’m thrilled to be leading this big of an event right here at home,” said LeBrun, who qualified for the tournament through the BFL Cowboy Division. “It’s only a 49-boat field, but these guys are the best anglers from across the BFL. I can’t let off the gas because I know they’re going to catch them again tomorrow.”
LeBrun’s 26-pound showing was anchored by an 8-pounder that he caught early this morning. Not only was it his first bite of the day, but it also became part of a special tradition that LeBrun has started this year.
“I ran to my spot, settled down and got in the groove. I hadn’t gotten a bite, but at 8:30 (a.m.) that fish slammed my bait,” said LeBrun. “We got it in, and every time I catch a big one now in a tournament I thank my Dad, who passed away in February. I think he’s kind of watching over me. I say ‘this is for you Pop’. It was pretty cool to do that this morning.”
LeBrun said he has two main patterns for this event, with his primary pattern producing the majority of his weight Thursday.
“I didn’t get very many bites, but when I did they would be the right quality,” said LeBrun. “I decided to kind of ease off of them at 10:30 (a.m.) I had around 23 pounds and went and fished stuff that I hadn’t ran before. The pattern that I’m on is pretty unique. I felt like I could take it and just kind of run with it. I went to an area I hadn’t been to before, and caught another 5-pounder at 12:30 (p.m.).”
LeBrun said that while he’s happy to have the weight he did on Thursday, he’s also realistic about how quickly conditions can change.
“I’ve got two ways to catch big ones, but I wish I had three. Cross Lake can change overnight and humble you quick.”
The top 10 boaters after day one on Cross Lake are:
1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 26-9
2nd: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 22-12
2nd: Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 22-12
4th: Tyler Morgan, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 22-4
5th: John Shore, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 22-3
6th: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 21-11
7th: Randy Deaver, Blanchard, La., five bass, 21-0
8th: Heath Pack, Ellijay, Ga., five bass, 20-3
9th: John Duvall, Madison, Ga., five bass, 19-7
10th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 19-4
A complete list of results is posted at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 206 bass weighing 670 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 48 boaters Thursday. The catch included 34 five-bass limits.
Jesse Parks of Avondale, Arizona, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Michael Nelms of Hartwood, Virginia, in second place with five bass weighing 13-12.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., five bass, 16-9
2nd: Michael Nelms, Hartwood, Va., five bass, 13-12
3rd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., five bass, 13-8
4th: Brandon Brock, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 13-3
5th: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 12-0
6th: Ray Blash, Waynesville, Mo., five bass, 11-12
6th: Matthew Bouldin, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 11-12
8th: Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 11-8
9th: Colton Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., three bass, 11-5
10th: Daniel Tuten, Byron, Ga., five bass, 10-13
Overall there were 122 bass weighing 290 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 45 Co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 11 five-bass limits.
Competitors will take off from the American Legion Hall ramp, located at 5315 S. Lakeshore Drive in Shreveport, at 7 a.m. CDT Friday and Saturday, June 1-2. Weigh-ins each day will be held at the Bass Pro Shops, located at 100 Bass Pro Drive in Bossier City, Louisiana, and will begin at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The 2018 BFL All-American on Cross Lake is being hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission.
Television coverage of the 2018 T-H Marine BFL All-American at Cross Lake will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 1 from Noon to 1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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. 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.
ULM EXTENDS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SHREVEPORT, La. (May 31, 2018) – The University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) duo of Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the stage Thursday weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces, to extend their lead to 1-pound, 1-ounce, with one day left to fish at the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis. ULM’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 26-11 has paced the 168-team field thus far, with Tennessee’s Tusculum College right behind them in second place with 10 bass weighing 25-10.
The field is now cut to the just the final 10 teams at the four-day event that featured 168 of the top college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in the internationally-televised tournament for the top prize of $30,000, including a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The National Champions will be crowned Friday, based on the cumulative three-day weight total. The winning team will then advance to compete in a one-day fish-off on Saturday against each other on an undisclosed local fishery, which will be revealed following Friday’s Championship weigh-in. The two anglers will weigh in Saturday at 3:25 p.m. prior to the final weigh in of the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American championship at Cross Lake. The winner will receive entry into the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, held August 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“Today was a lot tougher, and we’re definitely going to have to make some adjustments for tomorrow,” said Freeman. “I think the difference today was the clouds and the wind. We only had six keepers. We broke off some and lost a couple, but they didn’t feel that big. It’s weird – the fish aren’t really fighting, they’re coming straight up.”
“The wind was pretty bad today and it made fishing more difficult,” Soileau said. “We were using lighter weights, so I put a heavier one on to help with the wind, but then I stopped getting bites. Sometimes we had to make the exact same cast to the same spot three or four times in a row before you would get bit.”
The Warhawk duo said that they used four different baits Thursday to catch their six keepers, specifically mentioning a crankbait and a jig. They said that they fished backwater areas in Pool No. 4, targeting stump fields and rock piles on sandy points.
“We’re looking for anywhere the shad can gang up,” Freeman said. “In practice every fish we caught was spitting up crawfish pincers. Now there are a lot more gizzard shad around and everything is relating to the shad.
“Tomorrow we’re going back and going to really bang on our third spot,” Freeman went on to say. “We still have one spot that we have saved didn’t hit today. I’m not sure that it can kick out a big one, but I think it can kick out some keepers.”
The top 10 teams on the Red River that will advance to the final day of competition are:
1st: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, La., 10 bass, 26-11
2nd: Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Chuckey, Tenn., and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 25-10
3rd: Bethel University – Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., and Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., 10 bass, 22-6
4th: University of Nebraska – Jackson Ebbers, Cambridge, Neb., and Charlie DeShazer, Fremont, Neb., 10 bass, 22-4
5th: Northwestern State University – Hunter Malmay, Zwolle, La., and Robert Jones, Minden, La., 10 bass, 22-3
6th: Adrian College – Nicholas Czajka, Brighton, Mich., and Jack Hippe III, Davison, Mich., 10 bass, 22-2
7th: Murray State University – Nick Montilino, Edina, Minn., and Brock Spencer, Waynesfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 18-10
8th: University of Pittsburgh – Michael Dunn and Henry Colberg, both of Pittsburgh, Pa., nine bass, 18-10
9th: Adrian College – Cody Batterson, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 10 bass, 18-10
10th: University of Missouri – Gabriel DuBois, Mason, Ohio, and Brandon Heizer, St. Louis, Mo., 10 bass, 18-9
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 357 bass weighing 576 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 124 college teams Thursday. The catch included 30 five-bass limits.
The final 10 FLW College Fishing National Championship teams will take off Friday from the Red River South Marina, located at 250 Red River South Marina Road, in Bossier City, Louisiana, at 6:30 a.m. CDT. Friday's Championship weigh-in will be held at the Bass Pro Shops located at 100 Bass Pro Drive in Bossier City, at 3:30 p.m. prior to the Day Two weigh-in of the BFL All-American championship. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 15 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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 fishing club recognized by their college or university.
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.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Returns To Texas And The Sabine River
|
|||
|
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA-MONROE LEADS DAY ONE OF YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SHREVEPORT, La. (May 30, 2018) – The University of Louisiana-Monroe team of Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, Louisiana, grabbed the early lead Wednesday after Day One of the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis. The Warhawk duo brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 14 pounds, 7 ounces, giving them a 12-ounce cushion over the second place team of Charlie DeShazer and Jackson Ebbers from the University of Nebraska.
“We locked down to Pool No. 3 to catch our fish today,” said Freeman, a junior majoring in business administration. “We really didn’t know what to expect. We came here three weeks ago to pre-practice and found a few areas that we felt could produce, but it’s much warmer now. The water is 95 degrees and it’s 2½ feet deep, so we backed up a little bit – and we found them.”
“We’re fishing a little deeper, offshore,” said Soileau, a recent criminal justice graduate. “Most of our bites came around 8-feet deep. We hit three or four spots, and caught one big fish off of each one. It happened pretty quickly.”
The duo said they stopped fishing their main areas around 10:30 a.m. and spent the rest of the day practicing and looking for new water. They managed 8 or 9 keepers throughout the day, both fishing the same unnamed crankbait, although different colors.
“With having to manage the locks and everything, it takes almost two hours to get to our spots,” Soileau said. “It really takes up a lot of our fishing time, so every cast counts.”
“One of our spots should be replenishing. With the hot conditions and a little bit of wind it’s setting up perfectly,” Freeman said. “We cut out a little early today and left them biting. Some other teams are fishing around us, but we’re doing something no one else is doing. Our plan is to do the same thing tomorrow and hope they’re still there.”
The four-day event features 168 of the top college bass fishing teams from across the nation competing in the internationally-televised tournament for the top prize of $30,000, including a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The National Champions will be crowned on Friday based on the cumulative three-day weight total. The winning team will then advance to compete in a one-day fish-off on Saturday against each other on an undisclosed local fishery, which will be revealed at Friday’s weigh-in. The two anglers will weigh in Saturday at 3:25 p.m. prior to the final weigh in of the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American championship at Cross Lake. The winner will receive entry into the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, held August 10-12 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The top 10 teams after Day One on the Red River are:
1st: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Thomas Soileau and Hunter Freeman, both of Monroe, La., five bass, 14-7
2nd: University of Nebraska – Jackson Ebbers, Cambridge, Neb., and Charlie DeShazer, Fremont, Neb., five bass, 13-11
3rd: Kennesaw State University – Payton Morgan, Woodstock, Ga., and Logan Smith, Ball Ground, Ga., five bass, 12-7
4th: Tusculum College – Nick Hatfield, Chuckey, Tenn., and Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 12-1
5th: Northwestern State University – Hunter Malmay, Zwolle, La., and Robert Jones, Minden, La., five bass, 11-14
6th: California State University-Long Beach – Cole Thomas, Lakewood, Calif., and Via Thao, Long Beach, Calif., five bass, 11-6
7th: Clemson University – Garrett Addis, Central, S.C., and Aaron Banquer-Glenn, Bend, Ore., five bass, 10-15
8th: Kansas State University – Tyler Nekolny, Coral Springs, Fla., and Hunter Whiteley, Willard, Mo., five bass, 10-12
9th: University of North Alabama – Triston Crowder, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and Lake Blasingame, Killen Ala., five bass, 10-10
10th: Slippery Rock University – Ryan Kozlowski, Cranberry Township, Pa., and Nathan Quince, Imperial, Pa., five bass, 10-8
For a full list of results, visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 503 bass weighing 834 pounds, 4 ounces caught by 149 college teams Wednesday. The catch included 60 five-bass limits.
The FLW College Fishing National Championship anglers will take off each morning from the Red River South Marina, located at 250 Red River South Marina Road, in Bossier City, Louisiana, at 6:30 a.m. CDT. Thursday's weigh-in, May 31, will be held at the Marina, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Friday's Championship weigh-in, June 1, will be held at the Bass Pro Shops located at 100 Bass Pro Drive in Bossier City, at 3:30 p.m. prior to the Day Two weigh-in of the BFL All-American championship. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Television coverage of the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance C-MAP Genesis will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Aug. 15 from Noon -1 p.m. EDT. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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 fishing club recognized by their college or university.
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.
AC Insider Podcast Episode 16 Featuring Toyota Texas Fest Winner Drew Benton, Texas' Clint Wade & Stacy Spriggs & Memorial Day Shenanigans!
On this weeks short week of AC Insider Podcast the boys talk to Toyota Texas Fest Winner Drew Benton and how he tamed lake Travis. We also talk a little more sportsmanship and then Clint Wade and Stacy Spriggs join us to talk about the upcoming Texas Team Trail Championship on Sam Rayburn! This is one you wont want to miss!
FLW AND T-H MARINE ANNOUNCE EXTENSION OF PARTNERSHIP IN MULTI-YEAR DEAL
MINNEAPOLIS (May 29, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, today announced the renewal of its global partnership with T-H Marine via multi-year extension, in which the industry-leading manufacturer of thousands of boat parts and accessories will continue to serve as the title sponsor of the Bass Fishing League (BFL) as well as the official weigh-in bag, fish care provider (G-Juice Live Well Treatment) and jackplate provider for FLW.
“We are thrilled to renew our global partnership with T-H Marine, a world-class brand and core sponsor that perfectly aligns with FLW,” FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake said. “The long-term partnership exemplifies the buying power and marketability that professional bass-fishing fans offer. We’ve always considered our core FLW audience to be among the most loyal and passionate consumers in the country, and we are proud to partner with industry leaders such as T-H Marine to feature brands that share FLW’s unmatched commitment to its fan base and advancing the sport.”
As part of this extension, T-H Marine will continue as title sponsor of the FLW Bass Fishing League, and the brand will be prominently featured across all of FLW’s platforms, including its tournaments and Expos, websites and social media content, FLW Bass Fishing magazine and the “FLW” television show, broadcast internationally to more than 564 million households, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. The two brands will also work in conjunction on retail promotions during FLW tournaments and Expos in select markets.
“With a worldwide platform of tournaments and opportunities to learn about fishing, FLW does an exceptional job at getting people interested and involved,” said Greg Buie, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at T-H Marine. “We love that commitment to the future of fishing and we are excited to continue and grow our partnership.”
The T-H Marine logo will also remain prominently located on the FLW weigh-in stages and equipment trailers, as well as the jerseys of its sponsored FLW anglers. This current list of sponsored anglers includes: Forrest Wood Cup Champions Anthony Gagliardi (2014) and Justin Atkins (2017), Angler of the Year winners Bryan Thrift (2010, 2017) and Andy Morgan (2013, 2014, 2016), FLW Tour event winners Mark Rose, Larry Nixon, Matt Arey, J.T. Kenney and Jason Lambert, and many more accomplished anglers that compete at the sport’s top level on the FLW Tour.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, T-H Marine will continue to offer FLW anglers the Atlas Awards contingency programs for anglers competing in the YETI FLW College Fishing, BFL, and Costa FLW Series along with other sanctioned events. T-H Marine will award cash prizes to Atlas Awards members who are the winners or highest qualifying finisher of sanctioned events if he or she is the owner of certain T-H Marine products. For additional details on the Atlas Awards contingency program and a complete list of official rules and eligibility requirements, visit THMarine.com/atlas-awards.
For more information on T-H Marine, the entire T-H Marine lineup of marine parts and accessories or to locate an authorized T-H Marine distributor, please visit THMarine.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 T-H Marine
T-H Marine is celebrating its 43rd Anniversary of business and has grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of boating and fishing accessories in the U.S. T-H Marine provides parts to virtually every boat manufacturer in the country and distributes them through virtually every major distributor and retailer of boating and fishing products. To learn more about T-H Marine, please visit www.thmarine.com.
Angler Charged is Alleged Cheating Scam in Kayak Fishing Tournament
Breaking News - Vance McCullough
Texas game wardens took a man into custody after a kayak bass tournament on Decker Lake.
He was charged with fraud in a bass tournament. Apparently, he cut the tail off his first fish and used it to ‘lengthen’ subsequent fish in subsequent photos during catch-photograph-release events wherein fish are judged by length, not weight.
He covered the joint between the two tails with his hand, a practice he is said to have engaged in during multiple tournaments over several years.
Suspicion had surfaced as other anglers examined his on-line photos over time and they often looked, well, not quite right. TPWD inspected his kayak and found a severed fish tail. The man initially denied wrong-doing, saying he found the tail in some reeds and was going to turn it in.
Um . . . what?
He later admitted guilt, adding that he had pulled this trick on multiple occasions.
Does the fish in this picture look a bit disproportioned?
COSTA FLW SERIES HEADED TO LAKE BARKLEY FOR TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE
CADIZ, Ky. (May 29, 2018) – More than 360 pros and co-anglers are set to compete next week, June 7-9, at the Costa FLW Series at Lake Barkley presented by T-H Marine. The tournament, hosted by the Cadiz-Trigg County Tourist and Convention Commission, is the second of three regular-season tournaments scheduled in the FLW Series Central Division. The event will feature anglers competing for a top award of up to $91,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“I think it will be primetime offshore fishing over the next couple of weeks,” said FLW Tour veteran Terry Bolton of Paducah, Kentucky, a 13-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “It seems like more fish are getting out there each day, and with warm weather being forecast as the week goes on, it’s likely going to be in full effect.
“I think the fish should be getting out of their post-spawn funk and really starting to feed,” Bolton continued. “If they stop biting a crankbait out on the ledges, a guy can pick up a worm, jig or a swimbait and catch a few doing that.”
Bolton said he expects both Barkley and Kentucky lakes to see action during the event.
“That’s the thing about fishing around Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake in early June – it will all be good,” said Bolton. “With the rainfall we’re getting, there’s going to be a little more current which should help bunch those fish up. It’s really going to be a good time to compete.”
Bolton predicted that a three-day cumulative weight total in the 65- to 70-pound range should be enough to take home top honors.
Anglers will take off from Lake Barkley State Resort Park, located at 3500 State Park Road., in Cadiz, at 6 a.m. CDT each day of competition. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2 p.m. each day. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At Lake Barkley pros will fish for a top prize of $91,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a brand new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard, and $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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.
Haney sets Single Day Kayak Record and Wins KBF Toad Fest in the Marsh Event
By Vance McCullough
Brandon Haney didn’t set out to break the Kayak Bass Fishing single-day record Sunday morning. In fact, as were most competitors in the Toad Fest on the Marsh near Fellsmere, FL, he was most concerned with battling high winds from Tropical Storm Alberto. “I have to tell you, when I started today I thought it was going to be horrible. It was going to be windy, rainy. I hoped I was going to catch five fish.
“By the time I got halfway through the lake I hooked up on an eight-and-a-half-pounder. That’s when I knew it was going to be a good bite.”
Haney parlayed the ‘good bite’ into a 5-fish limit that stretched to 114.5 inches. Kayak tourneys are catch-photo-release (CPR) affairs where success is measured in length, not weight but Haney also likes to weigh his big fish just out of curiosity. His creel included 2 Florida FWC Trophy Catch caliber fish over 8 pounds. His best 5 would have weighed, at minimum, 32.5 pounds.
“That’s new record for a KBF Trail event,” said tournament director Jason Broach. “It will probably stand for a long, long time.”
To make the feat even more impressive, over a third of the field did not record a single fish catch.
There were 3 ‘stringers’ over 100 inches. Very solid.
“If the weather hadn’t been so bad I’m sure we would have had several guys go over 100 inches today,” said Broach.
It’s not that the fish minded the conditions. Low pressure usually spurs strong feeding activity. Haney found the fish on Kenansville Lake were willing to crush his Chatterbait. “Surprisingly, after I caught a couple more 20’s (20-inch fish) I hooked up on a 9-pounder and that sealed the deal for me.”
Tournament anglers often say, ‘when it’s your time to win, it’s your time’. Such was the case for Haney who had a tense moment. “I actually almost lost the 9-pounder at the boat. I was using a Chatterbait and as I was pulling the fish up to lip it, the Chatterbait flew out of its mouth and I managed to lip it at the last second and pull that thing into the boat. Apparently today was my lucky day.”
Haney took a first-place check worth $1,219.
As for propulsion, Haney mixed in some pedaling with his paddling. “I was doing a lot of flipping where there’s a lot of hydrilla and you can’t really use your (Hobie) Mirage Drive so I was paddling around a little bit, trying to get up into the weeds.
“But the main thing I was catching them on was the Chatterbait, drifting around and throwing it where I thought they would be. It worked really well today.”
It worked well for Haney and a few others.
Mostly the weather wore down the anglers in the field of 45. I know. I was one of them. My son, Hunter fished it too. We struggled, physically, to catch what we did and finish in the middle of the pack. The wind did not stop and if we did, we lost all the ground we had just fought to cover. At times progress was measured in inches. Hunter’s hat blew off. When we got to our primary area in a huge main lake grass bed, we threw out our redneck sea anchors - 5-gallon buckets - to slow our drift. 
Hunter caught a fish before he realized he was minus a rod and reel. He has no idea when it blew out of his boat. At one point he took a wave over the bow. Did I mention the wind was rough?
Later, I reached behind me for my tackle bag and it wasn’t there. I looked down the canal and saw it floating like baby Moses in a basket. I sprint-paddled about 50 yards to get to it before it could take on enough water to sink. On occasion I had to spend a few minutes at a time using my redneck bilge pump – a dollar store super soaker – to bail gallons of water out of my kayak.
It’s hard to cast while paddling. “My lure hasn’t spent near enough time in the water,” said Hunter.
That was a major reason for low catch rates. Guys who had pedal drive systems were at a huge advantage in the places where they could use them. Many areas are covered with hydrilla which renders a pedal system nearly inoperable. And on the lake we fished, Fellsmere Lake, motors of all kinds - including electric are currently outlawed, even though KBF rules allow them where they are legal to use. So paddling was the deal on Fellsmere, officially named Headwaters Lake at a recent meeting of state and local officials but still called ‘Fellsmere Lake’ by locals.
For that reason, Fellsmere didn’t produce well on a day when the throng of anglers it hosted were pinned down by the wind. BUT - check AnglersChannel.com in the near future for my report about this exciting new fishery that you absolutely will want to visit!
There were 4 other lakes available to contestants: Garcia, Blue Cypress, Stick Marsh and the aforementioned Kenansville that produced the winning fish.
Stick Marsh is open enough for anglers to pedal their craft. By midday many of the anglers who had started on Fellsmere had jumped the berm to fish the famed Stick Marsh. I watched a guy catch a 5-pounder (20.5 inches) as he bobbed in the white capped waters that poured through a break in an old levee. Nobody could hold their position long enough to fish that spot without a pedal drive. Ask me how I know.
There had been much speculation that the Toad Fest may be canceled. That would have been disappointing, especially for anglers who came from Atlanta, GA and as far away as Arkansas to sample the action on the Fellsmere area lakes. Late Saturday Broach said KBF would continue to monitor the weather and he would send word ASAP if the event was cancelled. Sunday morning Broach said, via Facebook, that the tourney would go on and hopefully the heavy stuff would remain offshore. He encouraged anglers to fish sheltered locations and keep an eye on the sky. Ryan Sperling, a participant, replied to the post “I can tell you the heavy stuff didn’t stay off shore lol. I had to get off the Stick Marsh as I was getting blown sideways!”
“Today would have been a good day to go to a lake where I could use my PropPod,” chuckled Will Mansfield as he prepared to drag his kayak up the steep, slick embankment of Fellsmere Lake after a tough day on the water.
Mansfield is a US Army veteran who oozes enthusiasm for the sport of fishing. Check out his Instagram @barefootyakkinangler.
PropPod is an electric motor that fits into the pedal drive cavity at the bow of compatible kayaks. This placement is said to yield better control compared to motors mounted on the stern. The price point is also very favorable compared to competitors. Check out the PropPod at YakTools.com.
Kelseyville Knights Win Bassmaster High School Title On Clear Lake
|
|
|
Bethel Anglers Claim Championship Title
Courtesy of Boat US Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
FLORENCE, AL. (May 25, 2018) – Today 330 of college fishing’s best anglers took to Pickwick Lake with hopes of taking home the title, and tonight only two competitors leave with the championship trophy. Carter McNeil and Cole Floyd of Bethel University are the winners of the 2018 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. Bringing 25.12 pounds to the scales on Day 2, Mcneil and Floyd best the field by more than six pounds with a two day total of 47.75 pounds.
The Day 1 leaders entered the final day of tournament competition with a slim lead over second place. Leading by 0.03 pounds, their margin of error was small. “We knew we had to bust them. We knew we had some guys on our tail,” says Floyd. By 7:45 am their nerves began to settle. McNeil and Floyd had a limit weighing 11 pounds in the box within the first hour and a half of tournament competition.
From there on out, the pair went to work upgrading their limit. Fishing multiple
offshore spots, the Bethel anglers knew it was paramount to manage their fish, “We had several different schools of fish, and we went in with a gameplan. We’re going to take our best so many and we’re going to rotate them,” recounts McNeil. Working a variety of baits including crankbaits, soft plastics, and a jigging spoon, at around 8:15 am they culled up significantly. The team landed one fish weighing four and a half pounds, and another weighing six pounds. Those two fish catches boosted their bag well up over 19 pounds at the time. “I think we managed our time right on it, and hit it at the necessary times. Just rotating them schools and jumping back and forth really paid off for us today,” said McNeil.
Good decision making paid off to the tune of 25.12 pounds and a championship title for Carter McNeil and Cole Floyd. With little to no experience on Pickwick Lake entering the event, Floyd is overjoyed with today’s result, “Just going out there and catching the winning bag on the place, it made it really special.” His fishing partner Carter McNeil is also overcome by their achievement, “It feels awesome, this is what every college kid dreams of. We really focused, and grinded through practice and the tournament. We are fortunate and blessed to come up with some fish that got us this championship.”
Finishing in second place when the scales closed was the Bryan College team of
Nathan Bell and Cole Sands. Having fished this event before, Bell is pleased with how his boat finished, “I think my highest finish in this tournament has been a 94th. It’s kind of been my jinx in my college fishing career. We’re super thankful to come in second. It’s a big deal.” Entering today outside of the top five, sitting in seventh place, they were nearly four pounds out of first place.
Our crew caught up with them mid-morning and the Bryan College pairing was working on a good bag. An early afternoon cull had Nathan thinking they might have a shot at the title, “We got a big bite right there at the end that was able to cull us up about three and a half pounds. We were thinking, man we might have a shot but we didn’t know those guys were going to blast them.” At the end of the day, finishing second overall in a field made up of the nation’s best is still a major accomplishment. The second member of the tandem, Cole Sands , understands the magnitude of this moment for his team, ” We’re ecstatic and extremely blessed to have this finish.”
Rounding out the top three for the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s is a pair of anglers from the University of North Alabama. Triston Crowder and Lake Blasingame weighed in 18.10 pounds to finish with a two day total of 40.70 pounds. The pair of local anglers entered today just 0.03 pounds outside of first place. Of the field entering today, they had the smallest margin to make up in order to claim first place. Although they would have liked to win, Crowder has no complaints about finishing in third, “I’ll lose to Nathan and Cole from Bryan, and I’ll lose to Cole and Carter from Bethel. They’re really good fishermen. It just don’t bother me that they beat me.”
Last year, the UNA team of Sloan Pennington and Hunter McCarty won this very tournament. There has never been a school repeat back to back as champion in this event, and these two entered today looking to capitalize on the opportunity. “We definitely wanted to win. Not only to keep the trophy here in Florence, but just because it’s been a dream of both of ours for a long time,” said Blasingame. Once the weights were finalized, Crowder and Blasingame fell shy of accomplishing their dream and making history, but they are pleased with their third place showing.
To view the complete standings, click here.
Following the conclusion of the final weigh-in, a champion was named in the
Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Bethel University entered this event with over a 600 point lead, and they are leaving Florence as the best school in the nation. The University of North Alabama, and Murray State University rounded out the top three in that order. In the coming days we will post the results and a complete recap for the 2018 Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Arizona Angler Claims Title At B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional On Clear Lake
|
|
|
Northeastern State University Wins Bassmaster College Event At Clear Lake
|
|