Giant Bass Propels Lane Coale Into Early Lead In B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional

Colorado’s Lane Coale took the lead on the first day of the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors held on Clear Lake out of Lakeport, Calif. Coale brought 21 pounds, 2 ounces to the scales at Thursday’s weigh-in.

Photo by Brian Sak/B.A.S.S.
Courtesy of BASS Communications

May 23, 2018

LAKEPORT, Calif. — As expected following a difficult practice for most competitors, the majority of Clear Lake’s big bass seemed to have a case of lockjaw during the first day of competition at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors. But, as always, there were a handful of anglers able to figure out what the bass in California’s largest natural body of water were doing.

Catching bass wasn’t the issue for the 220 anglers fishing the event. All but eight of the 110 boaters brought five-bass limits to the scales, while 99 out of 110 co-anglers weighed in three-bass limits.

Putting quality bass in the boat, however, was another story. Known nationally for its numbers of trophy largemouth, Clear Lake surprisingly gave up only a single bass tipping the scales at 10 pounds.

“The fish were scattered,” said first-round leader Lane Coale of Grand Junction, Colo. “And because they haven’t grouped up yet, we had to cover a lot of water. But there were patterns to what we were doing that have held up and are actually getting better every day. I was trying to focus on the one that was catching bigger fish.”

Coale went on to explain that there was a cold wind that was coming from the opposite direction that it had been during practice, which he found repositioned both the baitfish and bass. The biggest key to his success was adjusting accordingly.

“The morning bite was slow, and I had plenty of bites, but the fish just weren’t eating the baits like they had been,” he added. “These fish are really pressured here and I think that made them act funky, which gave me some bad luck. I should have had a limit early.”

Although he wasn’t able to catch as many bass in the morning as he wanted to, Coale was able to cull a few fish throughout the day. The keepers certainly included the Day 1 big bass, a 10-7 monster and his new personal best.

Coale’s heavy limit helped vault the Colorado team into second place with 196-10, only 1-2 behind Montana who is leading the team boater division. Colorado and Montana were the only teams to weigh 80-bass limits. Rounding out the Top 5 were teams from California with 192-6, Arizona with 191-6 and Idaho with 179-11

Montana’s Shane Baertsch, who finished in a tie for second with Todd Herman of Gilbert, Ariz., anchored his team’s strong finish. Both anglers put solid 17-14 limits on the scales.

“For the majority of the day I targeted bedding bass,” said Baertsch who was fishing Clear Lake for the first time, “and I really only fished two half-mile stretches of bank. I caught my limit in the first area within 45 minutes, and was able to cull a little from there. But as the wind got stronger, and the water became muddier, the bite slowed way down.”

Baertsch hooked and landed his biggest largemouth at about midday at his second spot. The key for him was working his areas slowly and thoroughly. He admits that he doesn’t have many options and will be fishing the same two areas on Day 2.

Coale thinks he’ll be able to duplicate his efforts tomorrow, although he questions his ability to fool another 10-pound giant.

Leading the co-angler division, and adding to his team’s lead, is Noxon, Mont., Angler Quincy Grupenhoff, who weighed in three bass totaling 13-3.

Anglers will takeoff from Konocti Vista Resort Marina at 5:30 a.m. PDT and return to the same location for the weigh-in at 2 p.m.

2018 Bassmaster Nation Western Regional Championship 5/23-5/25
Clear Lake, Lakeport  CA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Lane Coale             Grand Junction, CO (CO) 5  21-02  0
2.  Shane Baertsch         Lolo, MT (MT)           5  17-14  0
3.  Todd Herman            Gilbert, AZ (AZ)        5  17-14  0
4.  Christian Gladfelter   Albuquerque, NM (NM)    5  16-09  0
5.  Adrian Murar           Elk Grove, CA (CA)      5  16-04  0
6.  Joe Conway             Colorado Springs, CO (C 5  16-03  0
7.  Mike Lavallee          Sandy, UT (UT)          5  16-01  0
8.  Jim Conlin             Thompson Falls, MT (MT) 5  15-14  0
9.  Brent James            St George, UT (NV)      5  14-15  0
10. Joe Cole               Coalville, UT (WY)      5  14-14  0
11. Chad Phillips          Thornton, CO (CO)       5  14-08  0
12. Stephen Pike           Las Vegas, NV (NV)      5  14-05  0
13. Steven Boyce           Paradise Valley , AZ (A 5  14-00  0
14. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA (CA)        5  13-15  0
15. Herminio Romero        Henderson, NV (NV)      5  13-11  0
16. Billy Ricker           Clinton, UT (UT)        5  13-11  0
17. Ben Hanes              West Richland, WA (WA)  5  13-10  0
18. Nick Wood              Yreka, CA (CA)          5  13-09  0
19. Jason Hickey           Weiser, ID (ID)         5  13-08  0
20. Cliff King             Herald, CA (CA)         5  13-07  0
21. Don Allphin            Provo, UT (UT)          5  13-07  0
22. Frank Mueller          Kingman, AZ (AZ)        5  13-06  0
23. Tony Lind              Auburn , WA (WA)        5  13-05  0
24. Tim Johnston           Kalispell , MT (MT)     5  13-01  0
25. Chris Shrader          Apo, WY (WY)            5  13-00  0
25. Ryan Sparks            Portland, OR (OR)       5  13-00  0
27. Mark Clark             Payette, ID (ID)        5  12-14  0
28. Brad Shepherd          Templeton, CA (CA)      5  12-14  0
29. Addam Gross            Pendleton, OR (OR)      5  12-13  0
29. Bruce Harris           Oakdale, CA (CA)        5  12-13  0
31. Toby Robinson          Henderson, NV (NV)      5  12-07  0
32. JJ Gibbs IV            Lake Havasu City, AZ (A 5  12-05  0
32. Greg Pink              Montrose, CO (UT)       5  12-05  0
34. Zach Barnes            Boise, ID (ID)          5  12-03  0
34. Jonathan Bradford      Sacramento, CA (CA)     5  12-03  0
34. Jakob Calkin           Layton, UT (UT)         5  12-03  0
37. Jason Crone            Kalispell, MT (MT)      5  12-01  0
37. Ronald Giebel          Penrose, CO (CO)        5  12-01  0
39. Gene Batey Jr.         Pasco, WA (WA)          5  12-00  0
39. Mike Dominick          Alberton, MT (MT)       5  12-00  0
39. Gabriel Rivera         Portales, NM (NM)       5  12-00  0
42. David Naugle           Las Vegas, NV (NV)      5  12-00  0
43. Matthew Abeyta         Albuquerque, NM (NM)    5  11-15  0
43. Doug Gaskill           Las Vegas, NV (NV)      5  11-15  0
45. Bill Brown             Grand Junction, CO (UT) 5  11-14  0
46. Earl Wells             Payette, ID (ID)        5  11-13  0
47. Dane Lawrence          Butte, MT (MT)          5  11-12  0
48. Aaron Echternkamp      Moses Lake, WA (WA)     5  11-10  0
48. Keegan Graves          Meridian, ID (ID)       5  11-10  0
50. Earl Conway            Albuquerque, NM (NM)    5  11-10  0
51. Bill Barkley           Kalispell, MT (MT)      5  11-09  0
52. David Kromm            Kennewick, WA (WA)      5  11-08  0
53. Kyle Gelles            Pingree, ID (WY)        5  11-07  0
54. Randy Campbell         Sandia Park, NM (NM)    5  11-05  0
55. Jeff Gibson            Idaho Falls, ID (WY)    5  11-04  0
55. Trevor Scott           Windsor, CO (CO)        5  11-04  0
57. Jim Graddy             Shafter, CA (CA)        5  11-03  0
58. Chris Lambert          Olympia, WA (WA)        5  11-01  0
59. Broc Lindauer          Honeyville, UT (UT)     5  11-00  0
60. Drew Forster           Kalispell, MT (MT)      5  10-15  0
61. Ray Archer             Greeley, CO (CO)        5  10-14  0
62. Steve Lund             Glendale, AZ (AZ)       5  10-13  0
63. Gregg Price            Farmington, NM (NM)     5  10-13  0
64. Nate Caldwell          Ft Collins, CO (CO)     5  10-11  0
64. Robert Christensen     Wallace, ID (MT)        5  10-11  0
64. Jason Hooper           Salem, OR (OR)          5  10-11  0
67. Ken Day                Kennewick, WA (WA)      5  10-10  0
67. David Mays             Portland, OR (OR)       5  10-10  0
67. Stephen Spear          Boise, ID (ID)          5  10-10  0
70. Frank Scarla           McMinnville, OR (OR)    5  10-09  0
71. Creston Carroll        Heber, AZ (AZ)          5  10-07  0
72. Jacob Shull            Willcox, AZ (AZ)        5  10-07  0
73. Austin Howard          Eau Claire, WI (CO)     5  10-05  0
74. David Erickson         Craigmont, ID (ID)      5  10-04  0
74. Larry Triplett         Castle Rock, CO (CO)    5  10-04  0
76. Scott Lepka            Mountain Home, ID (ID)  5  10-04  0
77. Marty Lawrence         Mesa, AZ (AZ)           5  10-03  0
78. Mike Coleman           Pinoeer, CA (CA)        5  10-03  0
78. Mark Warren            Castle Rock, CO (CO)    5  10-03  0
80. Patrick Davis          Henderson, NV (NV)      5  10-02  0
81. Rick Culver            Taylor, UT (UT)         5  09-13  0
81. John Gardner           Durango, CO (WY)        5  09-13  0
83. Rick Correa Jr         Wilsonville, OR (OR)    5  09-12  0
83. Kalib Lund             Glendale, AZ (CA)       5  09-12  0
85. Jake Anderson          Richland, WA (WA)       5  09-12  0
86. Sean Coffey            Mesa, AZ (AZ)           5  09-11  0
87. Kenny Hansel           Los Alamos, NM (NM)     5  09-08  0
87. Johnny Johnson         Farmington, NM (NM)     5  09-08  0
89. Elli Hubbard           Las Vegas, NV (NV)      5  09-06  0
90. William Gibbs          John Day, OR (OR)       5  09-05  0
91. Dan Jordan             Camas, WA (OR)          5  09-04  0
91. Bubba O'Neill          Evanston, WY (WY)       5  09-04  0
93. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR (OR)      5  09-01  0
93. Levi Ployhar           Kalispell, MT (MT)      5  09-01  0
93. Michael Tauscher       Blackfoot, ID (WY)      5  09-01  0
93. Joseph Weber           Albuquerque, NM (NM)    5  09-01  0
97. Bryan Diehm            Las Vegas, NV (NV)      5  08-13  0
98. Justin Campbell        Pasco, WA (WA)          5  08-09  0
99. Randell Bell           Elephant Butte, NM (NM) 5  08-06  0
99. Rick Tejada            Coeur D Alene, ID (ID)  5  08-06  0
101. Josh Unruh             Pocatello, ID (WY)      4  08-01  0
102. Dave Lee               Mesa, AZ (AZ)           4  07-10  0
103. Brett Felter           Malad City, ID (WY)     3  07-08  0
104. Ron Wiseman Jr         Pendleton, OR (OR)      4  07-01  0
105. Cody Compton           Palisade, CO (UT)       5  06-14  0
106. Chris Harvey           Idaho Falls, ID (WY)    3  05-15  0
107. Zac Dinkins            Green River, UT (UT)    4  05-08  0
108. Denton Crofts          Meridian, ID (ID)       2  04-02  0
109. Les Whitley            Kennewick, WA (WA)      1  02-05  0
110. Michael Grande         Las Vegas, NV (NV)      0  00-00  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       101      530       1238-10
----------------------------------
101       530      1238-10

TEAM STANDINGS Day 1
----------------------------------
State                Lbs-Oz
1 MONTANA              197-12
2 COLORADO             196-10
3 CALIFORNIA           192-06
4 ARIZONA              191-06
5 IDAHO                179-11
6 NEW MEXICO           177-08
7 OREGON               171-14
8 UTAH                 171-05
9 NEVADA               166-09
10 WYOMING              161-13
11 WASHINGTON           153-08

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ben Hanes            West Richland, WA           5   13-10  0
2 Tony Lind            Auburn , WA                 5   13-05  0
3 Gene Batey Jr.       Pasco, WA                   5   12-00  0
4 Aaron Echternkamp    Moses Lake, WA              5   11-10  0
5 David Kromm          Kennewick, WA               5   11-08  0
6 Chris Lambert        Olympia, WA                 5   11-01  0
7 Ken Day              Kennewick, WA               5   10-10  0
8 Jake Anderson        Richland, WA                5   09-12  0
9 Justin Campbell      Pasco, WA                   5   08-09  0
10 Les Whitley          Kennewick, WA               1   02-05  0

IDAHO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jason Hickey         Weiser, ID                  5   13-08  0
2 Mark Clark           Payette, ID                 5   12-14  0
3 Zach Barnes          Boise, ID                   5   12-03  0
4 Earl Wells           Payette, ID                 5   11-13  0
5 Keegan Graves        Meridian, ID                5   11-10  0
6 Stephen Spear        Boise, ID                   5   10-10  0
7 David Erickson       Craigmont, ID               5   10-04  0
8 Scott Lepka          Mountain Home, ID           5   10-04  0
9 Rick Tejada          Coeur D Alene, ID           5   08-06  0
10 Denton Crofts        Meridian, ID                2   04-02  0

OREGON
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ryan Sparks          Portland, OR                5   13-00  0
2 Addam Gross          Pendleton, OR               5   12-13  0
3 Jason Hooper         Salem, OR                   5   10-11  0
4 David Mays           Portland, OR                5   10-10  0
5 Frank Scarla         McMinnville, OR             5   10-09  0
6 Rick Correa Jr       Wilsonville, OR             5   09-12  0
7 William Gibbs        John Day, OR                5   09-05  0
8 Dan Jordan           Camas, WA                   5   09-04  0
9 Cody Hollen          Beaverton, OR               5   09-01  0
10 Ron Wiseman Jr       Pendleton, OR               4   07-01  0

ARIZONA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Todd Herman          Gilbert, AZ                 5   17-14  0
2 Steven Boyce         Paradise Valley , AZ        5   14-00  0
3 Frank Mueller        Kingman, AZ                 5   13-06  0
4 JJ Gibbs IV          Lake Havasu City, AZ        5   12-05  0
5 Steve Lund           Glendale, AZ                5   10-13  0
6 Creston Carroll      Heber, AZ                   5   10-07  0
7 Jacob Shull          Willcox, AZ                 5   10-07  0
8 Marty Lawrence       Mesa, AZ                    5   10-03  0
9 Sean Coffey          Mesa, AZ                    5   09-11  0
10 Dave Lee             Mesa, AZ                    4   07-10  0

WYOMING
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Joe Cole             Coalville, UT               5   14-14  0
2 Chris Shrader        Apo, WY                     5   13-00  0
3 Kyle Gelles          Pingree, ID                 5   11-07  0
4 Jeff Gibson          Idaho Falls, ID             5   11-04  0
5 John Gardner         Durango, CO                 5   09-13  0
6 Bubba O'Neill        Evanston, WY                5   09-04  0
7 Michael Tauscher     Blackfoot, ID               5   09-01  0
8 Josh Unruh           Pocatello, ID               4   08-01  0
9 Brett Felter         Malad City, ID              3   07-08  0
10 Chris Harvey         Idaho Falls, ID             3   05-15  0

NEW MEXICO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM             5   16-09  0
2 Gabriel Rivera       Portales, NM                5   12-00  0
3 Matthew Abeyta       Albuquerque, NM             5   11-15  0
4 Earl Conway          Albuquerque, NM             5   11-10  0
5 Randy Campbell       Sandia Park, NM             5   11-05  0
6 Gregg Price          Farmington, NM              5   10-13  0
7 Kenny Hansel         Los Alamos, NM              5   09-08  0
7 Johnny Johnson       Farmington, NM              5   09-08  0
9 Joseph Weber         Albuquerque, NM             5   09-01  0
10 Randell Bell         Elephant Butte, NM          5   08-06  0

CALIFORNIA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Adrian Murar         Elk Grove, CA               5   16-04  0
2 Randy Pierson        Oakdale, CA                 5   13-15  0
3 Nick Wood            Yreka, CA                   5   13-09  0
4 Cliff King           Herald, CA                  5   13-07  0
5 Brad Shepherd        Templeton, CA               5   12-14  0
6 Bruce Harris         Oakdale, CA                 5   12-13  0
7 Jonathan Bradford    Sacramento, CA              5   12-03  0
8 Jim Graddy           Shafter, CA                 5   11-03  0
9 Mike Coleman         Pinoeer, CA                 5   10-03  0
10 Kalib Lund           Glendale, AZ                5   09-12  0

MONTANA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Shane Baertsch       Lolo, MT                    5   17-14  0
2 Jim Conlin           Thompson Falls, MT          5   15-14  0
3 Tim Johnston         Kalispell , MT              5   13-01  0
4 Jason Crone          Kalispell, MT               5   12-01  0
5 Mike Dominick        Alberton, MT                5   12-00  0
6 Dane Lawrence        Butte, MT                   5   11-12  0
7 Bill Barkley         Kalispell, MT               5   11-09  0
8 Drew Forster         Kalispell, MT               5   10-15  0
9 Robert Christensen   Wallace, ID                 5   10-11  0
10 Levi Ployhar         Kalispell, MT               5   09-01  0

UTAH
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Mike Lavallee        Sandy, UT                   5   16-01  0
2 Billy Ricker         Clinton, UT                 5   13-11  0
3 Don Allphin          Provo, UT                   5   13-07  0
4 Greg Pink            Montrose, CO                5   12-05  0
5 Jakob Calkin         Layton, UT                  5   12-03  0
6 Bill Brown           Grand Junction, CO          5   11-14  0
7 Broc Lindauer        Honeyville, UT              5   11-00  0
8 Rick Culver          Taylor, UT                  5   09-13  0
9 Cody Compton         Palisade, CO                5   06-14  0
10 Zac Dinkins          Green River, UT             4   05-08  0

COLORADO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Lane Coale           Grand Junction, CO          5   21-02  0
2 Joe Conway           Colorado Springs, CO        5   16-03  0
3 Chad Phillips        Thornton, CO                5   14-08  0
4 Ronald Giebel        Penrose, CO                 5   12-01  0
5 Trevor Scott         Windsor, CO                 5   11-04  0
6 Ray Archer           Greeley, CO                 5   10-14  0
7 Nate Caldwell        Ft Collins, CO              5   10-11  0
8 Austin Howard        Eau Claire, WI              5   10-05  0
9 Larry Triplett       Castle Rock, CO             5   10-04  0
10 Mark Warren          Castle Rock, CO             5   10-03  0

NEVADA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brent James          St George, UT               5   14-15  0
2 Stephen Pike         Las Vegas, NV               5   14-05  0
3 Herminio Romero      Henderson, NV               5   13-11  0
4 Toby Robinson        Henderson, NV               5   12-07  0
5 David Naugle         Las Vegas, NV               5   12-00  0
6 Doug Gaskill         Las Vegas, NV               5   11-15  0
7 Patrick Davis        Henderson, NV               5   10-02  0
8 Elli Hubbard         Las Vegas, NV               5   09-06  0
9 Bryan Diehm          Las Vegas, NV               5   08-13  0
10 Michael Grande       Las Vegas, NV               0   00-00  0

2018 Bassmaster Nation Western Regional Championship 5/23-5/25
Clear Lake, Lakeport  CA.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Quincy Grupenhoff      Noxon, MT (MT)          3  13-03  0
2.  Loren Bryant           Phoenix, AZ (AZ)        3  11-05  0
3.  Anthony Ocamica        New Plymouth, ID (ID)   3  11-00  0
4.  Bill Rosenbalm         Arlington, OR (OR)      3  10-14  0
5.  Tucker Cappella        Alcova, WY (WY)         3  10-09  0
6.  Mike Estrada           Belen, NM (NM)          3  10-01  0
7.  Clay Williams          Athol, ID (ID)          3  09-11  0
8.  Timothy Flueter        Brighton, CO (CO)       3  09-10  0
9.  Jared Harris           Oakdale, CA (CA)        3  09-04  0
10. Ty Faber               Pagosa Springs, CO (WY) 3  09-02  0
11. Paul Gelles            Pingree, ID (WY)        3  09-00  0
12. Jake Aubrey            Glendale, AZ (AZ)       3  08-14  0
13. Riley Hansen           Sandy , UT (UT)         3  08-13  0
13. Angelo Messina         Sun City, AZ (AZ)       3  08-13  0
15. Logan DeGree           Redmond, OR (OR)        3  08-12  0
16. Morgan Fitzgerald      Denver, CO (CO)         3  08-07  0
17. Jake Weaver            Columbia Falls, MT (MT) 3  08-06  0
18. Jim Grebel             Sacramento, CA (CA)     3  08-03  0
18. Luke Johns             Folsom, CA (CA)         3  08-03  0
18. Tom McArt              Albany, OR (OR)         3  08-03  0
21. Ian Hastie             Cambridge, ID (ID)      3  08-03  0
22. David Bertsch          Harrison, ID (ID)       3  08-02  0
23. Kody Johnson           San Tan Valley, AZ (AZ) 3  08-00  0
24. Kirk Albrecht          Fort Collins, CO (CO)   3  07-15  0
25. Ric Blair              Whitefish, MT (MT)      3  07-12  0
25. Tate Brown             Heber, UT (UT)          3  07-12  0
25. Melissa Nokes          Lehi, UT (UT)           3  07-12  0
28. Matt Peters            Las Cruces, NM (NM)     3  07-11  0
29. Jay Williams           Modesto, CA (CA)        2  07-11  0
30. Zach Chandler          Renton, WA (WA)         3  07-10  0
30. Garry Harner           Milliken, CO (CO)       3  07-10  0
30. Larry Warren           LaVerkin, UT (NV)       3  07-10  0
33. Matthew Barnes         Pensacola, FL (ID)      3  07-09  0
34. Chris Gilkison         Bakersfield, CA (CA)    3  07-09  0
35. Will Brown             Wetumpka, AL (UT)       3  07-08  0
35. Dan Skillings          Bend, OR (OR)           3  07-08  0
37. Jason Billmaier        Las Vegas, NV (NV)      3  07-06  0
37. Chris Jarvis           Albuquerque, NM (NM)    3  07-06  0
39. Dave Cole              Farmington, UT (WY)     3  07-05  0
40. Justin Dodd            Kennewick, WA (WA)      3  07-03  0
41. Jake Morrison          Phoenix, AZ (AZ)        3  07-02  0
42. Don Edmonds            Sacramento, CA (CA)     3  07-00  0
43. Chuck Harrison         Ft Collins, CO (CO)     3  06-15  0
43. Scott Hausman          Las Vegas, NV (NV)      3  06-15  0
43. Austin Johnson         Noxon, MT (MT)          3  06-15  0
43. Scott Seros            Bend, OR (OR)           3  06-15  0
47. Waylon Reynolds        Jarales, NM (NM)        3  06-15  0
48. Shaun Leytum           Valley Springs, CA (CA) 3  06-14  0
48. Katie Tanner           Eugene, OR (MT)         3  06-14  0
50. Connor Santos          Colorado Springs, CO (C 3  06-13  0
51. Mateo Gomez            Elk Grove, CA (CA)      3  06-12  0
51. Mike Rennie            Pioche, NV (NV)         3  06-12  0
53. Nathan Tumelson        Lewiston, ID (ID)       3  06-11  0
54. Chris Hoffarth         Goodyear, AZ (AZ)       3  06-10  0
55. Michael Hill           Carlsbad, NM (NM)       3  06-10  0
56. Thomas Edwards         Gilbert, AZ (AZ)        3  06-09  0
56. James Robey            Kennewick, WA (WA)      3  06-09  0
56. David Slonski          Buckeye, AZ (AZ)        3  06-09  0
59. Andrew Ingold          Missoula, MT (MT)       3  06-08  0
60. Terry Peterson         West Jordan, UT (UT)    3  06-07  0
61. Clark Kellogg          Kelso, WA (WA)          3  06-07  0
62. Ryan Gutierrez         Weiser, ID (ID)         3  06-06  0
63. Stan Fisher            Trout Creek, MT (MT)    3  06-06  0
63. Derrick Sandoval       Santa Fe, NM (NM)       3  06-06  0
65. Steve Larsen           Salt Lake City, UT (NV) 3  06-05  0
66. Luke Davidson          Centennial , CO (CO)    3  06-04  0
66. Mike Liska             Espanola, NM (NM)       3  06-04  0
68. Steven Mazur           Lolo, MT (MT)           3  06-03  0
69. Aaryn Coroneos         Henderson, NV (NV)      3  06-01  0
69. Mark Westcott          Pasco, WA (WA)          3  06-01  0
71. Gabriel Vigil          Socorro, NM (OR)        3  06-00  0
72. Brian Velasquez        Yuma, AZ (AZ)           3  05-15  0
73. Jakobe Akins           Coeur D Alene, ID (ID)  3  05-14  0
73. Gary Harral            Vancouver, WA (OR)      3  05-14  0
73. Brandon Miers          Moses Lake, WA (WA)     3  05-14  0
76. Danny Fourr            Waterflow, NM (NM)      3  05-13  0
77. Austin Bentz           Hermiston, OR (OR)      3  05-12  0
77. Steve Ehrman           Littleton, CO (CO)      3  05-12  0
77. Sean Sullivan          Henderson, NV (NV)      3  05-12  0
80. Joseph Trakas          Casper, WY (WY)         2  05-12  0
81. Sky Wooten             Farmington, NM (NM)     3  05-11  0
82. Jake Hansen            Bozeman, MT (MT)        3  05-10  0
82. Larry Holona II        Las Vegas, NV (NV)      3  05-10  0
84. Steve Adams            Baker City, OR (OR)     3  05-09  0
84. Gabriel Aroca          Orem, UT (UT)           3  05-09  0
86. Nathanial Kimberling   Coeur D Alene, ID (ID)  3  05-07  0
87. David Vega             McCammon , ID (WY)      3  05-04  0
88. Justin Hicks           Gunnison, CO (UT)       3  05-03  0
89. Marty Martinez         Colorado Springs, CO (C 3  05-03  0
90. Chris Felty            Caldwell, ID (ID)       3  05-02  0
91. Joshua Powell          Libby, MT (MT)          3  05-01  0
92. Sam Barrus             Forest Grove, OR (WY)   3  05-00  0
93. Jaquoy Gibson          Idaho Falls, ID (WY)    3  04-14  0
94. Stanley Sigouin        San Tan Valley, AZ (AZ) 3  04-13  0
95. Tim Rawlings           Malad City, ID (WY)     3  04-12  0
96. Chief Torrez           Camarillo, CA (CA)      3  04-11  0
97. Jeff Gombos            Aurora, CO (CO)         3  04-10  0
98. Skyler Keeton          Pasco, WA (WA)          3  04-07  0
99. Deric Brown            West Linn, OR (OR)      3  04-05  0
100. Andy Cochran           Gunnison, CO (UT)       3  04-00  0
101. Randy Missildine       Clovis, NM (NM)         2  04-00  0
102. Lynn Irwin             Las Vegas, NV (NV)      2  03-06  0
102. Mandy Myers            Santa Quin, UT (UT)     2  03-06  0
104. Ben Grande             Las Vegas, NV (NV)      2  03-02  0
105. Heather Stiegelmeyer   Pasco, WA (WA)          1  02-12  0
106. John Flores            Pasco, WA (WA)          1  02-03  0
106. Trace Myers            Santaquin, UT (UT)      1  02-03  0
108. Don Baker              Benton City, WA (WA)    0  00-00  0
108. Louie Marques          Sacramento, CA (CA)     0  00-00  0
108. Kyle Thompson          Kemmerer, WY (WY)       0  00-00  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       0        309       721-12
----------------------------------
0       309       721-12

TEAM STANDINGS Day 1
----------------------------------
State                Lbs-Oz
1 MONTANA              197-12
2 COLORADO             196-10
3 CALIFORNIA           192-06
4 ARIZONA              191-06
5 IDAHO                179-11
6 NEW MEXICO           177-08
7 OREGON               171-14
8 UTAH                 171-05
9 NEVADA               166-09
10 WYOMING              161-13
11 WASHINGTON           153-08

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Zach Chandler        Renton, WA                  3   07-10  0
2 Justin Dodd          Kennewick, WA               3   07-03  0
3 James Robey          Kennewick, WA               3   06-09  0
4 Clark Kellogg        Kelso, WA                   3   06-07  0
5 Mark Westcott        Pasco, WA                   3   06-01  0
6 Brandon Miers        Moses Lake, WA              3   05-14  0
7 Skyler Keeton        Pasco, WA                   3   04-07  0
8 Heather Stiegelmeyer Pasco, WA                   1   02-12  0
9 John Flores          Pasco, WA                   1   02-03  0
10 Don Baker            Benton City, WA             0   00-00  0

IDAHO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Anthony Ocamica      New Plymouth, ID            3   11-00  0
2 Clay Williams        Athol, ID                   3   09-11  0
3 Ian Hastie           Cambridge, ID               3   08-03  0
4 David Bertsch        Harrison, ID                3   08-02  0
5 Matthew Barnes       Pensacola, FL               3   07-09  0
6 Nathan Tumelson      Lewiston, ID                3   06-11  0
7 Ryan Gutierrez       Weiser, ID                  3   06-06  0
8 Jakobe Akins         Coeur D Alene, ID           3   05-14  0
9 Nathanial Kimberling Coeur D Alene, ID           3   05-07  0
10 Chris Felty          Caldwell, ID                3   05-02  0

OREGON
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Bill Rosenbalm       Arlington, OR               3   10-14  0
2 Logan DeGree         Redmond, OR                 3   08-12  0
3 Tom McArt            Albany, OR                  3   08-03  0
4 Dan Skillings        Bend, OR                    3   07-08  0
5 Scott Seros          Bend, OR                    3   06-15  0
6 Gabriel Vigil        Socorro, NM                 3   06-00  0
7 Gary Harral          Vancouver, WA               3   05-14  0
8 Austin Bentz         Hermiston, OR               3   05-12  0
9 Steve Adams          Baker City, OR              3   05-09  0
10 Deric Brown          West Linn, OR               3   04-05  0

ARIZONA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Loren Bryant         Phoenix, AZ                 3   11-05  0
2 Jake Aubrey          Glendale, AZ                3   08-14  0
3 Angelo Messina       Sun City, AZ                3   08-13  0
4 Kody Johnson         San Tan Valley, AZ          3   08-00  0
5 Jake Morrison        Phoenix, AZ                 3   07-02  0
6 Chris Hoffarth       Goodyear, AZ                3   06-10  0
7 Thomas Edwards       Gilbert, AZ                 3   06-09  0
7 David Slonski        Buckeye, AZ                 3   06-09  0
9 Brian Velasquez      Yuma, AZ                    3   05-15  0
10 Stanley Sigouin      San Tan Valley, AZ          3   04-13  0

WYOMING
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tucker Cappella      Alcova, WY                  3   10-09  0
2 Ty Faber             Pagosa Springs, CO          3   09-02  0
3 Paul Gelles          Pingree, ID                 3   09-00  0
4 Dave Cole            Farmington, UT              3   07-05  0
5 Joseph Trakas        Casper, WY                  2   05-12  0
6 David Vega           McCammon , ID               3   05-04  0
7 Sam Barrus           Forest Grove, OR            3   05-00  0
8 Jaquoy Gibson        Idaho Falls, ID             3   04-14  0
9 Tim Rawlings         Malad City, ID              3   04-12  0
10 Kyle Thompson        Kemmerer, WY                0   00-00  0

NEW MEXICO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Mike Estrada         Belen, NM                   3   10-01  0
2 Matt Peters          Las Cruces, NM              3   07-11  0
3 Chris Jarvis         Albuquerque, NM             3   07-06  0
4 Waylon Reynolds      Jarales, NM                 3   06-15  0
5 Michael Hill         Carlsbad, NM                3   06-10  0
6 Derrick Sandoval     Santa Fe, NM                3   06-06  0
7 Mike Liska           Espanola, NM                3   06-04  0
8 Danny Fourr          Waterflow, NM               3   05-13  0
9 Sky Wooten           Farmington, NM              3   05-11  0
10 Randy Missildine     Clovis, NM                  2   04-00  0

CALIFORNIA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jared Harris         Oakdale, CA                 3   09-04  0
2 Jim Grebel           Sacramento, CA              3   08-03  0
2 Luke Johns           Folsom, CA                  3   08-03  0
4 Jay Williams         Modesto, CA                 2   07-11  0
5 Chris Gilkison       Bakersfield, CA             3   07-09  0
6 Don Edmonds          Sacramento, CA              3   07-00  0
7 Shaun Leytum         Valley Springs, CA          3   06-14  0
8 Mateo Gomez          Elk Grove, CA               3   06-12  0
9 Chief Torrez         Camarillo, CA               3   04-11  0
10 Louie Marques        Sacramento, CA              0   00-00  0

MONTANA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Quincy Grupenhoff    Noxon, MT                   3   13-03  0
2 Jake Weaver          Columbia Falls, MT          3   08-06  0
3 Ric Blair            Whitefish, MT               3   07-12  0
4 Austin Johnson       Noxon, MT                   3   06-15  0
5 Katie Tanner         Eugene, OR                  3   06-14  0
6 Andrew Ingold        Missoula, MT                3   06-08  0
7 Stan Fisher          Trout Creek, MT             3   06-06  0
8 Steven Mazur         Lolo, MT                    3   06-03  0
9 Jake Hansen          Bozeman, MT                 3   05-10  0
10 Joshua Powell        Libby, MT                   3   05-01  0

UTAH
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Riley Hansen         Sandy , UT                  3   08-13  0
2 Tate Brown           Heber, UT                   3   07-12  0
2 Melissa Nokes        Lehi, UT                    3   07-12  0
4 Will Brown           Wetumpka, AL                3   07-08  0
5 Terry Peterson       West Jordan, UT             3   06-07  0
6 Gabriel Aroca        Orem, UT                    3   05-09  0
7 Justin Hicks         Gunnison, CO                3   05-03  0
8 Andy Cochran         Gunnison, CO                3   04-00  0
9 Mandy Myers          Santa Quin, UT              2   03-06  0
10 Trace Myers          Santaquin, UT               1   02-03  0

COLORADO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Timothy Flueter      Brighton, CO                3   09-10  0
2 Morgan Fitzgerald    Denver, CO                  3   08-07  0
3 Kirk Albrecht        Fort Collins, CO            3   07-15  0
4 Garry Harner         Milliken, CO                3   07-10  0
5 Chuck Harrison       Ft Collins, CO              3   06-15  0
6 Connor Santos        Colorado Springs, CO        3   06-13  0
7 Luke Davidson        Centennial , CO             3   06-04  0
8 Steve Ehrman         Littleton, CO               3   05-12  0
9 Marty Martinez       Colorado Springs, CO        3   05-03  0
10 Jeff Gombos          Aurora, CO                  3   04-10  0

NEVADA
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Larry Warren         LaVerkin, UT                3   07-10  0
2 Jason Billmaier      Las Vegas, NV               3   07-06  0
3 Scott Hausman        Las Vegas, NV               3   06-15  0
4 Mike Rennie          Pioche, NV                  3   06-12  0
5 Steve Larsen         Salt Lake City, UT          3   06-05  0
6 Aaryn Coroneos       Henderson, NV               3   06-01  0
7 Sean Sullivan        Henderson, NV               3   05-12  0
8 Larry Holona II      Las Vegas, NV               3   05-10  0
9 Lynn Irwin           Las Vegas, NV               2   03-06  0
10 Ben Grande           Las Vegas, NV               2   03-02  0


AC Insider Podcast Episode 15 - Featuring FLW Pro James Niggemeyer and the Talk on Sportsmanship and Bass Fishing

Photo Courtesy of FLW

In this weeks Podcast the boys talk about the BASS Texas Fest, The FLW Tour on Kentucky Lake, the Progressive Bass Wrap up and they talk with FLW Tour Pro James Niggemeyer and talk about Kentucky Lake, Off Days and Ice Cream! Make sure and catch the Controversial Part 2 of this show as well!!

Part 1

Part 2


Costa Coutndown to Blast Off - May 23, 2018

AC's John Byrne & Pro Staffer Rob Digh Talk Clarks Hill and all thats coming up this Memorial Day Weekend on the Costa Countdown to Blastoff!


T-H MARINE ACQUIRES BLUE WATER LED ENTERPRISES

 

Huntsville, AL – May 21, 2018 – T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., of Huntsville, Alabama, announces the acquisition of the assets of Blue Water LED Enterprises, LLC (Blue Water) of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Blue Water designs, assembles, and sells a broad and unique line of LED light kits and lighting components for boats, kayaks, autos/trucks, trailers, ATVs/UTVs, golf carts, RVs, off-road vehicles, public safety vehicles, and utility trucks. Blue Water has long been known as the pioneer and market leader in LED light kits for bass boats and professional bass fishermen.

“We are so excited to announce the acquisition of the Blue Water assets," T-H Marine’s president, Jeff Huntley, stated. "We have long-admired the quality of their products and their status as the market share leader for aftermarket LED light kits. The team at Blue Water have built a great company of superior-quality products, all with a lifetime warranty, and we look forward of taking their vision to the next level.”

“It’s been an awesome experience to grow our company and to meet so many of our customers and dealers," stated Jeff Hillard, one of the original founders and president of Blue Water LED. "Our faith-based company has operated on the principles of providing superior-quality products, excellent customer service, and an unprecedented lifetime warranty."

"We have loved serving our loyal customers over the years and we are excited that even more customers will now have access to Blue Water products through an industry leader, T-H Marine. We know T-H Marine cares about quality, stands behind its products, and really cares for its customers, so it’s a great fit. We are proud to know they will nurture the line of Blue Water products into the future.”

Huntley also said, “T-H Marine is known as an industry leader in supplying LED lights to the boat manufacturers. But Blue Water was THE visionary in creating easy-to-buy, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-install LED Light Kits for the aftermarket customer to add to their boats and for dealers to install in boats."

"It is astonishing to me that Blue Water has been doing LED kits since 2005 – yes 13 years! – so they have an established and diverse dealer network in place across the US and a customer base like no one else in the boating market. We look forward to continuing and growing all of those dealer relationships and establishing even more through our wide distribution network, so more dealers and do-it-yourself customers can really light up their boats!”

Huntley said that the Blue Water assets are being moved to T-H Marine headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, where future assembly and shipping of the product will occur. There will be no disruption to Blue Water customers or suppliers, just more access to the products through more places than ever. Blue Water LED products will be up and running as a T-H Marine brand in a matter of days.

“Quality brands and products like Blue Water are what we seek to add to our strong portfolio of brands," Huntley continued. "This is our fifth acquisition in the past five years along with many product license acquisitions. We love being known as the go-to company for launching and acquiring innovative brands and products."

"We have proven our ability to use great ideas, from inside our plant, from our boatbuilding customers, from inventors, and from smaller companies, and really blow them up in the market. We have experienced compound annual growth of over 20% per year over the past eight years and we are not planning to slow down. The acquisition of the Blue Water assets puts us into a clear market leadership position in aftermarket LED light kits and we look forward to growing even more. We also look forward to the immediate access Blue Water provides to several other markets outside of boats.”


Elephants DO Eat Peanuts.........

By Vance McCullough

As bass across Florida wrap up their annual spawning ritual they once again turn their attention to the only other activity on their agenda – eating. And for a short while it appears every bass, regardless of size wants the same menu item – fry.

Those eggs that were so jealously guarded by buck bass have now turned into swarms of tiny fish and even the biggest female bass have hung around up shallow to eat as many of them as they can. The males may be guarding them, but it seems more like they are protecting a food source rather than defending the next generation.

For this reason alone, I will often throw the smallest lures I can cast on light spinning gear in late spring and early summer.

As I sort through scores of small keeper-size bass I come across my share of giants on tiny lures. I have caught 7-pounders on 4lb. line and a crappie jig. The other day I had a 6-pounder eat a 3-inch weightless worm.

Elephants eat peanuts. And giant bass eat tiny bait.

Even after the fry fest is over I will turn to trimmed-down tackle under tough fishing conditions and continue to catch big bass.

A trip to the tidal lower St. Johns River comes to mind. I was either missing bites or my worm was being carried off by crabs. I couldn’t tell so I bit the worm down to nothing more than a tail and couple of inches of plastic, just enough to hold a hook. ‘Now I’ll catch these short-biting little rascals, if they are actually fish,’ I thought. The next one was definitely a fish, a 6-pound largemouth in fact.

Florida’s numerous tidal rivers are famous for producing numbers of fish for those tossing tiny baits. Beetle spins are a classic example. They entice everything that swims. These fertile rivers are full of small prey items and fish of all sizes eat them.

Of course, light tackle helps with both, lure placement and the process of fighting and landing the fish. ‘Fighting’ might be the wrong term for how you play a big fish on light tackle. If we’re throwing lures as small as the ones I’m suggesting, spinning rods and reels are necessary. I don’t trust the drag on spinning reels, so I flip the anti-reverse switch and I ‘back-reel’, meaning I open the palm of my hand and let the reel handle freely turn backward and slap against it to slow it down. At any point I can begin retrieving line again should the fish begin to tire.

My lures are so small this time of year that I often use old Altoids tins for tackle boxes. I can pack small jigs, spinner baits, crankbaits, even diminutive topwater plugs in the tins and they will fit snuggly without rattling around too much and blunting any of the light hooks.

I love to use small jig heads that will find the corner of the mouth on smaller fish but will lodge themselves in the roof the mouth as the biggest bass completely inhale them. This makes the jig impossible for the big fish to throw. As long as the line holds up the fish is coming to the boat.

Until the big fish move back out and start eating larger bait, downsize your lures to upsize your fish!


Lifelong friends Wylie & Parker take the win on Tawakoni at Bass Champs with over 22 pounds!

By: Patty Lenderman
The North Region of Bass Champs set their sites on Lake Tawakoni May 19, 2018 for the third season event. 191 teams vied for a portion of the 102% payback, and pushing for points in the Angler of the Year race. Mark Wylie and Mark Parker bested them all, winning over $20,000.

“We have been hunting and fishing together since we were 13 years old,” Parker began. “Now we are 58. We just like to make time to go.” Wylie said “The day started off good since it was a “trailering event”. This allowed us to launch right in the middle of our primary key fishing area and beat the forecasted 20 mph winds for the day. We started shallow fishing with Buzz Baits, Yellow Magic Poppers, and Spro Frogs. It did not take us long to figure out the fish wanted white Buzz Baits the best, as we picked up 4 nice keepers by 8:30 am. that put us with around 12 pounds of fish. As the sun got higher in the sky the top water bite fizzled out, so we moved on to spinner baits on wind blown banks, but only were picking up dinks here and there, with no keepers. After the spinner baits, we switched to plastics, which really is our strength. We both new that this time of year is “Post Spawn” so we moved out to the main lake point at the mouth of the cove we were fishing that had a bunch of scattered old dead ragweed stalks all over it. One side of the point was shallow, 2 to 3 feet deep, and the cove side of the point started dropping off into deeper water, 5 to 8 feet deep. While fishing we could see bigger bass feeding, chasing, and pushing shad up into the dead ragweed stalks. That was all we needed to see to key in on a great opportunity. My partner put on a Baby Brush Hog and went to work. Within an hour Parker upgraded our sack with the big bass of 7.70, plus a 4.5, and another that was pushing 6 pounds. Unknowingly to us, we had our 22.17 pounds of fish by 1 pm.

With two hours left to fish we decided just to stay on that ragweed point looking for any kind of upgrade, which we did have one final fish that culled out a 3 pounder with a 3-1/2 pounder. All the time we were estimating we had around 18 pounds in the live well.

My fishing partner, Mark Parker and I, have been fishing together 45 years now, since we were 13 years old, and we have been fishing in Bass Champs North Region for 6 years. This win on Tawakoni is the pinnacle of our tournament fishing. To win a Bass Champs event in the North Region field against some very good “Sticks” is a true blessing. The Good Lord was with us today, and we praised Him for it!

We also need to thank our lovely supportive wives. They put up with us working on everything from tackle, to gear, map studying, and pre-fishing for many weeks ahead of time, so it will be nice to share this win with them and the rest of our family, especially our fathers, that know how much we enjoy fishing Bass Champs, and got us both hooked on fishing at a very young ages.

Lastly, we want to express gratitude to Chad, Tony, Jeff, and the entire Bass Champs Crew. They run well organized first-class tournaments in every detail. The proof of this is simply in the numbers of boats that show up to each event. Can’t wait until our last event on Cedar Creek!” As winners they received the guaranteed 1st place $20,000 check. They also had the biggest bass of the tournament for an additional $500, and Sure Life added $200 for using the product in their live well. “When it was all said and done I texted my wife Sandy to tell her we had won,” Parker recalled. “She asked how much? I texted her $20000. She said ‘so $200?’ I said no, $20,000! She didn’t believe me!” Both Marks are going to do some upgrading to their boats. “We are going to give some to the church and of course to our wives. We really appreciate their encouragement and support, and letting us fish!”

In 2nd place with 20.42 lbs were Joe Rome and Joel McBride. “We started out in a grassy area,” Joe recalled. “I had ten rods rigged with various things on the deck at the beginning of the day.” Choosing to start with frogs, the bite was on. “Our third fish weighed around seven pounds. We a limit in the boat within an hour that probably weighed around 14 pounds.” By 9am, with the bass biting their frogs so well, all other rods were stowed away. “The fish were swallowing that frog. We moved to other areas, but only caught one in another spot. We ended up back at our starting area, and caught around twenty fish all day. There was just one last 2-1/2 pounder we never could cull.” They finished well, earning 2nd place and a check for $4,500. “We’re looking forward to Cedar Creek!”

Tommy Murray fished it alone and came in with 20.41 pounds to take a very close 3rd place. He was awarded $3,500 for his day.

Bass Champs paid the top 25 teams. It took 15.34 lbs to garner a check, with the last one issued to Hunter Smith and Gregory Allen. Fun N Sun awarded a bonus to the first team out of the money, Steve and Ronnie Sims.

The final North Region tournament will be on Cedar Creek on June 16. The final points will be tallied for Anglers of the Year at the conclusion of the tournament. The top five points leaders now are:
660 pts. Brandon Hollingshead & Jeremy Lambert
656 pts. Joe Rome & Joel McBride
630 pts. Tim Wilcoxson & Eric Elder
624 pts. Steven Stroman and Aaron Walker
622 pts. Kent Sikes & Darrell Campbell

Bass Champs will be hosting a couple of special tournaments in June as well. The Skeeter Owners tournament will be held June 8 on Lake Fork, then on June 23rd the Techron TX Shootout will be on Sam Rayburn. $50,000 is guaranteed to the winners of this open team event!

The team Championship for the North, South, Central and East Regions will be held October 13-14. The location for the event will be announced in July, so be sure and sign up for the free E-Newsletter to keep up on all of the latest from Bass Champs.

 

Complete Results HERE


Hendriks & Dillon Go Big On Jordan in NC Bassmaster High School Series!

May 19, 2018 – Jordan Lake

The final event for the NC Bassmaster Junior & High School Series (East Division) took place over the weekend on Jordan Lake.  Although the wet weather looked to have played a role in the lower than anticipated turnout, with only eighteen teams attending, the overall quantity and quality of bass was pretty good.  Several teams managed to fill out their five fish limit, with three teams breaking the 20-pound mark.  More importantly was the fact that all eighteen teams caught and weighed in fish. Congratulations to every one of you for not giving in to the weather conditions and staying focused.

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Representing Voyager Academy, Brycen Hendriks and Kyle Dillon, competing in their very first event, took the top spot with an impressive catch of 22.25 lbs, anchored by a nice 5.58 largemouth. Hendriks and Dillon were forced to end their day over an hour early due to trolling motor issues and had to nervously wait for the remaining teams to return and weigh-in.  However, the duo prevailed and were awarded with matching first place plaques, casting rods from Favorite Fishing Rods, along with tackle products from Z-Man Fishing and Penetration Hooks for their hard work.

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The tandem of Ethan Gilbert and Nick Walker filled the second position with their catch of five Jordan Lake largemouth that hit the scales at 21.59lbs, including a nice 7.51lb brute.  Both anglers received plaques signifying their accomplishment, along with casting rods from Favorite Fishing Rods, and tackle products from Z-Man Fishing and Penetration Hooks.

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Filling a very close third spot was the team of Wyatt Long and Logan Jennings.  The duo managed to bring 21.52lbs to the scales, anchored by a solid 6.92lb kicker fish.  The pair of anglers were awarded matching Favorite Fishing Rods and products from Z-Man Fishing and Penetration Hooks.

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Filling the fourth spot was the tandem of Nathan Canaday and Ayden Wood with their catch of 17.49lbs, including the single biggest fish of the event… Actually, the single biggest fish of the NC Bassmaster Junior & High School (East Division) series, weighing in at a very impressive 9.43lbs.

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Rounding out the top five was the team of Nathaniel Moss and Ryan Stainback with their catch of 16.54lbs.

Complete Results

 

Canaday & Wood Crowned Champions

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Congratulations to Nathan Canaday and Ayden Wood for earning the most points among all teams over the course of the four events of the 2017/2018 season.  Upon final confirmation from B.A.S.S. after all memberships are confirmed and a final audit of the series is complete, Canaday and Wood will earn a spot in the 2018 Bassmaster High School National Championship.

Final Standings


Pace’s 10-pounder nets him a new Toyota Tundra

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin /Dynamic Sponsorships

 

The biggest bass of Toyota Basssmaster Texas Fest to benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was a 10 pound 5 ounce Lake Travis giant that bit Cliff Pace’s tiny finesse lure while his fellow competitors were still running to their first fishing spot early on Day 1 of the tournament.

The big largemouth bit a 3 ¾” V & M Drop Shad on a Carolina Rig in 27-feet of water. Pace used 20-pound HI-SEAS fluorocarbon as his main line, and 15-pound HI-SEAS fluorocarbon for the leader.

“That fish was a gift. I stopped on that spot on a whim. That fish was meant to be,” Pace told fans from the weigh-in stage.

When asked what the biggest bass he had ever caught in his life was, he explained it was another Texas 10-pounder caught during a Bassmaster Elite on Lake Falcon a few years back.

Texas ten pounders aren’t new to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic Champion from Mississippi, and neither are Toyota Tundras. Pace was actually the very first Elite Series pro to tow with a Tundra long before the truck became the tow vehicle of choice for most Elite Series pros.

“You’ll laugh, but one of the things I loved most about that first Tundra was it had a really long bed, so I could store an 8’ flippin’ stick in there with plenty of room,” says Pace, who is also one of the longest registered members in the Toyota Bonus Bucks contingency program for tournament anglers.

Having plenty of room for storing extra long fishing rods is great, but ultimately, it’s reliability that has lead Pace to purchasing eight Toyota Trucks.

“I don’t have to take them to the shop for repairs. That’s what I like most about owning a Toyota. I put 100,000 miles on my Tundras every two years, and the only thing I have to buy for them is gas, oil, and new tires,” says Pace who is now the proud owner of his 9thToyota Tundra.

This one not purchased, but very much deserved through great skill and a little luck to lure a 10-pounder to bite his tiny finesse bait.

 


LAMBERT SHATTERS RECORDS, WINS FLW TOUR AT KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

Courtesy of FLW Fishing

Tennessee’s Jason Lambert Weighs More than 100 Pounds of Bass in Four Days at Kentucky Lake, Wins $100,000

Link to HD video of Lambert’s winning moment

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 20, 2018) – Pro Jason Lambert of Michie, Tennessee, brought five bass weighing 27 pounds, 3 ounces, to the FLW weigh-in stage Sunday to win the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses by a margin of 28 pounds even – a new all-time FLW Tour record for margin of victory. Overall, Lambert’s four-day total of 101 pounds, 9 ounces, was the most weight to ever win an FLW Tour event at Kentucky Lake, and the tenth-largest total-tournament catch in FLW Tour history. For his dominant performance on the water this week, Lambert earned $100,000.

“To catch over 100 pounds here – that’s history. It’s something that will last forever,” said Lambert, who claimed his third career win on Kentucky Lake in FLW competition. “This whole week has been phenomenal – this lake is special to me.”

Lambert’s first stop on championship Sunday was a point protruding from the mouth of Pisgah Bay, the location where he upgraded his limit with a 9-pounder Saturday. With a 19-pound advantage heading into today’s competition, Lambert knew that all he needed was a few keeper bites to shut the door.

“I started out this morning and got like two 3’s and a 5 on my first three casts, and immediately the pressure was off,” said Lambert. “I knew at that point in time that the game was over.”

As the morning progressed, Lambert moved to an area that produced for him both on Thursday and Saturday – a south-facing point on a main-lake ridge, just north of the U.S. Highway 68 bridge.

“I caught around five there, including a few 4-pounders that didn’t help and a giant,” said Lambert. “The fish were in about 24 feet of water and right on the break of the point.”

Lambert’s main lure for the week was a 5- and 7-inch Green Shad-colored Castaic Jerky J soft jerkbait on a 1-ounce Scrounger Head-type jig on 18-pound-test Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon line with a 7-foot, 11-inch Duckett White Ice II swimbait rod and a Duckett 360RW reel. On Friday, Lambert also used a Gene Larew Tattletail Worm on a jighead to catch his limit south of Paris from a ditch on a shallow roadbed.

“For me, the Jerky J is a confidence bait more than anything. Everybody throws a paddle tail swimbait and it’s got that big wide wobbling tail on the back, but the Jerky J has a sleeker, more subtle approach – it really looks like a shad swimming in the water. I have the confidence in it to throw it, and I love it.”

The final 10 pros finished on Kentucky Lake:

1st:          Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 20 bass, 101-9, $100,200

2nd:         Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 20 bass, 73-9. $30,100

3rd:          Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 20 bass, 72-12, $25,000

4th:          Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 19 bass, 72-3, $20,000

5th:          General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 19 bass, 71-11, $19,000

6th:          Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 18 bass, 67-13, $18,000

7th:          Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 20 bass, 67-0, $17,000

8th:          Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 64-8, $16,000

9th:          John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 19 bass, 59-8, $15,000

10th:        Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 55-2, $14,000

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 48 bass weighing 180 pounds, 8 ounces, caught by all 10 pros Sunday. Eight of the final 10 pros caught a five-bass limit.

Ronny Webb of Dyersburg, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of nine bass weighing 26 pounds, 14 ounces, followed by Stephen Crawley of Bush, Louisiana, who finished in second place with eight bass totaling 25-4, worth $7,600.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 27 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses was more than $930,000. The event was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. The next tournament for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake St. Clair presented by Mercury, June 28 to July 1, in Detroit, Michigan, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County, Huron-Clinton Metroparks Authority, and the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


Drew Benton Wins First Elite Series Title At Texas Fest On Lake Travis

Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., won the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department out of Jonestown, Texas, with a four-day total weight of 67 pounds, 15 ounces. 

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 20, 2018

JONESTOWN, Texas — Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., capped off an impressive week with a Championship Sunday five-bass limit that weighed 16 pounds, 15 ounces to win first place and $100,000 at the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The third-year pro finished in fourth place at his first tournament as a Bassmaster Elite Series contender; today he bested the Top 108 bass anglers in world with a four-day weight of 67-15.

Benton’s final day didn’t start out as planned.

After a minor rule infraction, he had to endure a 15-minute delay at take off, which he feared would impact his morning bite.

“It was a stupid mistake on my part,” he said. “But over the past couple of days, I was catching my best fish during the first 15 to 20 minutes of the morning in a marina up Lake Travis. I was sharing water with Marty Robinson, and he graciously agreed to let me have that area to myself, even after I sat in the penalty box for 15 minutes. That was huge, and I'm grateful he worked with me.”

Benton was sure to acknowledge Robinson’s generosity and sacrifice, although he later found out that due to the cloudy, rainy weather the action in his marina had faded.

“I’m confident the weather this morning really suppressed the shad activity that had the bass feeding so heavily during the previous mornings,” he said. “The weather also kept the pleasure boaters off the water, which allowed me to fish some areas that were otherwise unfishable.”

The 30-year-old angler had two different patterns going: One in the morning and one in the afternoon.

“I found some fish during practice that helped me throughout this tournament,” he said. “But I really didn’t put it together until later in the day on Day 1. I was using a walking topwater presentation that was working well throughout the day, even in the hot sun and clear skies. I decided to give it an hour during the first day, and it paid off.”

Benton was using a 7-foot, 1-inch Phenix Rods Feather casting rod paired with a Lew’s Team Pro Magnesium Speed Spool baitcaster in a 7.5:1 gear ratio loaded with 65-pound Smackdown Seaguar braid.

His topwater lure of choice was a Bagley Knocker B rigged with Owner No. 2 trebles that caught bass around docks in marinas, over schooling bass, near bushes and along rocky shorelines that were protected from the wind and boat-traffic wake.

“I’ve been close to winning one of these before,” he said. “And I know it’s been said before, but everything has to go right to be the last man standing at a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament. If it’s meant to be, and it’s your time it’s going to happen.

“This is a dream come true, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to win this thing,” Benton said. “Things were going my way early on, and I felt that momentum swing my way. I knew that I had to be smart with every cast. This was an awesome win for me and my family.”

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., caught 16-2 pushing his four-day total to 64-8, which was good enough for second place and valuable Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

“I spent most of my time up the Colorado River fishing water that was dirtier than the rest of the lake,” he said. “Most of my fish came on a 7/8-ounce silver jigging spoon that mimicked the plentiful shad in the lake. I also caught a few bass on a custom topwater prop bait when they were on the surface chasing bait.”

Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., caught a 10-5 largemouth bass on the first morning of the event. That fish held up as the tournament’s biggest bass, and earned Pace a brand new Toyota Tundra pickup valued at $50,000.

That big bass helped Pace finish in third place, which is a position he held down all four days of the event.

“That was the very first fish I caught during the first morning of the tournament,” Pace said. “I caught that bass from 27 feet of water on a Carolina rig with a V&M Drop Shad in green pumpkin.”

This tournament was held under a unique format where the fish were immediately weighed, recorded and released. However, each pro could bring one bass back to weigh-in if it measured over 18 inches. A $1 million purse was paid out to the entire field.

Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.

Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, La.,​ earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.

Benton also won the Toyota Bonus Bucks Award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Pace, received $2,000.

2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 5/17-5/20
Lake Travis, Jonestown  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         20  67-15  110 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   20-04     Day 4: 5   16-15
2.  Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            20  64-08  109  $34,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-03     Day 3: 5   12-15     Day 4: 5   16-02
3.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               20  61-12  108  $30,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 5   13-07     Day 4: 5   15-09
4.  Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          20  60-10  107  $24,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   10-10     Day 3: 5   17-06     Day 4: 5   20-04
5.  Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        20  59-02  106  $21,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   11-08     Day 3: 5   15-12     Day 4: 5   15-13
6.  Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA            20  55-09  105  $17,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   13-01     Day 4: 5   15-15
7.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            20  55-04  104  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   09-02     Day 3: 5   12-14     Day 4: 5   12-02
8.  Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             20  52-06  103  $14,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   15-00     Day 4: 5   10-10
9.  Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             19  50-11  102  $13,500.00
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 4   12-02     Day 3: 5   08-14     Day 4: 5   07-12
10. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           20  49-07  101  $13,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   21-13     Day 3: 5   08-11     Day 4: 5   08-05
11. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               19  48-15  100  $12,500.00
Day 1: 4   13-07     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   11-08     Day 4: 5   08-11
12. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              20  48-07   99  $12,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   15-01     Day 4: 5   06-04
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Cliff Pace               Petal, MS           10-05          $0.00


LAMBERT CATCHES RECORD-BREAKING LIMIT TO TAKE LEAD AFTER DAY THREE OF FLW TOUR AT KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

Day-Two Leader Randy Haynes Withdraws from Competition, Jason Lambert Hauls in 30-pound, 8-ounce Limit to Vault into Lead

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 19, 2018) – Pro Jason Lambert of Michie, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 30 pounds, 8 ounces – surpassing the record that he already owned for the largest single-day limit ever caught on Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour competition– to catapult into the lead at the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses.Lambert will bring a commanding 19-pound, 3-ounce lead into Championship Sunday, where the final 10 pros will compete for up to $125,000.

Lambert trailed Day Two leader Randy Haynes by 2 pounds, 4 ounces, starting today’s competition, but gained his massive lead after Haynes, in an unprecedented move, decided to withdraw himself from the competition.

Shortly after takeoff, Lambert and Haynes both arrived on the same area – a well-known community hole at the north end of the lake, and a spot that both anglers fished on days one and two. Lambert arrived first, and the two anglers fished side-by-side for several minutes. Lambert caught several keepers quickly. Frustrated by the situation, Haynes chose to leave the area, return to the ramp and withdraw from the event. Haynes finished the tournament in 12th place and received $12,000.

Lambert ended up catching a limit from the area, but landed an additional three largemouth – including a 9-pounder – at his next stop that upgraded him past the 30-pound mark.

“I actually found those fish [at the second location] yesterday afternoon. It’s a place that I’ve fished in the past, but I hadn’t seen them there [this week] until I pulled up on them and they were eating some gizzard shad,” said Lambert, who was also crowned champion when the FLW Tour last visited Kentucky Lake in 2016. “I hadn’t caught anything there, but when I saw that happen I knew there were some fish down there.”

Lambert said he used 5- and 7-inch Castaic Jerky J soft jerkbaits on a Scrounger Head jig to catch his fish, a bait he’s relied on all week. It’s also the exact lure that caught the bulk of his weight in 2016.

“I probably wouldn’t have gone to my second area this morning had I not caught a good limit early on,” said Lambert. “I had around 20 pounds when I left the first spot, so I went there and idled over them and found that there were more fish down there than I thought. I got a couple 5-pounders and was done after I caught the giant.”

The Tennessee pro said he plans to go out Sunday and finish strong, even with his commanding lead.

“I’m going to start out tomorrow at the second stop from today. If I can catch two or three good ones in the morning, we’re going to have some fun and try and break the 100-pound mark.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Kentucky Lake are:

1st:          Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 74-6

2nd:         Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 55-3

3rd:          General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 14 bass, 52-2

4th:          Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 51-4

5th:          Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 51-1

6th:          John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 50-11

7th:          Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 14 bass, 48-14

8th:          Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 47-9

9th:          Pennzoil Marine pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 47-1

10th:        Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 13 bass, 47-0

 

Finishing 11th through 30th are:

 

11th:        John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 15 bass, 46-9, $12,000

12th:        Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., 10 bass, 46-2, $12,000

13th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-12, $12,000

14th:        Costa pro Dylan Hays, Sheridan, Ark., 15 bass, 45-11, $12,000

15th:        Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 45-8, $12,000

16th:        Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 14 bass, 45-6, $12,000

17th:        Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala., 14 bass, 45-3, $12,000

18th:        Tyler Stewart, West Monroe, La., 14 bass, 44-2, $12,000

19th:        Brandon Mosley, Choctaw, Okla., 15 bass, 43-13, $12,000

20th:        Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 14 bass, 43-10, $12,000

21st:        Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 11 bass, 43-2, $10,000

22nd:       Koby Kreiger, Bokeelia, Fla., 14 bass, 42-13, $10,000

23rd:        Jim Dillard, West Monroe, La., 15 bass, 42-4, $10,000

24th:        Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 12 bass, 41-15, $10,000

25th:        Cabela’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas, 15 bass, 41-8, $10,000

26th:        Kid Casters pro Charlie Evans, Berea, Ky., 15 bass, 40-3, $10,000

27th:        Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 12 bass, 36-12, $10,000

28th:        Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 11 bass, 35-10, $10,000

29th:        Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 11 bass, 34-15, $10,000

30th:        Abu Garcia pro Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., 11 bass, 32-13, $10,000

 

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 123 bass weighing 401 pounds, 7 ounces, caught by 29 pros Saturday. The catch included 21 five-bass limits.

Ronny Webb of Dyersburg, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of nine bass weighing 26 pounds, 14 ounces, followed by Stephen Crawley of Bush, Louisiana, who finished in second place with eight bass totaling 25-4, worth $7,600.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros now continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

The final 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday from Kentucky Dam State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville. Sunday’s weigh-in will be held at the park beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-in Sunday, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Kentucky Dam State Park from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, meet characters from the “Paw Patrol” children’s television show, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 27 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


Drew Benton Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Texas Fest At Lake Travis

Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., takes the lead on the third day of the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department out of Jonestown, Texas, with a three-day total weight of 51 pounds. 

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 19, 2018

JONESTOWN, Texas — Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., caught an impressive five-bass limit that weighed 20 pounds, 4 ounces during today’s semi-final round to take command of the top spot at the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Lake Travis.

Benton, the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year, pushed his three-day total weight up to 51 pounds.

With $1 million in total payout, $100,000 of which to be paid to the top finisher, the tournament champion will also earn a coveted berth in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods in Knoxville, Tenn.

Benton said he’s focusing on the Lake Travis bass and not the blue championship trophy or the paycheck.

At least not yet.

“I’ve still got a full day of fishing ahead of me, so I can’t afford to think about how much winning would mean to me at this point,” Benton said. “Don’t get me wrong, I know how hard it is to win on the Elite Series, and I want it badly. It’s just important that I stay focused throughout the day.”

Benton said he was able to isolate a couple of productive fishing patterns over the past three days of competition — both time-of-day dependent.

“The low-light action early in the morning has been critical to my limits,” he said. “The morning bite has been lasting longer each day, and with a chance of rain and cloud cover likely all day tomorrow, I think my early pattern could stay strong for quite a while.”

The 30-year-old pro explained that during the afternoons when the sun was out, he caught his fish along banks where the water was calm.

“When the wind and boat traffic would push waves against the shore, the water would get muddy, and the fish would stop biting,” Benton said. “Today I learned I could replicate that pattern in more protected stretches of water once the waves became more regular. It paid off this afternoon.”

Benton believes if he can catch 15 to 17 pounds, he’ll be tough to beat.

“This lake can be unpredictable. One day you could catch 25 pounds, and the next, only 6 pounds for five bass,” he said. “I’m keeping that in mind during the final day, but I think I’m on the right fish in the right locations. Things just have to go right tomorrow, and I’m confident.”

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., dropped back to second place following today’s competition. He produced a five-bass limit that weighed 12-15, bumping his total weight up to 48-6.

“I had a pretty good day,” he said. “I caught more fish than I could count, but I just never caught a big bass. This lake is full of fish, and they love to bite. I think there are so many small bass that dominate the feeding, you really have to cover water to find the big ones.”

Wheeler said he’d be starting Championship Sunday right where he likes to be — in the hunt.

“I have a shot at the win tomorrow, that’s all I can say,” he said. “It’s really hard to predict what I need to win this tournament — it could be only 12 pounds, it might be 26. I do think the right fish are in my fishing areas, and I think I can catch them. But we’ll have to see how it shakes out.”

Cliff Pirch weighed in the biggest bass of the day, a 7-1 largemouth, but that fish trails the heavyweight of the tournament, a 10-pound, 5-ounce bass caught the first day by former Classic champion Cliff Pace. If no one catches a heavier bass Sunday, Pace will win a new Toyota Tundra pickup truck valued at $50,000.

Pace held down third place for the third day in a row, this time with a total of 46-3. Rounding out the Top 5 are Brent Chapman in fourth place with 43-5 and Bobby Lane in fifth with 43-2.

Takeoff will begin at 6:15 a.m. CT Sunday morning at Jones Brothers Park in Jonestown, Texas, and final weigh-in will take place at the same location beginning at 3 p.m.

2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 5/17-5/20
Lake Travis, Jonestown  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         15  51-00  110
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   16-13     Day 3: 5   20-04
2.  Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            15  48-06  109
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-03     Day 3: 5   12-15
3.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               15  46-03  108
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 5   13-07
4.  Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        15  43-05  107
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   11-08     Day 3: 5   15-12
5.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            15  43-02  106
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   09-02     Day 3: 5   12-14
6.  Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             14  42-15  105
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 4   12-02     Day 3: 5   08-14
7.  Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              15  42-03  104
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   15-01
8.  Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             15  41-12  103
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   15-00
9.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  41-02  102
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   21-13     Day 3: 5   08-11
10. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          15  40-06  101
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   10-10     Day 3: 5   17-06
11. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               14  40-04  100
Day 1: 4   13-07     Day 2: 5   15-05     Day 3: 5   11-08
12. Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA            15  39-10   99
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 5   13-01
13. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           15  38-13   98  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   14-11     Day 3: 5   08-09
14. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             14  37-13   97  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 4   11-10     Day 3: 5   11-03
15. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       15  37-07   96  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   16-07     Day 3: 5   12-05
16. Gary Klein             Mingus, TX              15  37-05   95  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   16-12     Day 3: 5   10-08
17. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               15  37-02   94  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-12     Day 3: 5   12-02
18. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX               15  36-13   93  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   07-05     Day 3: 5   13-12
19. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             15  36-11   92  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   14-03     Day 3: 5   09-10
20. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          15  36-06   91  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 5   06-12
21. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            15  36-05   90  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   17-00     Day 3: 5   08-10
22. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           15  36-02   89  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   11-06     Day 3: 5   08-13
23. Mark Daniels Jr.       Tuskegee, AL            15  36-02   88  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   13-01     Day 3: 5   13-02
24. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              13  36-01   87  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   13-07     Day 3: 3   09-04
25. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 15  35-12   86  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   08-06     Day 3: 5   08-01
26. Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ      15  35-07   85  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   08-02     Day 3: 5   08-00
27. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 15  35-05   84  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   10-15     Day 3: 5   10-13
28. Mike McClelland        Bentonville, AR         15  35-04   83  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   11-08     Day 3: 5   13-13
29. Brent Ehrler           Redlands, CA            15  35-03   82  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   14-03     Day 3: 5   07-13
30. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            15  34-13   81  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   12-02     Day 3: 5   09-03
31. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             14  34-10   80  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 4   10-13
32. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              15  34-08   79  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   09-05     Day 3: 5   09-06
33. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             15  34-05   78  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   13-15     Day 3: 5   10-07
34. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             15  34-02   77  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   13-13     Day 3: 5   09-04
35. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  33-12   76  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-10     Day 3: 5   09-13
36. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         15  33-11   75  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 5   07-01
37. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         15  33-11   74  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   09-13     Day 3: 5   12-02
38. John Murray            Spring City, TN         15  33-09   73  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   08-01     Day 3: 5   11-13
39. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            14  33-08   72  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   14-06     Day 3: 4   07-09
40. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        15  33-00   71  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   08-08     Day 3: 5   10-03
41. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  32-13   70  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   14-15     Day 3: 5   09-08
42. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               15  32-13   69  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   12-15     Day 3: 5   07-08
43. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          15  32-01   68  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 5   14-10     Day 3: 5   06-11
44. Shin Fukae             Palestine TX JAPAN      15  31-07   67  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   10-06     Day 3: 5   07-10
45. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID              15  30-13   66  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   06-13     Day 3: 5   08-03
46. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI              14  30-10   65  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 4   08-07
47. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            15  30-07   64  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   14-07     Day 3: 5   07-06
48. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        15  30-02   63  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   13-02     Day 3: 5   08-10
49. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        15  29-15   62  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   07-01     Day 3: 5   08-05
50. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV            14  29-14   61  $11,000.00
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 4   14-12     Day 3: 5   06-06


Jacob Wheeler Charges Ahead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Travis

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., takes the lead on the second day of the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department out of Jonestown, Texas, with a two-day total weight of 35 pounds, 7 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 18, 2018

JONESTOWN, Texas — Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., fished “a hodge-podge of lures, techniques and depths today to earn 18 pounds, 3 ounces of largemouth bass and take command of the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Travis.

“The way I’ve been catching my bass this week has been through a long list of tactics, lures and locations,” he said. “I’ve been fishing ‘hodge-podge.’ That’s the best way I can explain it. But that’s really how I like to fish, and it’s been working well for me.”

This isn’t the first time the second-year Bassmaster pro has been in the lead. Wheeler has two Elite Series victories to his credit, but Texas Fest carries more weight than a regular-season Elite Series tournament.

His two-day total weight of 35-7 moves him closer to the $100,000 first-place payday and a coveted berth into the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.The 27-year-old pro admitted to having 18 rods on the deck of his boat during Friday’s second round of competition, but he claimed to have learned more about his pattern as the day went on.

“I dialed in on them a little more today,” Wheeler said. “Not enough to say I’m confident in winning this tournament. Not just yet. I used most of the rods I had out, and I caught fish from 6 inches of water to 40 feet and I hit a bunch of spots. It was a hodge-podge day.”

Most pro anglers keep their cards close to the vest at this point in major tournaments, but he did say he his big fish were coming from a couple specific structural elements.

“I still think it’s going to take 15 to 17 pounds a day to win on Lake Travis,” he said. “I’ve kept myself in position to potentially win even if I have a tough Saturday or Sunday. I'm very happy with how my day went, and I hope I can stay consistent into tomorrow.”

After leading on Thursday’s opening round, Ray Hanselman Jr. of Del Rio, Texas, fell back to second place after producing only four bass that weighed 12-2, pushing his two-day total to 34-1.

“Today was definitely tougher,” Hanselman said. “I didn’t get any of the big bites I had hoped for, and only bringing in four fish certainly hurt. I think I could have caught another keeper somewhere else, but I was focusing on big bass only.”

In hindsight, Hanselman said he should have spent more time fishing docks for his limit bass.

“The dock thing was working for me, but I left it too soon. In looking back I should have downsized my lure while I was there,” he said.

Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., stayed consistent and held down third place for the second day in a row.

“Catching that 10-5 yesterday sure helped, but I was able to stay on quality fish again today,” Pace said. “This lake is receiving a lot of fishing pressure right now, but I think it will get better tomorrow with fewer fishermen on the lake.”

If no one catches a bass heavier than Pace’s 10-plus-pounder in the final two rounds, he’ll win the big bass prize, a new Toyota Tundra pickup truck.

The full field of 108 anglers has been cut to the Top 50 pros for Saturday’s semi-final round of competition.

Rounding out the Top 5 are Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 32-7 in fourth place and Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., with 30-12 in  fifth place.

Takeoff will begin at 6:15 a.m. CT each morning at Jones Brothers Park in Jonestown, Texas, and weigh-ins will be at the same location each afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.

The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo will take place at the park on Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature boat demo rides, an aquarium, free prizes and the latest fishing products on the market. The fan-favorite kid’s area, Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota and Shakespeare, will also include catfish-casting ponds and a chance to meet the pros. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Adventures Area will welcome visitors of all ages to try out archery, learn ways to contribute to conservation and participate in other fun outdoor activities.

Also taking place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is Bassmaster University. Bassmaster Elite Series pros will be teaching seminars at the park on a variety of topics related to fishing including techniques, gear, electronics and more. All activities are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 5/17-5/20
Lake Travis, Jonestown  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            10  35-07  110
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-03
2.  Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              9  34-01  109
Day 1: 5   21-15     Day 2: 4   12-02
3.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  32-12  108
Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 5   13-04
4.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           10  32-07  107
Day 1: 5   10-10     Day 2: 5   21-13
5.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  30-12  106
Day 1: 5   13-15     Day 2: 5   16-13
6.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  30-04  105
Day 1: 5   21-02     Day 2: 5   09-02
7.  Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI           10  30-04  104
Day 1: 5   15-09     Day 2: 5   14-11
8.  Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC          10  29-10  103
Day 1: 5   14-13     Day 2: 5   14-13
9.  Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                9  28-12  102
Day 1: 4   13-07     Day 2: 5   15-05
10. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  27-11  101
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   08-06
11. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            10  27-11  100
Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   17-00
12. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  27-09   99
Day 1: 5   16-01     Day 2: 5   11-08
13. Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ      10  27-07   98
Day 1: 5   19-05     Day 2: 5   08-02
14. Brent Ehrler           Redlands, CA            10  27-06   97
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   14-03
15. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  27-05   96
Day 1: 5   15-15     Day 2: 5   11-06
16. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  27-02   95
Day 1: 5   11-10     Day 2: 5   15-08
17. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK             10  27-01   94
Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   14-03
18. Gary Klein             Mingus, TX              10  26-13   93
Day 1: 5   10-01     Day 2: 5   16-12
19. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  26-13   92
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   13-07
20. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  26-12   91
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   15-05
21. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              9  26-10   90
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 4   11-10
22. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  26-10   89
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   14-13
23. Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA            10  26-09   88
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   13-07
24. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA            10  25-15   87
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   14-06
25. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  25-10   86
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   12-02
26. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  25-06   85
Day 1: 5   10-12     Day 2: 5   14-10
27. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               10  25-05   84
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   12-15
28. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  25-02   83
Day 1: 5   08-11     Day 2: 5   16-07
29. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  25-02   82
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   09-05
30. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX               10  25-00   81
Day 1: 5   13-04     Day 2: 5   11-12
31. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA             10  24-14   80
Day 1: 5   11-01     Day 2: 5   13-13
32. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  24-08   79
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   10-15
33. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  23-15   78
Day 1: 5   11-05     Day 2: 5   12-10
34. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC             10  23-14   77
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   13-15
35. Shin Fukae             Palestine TX JAPAN      10  23-13   76
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   10-06
36. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             10  23-13   75
Day 1: 5   11-13     Day 2: 5   12-00
37. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV             9  23-08   74
Day 1: 5   08-12     Day 2: 4   14-12
38. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  23-05   73
Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   14-15
39. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX               10  23-01   72
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   07-05
40. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            10  23-01   71
Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   14-07
41. Mark Daniels Jr.       Tuskegee, AL            10  23-00   70
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   13-01
42. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  23-00   69
Day 1: 5   12-06     Day 2: 5   10-10
43. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  22-13   68
Day 1: 5   14-05     Day 2: 5   08-08
44. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID              10  22-10   67
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   06-13
45. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI              10  22-03   66
Day 1: 5   10-05     Day 2: 5   11-14
46. John Murray            Spring City, TN         10  21-12   65
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   08-01
47. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  21-10   64
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   07-01
48. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR         10  21-09   63
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   09-13
49. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        10  21-08   62
Day 1: 5   08-06     Day 2: 5   13-02
50. Mike McClelland        Bentonville, AR         10  21-07   61
Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   11-08
51. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN           10  21-06   60
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   05-08
52. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA              10  21-06   59
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   07-13
53. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  21-06   58
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   09-10
54. Dustin Connell         Clanton, AL             10  21-05   57
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   08-02
55. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  21-02   56
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   07-11
56. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  21-02   55
Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   09-12
57. James Elam             Tulsa, OK                9  20-09   54
Day 1: 4   05-06     Day 2: 5   15-03
58. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       8  20-08   53
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 3   05-08
59. Ott DeFoe              Blaine, TN              10  20-07   52
Day 1: 5   08-07     Day 2: 5   12-00
60. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        10  20-05   51
Day 1: 5   07-12     Day 2: 5   12-09
61. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            8  20-03   50
Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 3   05-01
62. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       10  20-01   49
Day 1: 5   11-09     Day 2: 5   08-08
63. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             10  19-13   48
Day 1: 5   07-15     Day 2: 5   11-14
64. Alton Jones Jr.        Waco, TX                10  19-12   47
Day 1: 5   07-00     Day 2: 5   12-12
65. Darrell Ocamica        New Plymouth, ID        10  19-12   46
Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   11-02
66. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  19-08   45
Day 1: 5   09-10     Day 2: 5   09-14
67. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL        10  19-08   44
Day 1: 5   09-13     Day 2: 5   09-11
68. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN          8  19-06   43
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 3   05-04
69. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  19-06   42
Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   06-14
70. Roy Hawk               Lk Havasu Cty, AZ       10  19-06   41
Day 1: 5   10-07     Day 2: 5   08-15
71. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK             10  19-06   40
Day 1: 5   09-14     Day 2: 5   09-08
72. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL          10  19-02   39
Day 1: 5   11-06     Day 2: 5   07-12
73. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  19-01   38
Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 5   06-10
74. Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN         10  18-15   37
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   08-12
75. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           10  18-10   36
Day 1: 5   11-00     Day 2: 5   07-10
76. Jesse Wiggins          Cullman, AL             10  18-07   35
Day 1: 5   09-07     Day 2: 5   09-00
77. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            9  18-04   34
Day 1: 5   12-04     Day 2: 4   06-00
78. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  18-04   33
Day 1: 5   06-13     Day 2: 5   11-07
79. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL        10  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   06-05     Day 2: 5   11-07
80. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  17-09   31
Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   08-15
81. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  17-06   30
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 5   09-08
82. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        9  17-05   29
Day 1: 4   09-01     Day 2: 5   08-04
83. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  17-03   28
Day 1: 5   08-15     Day 2: 5   08-04
84. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         9  17-02   27
Day 1: 4   06-12     Day 2: 5   10-06
85. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          6  17-01   26
Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 1   01-07
86. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  17-01   25
Day 1: 5   10-03     Day 2: 5   06-14
87. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          9  16-10   24
Day 1: 5   11-02     Day 2: 4   05-08
88. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL              10  15-15   23
Day 1: 5   08-13     Day 2: 5   07-02
89. David Fritts           Lexington, NC           10  15-15   22
Day 1: 5   08-00     Day 2: 5   07-15
90. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            7  15-14   21
Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 2   03-02
91. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             7  15-00   20
Day 1: 2   05-06     Day 2: 5   09-10
92. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         8  14-15   19
Day 1: 3   03-14     Day 2: 5   11-01
93. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          7  14-11   18
Day 1: 5   07-14     Day 2: 2   06-13
94. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         7  14-02   17
Day 1: 2   03-01     Day 2: 5   11-01
95. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           7  14-01   16
Day 1: 2   03-08     Day 2: 5   10-09
96. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  14-00   15
Day 1: 5   06-10     Day 2: 5   07-06
97. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              9  13-14   14
Day 1: 5   06-00     Day 2: 4   07-14
98. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         10  13-14   13
Day 1: 5   06-11     Day 2: 5   07-03
99. Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR         9  13-03   12
Day 1: 4   05-00     Day 2: 5   08-03
100. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               6  13-03   11
Day 1: 3   07-06     Day 2: 3   05-13
101. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              7  13-02   10
Day 1: 2   02-04     Day 2: 5   10-14
102. Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                 8  13-00    9
Day 1: 3   04-14     Day 2: 5   08-02
103. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               7  11-14    8
Day 1: 2   05-00     Day 2: 5   06-14
104. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     7  11-08    7
Day 1: 2   02-03     Day 2: 5   09-05
105. Fletcher Shryock       Dennison, OH             5  11-00    6
Day 1: 3   04-09     Day 2: 2   06-07
106. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          7  09-10    5
Day 1: 5   07-01     Day 2: 2   02-09
107. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL          5  06-14    4
Day 1: 4   05-06     Day 2: 1   01-08
108. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         5  05-15    3
Day 1: 4   04-15     Day 2: 1   01-00


Casey Ashley talks Willie and swimbaits at Texas Fest

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

 Casey Ashley caught a solid limit amid Thursday’s sweltering heat to sit near the top of the leaderboard. The always easy-going 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champ took a minute prior to Friday’s launch to talk about Lake Travis, Toyota Trucks, swimbaits, and even a mention of Texas native Willie Nelson.

Q: What was the biggest surprise amid Day 1 of competition here at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest to benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Department?

Casey:The biggest surprise was that I actually caught a decent limit, because while you may catch 100 fish a day here, the randomness of catching a big one is truly an unknown.

 

Q: Your biggest fish yesterday was a 4 pound 5 ounce largemouth. How did you catch it?

Casey:I caught it on one of my absolute all time favorite lures – a green pumpkin Zoom trick worm rigged on a Casey Ashley Shaky Head from Greenfish Tackle.

 

Q: This week’s tournament is title sponsored by Toyota, and you’ve bought a bunch of Tundras. How many Toyota Tundras have you owned throughout your Elite Series career?

Casey: I’ve bought five Tundras, and my daddy has bought two as well - so seven Tundras total between the two of us.

 

Q: You’re a music man. You recorded a demo CD in Nashville a few years back, and you’ve sang the National Anthem on a handful of occasions before blast-off at an Elite Series tournament. What song is stuck in your head this morning?

Casey:Kenny Chesney’s “Lucky Old Sun” – which is pretty fitting for the hot weather we’re having here, and the fact it features Texas native Willie Nelson singing along with Kenny.

 

Q: Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest helps raise money that Texas Parks and Wildlife uses to fund urban youth fishing initiatives. You have a youth angler of your own – a 5-year-old son named Troy. Tell us about fishing with him?

Casey:I’ve learned from taking Troy fishing that size and species don’t matter. It’s all about getting a bite. And still there are times when I can be catching one crappie after another, and he’ll still lose interest. So when they tell you they’re done, don’t make them stay, or you’ll ruin the experience.

I will say here at Lake Travis would be a great place to take a kid fishing, because there’s so many fish in here. I’d just tie on a little 3” swimbait for him, and let him cast and wind it on a Zebco reel. And as many little 12 to 13” bass that swim here – I’ll promise ya he’d have a real good chance of catching one.


HAYNES OUT IN FRONT WITH OVER 26 POUNDS AFTER DAY ONE OF FLW TOUR AT KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

Courtesy of FLW Communications

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 17, 2018) – Pro Randy Haynes of Ripley, Mississippi, weighed a 26-pound, 3-ounce, limit of bass Thursday to take the early lead at the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses. Haynes’ limit – tied for the third largest single-day limit ever caught on Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour competition – will pace the field heading into Day Two of the four-day event that features the world’s most best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

Right behind Haynes is second-place pro Jason Lambert of Michie, Tennessee, a fellow ledge-fishing expert who was the 2016 FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake Champion. With Haynes and Lambert both catching their fish out deep and separated by less than 2 pounds, the stage could be set for a potential offshore shootout.

“My first five holes were tough, but I hit a good one and stayed there most of the day. I caught a couple, left for a little while, came back and culled a couple more times,” said Haynes, who is seeking his second career win in FLW Tour competition. “It was pretty tough out there – I only had six keeper bites all day. I’m very fortunate to have what I did. It’s kind of wide open out there right now. I can fish anywhere I want to, and I like that.”

Haynes said he counted 10 bass in his primary location, six of which he put in the boat. He said it took most of the day to put together his limit.

“I just grinded it out and the bites I got were the right ones,” said Haynes. “The spot is burned to the ground now so I’m going to have to go out there and start over tomorrow. It’s all about finding them right now – finding the fresh ones. That’s the whole deal right now.”

 

The top 10 pros after day one on Kentucky Lake are:

1st: Randy Haynes, Ripley, Miss., five bass, 26-3

2nd: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., five bass, 24-6

3rd: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala., five bass, 21-5

4th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., five bass, 19-13

5th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., five bass, 19-10

6th: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., five bass, 18-6

7th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 18-5

8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 17-14

8th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, five bass, 17-14

8th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 17-14

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

 

Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, earned the $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division Thursday thanks to a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass.

Overall there were 641 bass weighing 1,804 pounds, 13 ounces, caught by 169 pros Thursday. The catch included 76 five-bass limits.

 

Ronny Webb of Dyersburg, Tennessee, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Keith Gunsauls of El Cajon, California, who weighed five bass totaling 15-2, good for second place.

The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Kentucky Lake are:

1st: Ronny Webb, Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 17-7

2nd: Keith Gunsauls, El Cajon, Calif., five bass, 15-2

3rd: Greg Ravitsky, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 14-10

4th: Mike Gabel, Saint Charles, Ill., five bass, 14-4

5th: Michael Yoder, Texarkana, Ark., five bass, 14-1

6th: Rex Jaeger, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 13-11

7th: Chatfield Smith, Minnetonka, Minn., five bass, 13-8

8th: Roger McQueen, Eagar, Ariz., four bass, 13-4

9th: Craig Middleton, Harrodsburg, Ky., four bass, 11-12

10th: Michael Weimann, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 11-9

Christopher Kanute of Clover, South Carolina, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Overall there were 292 bass weighing 769 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 137 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competes in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses is more than $930,000. The event is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from Kentucky Dam State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville. Friday’s weigh-in, May 18, will be held at the State Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, May 19-20, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Kentucky Dam State Park from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, meet characters from the “Paw Patrol” children’s television show, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Kentucky Dam State Park on Saturday, May 19, from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 27 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.


Texan Ray Hanselman Takes Early Lead At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest On Lake Travis

Ray Hanselman Jr. of Del Rio, Texas, takes the lead on the first day of the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, bringing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to the scales on Thursday. 

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 17, 2018JONESTOWN, Texas — A heavy, 21-pound, 15-ounce limit of largemouth bass, anchored by an impressive 7-9 big fish, put Ray Hanselman Jr. of Del Rio, Texas, in the lead after the opening round of competition at the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Travis.

Texas Fest offers fans a unique format under which the majority of the fish are caught, weighed and immediately released. Each pro is allowed to keep one big bass that measures more than 18 inches.

Each big bass will be brought to the scales, weighed and showed off to the Bassmaster cameras. The bass are then immediately returned to Lake Travis after the weigh-in has concluded.

Hanselman grew up in South Texas, and has guided bass fisherman on legendary Lake Amistad for many years. After noticing many similarities between Lake Travis and Amistad, he was confident in what he needed to do.

“The water color on Lake Travis is very similar to Amistad. But the biggest difference is there isn’t any grass here,” Hanselman said. “I just clicked with this lake. I’ve fished many of the other lakes in this chain and they are all pretty similar, but overall I don’t have much experience on this particular lake.”

The 45-year-old rookie earned an invitation to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series by finishing among the Top 5 in standings for the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Central Opens last year.

“The weather has been hot and calm, which makes my morning bite critical,” he said. “I’d feel a lot better about staying consistent if some clouds and wind would move in. It’s harder to fool these bass in water this clear.”

Lake Travis is known for its gin-clear water and substantial fishing pressure due to close proximity to Austin, Texas.

“Another 20-pound day is sure possible, but getting the right fish to bite at the right time is the challenge,” he said. “I caught my three big bass from the same stretch that was about 250 yards long. After that, I left it alone hoping to save some bigger fish for coming days of the tournament.”

Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., managed an impressive 21-2, which will have him starting Friday’s second round of competition in second place.

“I fished real clean today,” Lane said. “I caught three big fish and I got them into the boat without any problems. That doesn’t always happen, especially when you’re fishing around wires, cables, pipes and docks. Lake Travis is full of those types of things.”

The big bass of the tournament will win its captor a 2018 Toyota Tundra.

Currently leading that race is Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., with a giant 10-5. That big bass pushed his first limit to 19-8 and third place.

“Any time you catch a 10-pounder in a tournament, it’s a big surprise,” Pace said. “But catching that fish on this lake is just as surprising. There are plenty of big fish here, but Travis is full of small 10- to 13-inchers, making it hard to catch a real big one. That fish was a gift from God, and I’m thankful for it.

Rounding out the Top 6 are Jacob Powroznik and Josh Bertrand tied at fourth place with 19-5, and Jacob Wheeler is in sixth with 17-4.

A total purse of $1 million will be paid out at Texas Fest, including $100,000 to the winner, who also earns a berth in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Takeoff will begin at 6:15 a.m. CT each morning at Jones Brothers Park in Jonestown, Texas, and weigh-ins will be at the same location each afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. Fans can follow the action online by tuning in to Bassmaster LIVE on Bassmaster.com and the ESPN App and by viewing BASSTrakk leaderboard and other real-time coverage on Bassmaster.com.

2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 5/17-5/20
Lake Travis, Jonestown  TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  21-15  110
Day 1: 5   21-15
2.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL             5  21-02  109
Day 1: 5   21-02
3.  Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                5  19-08  108
Day 1: 5   19-08
4.  Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ       5  19-05  107
Day 1: 5   19-05
4.  Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  19-05  107
Day 1: 5   19-05
6.  Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN             5  17-04  105
Day 1: 5   17-04
7.  Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS         5  16-01  104
Day 1: 5   16-01
8.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  15-15  103
Day 1: 5   15-15
9.  Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            5  15-14  102
Day 1: 5   15-14
10. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  15-13  101
Day 1: 5   15-13
10. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID               5  15-13  101
Day 1: 5   15-13
12. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX                5  15-12   99
Day 1: 5   15-12
13. David Walker           Sevierville, TN          5  15-10   98
Day 1: 5   15-10
14. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            5  15-09   97
Day 1: 5   15-09
15. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            5  15-02   96
Day 1: 5   15-02
16. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              5  15-00   95
Day 1: 5   15-00
16. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       5  15-00   95
Day 1: 5   15-00
18. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  14-13   93
Day 1: 5   14-13
19. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  14-09   92
Day 1: 5   14-09
20. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         5  14-05   91
Day 1: 5   14-05
21. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN          5  14-02   90
Day 1: 5   14-02
22. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  13-15   89
Day 1: 5   13-15
23. John Murray            Spring City, TN          5  13-11   88
Day 1: 5   13-11
24. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  13-09   87
Day 1: 5   13-09
24. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  13-09   87
Day 1: 5   13-09
26. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL             5  13-08   85
Day 1: 5   13-08
27. Shin Fukae             Palestine TX JAPAN       5  13-07   84
Day 1: 5   13-07
27. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                5  13-07   84
Day 1: 5   13-07
29. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                4  13-07   82
Day 1: 4   13-07
30. Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA               5  13-06   81
Day 1: 5   13-06
31. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  13-04   80
Day 1: 5   13-04
32. Dustin Connell         Clanton, AL              5  13-03   79
Day 1: 5   13-03
32. Brent Ehrler           Redlands, CA             5  13-03   79
Day 1: 5   13-03
34. Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA             5  13-02   77
Day 1: 5   13-02
35. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              5  12-14   76
Day 1: 5   12-14
36. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            5  12-12   75
Day 1: 5   12-12
37. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  12-08   74
Day 1: 5   12-08
38. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY            5  12-07   73
Day 1: 5   12-07
39. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  12-06   72
Day 1: 5   12-06
39. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL                5  12-06   72
Day 1: 5   12-06
41. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  12-04   70
Day 1: 5   12-04
42. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  11-13   69
Day 1: 5   11-13
42. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI              5  11-13   69
Day 1: 5   11-13
44. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  11-12   67
Day 1: 5   11-12
44. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  11-12   67
Day 1: 5   11-12
46. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  11-10   65
Day 1: 5   11-10
47. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL        5  11-09   64
Day 1: 5   11-09
47. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             5  11-09   64
Day 1: 5   11-09
49. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  11-07   62
Day 1: 5   11-07
50. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               5  11-06   61
Day 1: 5   11-06
50. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           5  11-06   61
Day 1: 5   11-06
52. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  11-05   59
Day 1: 5   11-05
53. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          5  11-02   58
Day 1: 5   11-02
54. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              5  11-01   57
Day 1: 5   11-01
55. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN            5  11-00   56
Day 1: 5   11-00
56. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  10-12   55
Day 1: 5   10-12
57. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             5  10-11   54
Day 1: 5   10-11
58. Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK            5  10-10   53
Day 1: 5   10-10
59. Roy Hawk               Lk Havasu Cty, AZ        5  10-07   52
Day 1: 5   10-07
60. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI               5  10-05   51
Day 1: 5   10-05
61. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  10-03   50
Day 1: 5   10-03
61. Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN          5  10-03   50
Day 1: 5   10-03
63. Gary Klein             Mingus, TX               5  10-01   48
Day 1: 5   10-01
64. Mark Daniels Jr.       Tuskegee, AL             5  09-15   47
Day 1: 5   09-15
64. Mike McClelland        Bentonville, AR          5  09-15   47
Day 1: 5   09-15
64. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              5  09-15   47
Day 1: 5   09-15
67. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              5  09-14   44
Day 1: 5   09-14
68. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL         5  09-13   43
Day 1: 5   09-13
69. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL            5  09-10   42
Day 1: 5   09-10
70. Jesse Wiggins          Cullman, AL              5  09-07   41
Day 1: 5   09-07
71. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        4  09-01   40
Day 1: 4   09-01
72. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  08-15   39
Day 1: 5   08-15
73. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               5  08-13   38
Day 1: 5   08-13
74. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV             5  08-12   37
Day 1: 5   08-12
75. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  08-11   36
Day 1: 5   08-11
76. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ             5  08-10   35
Day 1: 5   08-10
76. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  08-10   35
Day 1: 5   08-10
76. Darrell Ocamica        New Plymouth, ID         5  08-10   35
Day 1: 5   08-10
79. Ott DeFoe              Blaine, TN               5  08-07   32
Day 1: 5   08-07
80. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL         5  08-06   31
Day 1: 5   08-06
80. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  08-06   31
Day 1: 5   08-06
82. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            5  08-00   29
Day 1: 5   08-00
83. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              5  07-15   28
Day 1: 5   07-15
84. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  07-14   27
Day 1: 5   07-14
84. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR          5  07-14   27
Day 1: 5   07-14
86. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL         5  07-12   25
Day 1: 5   07-12
87. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX               3  07-06   24
Day 1: 3   07-06
88. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          5  07-01   23
Day 1: 5   07-01
89. Alton Jones Jr.        Waco, TX                 5  07-00   22
Day 1: 5   07-00
90. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  06-13   21
Day 1: 5   06-13
91. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         4  06-12   20
Day 1: 4   06-12
92. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  06-11   19
Day 1: 5   06-11
93. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  06-10   18
Day 1: 5   06-10
94. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL         5  06-05   17
Day 1: 5   06-05
95. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  06-00   16
Day 1: 5   06-00
96. James Elam             Tulsa, OK                4  05-06   15
Day 1: 4   05-06
96. Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL          4  05-06   15
Day 1: 4   05-06
98. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             2  05-06   13
Day 1: 2   05-06
99. Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR         4  05-00   12
Day 1: 4   05-00
100. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               2  05-00   11
Day 1: 2   05-00
101. Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         4  04-15   10
Day 1: 4   04-15
102. Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                 3  04-14    9
Day 1: 3   04-14
103. Fletcher Shryock       Dennison, OH             3  04-09    8
Day 1: 3   04-09
104. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         3  03-14    7
Day 1: 3   03-14
105. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           2  03-08    6
Day 1: 2   03-08
106. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         2  03-01    5
Day 1: 2   03-01
107. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              2  02-04    4
Day 1: 2   02-04
108. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     2  02-03    3
Day 1: 2   02-03


AC Insider Podcast with Chris Brown & Jason Duran & Special Guest Haden Lamb!

Day late and a dollar short, this weeks trade excuse for a podcast features the Progressive Bass Wrap up, The Costa Countdown to Blast off and Chris & Jason talk to TN Angler Haden Lamb who along with is partner Trevor Porter won last weekends Chattanooga Bass Association Event on Chickamauga with over 42 pounds!!! Check it out!

 


Iaconelli and Texas Fest Hooking Kids on Fishing

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Mike Iaconelli sat eating his traditional sausage, egg and cheese croissant in the dawn’s early light of Day 1 at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest to benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Department showing off a Molix spinnerbait and a swimbait he hoped would lead to a fast limit of bass during the early morning shad spawn, and then a chance to upgrade his weight throughout the day.

Iaconelli is a grinder. Always believing that even amid a stellar career that includes a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title and a Bassmaster Classic Championship that he has to work harder than a lot of pros in order to stay competitive. So the over-the-top 14 hour practice days he logged in the 90-degree Central Texas heat this week comes as no surprise.

It’s also no surprise that amid bites of breakfast sandwich and the obvious stress that arises from contemplating the day’s challenges – like bright 96 degree sunshine over Lake Travis’ clear water – that Iaconelli’s thoughts always seem to center on getting more kids involved in fishing.

Along with the love he has for his wife Becky, his four children, old school hip hop music, collecting antique glass bottles, and Philadelphia sports teams – is an absolute passion for introducing youth anglers to the sport he loves.

“Lake Travis is a fun lake. It’d be the perfect place to take kids bass fishing, because there’s so many bass swimming here, you know they’d get a bite,” says “Ike” with excitement. “One day of practice here at Travis, I caught 120 bass. Now look, only 10% of those were keepers. But still, 120 bass in one day! That’s phenomenal!”

Speaking of numbers, two days before traveling to Texas, “Ike” hosted over 250 kids at Haddon Lake near his New Jersey home as part of the Ike Foundation Hook ‘Em Early Kids Event.

“It was awesome, man. We stocked bass, catfish and bluegill, and gave every kid a free Flambeau tackle box, plus a free Abu Ike Dude rod and reel combo. And every fish they caught counted, because we awarded prizes for total inches of fish caught in three age divisions,” he reflected. “And the best part … roughly 40% of the kids who attended had never been fishing before!”

Iaconelli’s passion couldn’t have been expressed on a more fitting morning, because the very focus of Texas Fest is to raise money that is ultimately funneled to fund Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s youth fishing initiatives in 11 major metro areas.

The effort is estimated to introduce roughly 50,000 new anglers per year to the sport Iaconelli and everybody within sight of the giant American flag hanging over Jones Brothers Park Boat Ramp on Lake Travis Thursday morning loves so soulfully.

“My hope is that we can take our Ike Foundation tournaments to a lot more locations, and use them as an opportunity to do supplemental stocking in those small lakes. That way the kids that come to our events catch lots of fish, have a great experience, and become anglers for life. Plus we leave those lakes in better condition than we found them,” he concluded with passion and purpose.

The same exact passion and purpose shared by all those involved with Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest to benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this week on Lake Travis.

 

Author Alan McGuckin, Head PR Guru for Dynamic Sponsorships working with brands such as Quantum Fishing, Toyota USA, Carhartt and many more.

Matt Lee and KVD talk Texas Fest on Lake Travis

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Two of professional bass fishing’s classiest guys, Matt Lee, who is getting married in 16 days, and Kevin VanDam who has been married for 26 years, gladly took a break from the 95-degree sunshine in Central Texas to sit in the shade and answer a few questions about this week’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest to Benefit Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that starts Thursday on Lake Travis.

Q: Lake Travis is super healthy and full of fish. What’s the most number of bass you caught in a single practice day here this week?

 Matt Lee:30

KVD:75

 

Q: Name two lures we’ll see Elite Series pros slinging on Lake Travis to try to catch a big fish that will go a long way in separating themselves from the pack?

Matt Lee:Topwater and a swimbait

KVD:Swimbait and a big creature bait

 

Q: There’s a lot of clear water on Lake Travis. Will the front deck of your boat be more full of Quantum spinning reels, or baitcasting reels?

Matt Lee:An equal mix

KVD:Just about even.

 

Q: When the scales stop spinning after Day 1 – how much weight would you guess the guy sitting in 20thplace will have?

 Matt Lee:16 pounds

KVD:16 pounds

 

 

Q: The hilarious and talented B.A.S.S. photographer, James Overstreet wants to know, if you could only eat one species of fish, what would it be?

 Matt Lee:walleye

KVD:yellow perch from the Great Lakes region


Fishing Superstars VanDam & Klein, Along with Industry Pioneers To Be Inducted Into Bass Fishing Hall Of Fame

Courtesy of Bass Fishing Hall of Fame

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Six individuals who have helped make the black bass America’s mostpopular game fish have been selected for induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, theHall’s board of directors announced today.

The Class of 2018, which will be inducted in ceremonies at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of WildlifeMuseum and Aquarium in Springfield on September 27, 2-018, includes two stars of professional bass fishing — Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Gary Klein of Mingus, Texas — and four leaders from the sportfishing industry and its media.

Also being inducted are Tommy Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., a veteran outdoor television host; Helen Sevier of Montgomery, Ala., former CEO of B.A.S.S.; Berkley Bedell of Naples, Fla., founder of Berkley and Co.; and Dr. James Henshall, a 19th Century author who is considered the father of bass fishing.

The inductees were nominated by members of the Hall of Fame and elected by a 30-member panel of sportfishing industry leaders, members of the outdoor media, professional anglers and members of the Hall of Fame.

“We on the board of directors are grateful for the efforts of the Selection Committee in identifying this year’s induction class,” said John Mazurkiewicz, vice president of the Hall of Fame Board and Nomination Committee chair. “The new selection process, which went into effect this year, helps ensure that we are again inducting some of the great pioneers in bassfishing.”

The six will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum, which opened last November within the Wonders of Wildlife complex at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring anglers, manufacturers, innovators and media who have furthered the sport of bass fishing. On display in the museum are artifacts, photos and biographical information about 71 members of the Hall of Fame who have been inducted since 2001.

“Our first Induction Banquet and the grand opening of the new Hall of Fame facility at Wondersof Wildlife was incredibly successful, attracting both pioneers and current leaders of our sport aswell as anglers and fans who are passionate about bass fishing,” said Donald Howell, BFHOF

Board president. “We are expecting a sell-out crowd on Sept. 27 as we honor the newest members of the Hall of Fame.”

Tickets to the banquet and information about the Hall of Fame and its mission are available at Bassfishinghof.com.

About The Class Of 2018

Berkley Bedell — Born in Spirit Lake, Iowa, March 5, 1921, “Berk” Bedell began tying flies with dog hair and selling them to trout fishermen as a source of Depression-era income while he was still in high school. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Bedell began to expand his Berkley & Co., positioning it to become one of the largest fishing tackle companies in the world. The company launched Trilene fishing lines and added or acquired numerous other brands over the years. Bedell was elected to Congress in 1977 and served five terms. His son, Tom, served as CEO of the company, which became known as Pure Fishing in 1979.

Dr. James A. Henshall — Henshall (1836-1925) was the author of the first book on bass fishing, Book of the Black Bass in 1881, and was the sport’s earliest advocate of note. A surgeonby trade, he designed the most popular rod and reel of his day, though he chose to patent neither because he believed his creations should be available to all manufacturers and anglers. He was also an innovator in hatchery management during his time with the U.S. Fish Commission. Henshall predicted the decline of trout fishing and habitat as well as the rise of the bass insportsmen’s eyes. Though he wrote extensively for several outdoor publications even to the endof his long life, he is probably best remembered for a single line in bass book: “I consider him, inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims.” It is still the greatest commenton the greatest of game fish.

Tommy Sanders — When one thinks of bass fishing television, Tommy Sanders rises to the top. The smooth, witty announcer has been the face of B.A.S.S. on television since 2000. Sanders is synonymous with outdoors TV, gracing ESPN Outdoors for more than a quarter century. Jerry McKinnis, a model of longevity with 44 years of The Fishin’ Hole, said he believes Sanders holds the distinction of appearing on the network more than any of the thousands of other personalities. Besides starting FLW coverage, Sanders has hosted Stihl Timbersports, the GreatOutdoor Games and the wraparound segments for the ESPN Outdoors block. But he’s mainlyknown as the host of The Bassmasters, where he has earned numerous awards. Recently inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame, Sanders is also known for his recent work as host of“Bassmaster LIVE” and “The Livewell.”

Helen Sevier — Sevier devoted three decades of service to the fishing industry, first as executive vice president and, from 1986-2001, CEO of B.A.S.S., Inc. Under her leadership,

B.A.S.S. grew to 600,000 members worldwide and conducted the world’s most prestigiousfishing tournament circuit. She worked tirelessly to promote sport fishing and conservation, creating the Bassmaster Casting Kids program, which has introduced millions of youngsters to fishing, in 1991. Sevier helped found the American Sportfishing Association and served on numerous industry boards and councils. Among her awards: the William E. Ricker Resources Conservation Award by the American Fisheries Society (1987), the U.S. Department of theInterior’s Conservation Service Award (1997), and the Norville Prosser Lifetime AchievementAward from the ASA (2002). She was inducted into the National Freshwater Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gary Klein – He has been involved in the bass fishing industry at the highest levels for almost 40 years. During that time, Klein has fished in more than 400 Bassmaster tournaments, helped create the Major League Fishing television show, won two B.A.S.S Angler of the Year awards, made 30 Classic appearances and recorded eight victories in B.A.S.S. tournaments alone. Klein has won the U.S. Open and a gold medal in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. He has known no other job except as a professional bass angler. While the idea of young anglers leaving college and becoming a full-time professional is commonplace today, Klein was the first to make professional angling his first career when he started fishing at the age of 19. After four decades of competition, he is considered one of the top anglers in the world.

Kevin VanDam – VanDam is one of the most recognized names in bass fishing as the all-time money winner with B.A.S.S. (more than $6 million). His initials are the most-feared in bass fishing as KVD has won four of the 27 Bassmaster Classics in which he’s competed, has a record25 B.A.S.S. wins and has seven Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. He was the first-everwinner of ESPN’s “Outdoorsman of the Year” ESPY trophy. During only four years with theFLW Tour, he finished in the top 10 nearly 30 percent of the time, pocketed more than $370,000 in winnings and appeared in four Forrest Wood Cups. In addition to his fishing accomplishments, VanDam is a philanthropist through his KVD Foundation as well as contributions in the KVD Charity Classics with the Detroit Lions, Michigan hospitals, March of Dimes and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.


Terry Scroggins’ peanut pattern

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

 You never know what you’re gonna see when you look inside Terry “Big Show” Scroggins’ Triton bass boat. Sometimes it’s two or three pairs of cheap reading glasses tossed among a pile of discarded lures.

Another time it was a jar of pickles, because Scroggins claims drinking pickle juice makes his muscle cramps disappear.

These days, it’s 2-pounds of Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts that ride in a plastic jar on the carpeted floor of the hilarious and kind-hearted food lover’s boat.

No matter when one glances inside Scroggins’ boat this Elite Series season – there sits the large plastic jar of peanuts.

“They’re probably not the best thing a guy can eat. I mean look, they have 160 calories per ounce, but they’re handy to get ahold of when you’re running down the lake. Plus they’re self-contained in this plastic jar that won’t break. And they stay fresh and dry whether it’s cold and rainy like it was at Lake Martin, or 90 degrees and sunny like here at Lake Travis,” explains the always practical and comical Carhartt pro.

And so while his buddy Gerald Swindle will compliment Lulu’s sandwiches with Famous Dave’s pickles on Lake Travis, and Quantum pro Casey Ashley insists on a fruit cup of diced peaches with today’s tuna salad – for Scroggins, it’ll be a black forest ham and smoked gouda cheese sandwich, dark chocolate cookies, and yes, Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts.

“Gotta be honey roasted, not just regular,” insist Scroggins. “And the best part is, once you eat ‘em all, you can use the jar to store your spare coins.”

Hopefully, the ‘peanut pattern’ leads to $100,000 worth of spare coins for Scroggins on the final day of Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department here on Lake Travis.


Sonar Chart Live from Navionics - See What You've Been Missing!

With technology growing rapidly, more ways to map and find fish seem to be introduced each year. The latest is instant mapping. The question is, aside from mapping your own lake, how can this be used in everyday fishing or help me on tournament day? Edwin Evers uses Navionics SonarChart Live and explained at last year’s Bassmaster Classic that it helped him fish inside timber. These areas of thick timber aren’t able to get a past survey boat in-between so these instant one foot contours, helped him identify deeper holes or creek beds within the timber to locate where his better fish are coming from.

Fishing on reefs or underwater structure, SonarChart live can be very helpful in just taking a few extra minutes to troll over the area and get a real time contour map. This will identify the exact breakpoints, high points, specific broken pieces, and just dial in exactly where you might want to cast or anchor.

Navionics SonarChart Live can be used at any speed as long as your transducer can hold bottom. Its available on Raymarine, Lowrance, Simrad, Vexilar, and other wireless transducers using the Navionics App as well. See www.Navionics.com for more details.


Classic Berth, Big Payday On The Line At Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., will be competing among a full field of 108 anglers in the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Up for grabs is a 2019 Bassmaster Classic berth and a $100,000 first-place prize. 

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 11, 2018

 
JONESTOWN, Texas — There is certainly no shortage of storylines for this year’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Lake Travis.
 
The tournament, which is scheduled for May 17-20 with daily takeoffs from Jones Brothers Park at 6:15 a.m. CT and weigh-ins back at the park each day at 3 p.m., features a total purse of $1 million, with $100,000 going to the winner.
 
It’s the only regular-season Elite Series event this year that will feature a catch-weigh-release format, where fish are weighed by an onboard judge and immediately released without ever going into a livewell.
 
It’s also the only regular-season Elite Series tournament that will award an automatic berth to the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods — and that’s the part that has New Jersey star Michael Iaconelli’s attention.
 
“It’s nice that this tournament creates another spot for the Elites in the Classic,” said Iaconelli, who has qualified for the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing 17 straight times. “It gives you a little extra motivation. If I make it, I can take it easy the rest of the year.”
 
The automatic Classic berth will be especially important to Iaconelli this year since he plans to skip the Elite Series event scheduled for June 7-10 on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas.
 
The tournament was originally scheduled for April, but heavy flooding in the region forced a postponement — and Iaconelli already has television obligations planned for the new dates.
 
“Missing Orange, this will be only chance I have to keep my Classic streak alive,” he said. “That’s all the motivation anyone should need.”
 
With this being the first visit to Lake Travis for B.A.S.S., many of the 108 pros on the Elite Series will be seeing the fishery for the first time.
 
Iaconelli said he finds that aspect exciting as well.
 
“I didn’t practice there before it went off-limits,” he said. “I’ve never even laid eyes on the fishery. Guys are going to discover some things at Travis. You’ll see patterns used that you haven’t seen in a long time — or maybe ever before.”
 
One Elite Series pro who has fished Lake Travis is Oklahoma resident Jeff Kriet. He won an FLW Texas Tournament Trail (TTT) event on the lake in May 2004.
 
“I like it,” Kriet said of the 29,160-acre impoundment on the Colorado River. “It’s full of bass and fishes just the way I like to fish. It’s a deep, clear lake — and that’s what I like.”
 
After Kriet’s victory in the TTT event, Lake Travis stayed well below full pool for an extended period. That low water level allowed vegetation to grow up around the shoreline — and since the lake is now full again, that vegetation could create new opportunities for anglers.
 
“I think guys will catch them a lot of different ways, including flipping,” Kriet said. “The lake is in really good shape.”
 
Alton Jones, a Texas pro who also has some experience on Lake Travis, agreed.
 
“During the last decade or so, they’ve put Florida bass in it,” Jones said. “The lake level has been higher, and that’s improved the spawn.
 
“It’s not the kind of Texas fishery we’re used to — like Toledo Bend or a Sam Rayburn or a Lake Fork. It’s very deep, very clear water.”
 
Jones said the typical seasonal patterns — like crankbaits, Carolina-rigged plastics and jigs — will likely come into play. He also said the morning topwater bite could be solid, even though the annual shad spawn, which promotes early-morning feeding along the shoreline, is just about over.
 
“There are some really big fish in the lake,” Jones said. “I don’t think we’ll see lots of guys bringing in stringers of big fish. But there will be some big ones caught — and when you do catch a big one, it will go a long way.”
 
The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo will take place at the park on Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature boat demo rides, an aquarium, free prizes and the latest fishing products on the market. The fan-favorite kid’s area, Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota and Shakespeare, will also include catfish-casting ponds and a chance to meet the pros. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Adventures Area will welcome visitors of all ages to try out archery, learn ways to contribute to conservation and participate in other fun outdoor activities.
 
Also taking place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is Bassmaster University. Bassmaster Elite Series pros will be teaching seminars at the park on a variety of topics related to fishing including techniques, gear, electronics and more. All activities are free and open to the public.
 
Visit Bassmaster.com for more information.


McClelland and VanDam feel at home on Lake Travis

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Tuesday morning marked the start of the second very long hot practice day on Lake Travis for the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Two of pro fishing’s most likeable, accomplished, and even-keeled veteran anglers, Mike McClelland and Kevin VanDam, launched next to one another in the humid predawn air, and say this gorgeous reservoir in the Texas Hill Country is very new to them, but also one they’re liking a lot, and feeling right at home on.

“Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever fished here, and I like it a lot. It reminds me a lot of Table Rock in terms of the rocky terrain and all the rocky shoreline transitions,” says VanDam.

“Yep, Kevin’s exactly right. It reminds me a ton of Table Rock too, as well as places like Bull Shoals and other Ozark reservoirs,” agrees McClelland. “Before I saw this place I envisioned it looking like Choke Canyon, maybe with vegetation like a lot of the great Texas fisheries we’ve been to, but it’s really more like Table Rock, or even a miniature Amistad.”

“Fans can expect to see us use just about every lure imaginable this week – from soft plastics of every shape and kind, to crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits -- you name it – this event is one in which you’ll see ‘em all used,” says McClelland.

While both pros were their typically gracious selves, both were also jittery to start casting, knowing the early morning shad spawn was taking place as the sun began to rise over Travis’ clean waters that are currently about 78-degrees on the surface.

“It’s that time of year, shad are spawning all over the southern half of the country right now, including here. So it’s time to get out there. I only practiced 13 hours yesterday,” winked VanDam, as he idled out for another long day of doing a job he’s loved for 28 remarkable seasons as a pro.

 

Author Alan McGuckin, Head PR Guru for Dynamic Sponsorships working with brands such as Quantum Fishing, Toyota USA, Carhartt and many more.

DELTA TEEN TEAM WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING CLEAR LAKE OPEN IN CALIFORNIA

LAKEPORT, Calif. (May 15, 2018) – The Delta Teen Team duo of Miles Kaneko and Jared De Fremery, both of Berkeley, California brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Clear Lake Open and earn the title of TBF/FLW California State Champions in Lakeport, California. 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 caught their limit on the south end of Clear Lake, fishing docks in 5 to 8 feet of water. Their key bait was a 6-inch Margarita Mutilator-colored Roboworm on a drop-shot rig and an unnamed wacky-rigged weightless worm.

A field of 72 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was a combined event for high-school anglers. Teams from across the U.S. were eligible to compete in the Clear Lake Open, while only California schools competed in the California State Championship. The combined tournaments launched from the Konocti Vista Casino Resort and Marina in Lakeport. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top seven teams on Clear Lake that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:

1st:     Delta Teen Team – Miles Kaneko and Jared De Fremery, both of Berkeley, Calif., five-bass, 19-2

2nd:    Lake County High School Fishing Team – Jason Gentle and Nathan Phillips, both of Kelseyville, Calif., five bass, 17-10

3rd:     Phoenix High School Bassmasters – Derek Richards and Taj White, both of Glendale, Ariz., five bass, 16-10

4th:     California Student Angler Federation – Josh Poore and Brendan Holden, both of Clovis, Calif., five bass, 16-7

5th:     Nor Cal Junior Bass Club – Grant Toler and Garrett Frick, both of Redding, Calif., five bass, 16-3

6th:     Yuba City High School, Yuba City, Calif. – Alec Engelhardt, Yuba City, Calif., and Shawn Fields, Nevada City, Calif., five bass, 16-2

7th:     Pleasant Valley High School, Chico, Calif. – Conner Urling, Roseville, Calif., and James Hawkinson, Chico, Calif., five bass,   16-2

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

8th:     Vista Del Lago High School, Folsom, Calif. – Clark Demacabalin and Weston Kennedy, both of Folsom, Calif., five bass,  16-1

9th:     Alameda High School, Alameda, Calif. – Nicholas Velasquez and Joey Yang, both of Alameda, Calif., five bass, 15-13

10th:   Freedom High School, Oakley, Calif. – Tyler Hurney and Justin Hurney, both of Oakley, Calif., five bass, 15-13

Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Clear Lake Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The 2018 TBF/FLW High School Fishing California State Championship was also two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, but open to only Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school clubs in California. 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.


Alabama Bass Trail Announces 2019 Tournament Schedule, Registration Opens August 1

Decatur, Ala. (May 15, 2018) – The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) is pleased to unveil the 2019 tournament schedule with a cash payout reaching over $500,000 plus a grand prize of a new Phoenix Bass Boat. Returning for the sixth season, the team-style tournament series is held on eleven of the lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail beginning February 16, 2019, with the championship tournament to be held on October 25-26, 2019.

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division; no single entries will be allowed.

South Division:

  • February 16, 2019
    Lake Martin hosted by Alexander City Chamber of Commerce
  • March 30, 2019
    Lake Jordan hosted by the City of Wetumpka
  • April 20, 2019
    Alabama River / Cooter’s Pond hosted by City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
  • May 18, 2019
    Lay Lake hosted by Shelby County Commission
  • June 15, 2019
    Lake Eufaula hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce

North Division:

  • February 23, 2019
    Smith Lake hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
  • March 23, 2019
    Wheeler Lake hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
  • April 27, 2019
    Weiss Lake hosted by City of Leesburg
  • May 11, 2019
    Pickwick Lake hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
  • June 8, 2019
    Neely Henry Lake hosted by the City of Gadsden

Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament is set for October 25-26, 2019, on Lake Guntersville. “One of the most effective measurements of our success is how much of an economic impact a tourism event makes in the community. The Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce has hosted an Alabama Bass Trail tournament in the past and once the final numbers were in, an economic impact study was conducted. The study clearly indicated the positive impact the tournament made on the city of Scottsboro and Jackson County from the tax revenue generated during the anglers’ visit. And now more than ever, we are looking forward to hosting the 2019 Alabama Bass Trail Championship at Goose Pond. We hope everyone will come out to experience the excitement this tournament brings,” said J.P. Parsons, vice president of destination marketing for Jackson County Tourism.

The championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student boats, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.

“We are excited to announce the 2019 schedule, especially that the championship is heading to Lake Guntersville where it all started for the Alabama Bass Trail in February of 2014. There has been an incredible interest from new teams about the 2019 schedule. Each year we strive to put together a schedule that will put anglers on the lakes at the best possible time for fishing and we want to change things up from previous years to keep the anglers engaged. Once our tournament travels to an area, we are honored when city officials reach out to us and ask when the Tournament Series will be back. That’s a true testament to the impact the Alabama Bass Trail has on a community,” said ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson.

Each tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. In conjunction with the Alabama Bicentennial celebration in 2019, an additional $200 bonus prize will be awarded at each tournament to the team that finishes in the 200th place. The winning team of the championship walks away with a fully rigged bass boat valued at $45,000; there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $568,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2019.

2019 Payout Schedule:

First place $10,000
Second place $5,000
Third place $4,000
Fourth place $3,000
Fifth place $2,000
Sixth place $1,500
Seventh place $1,100
Eighth place $1,100
Ninth place $1,100
Tenth place $1,100
11th – 20th (each) $750
21st – 40th (each) $500
200th $200

Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2018 will be given a priority entry period from August 1 to August 14, 2018, to register online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration will be open to the public on August 15, 2018. The entry fee per tournament is $1,300 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $500 nonrefundable deposit to hold the team’s spot. The balance of $800 must be paid by January 18, 2019.

ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; the Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T & H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Trapper Tackle; Lews Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; YETI and Hydrowave. Pond MD will manage fish care and Southern Stream Live will be the live-streaming company.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

ABOUT ALABAMA BASS TRAIL

The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year-round fishing destination, to preserve natural resources for generations to come, and to educate high school and college-aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 13 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Weiss Lake, Lake Martin, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River, Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.


Roberson Steals The Show In YES Event #1

Edenton, NC – 5/5/2018

Event number one for the 2018 Collins Inc. – Youth Educational Series kicked off over the weekend on the Chowan River / Albemarle Sound region. Teams launched from the Bayside Marina around 6:15 AM and returned at 2:30 PM for the afternoon weigh-in.

Morgan Roberson, fishing without a team partner, took the top spot with a massive catch of five fish weighing an impressive 25.22 lbs, anchored by the eventual event lunker weighing in at 7.88 lbs. Since she had no team partner to share the winnings with, Morgan doubled up on all prizes and took home both first place plaques signifying the win along with multiple tackle related prizes from Outdoor Accessories Unlimited, Z-Man Fishing Products, Penetration Hooks, Solar Bat Sunglasses, and $50 gift cards from Ranger Wear.

Morgan is no stranger to the top of the results charts, as this is her third overall victory in three seasons among the Youth Educational Series of events. She also has a previous second-place finish to add to her records. Congratulations Morgan!!!

Filling the second position was Nathaniel Moss, another solo angler. However, having to fish alone didn’t keep Nathaniel, one-half of the reining 2017 Youth Educational Series points championship team, from also bringing an impressive bag of fish to the scales that weighed in at 16.67 lbs, anchored by a 7.39 kicker fish. Nathaniel also doubled up on the prizes with his tandem plaques signifying the accomplishment, along with multiple tackle related prizes from Outdoor Accessories Unlimited, Z-Man Fishing Products, and Penetration Hooks.

The third spot went to Nathan Canady and Ayden Wood with their catch of 13.26 lbs, also anchored by a brute weighing in at 7.05 lbs. These two anglers are currently enjoying some amazing finishes among NC Bassmaster Eastern & Western Division High School Series events and are looking to do the same among the Youth Educational Series events this season.

Rounding out the top five positions included the fourth place tandem of Wyatt Long and Logan Jennings with their catch of 11.07 lbs and the fifth place team of Dorien Scott and Andrew Pittman with their catch of 5.15 lbs.

Thanks to all sponsors that contribute to these youth events. We could not offer such great rewards and opportunities without your support.

Thanks to all of the boat captains and club advisors that take time away from their personal fishing opportunities and other leisure activities to coach and mentor these young anglers. You are appreciated very much for the role that you play.

Complete Results


Clark & Clark Win Collins Boating Bass for Cash Series Event on Chowan River with over 24 pounds!!!

A field of sixty-three teams made their way to beautiful Edenton, NC for the fourth event of the 2018 Bass For Cash Series season.  The weather was pleasant and the bite appeared to be good for the majority of the teams, as forty-nine teams recorded double-digit weights,  with twenty-five teams scoring over 15lbs.  Ron & Ronnie Clark topped the field with their five fish limit catch that weighed in at 24.88lbs.  The duo also claimed the Outdoor Accessories Unlimited lunker award with a nice 7.69 largemouth.  The tandem netted a total of $1930 for the win and another $315 plus a $100 Outdoor Accessories Unlimited gift card for the lunker.

Mike May & Dale Winstead filled the second position with their limit of fish that weighed 22.47lbs.  The pair walked away with $1092 for their effort.

Cliff & Randy Jenkins settled for the third spot, narrowly missing the runner up position by less than 3 ounces, with their catch of 22.30 lbs.  The duo claimed $734 for their limit of largemouth bass.

Cameron Smith & Tyler Jones secured a $600 payday with their fourth place catch of 21.08lbs.

Rounding out the top five was the team of Buster Seabolt & Skeet Bennett with their catch of 19.18lbs, granting the pair a $490 payout.

 

With only two events remaining in the season, this is a reminder that each “Individual” angler must compete in, at least, four of the six regular season events to be eligible for championship competition.

 

Complete Results


GEORGIA’S PARTAIN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE HARTWELL

Lewis Takes Co-angler Title

ANDERSON, S.C. (May 14, 2018) – Boater Kerry Partain of Elberton, Georgia, caught five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament Saturday on Lake Hartwell. For his efforts, Partain took home $3,705.

Partain said he worked through nearly 30 areas from the Tugaloo River down to the dam, catching eight keepers throughout the tournament.

“I used a weightless Zoom Super Fluke early for postspawn fish on shoals and points,” said Partain, who logged his first win in FLW competition. “I fished main-lake areas in anywhere from 2 to 10 feet of water.”

Following the postspawn bite, Partain caught two bedding fish – a 3- and 4-pounder – from mid-lake spawning beds. He said he was near docks, and used a Texas-rigged Watermelon Magic-colored Zoom Fluke Stick.

“I ran points for postspawners to finish out the day,” said Partain. “I ran up the Tugaloo and Seneca arms and basically hit any areas coming off the spawning flats.”

Partain’s afternoon postspawn baits were a Watermelon Candy-colored Zoom Finesse Worm on a drop-shot rig and a shaky-head jig with a green-pumpkin Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Kerry Partain, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 14-14, $3,705

2nd:         Justin McLeese, Iva, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $1,753

3rd:          Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 12-5, $1,169

4th:          Henry Kratz, Pelzer, S.C., five bass, 10-7, $820

4th:          Joey Nichols, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 10-7, $820

4th:          David Milsaps, Ranger, Ga., five bass, 10-7, $1,120

7th:          Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-6, $525

7th:          Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-6, $525

7th:          Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-6, $525

10th:        Scott Chatham, Kingston, Ga., five bass, 10-3, $409

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Randy Gentry of Franklin, North Carolina, brought a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $440.

Keith Lewis of Franklin, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,853 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Keith Lewis, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 10-10, $1,853

2nd:         Tim Watson, Martin, Ga., five bass, 10-3, $926

3rd:          Rusty Smith, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $585

4th:          Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., five bass, 9-3, $409

5th:          Chris Nunziato, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 8-13, $351

6th:          Samson Faulk, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 8-12, $321

7th:          Harold Chappell, Central, S.C., five bass, 8-4, $292

8th:          Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 7-10, $263

9th:          Thomas Morris, Walhalla, S.C., four bass, 7-9, $234

10th:        Bill Hawkins, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 7-6, $204

James Durham of Hartwell, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 3 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $110.

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 the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. 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 FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


MARSHALL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2018 KHSAA STATE BASS FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP ON KENTUCKY LAKE

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 14, 2018) – The Marshall County High School team of Tristan Barrett and Evan Bremmerkamp brought a two-day cumulative total of eight bass weighing 27 pounds, 11 ounces to the scale this weekend, beating out 67 other teams to win the 2018 Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) State Bass Fishing Championship on Kentucky Lake. The win earned the team medals, a trophy to display in their school and the title of KHSAA state champions.

The top 10 high school teams on Kentucky Lake were:

1st:       Marshall County High School – Tristan Barrett and Evan Bremmerkamp, eight bass, 27-11

2nd:     Madison Southern High School – Blake Harold and Cameron Cochran, six bass, 21-7

3rd:      Calloway County High School – Dylan Bell and Jacob Hudgin, seven bass, 20-1

4th:      McCracken County High School – Tyler Lillevig and Hunter Valerius, seven bass, 20-1

5th:      Muhlenberg County High School – Carson Recke and Jackson Kulijof, six bass, 17-11

6th:      Ohio County High School – Dalton Wilson and Brennan Peters, six bass, 17-8

7th:      LaRue County High School – Wyatt Pearman and Evan Morris, six bass, 16-13

8th:      Trigg County High School – Andrew Greene and Anthony Ethridge, seven bass, 16-11

9th:      Bourbon County High School – Conner Johnson and Cameron Brady, six bass, 16-3

10th:    Boyle County High School – Sam Clark and Hannah Wesley, six bass, 16-2

Complete results can be found at KHSAA.org.

For the second consecutive year, Garrard County High School angler Morgan Miracle was recognized as the 2018 Midway University/KHSAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year. The award is presented to the student-athlete who exemplifies outstanding athletic performance, community service, leadership and academic achievement in her sport.

A 5-pound, 3-ounce bass earned the KHSAA Big Bass honors on each day of competition. On Day One, Madison Southern High School angler Cameron Cochran caught a 5-3 to claim the big bass of the day, while Bourbon County angler Cameron Brady weighed a 5-3 on Day Two to earn the honors.

Photos from the event can be found at bit.ly/2018KHSAABass and are courtesy of Curtis Niedermier/FLW.

The 2018 KHSAA Fishing Championship was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 9-12. 2018 marked the sixth year of the championship event, which featured a field of 68 teams that qualified from four regional competitions in April. The event was supported by the Benton, Kentucky-based Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. For more information on FLW and their multiple tournament circuits, visit FLWFishing.com.

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 High School Fishing National Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama, June 26-29. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded. Visit HighSchoolFishing.org for complete details.

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 FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.


NORMANDY’S STEADMAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MUSIC CITY DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON TIMS FORD LAKE

Co-angler Title Goes to Hendersonville’s Brinson

WINCHESTER, Tenn. (May 14, 2018) – Boater David Steadman Jr. of Normandy, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division tournament on Tims Ford Lake Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces. Steadman pocketed $2,648 for his win.

“I fished the main-lake area with a shad-colored crankbait and caught about 20 fish total,” said Steadman, who logged his first career win in FLW competition. “I focused on transition banks where postspawn fish were heading back out into the lake. Some of the spots had rocks, some had gravel and some were a mix. They were fairly typical locations where I’ve caught postspawners in the past.”

Steadman said he worked through 11 different areas to craft his limit.

“I hit a lull during the day from around 10:30 (a.m.) until noon, but I stuck with it and caught two of my biggest late in the day,” said Steadman.

Steadman said the fish in his areas were all smallmouth in practice, but on the day of the tournament there were largemouth present as well.

“I think I caught five largemouth during the event and ended up weighing four smallmouth and one largemouth.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          David Steadman Jr., Normandy, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $2,648

2nd:         John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $1,524

3rd:          Matt Stanley, Alexandria, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $982

4th:          Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $574

4th:          Cornell Creciun III, Nolensville, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $574

6th:          Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $485

7th:          Mark Condron, Wilton, Conn., five bass, 12-7, $441

8th:          Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $397

9th:          Hunter Bouldin, McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 11-13, $353

10th:        Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 11-12, $293

10th:        Gerald Williams, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 11-12, $293

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rocco Simeri of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, brought a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $285.

Bryan Brinson of Hendersonville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,324 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Bryan Brinson, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 12-5, $1,324

2nd:         Marty Barnes, Crossville, Tenn., four bass, 9-9, $662

3rd:          Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 9-1, $440

4th:          Ryan Cross, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 7-15, $309

5th:          Sam Loveless, Somerset, Ky., four bass, 7-6, $265

6th:          Jake May, La Vergne, Tenn., three bass, 7-1, $243

7th:          Gregory Goodwin, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 6-10, $221

8th:          Austin Mitchell, Antioch, Tenn., three bass, 6-5, $199

9th:          Devin Bargatze, Nashville, Tenn., two bass, 5-6, $377

10th:        Blake Balent, Gallatin, Tenn., two bass, 5-4, $154

Jordan Young of Hillsboro, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $142.

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 FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


COVERCRAFT® and Bradley Roy Announce Partnership

PAULS VALLEY, OKMay 14, 2018– Today Covercraft announced a partnership with Bassmaster Elite SeriesTMangler Bradley Roy. The nine-year pro from Lancaster, KY is currently leading the Angler of the Year points race.

“We are thrilled to partner with a true professional like Bradley Roy,” said Covercraft Director of Marketing Jeff Jegelewicz. “Not only is he passionate about the outdoors, he’s dedicated to giving back to the community through his various charitable events and programs. This speaks volumes about his character, and we feel he will represent the Covercraft brand exceptionally well.”

Roy was first introduced to Covercraft through his camouflage sponsor Prym1.  Covercraft licensed their patterns and last year sent Roy two sets of fully-custom seat covers for his tow vehicle and hunting truck.  “I loved the seat covers and was really pleased with both the ease of installation and how well they fit and protected my seats.  Once they were installed I wished they had been on there years ago,” said Roy.

“Everyone is talking about how much rain we’ve had this year and every time I hear that I’m thankful to have those seat covers on my truck,” Roy laughed. “I jump in the truck soaking wet without a second thought!”

In addition to competing on the most-prestigious bass fishing trail in the world, Roy is also known for giving back.  He’s hosted the annual Bradley Roy High School Open in the commonwealth of Kentucky for four years.  Aspiring anglers from his home state compete each year for two spots in the Bassmaster High SchoolTMNational Championship.

Through a partnership with Louisville-based USA Cares (www.usacares.org), Roy has hosted four benefit tournaments to assist the organization with its efforts to provide financial and advocacy assistance to post-9/11 active duty US military service personnel, veterans and their families.  Two more tournaments are scheduled for 2018.

Covercraft will immediately become involved with both of those initiatives and join Roy’s current sponsors helping him give back to his community.

Roy is also a dedicated hunter and guides in the fall for Whitetail Heaven Outfitters based in Nicholasville, Kentucky.  “As helpful as the seat covers are for fishing they’re every bit or more useful for hunters.  Whether it’s getting dirty hunting deer or chasing turkeys hunting season can do a number on our trucks.  Floor mats and seat covers from Covercraft really come in handy then,” said Roy.

Covercraft offers an extensive line of functional and stylish vehicle accessories for trucks, cars, SUV, etc.  “I’ve had fun surfing around the Covercraft website picking out more products to outfit my vehicles,” said Roy. “It’s almost (not quite) as fun as shopping for fishing tackle online. I’ve got floor mats, sunscreens, dash covers, gear webs, hood protectors, and more either now on my truck or at the house waiting to be installed.”

 

About Covercraft

Covercraft Industries, LLC is the leading branded manufacturer of automotive protection products including vehicle covers, seat covers, front end masks, dashboard covers, window sunscreens, RV covers, patio furniture covers and others. The company focuses on custom patterned products with a library that includes more than 400,000 distinct automotive patterns.

Covercraft owns multiple brands including ADCO, Colgan, DashMat, GT Covers, PCI and Wolf. Licensed partnerships include Airstream, Carhartt, Ford, Tommy Bahama and Winnebago. Founded in Southern California in 1965, Covercraft is Headquartered in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma with additional manufacturing facilities in California, Colorado, Texas, Australia and Mexico.

For more information, visit www.covercraft.com.

About Bradley Roy

Bradley Roy lives in Lancaster, KY and has fished the Bassmaster Elite SeriesTMsince 2010, when he was the youngest-ever at 19 years old.  A former 2004 Junior World Champion, Roy is also a two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier.  His official sponsors include Mud Hole Custom Tackle, MHX Rods, Whitetail Heaven Outfitters, USA Cares, Angler’s Outpost & Marine, Prym1, D&L Tackle, Cabin Creek Bait Co., Triton Boats, Gruv Fishing, Neat Trucking, Power Pole, Chrysler of Lawrenceburg, Lowrance, Mercury, TH Marine, and First Southern National Bank.

 

For more information, visit www.bradleyroy.com.


Swindle says Lake Travis is full of fish

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

 

Gerald Swindle has no history with Lake Travis. He’d never seen the gorgeous 18,000 acre reservoir along the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country until arriving for practice on Mother’s Day.

But after another long 12-hour day of practice, he likes what he sees.

“Well, I just saw a woman swim across the cove with her Larbradoodle, that was interesting. And they dang sure like to party on this lake, even on a Monday,” says the hilarious Team Toyota pro.

“It’s also full of fish. I think it’s gonna surprise people what we catch here this week. There’s a ton of bass swimming here. The challenge will be getting that big bite or two to separate yourself from the pack,” he explains.

Water temps are ranging 77 to 80. It’s full post-spawn mode, and how you choose to catch them is up to you. Swindle says most of the baitfish he saw on Lake Travis  were super tiny shoreline minnows.

“You name it – we’ll be throwing it this week,” says Swindle. “Drop shot, Ned Rig, a casting jig, Shaky head, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, deep cranking -- it’s all in play this week.”

 

Swindle piloted his Tundra roughly 14 hours to get to Austin after saying a brutally tough, heartbreaking goodbye to his dog Myrick, but Lake Travis has been reason to smile again for the highly accomplished Quantum pro.

“Grand Lake and Kentucky Lake, where we just came from, were places I’d been many times before, but bites were tough to come by,” says Swindle.

“We weighed-in big bags, but bites were real tough to get. Coming here to Travis was a long drive, but kind of cool like getting a Christmas present. You’re excited to unwrap it, and see what you got, and so far, I like what we’ve got here.”

“I think one of the reasons Lake Travis is good is because there’s not a lot of fishing pressure. Now look, there’s party pressure – if the bass bit Bud Light cans here they’d be in trouble, because these locals know how to party - especially with the weather being so hot this week – like hotter than Miranda Lambert in yoga pants,” he concluded.

 

Author Alan McGuckin, Head PR Guru for Dynamic Sponsorships working with brands such as Quantum Fishing, Toyota USA, Carhartt and many more.

KENTUCKY LAKE SET TO HOST FLW TOUR EVENT PRESENTED BY COSTA SUNGLASSES

The Sixth Stop of the 2018 FLW Tour Season Brings Four Days of Tournament-Fishing Action, Community Events to Gilbertsville Area

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 3, 2018) – The Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Tour, professional bass fishing’s largest and most lucrative tournament circuit, is set to fish Kentucky and Barkley lakes May 17-20 for the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses. The event, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, will feature 362 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

Currently celebrating its 23rd season on the water, this marks the 11th time the Benton, Kentucky-based FLW Tour will compete on their home waters of Kentucky Lake. The tournament field features three former Kentucky Lake FLW Tour champions – Jason Lambert (2016), Chad Grigsby (2011) and Anthony Gagliardi (2004). Lambert caught nearly 100 pounds of schooling bass to win the 2016 event, weighing a 29-pound limit – the largest limit ever caught on Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour history – on championship Sunday to seal the deal.

This year, 23-year Tour veteran Terry Bolton, of Paducah, Kentucky, said he expects another great week of fishing, but doesn’t think it will take as nearly as much weight to win.

“I think the winner will need to catch around 17½ pounds a day. It’s going to be more of spawn-oriented deal this time around,” said Bolton, who has 32 career top-10 finishes on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in FLW competition. “With how cold our winter was this year, everything happened a lot later than in the past six or seven years. Essentially we didn’t have any April spawners like we’ve had in the past. Some of the first few fish to start spawning started this past week. That leads me to believe that we will likely be hitting the next wave come tournament time.”

Bolton said a number of baits will be in play for this event, mainly soft-plastics, topwater baits and possibly some big crankbaits and swimbaits. He mentioned Zoom Lizards, Brush Hogs and popping-type lures as very likely to be seen in use by competitors.

“Bushes and willow trees will get a lot of attention from anglers, but that pattern can vary depending on what the water level is,” said Bolton. “I think it will mainly be a shallow-water event. I don’t think we’ll see as much ledge fishing. There’ll be some, but I don’t think we’ll see it as much as we have in past FLW Tour events.”

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from Kentucky Dam State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, May 17-18, will be held at the State Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, May 19-20, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa Sunglasses will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 27 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. 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.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Kentucky Dam State Park from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is the perfect opportunity for fishing fans of all ages to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, meet characters from the “Paw Patrol” children’s television show, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Kentucky Dam State Park on Saturday, May 19, from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1stand 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, FLW Tour pro anglers will visit students at Jonathan Elementary School, located at 9207 U.S. Highway 68, in Benton, Kentucky, on Wednesday, May 16 from 8-10 a.m. to introduce students to fishing and outdoor activities in their community. During the presentations the pro anglers will reinforce how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) relate to outdoor activities as well as boating safety. The presentation will promote the sport of fishing and outdoor recreation and give youth the information they need to “Get Outdoors. Go Fish!”

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of anglers competes in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Costa is more than $930,000.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


Lamb & Potter drop over 42 pounds on the Scales to Win the 2018 CBA Moses Watersport Event on Chickamauga!

Courtesy of WRCB Chattanooga

Link to Orignal WRCB Story

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - The team of Haden Lamb and Trevor Potter caught a 5 bass limit weighing 42.21 pounds topping out the field of 140 anglers to win first place and $2,000.00 in the Moses Water Sports Chattanooga Bass Association Tournament. This bass event was held May 12th, 2018 out of Chester Frost Boat Ramp.

Haden said “We started the morning in a shad spawn on some gravel points and caught a real nice limit and then started looking for deep fish, finding only one school all day. We culled 3 times from that school including a 11.21 and 2 nice 8 plus pounders”. We then spent the rest of the day taking care of our fish releasing all 5 in excellent shape after they were weighed. It would have been nice to break the C.B.A. record of 42.91 but what a blessed day we had ‘’.

Kevin Drake and Corey Vetter 5 bass limit of 42.91 pounds caught in February of 2018 is the CBA’s standing record.

Big fish of this event was caught by Haden Lamb and Trevor Potter a beast of a large mouth weighing11.21 pounds. Second big bass of the day was caught by Corey Vetter and Kevin Drake weighing 8.90 pounds.

All fish caught in this event were released back into Lake Chickamauga to be caught again and special thanks to the fishermen for taking such good care of their catches.

Chattanooga Bass Association President, Jamie Copenhaver, said “Thanks to Moses Water Sports and all our sponsors for their much appreciated support for this 2018 season”.

The top 11 money winners are as follows:

  1. Haden Lamb and Trevor Potter 42.21 lbs. $2000
  2. Kevin Drake and Cory Vetter 25.26 lbs. $750
  3. Justin Medley and Jason Garrett 23.97 lbs. $650.00
  4. Hensley Powell and Marshall Deakins 23.24lbs, $550
  5. Tom Kizzah Jr. and tom Kizzah Sr. 23.24 lbs. $450
  6. Danny Hall and Phillip Ledford 23.21 lbs. $350
  7. Barron Adams and Trevor Prince 22.92 lbs. $300
  8. Seth Davis and Brent Butler 22.06lbs. $250
  9. David Craft and Stoney Johnson 21.72lbs. $200
  10. Brian Hatfield and Justin Freeman 20.87lbs. . $200
  11. Steve Kite and Daniel Lewis 20.22lbs. $150

The next CBA event will be held June 9th, 2018 out of Chester Frost Park. This will be a day event with the weigh-in at 4 p.m.


UC MERCED WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING EVENT AT CLEAR LAKE

Courtesy of FLW Communications

 

LAKEPORT, Calif. (May 14, 2018) – The University of California-Merced team of Herbie LeBlanc of Gilroy, California, and Tshu Xiong of Merced, California, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event at Clear Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops on Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned the Bobcats bass club $2,250 and a spot in the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

“In our pre-fishing we had found that the water was very clear on the north end and a bunch of shad were up shallow, so we decided to start our tournament there,” said LeBlanc, a junior majoring in earth systems science. “When we got to our first spot, we realized that everything had been blown out from the wind. The lake went from 3-foot of visibility down to about 5 inches, so our pattern was toast.

“So, we decided to stay in the north end of the lake and look for areas that were secluded and weren’t affected by the wind,” LeBlanc continued. “We found a lagoon with a bunch of docks, and when we went in I got a bite in the first 30 feet of entering the area. We ended up staying there all day and fishing the whole thing.”

The duo estimated that they caught around 15 keepers and said that they caught their fish on two baits – LeBlanc fished a Texas-rigged Okeechobee Craw-colored Zoom Brush Hog, while Xiong fished a weightless Texas-rigged black and blue Yamamoto Senko.

“We flipped our baits into the tules and grass, and fishing slowly and methodically was very important,” said Xiong, a senior majoring in human biology who was fishing his very first College Fishing tournament. “The bite was a lot better in the morning, from 7 to 11 (a.m.)”

“I think the key was ignoring the bed fish and the southern end of the lake completely,” LeBlanc went on to say. “I could see the bed fish and I could just tell that all of those fish had been fished for and beat up, so we disregarded those fish completely. During practice we found that the bite was much better up north, so we spent our entire tournament there.”

The top 10 teams on Clear Lake that advanced to the 2019 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st:          University of California-Merced – Herbie LeBlanc, Gilroy, Calif., and Tshu Xiong, Merced, Calif., five bass, 19-10, $2,250

2nd:         California State University-Chico – Cole Lauchland, Chico, Calif., and Logan Schwab, Davis, Calif., five bass, 16-12, $1,410

3rd:         California State University-Chico – Chad Sweitzer, Chico, Calif., and Matthew Pusateri, Grand Terrace, Calif., five bass, 15-2, $710

4th:         California State University-Chico – Carson Leber, Dixon, Calif., and Tyler Bounds, Chico, Calif., five bass, 14-10, $500

5th:         California State University-Chico – Michael Klemm and Nick Klein, both of Oroville, Calif., five bass, 14-7, $500

6th:         New Mexico State University – Ty Faulconer and Daylon Smith, both of Las Cruces, N.M., five bass, 12-14

7th:         Sonoma State University – Trenton Wells, Windsor, Calif., and Brock Trudeau, Lancaster, Calif., five bass, 12-6

8th:         California State University-Chico – Austin Crane and David Griswold, both of Oroville, Calif., five bass, 12-2

9th:         Sonoma State University – Tyler Owens, Santa Rosa, Calif., and B.J. Kendrick, Morgan Hill, Calif., five bass, 11-13

10th:       California Polytechnic State University – Hugh Cosculluela, The Woodlands, Texas, and Patrick Ellis, San Diego, Calif., five bass, 11-9

Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The YETI FLW College Fishing event at Clear Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops was hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, and was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Western Conference anglers in 2018. The next YETI event for FLW College Fishing anglers will be the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship. The event will take place May 30-June 1 on the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission.

YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats.

YETI FLW College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow YETI FLW College Fishing on FLW’s social media outlets at FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


Nolen Spencer and Jonathon Reese win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Weiss Lake

by Dan O’Sullivan

May 12, 2018 – Leesburg, Ala. – Then it was all over – but the shouting.

The reason was, the team of Nolen Spencer and Jonathon Reese had put more than 27 pounds of Weiss Lake largemouth in their livewells, and came to the Alabama Bass Trail scales at Leesburg Landing the moment they opened at one o’clock.  Their 26.84-pound limit following an expired fish penalty was more than enough to claim the victory, and the $10,000 winner’s purse.

Despite the fact that they had hours more to fish, they decided to protect the health of their fish, the Northern Division team from Tennessee had quit fishing at 11:00AM and moved to the shade of a marina slip to care for their catch.  They simply had to wait as nearly 220 other teams crossed stage to take their bow.

They said they did not expect that kind of weight, nor did they expect to catch largemouth.  “We found an offshore spot downlake that we thought we could catch 18 pounds of spotted bass on,” they reported.  “But, after catching our first limit, we looked around, saw some bigger arches off the edge of the cover; they turned out to be big largemouth, and by 11:00 we had culled out everything else we had caught; it was an unbelievable day.”

They reported catching their fish on a pair of swimbaits and a big worm on a jighead.  “We threw Keitech and Big Hammer swimbaits on 1/2 to 3/4-ounce jigheads and a Watermelon Red Magnum Trick Worm on a 1/2-ounce Shaky Head,” they said.  “We had planned on fishing for spots, and caught big largemouth, so we just think it was our time.  We came to ABT to fish new lakes and challenge ourselves, and are thrilled to be standing here holding these trophies.”

Jerry Hartline and Jason Hogue; a local team from Cedartown, Ga., posted an 18.06-pound limit to finish the day in second place on their home lake.  The pair reported making a treacherous run way up the Chattooga River to catch largemouth in one area around shallow grass with Teckel Sprinkler Frogs and Stanley Top Toad.  “We got a total of six bites, and landed five,” they said.  “We found our fish on Thursday and made the decision to live or die on that spot, and it really worked out; we had a good day, and are proud of our finish.”

The Team of Matt Leicher and Justin Wallace finished 1/100 of a pound behind the second place team with 18.05 pounds.  However, their limit included the 6.52-pound Mountain Dew Big Bass of the tournament – a fish that earned them the $500 bonus for the day, bringing their total winnings to $4,500 for the tournament.

The rest of the Top 10 Standings are below,

Place Anglers Weight Big Fish Winnings
1 Nolen Spencer / Jonathon Reese 26.84 6.08 $10,000
2 Jerry Hartline / Jason Hogue 18.06 $5,000
3 Matt Leicher / Justin Wallace 18.05 6.52 $4,000
4 Allen Hayes / Danny Bishop 17.44 $3,000
5 Grant Hopson / Wes Ward 17.31 $2,000
6 David Nixon / Delano Green 17.16 5.74 $1,500
7 Kyle Glasgow / Luke Glasgow 16.51 $1,100
8 Paul Davis / Josh Chapple 16.30 5.38 $1,100
9 1) Tracy Robinson / Willie Staten 15.98 $1,100
10 Jason Whisonant / Wayne Whisonant 15.87 $1,100

 

For complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wel-results/


KELSEYVILLE’S BREAZEALE LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS COSTA FLW SERIES AT CLEAR LAKE

Courtesy of FLW Communications

 

LAKEPORT, Calif. (May 12, 2018) – Pro Wayne Breazeale of Kelseyville, California, won the Costa FLW Series at Clear Lake presented by Evinrude Saturday after bringing a limit of bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces to the scale. Breazeale’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 60-7 gave him the win by a 2-pound, 15-ounce margin and earned him the top prize of $82,338, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

“This is the biggest win of my career,” Breazeale said about his first career victory in FLW competition. “I live on the lake and have been fishing it for 40 years. I had to pull a few tricks out of my hat this week, but I had a phenomenal tournament and I really needed this win.”

Breazeale estimated that he caught around 100 keepers throughout the week, with the majority coming on Thursday and Friday and around 20 keepers on Saturday. He targeted docks and the thick tule shorelines on the south end of the lake with a Margarita Mutilator-colored Roboworm on a drop-shot rig, a wacky-rigged watermelon and purple flake-colored Yamamoto Senko and a white Yamamoto Grub on a dart head jig.

“About half of my fish came from the tules, half from the docks,” Breazeale said. “I was catching a couple of sight fish as well – I caught two on each of the first two days and one on Saturday on the Senko.

“I really think that there were two keys to my win this week,” Breazeale went on to say. “First was my experience on the lake. I had to try some tricks – real light line. The 6-pound (Seaguar InvisX) fluorocarbon was key. Also, I was fishing the new Powell Endurance rods along with the Max 3D series and they were crucial to feeling those light bites and keeping them buttoned up.”

The top 10 pros on Clear Lake finished:

1st:          Wayne Breazeale, Kelseyville, Calif., 15 bass, 60-7, $82,338

2nd:         Nick Nourot, Benicia, Calif., 15 bass, 57-8, $13,810

3rd:         Joe Uribe Jr., Surprise, Ariz., 15 bass, 56-8, $10,792

4th:         Richard Dobyns, Marysville, Calif., 15 bass, 51-14, $9,158

5th:         Benjamin Byrd, Moab, Utah, 15 bass, 51-14, $8,019

6th:         Scott MacKenzie, Hercules, Calif., 15 bass, 51-0, $7,128

7th:         Vince Hurtado, Turlock, Calif., 15 bass, 49-3, $6,237

8th:         Matt Dal Porto, Sutter, Calif., 15 bass, 45-12, $5,346

9th:         Paul Bailey, Kelseyville, Calif., 15 bass, 45-2, $4,455

10th:       Stephen Tosh Jr., Modesto, Calif., 15 bass, 43-2, $3,564

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Dobyns caught an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass Friday – the biggest of the tournament – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $248.

Rick Grover of Trabuco Canyon, California, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower outboard motor and a $5,000 Ranger Cup bonus with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 42 pounds, 1 ounce. Geoff Peterson of Huntington Beach, California, finished runner-up with 15 bass weighing 41-6, good for $4,532.

The top 10 Co-anglers on Clear Lake finished:

1st:          Rick Grover, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., 15 bass, 42-1, Ranger Z175 boat with 90-horsepower outboard + $5,000 Ranger Cup

2nd:         Geoff Peterson, Huntington Beach, Calif., 15 bass, 41-6, $4,532

3rd:         Derek Gray, LaFayette, Calif., 15 bass, 40-8, $3,751

4th:         Jose Juarez, Kelseyville, Calif., 14 bass, 38-7, $3,137

5th:         Txawjtas Tas Moua, Fresno, Calif., 15 bass, 38-1, $2,689

6th:         Aaron Echternkamp, Moses Lake, Wash., 14 bass, 37-6, $2,241

7th:         Bruce Harris, Oakdale, Calif., 15 bass, 34-13, $1,793

8th:         David Swendseid, Bend, Ore., 14 bass, 34-12, $1,569

9th:         Matthew Diaz, Pomona, Calif., 14 bass, 30-15, $1,510

10th:       Travis Williams, Stockton, Calif., 11 bass, 27-13, $1,120

Diaz caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a bass weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $165.

The Costa FLW Series on Clear Lake presented by Evinrude was hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina. It was the second of three FLW Series Western Division tournaments in the 2018 season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Central Division tournament, held June 7-9 on Lake Barkley in Cadiz, Kentucky presented by T-H Marine. 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 FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


Grand Valley State Claims Title At Bassmaster College Eastern Tour Event On Cherokee Lake

Lucas Murphy (right) and Nolan Hitt of Grand Valley State University won the 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops on Cherokee Lake out of Jefferson City, Tenn., with a three-day total weight of 42 pounds, 10 ounces.

Photo by Andy Canulette/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 12, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Lucas Murphy and Nolan Hitt had only fished one official tournament together before they teamed up this week in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops.

The first event was forgettable, but this one they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

Murphy and Hitt, who compete for Grand Valley State (Mich.) University, came from behind today to win the college tour stop here on Cherokee Lake in northeast Tennessee. The tandem caught a five-bass limit that weighed 13 pounds, 9 ounces. Combined with the 29-1 they caught on the first two days of the tournament, they finished with a three-day total of 42-10.

That was enough to overtake Bethel University’s Cully Scroggins and Nathon Portch, who held the lead on both Day 1 and Day 2 of this event, but wound up finishing third overall (41-2).

The University of Alabama team of Lee Mattox and Anderson Aldag finished second with 41-6.

Murphy and Hitt were in third place entering the final day of fishing in the Eastern Tour event. But with less than 6 pounds of bass separating the first place team from the 32nd place team, every team seemingly had a reasonable chance to win.

Murphy and Hitt seized their chances with consistent catches throughout the tournament – 15-1 on Thursday and 14-0 on Friday. That set the stage for their surge on Saturday.

When Scroggins and Portch came to the scales with 11-6 on Day 3 (their lowest of the tournament), the Grand Valley State duo breathed deep sighs of relief before hoisting championship trophies.

“We fish a lot together and work well together, but this is only the second eight-hour event we’ve entered together,” Murphy said. “I’ve been lying in my cot at the campground dreaming about holding up these trophies. What an incredible feeling.”

Murphy and Hitt drop shotted exclusively on Cherokee Lake and they had a limit each day by 10:15 a.m., which they said allowed them to relax. They only had to cull once, and that was on Saturday with minutes to spare.

“And we only picked up an ounce or so on that cull,” Murphy said. “The morning bite was important for us.”

Their best bass came on a point in the main lake about 12 miles north of the Cherokee Lake Dam. They also caught a few off an offshore hump about four miles from the dam that had no particularly pertinent features, but certainly was productive.

“The point basically was where somebody’s back yard met the lake,” said Murphy, a rising senior at Grand Valley State. “There was some sand or pea gravel down there and right away, we knew it was a good spot. I think we caught keepers that helped us in anywhere from 8 to 15 feet this week.”

Hitt’s best bites came on a Strike King Half Shell (green pumpkin) and Murphy on a Strike King Dream Shot (honey candy). Each was rigged with 1/4-ounce tungsten weights.

The Grand Valley State team tandem was prepared to employ different techniques if necessary, but got all the results they needed by drop shotting. All of their bass were smallmouth.

“We fished them the same way we do back in Michigan, we just had to go a lot slower,” Hitt said. “The fish were kind of finicky once the sun got up high. We really had to remind ourselves to slow down. Coming in, we thought we might have to try some different things, but all we had was six rods on the deck and all of them were rigged for drop shots.”

Murphy and Hitt won $2,000 for the Grand Valley State fishing team with their win. They also earned a berth in the 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, which will be held in July on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller.

“I just graduated, so to be able to start the summer with a win at the highest level of college bass fishing is incredible,” Hitt said. “And now we have the national championship to look forward to.”

Rounding out the Top 6 are Nathan Bell and Cole Sands of Bryan College in fourth with 40-14, KJ Queen and Brad Ableman of Bethel University in fifth with 39-15, and Logan Parks and Lucas Lindsay of Auburn University in sixth with 39-9. Parks was a 2017 Bassmaster High School All-American presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods recipient — an honor that only 12 high school standout anglers receive each year.

Bethel’s Ryan Winchester and Tyler Powell won the Carhartt Big Bass Award (a $500 Carhartt gift certificate) for having the biggest bass of the three-day tournament – a 4-7 bass Powell boated on Friday.

Scroggins and Portch won the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Big Bag of the tournament with their Day 1 limit of 17-7. They received a $250 Bass Pro Shops certificate with the award.

In all, 263 tandems from 125 colleges and universities began the tournament here on Cherokee Lake. The field was cut to the Top 32 after Friday’s weigh-in.

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops

5/10/2018 - 5/12/2018

Cherokee Lake - Hamblin County Park - Jefferson City, TN

STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3

Name # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fsh # Live Lbs-Oz PTS

1 Lucas Murphy - Nolan Hitt Grand Valley State University 5 5 13- 9 15 15 42-10 500.00

2 Lee Mattox - Anderson Aldag University of Alabama 5 5 12- 5 15 15 41- 6 498.10

3 Cully Scroggins - Nathon Portch Bethel University 5 5 11- 6 15 15 41- 2 496.20

4 Nathan Bell - Cole Sands Bryan College 5 5 13- 0 15 15 40-14 494.30

5 KJ Queen - Brad Ableman Bethel University 5 5 11-15 15 14 39-15 492.40

6 Logan Parks - Lucas Lindsay Auburn University 5 5 12-12 15 15 39- 9 490.49

7 Johnathan Peck - Griffin Heffington Bryan College 5 5 13- 3 15 15 39- 9 488.59

8 Dakota Cantrell - Austin Moore Campbellsville University 5 3 14- 6 15 13 39- 2 486.69

9 Brian Pahl - John Garrett Bethel University 5 5 12-10 15 15 39- 2 484.79

10 Hunter Louden - Seth Roberts Bethel University 5 5 13- 7 15 15 38- 7 482.89

11 Carter McNeil - Cole Floyd Bethel University 5 5 11-15 15 15 38- 6 480.99

12 Cantley Krafft - Ethan Morrison Virginia Tech 5 5 11- 5 14 14 37- 5 479.09

13 Sloan Pennington - Hunter McCarty U. of North Alabama 5 5 12- 9 15 15 37- 4 477.19

14 Stephen Jesso - Ryan Fox Penn State University 5 5 11-14 15 15 36-10 475.29

15 Hunter Sales - Tristan Stalsworth Carson-Newman University 5 4 10- 3 15 14 36- 4 473.38

16 Garrett Enders - Cody Huff Bethel University 5 5 10- 3 15 15 35-13 471.48

17 Tyler Andrews - McLane May Michigan State University 5 5 11-14 15 14 35-13 469.58

18 Hunter Stewart - Luke Slaton U. of North Georgia 5 4 10- 2 15 14 35-11 467.68

19 Thad Simerly - Ethan Shaw Bryan College 5 5 9-13 15 15 35-11 465.78

20 Travis Howard - Sam Carris Tennessee Tech University 5 5 10-15 15 15 35- 5 463.88

21 Nathan Ragsdale - Jerimiah Freelund University of Georgia 5 5 8-11 15 15 34-10 461.98

22 Zeke Gossett - Hayden Bartee Jefferson State 5 5 10- 3 13 13 34- 6 460.08

23 Jonathan Kelley - Rickey Wood Jr Coastal Carolina University 5 5 10- 0 15 15 33-13 458.17

24 Thor Swanson - Mitch Swanson Bemidji State University 5 5 9-12 15 15 33-10 456.27

25 Jack Hippe - Nick Czajka Adrian College 5 5 9- 3 15 15 33- 0 454.37

26 David Brashear - Ryan Kent Georgia Southern University 2 2 4-15 12 12 31-12 452.47

27 Ben Barrus - Tyler VanBrandt Adrian College 3 3 6- 6 13 13 31- 8 450.57

28 Logan Brewster - Chase Dawson U. of Tennessee 3 3 6- 6 13 13 31- 6 448.67

29 Bradley Dunagan - Nick Ratliff Campbellsville University 4 4 7- 0 14 14 30-15 446.77

30 Dillon Bryant - Dustin Wagner Patrick Henry Comm College 3 3 6- 6 12 12 30- 3 444.87

31 Cullen Lamm-Hoover - Jules Williams Hampden-Sydney College 3 3 5- 9 13 13 29-13 442.97

32 Mike Anderson - Zachary Schnepf U. of Wisconsin Oshkosh 2 2 3-13 12 11 27-15 441.06

33 Tyler Craig - Spencer Lambert U. of Louisiana at Monroe 9 9 23-12 439.16

34 Drew Elrod - Luke Byerly University of Tennessee 10 10 23-11 437.26

35 Nolan Minor - Casey Lanier West Virginia University 10 10 23-11 435.36

36 Evan Slentz - Colin Slentz Lander University 10 9 23-10 433.46

37 Josh Hart - Ben Dominque Clemson University 10 8 23- 9 431.56

38 Spencer Guthrie - Ryan Kennedy Kennesaw State University 10 10 23- 9 429.66

39 Josh Bean - Caden Watson Tennessee Tech University 10 10 23- 6 427.76

40 Dillon Harrell - Colby Bryant Sam Houston State University 10 10 23- 4 425.86

41 Mitchell Jennings - Roy Zhang Auburn University 10 10 23- 4 423.95

42 Branden Newcome - Michael Shughart West Virginia University 10 10 23- 4 422.05

43 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 10 10 23- 4 420.15

44 Trevor McKinney - McKendree University 10 9 23- 3 418.25

45 Will Brown - Chase Chastain Jacksonville State University 10 10 23- 3 416.35

46 Dawson Cranford - Braxton Resweber University of Louisiana at LaFayette 10 10 23- 2 414.45

47 Dylan Fuller - Dalton Bradford UT Martin 10 10 23- 1 412.55

48 Cole Cloud - Blake Wade U. of North Georgia 10 10 22-12 410.65

49 Mason Sapp - Tray Hardwick Campbellsville University 10 10 22-10 408.75

50 Anthony Vintson - Brandon Mathews Auburn University 10 10 22-10 406.84

51 Nathan Doss - Trey Rieser U. of North Alabama 10 10 22- 9 404.94

52 Maxwell Moneuse - Austin Mumford University of North Florida 10 10 22- 8 403.04

53 Kenny Wilkins - Connor Felstead Northern Michigan University 10 10 22- 8 401.14

54 Caleb Blackwood - Brett Blackwood Winthrop University 10 10 22- 8 399.24

55 DJ Barber - Dalton Price Bryan College 10 10 22- 8 397.34

56 Daniel Kennedy - Sean Hall SCAD 10 10 22- 7 395.44

57 Jared Rascoe - LSU Shreveport 10 10 22- 7 393.54

58 Ty Cox - Alden Keel Jr Blue Mountain College 10 10 22- 6 391.63

59 Dalton Noble - Kolby Hillman Eastern Kentucky University 9 9 22- 3 389.73

60 Caleb Gibson - Tyler Winn Northeastern State University 10 9 22- 3 387.83

61 Austin Starford - Spencer Selby James Madison University 10 10 22- 3 385.93

62 Weston Hollar - Landon Tidwell Central AL Community College 10 10 22- 1 384.03

63 Rick Couch Jr - Cole Hewett U. of Central Florida 10 10 21-14 382.13

64 John Duarte - David Houchens Coastal Carolina University 10 10 21-13 380.23

65 Trevor Lewis - Hunter Osborne Georgetown College 10 9 21-10 378.33

66 Gabe Dubois - Brock Gordley University of Missouri 10 9 21-10 376.43

67 Trevor Sagrecy - Travis Hunt Campbellsville University 10 9 21- 8 374.52

68 Reid Conner - Joshua Butts Wallace State Hanceville 10 10 21- 8 372.62

69 Jacob Miller - Colin Bope Ohio State University 10 10 21- 8 370.72

70 Trevor St. John - Bailey Fain Bryan College 10 10 21- 7 368.82

71 Jarred Jones - Devin Mobbs Jacksonville State University 8 7 21- 6 366.92

72 Garret Sanders - Parker Hamil Florida State University 10 10 21- 6 365.02

73 Connor Chapman - Grayson Wages Kennesaw State University 10 10 21- 0 363.12

74 Rick Lassiter - Mathew Biernat University of Florida 10 9 20-15 361.22

75 Alex Henderson - John Franko Adrian College 10 10 20-15 359.32

76 Brennan Ramirez - Jared Havenaar Western Michigan University 10 10 20-14 357.41

77 Saxton Long - Jordan Burdette University of Tennessee 10 10 20-14 355.51

78 Will Nichols - Cody McBryar Jacksonville State University 10 10 20-13 353.61

79 Jacob Keith - Mason Beatty East Texas Baptist University 10 10 20-12 351.71

80 Johnny Ledet - Northwestern State University 10 10 20-12 349.81

81 Benjamin Hager - Noah Shaver UNC Charlotte 10 10 20-12 347.91

82 Evan Owrey - Isaac Duncan Bethel University 10 10 20-10 346.01

83 Matthew Lamastus - Elliott Tomlinson UT Martin 10 10 20- 9 344.11

84 Brady Bowden - Tyler Pennington Faulkner University 9 9 20- 7 342.21

85 Kyler Chelminiak - Ricky Harris Bethel University 10 9 20- 7 340.30

86 Kyle Palmer - Jason Felter Bethel University 10 8 20- 6 338.40

87 Sam Thomas - Solomon Smith Alice Lloyd College 9 9 20- 5 336.50

88 Danny Sprague - Riley Welch Michigan State University 9 9 20- 2 334.60

89 Gunner Wilson - Zach Manneback Adrian College 8 8 20- 1 332.70

90 Zane Loveday - Blake Burtram Calhoun Community College 8 8 19-15 330.80

91 Joshua Rockefeller - Zachary Ramsey Augusta University 10 9 19-15 328.90

92 Adam Carman - Grant Adams Campbellsville University 10 9 19-15 327.00

93 Gavin Lagle - Atom Ward Indiana University Southeast 10 10 19-13 325.10

94 Huff McIntosh - Chris Gaudin Louisiana Tech U 9 8 19- 9 323.19

95 Dustin Jones - Dalton Smith Campbellsville University 10 10 19- 7 321.29

96 Tanner Ward - Kent State University 10 10 19- 6 319.39

97 Garrett Brown - Jordan Gantt LSU Shreveport 9 9 19- 5 317.49

98 JP Kimbrough - Ryan Antee LSU Shreveport 9 9 19- 5 315.59

99 Derek Freeman - Robert White Clemson University 10 8 19- 4 313.69

100 Cody Chambers - Ty Johnston U. of North Georgia 10 10 18-14 311.79

101 Ryan Winchester - Tyler Black Bethel University 8 7 18-12 309.89

102 Nick Schultz - Trey Autry UNC Charlotte 8 8 18-12 307.98

103 Dylan Bucci - Savannah Perry University of Florida 8 8 18-10 306.08

104 Chase Farris - Reid Daniel U. of North Georgia 8 7 18- 9 304.18

105 Collin Jump - Kyle Jump Western Michigan University 9 9 18- 8 302.28

106 Max McQuaide - Grant Tattersall Coastal Carolina University 8 8 18- 7 300.38

107 Joe Long - Clayton Davis Indiana University 9 8 18- 7 298.48

108 Armando Ortiz - Dylan McKee Auburn University 8 5 18- 6 296.58

109 Chase Serafin - Cody Batterson Adrian College 8 8 18- 5 294.68

110 Chase Christie - Brandon Black University of West Georgia 9 9 18- 5 292.78

111 Justin Barnes - Adam Carroll University of Montevallo 8 8 18- 2 290.87

112 Will Phillips - Sean Murphy Auburn University 8 8 17-15 288.97

113 Caleb Fisk - Chris Lupo Calhoun Community College 9 9 17-15 287.07

114 Anthony Fazio - Luke Jasper Illinois State University 8 8 17-13 285.17

115 Jacob Moore - Gilliam Tharpe NC State 8 8 17-10 283.27

116 Parker Davis - Ethan Goodwin U. of North Alabama 7 7 17- 4 281.37

117 Neal Wisinski - Sam Swiderski University of Wisconsin Stevens Point 7 7 17- 1 279.47

118 Jon Kilpatrick - Dan Dubose University of Alabama 8 8 17- 1 277.57

119 Tanner Metler - Tennessee Tech University 7 7 17- 0 275.67

120 Chad Ziegler - Ross Kellermeier Bemidji State University 8 8 16-15 273.76

121 Dylan True - Justin Melson UT Martin 8 8 16-11 271.86

122 Grayson Whicker - Alex Rhoney UNC Chapel Hill 8 8 16-11 269.96

123 GL Compton - Mathew Sprouse Clemson University 8 6 16- 8 268.06

124 Jesse Erb - Gavin Oswalt University of Pittsburgh 8 8 16- 8 266.16

125 Andrew Himmelreich - Ben Giles Young Harris College 9 9 16- 7 264.26

126 Matt Garfield - Justin Sande University of Minnesota-Duluth 9 9 16- 5 262.36

127 Nathan Sheehan - Trevor Howard U. of Kentucky 7 7 16- 2 260.46

128 Jake Rogers - Lafe Messer Alice Lloyd College 7 7 16- 0 258.56

129 Austin Tubbs - Jay Cowan U. of West Alabama 8 8 16- 0 256.65

130 Tyler Lawwill - Chris Carnes UNC Charlotte 8 7 15-15 254.75

131 Robert Gee - Ben Dodson University of Tennessee 7 7 15-15 252.85

132 Payton Morgan - Heath Alread Kennesaw State University 8 8 15-13 250.95

133 Justin Mayfield - Colby Hays Campbellsville University 7 6 15-12 249.05

134 Tyler Woolcott - Daytona State College 7 7 15-12 247.15

135 Levi Neave - Noah Caulder Clemson University 7 6 15-11 245.25

136 Joe Wyatt - Ben Grizzell Middle Tennessee State Universtiy 7 7 15- 6 243.35

137 Billy Mathews - Peter Lombado Grand Valley State University 7 7 15- 6 241.44

138 Jared Baker - Branson Marks Georgia Southern University 8 8 15- 4 239.54

139 Austin Young - Colin Glover University of North Georgia 6 6 15- 1 237.64

140 Justin Roberts - Jacob Cox SCAD 7 7 15- 0 235.74

141 Austin Finley - Hunter Ward Central AL Community College 8 8 14-15 233.84

142 Peyton Nance - Mitchell Peterson Auburn University 7 7 14-13 231.94

143 Zachary Catoe - U. of South Carolina 6 6 14-12 230.04

144 Jacob Louis - McKendree University 7 7 14-11 228.14

145 Logan Anderson - Joshua Frederick NC State 8 7 14- 8 226.24

146 Ty Black - Grant Tootle Georgia Southern University 8 8 14- 7 224.33

147 Briana Tucker - Hollie Reagan Bryan College 7 7 14- 6 222.43

148 Drew Pridgen - Chasten Beck Lander University 7 7 14- 5 220.53

149 J T Russell - Tyler Harless University of Montevallo 6 6 14- 0 218.63

150 Andrew Kelley - Chase Cavalier Central AL Community College 6 6 13-15 216.73

151 Benjamin Statly - Blake Johnson Adrian College 6 6 13-14 214.83

152 Derek Horner - Matt Huggler Penn State University 5 5 13-13 212.93

153 Joshua Bennett - Hatten Mitchell Georgia Highlands College 7 7 13-13 211.03

154 Tyler Dixon - Robert Pryor Virginia Tech 6 6 13-10 209.13

155 Breanna Wyatt - Joseph Lacy Faulkner University 7 7 13- 6 207.22

156 Grant Harris - Lauren Plunkett Drury University 6 5 13- 5 205.32

157 Landon Siggers - Eric Hawks Wytheville Community College 7 7 13- 5 203.42

158 Ethan Stone - Stephen Stang Virginia Tech 6 6 13- 4 201.52

159 Blake Miles - Cooper Casillas James Madison University 6 6 13- 3 199.62

160 Cody Stahl - Reese Kingston SCAD 5 5 13- 2 197.72

161 Miller Spivey - Chandler Sickafoose Wallace State Hanceville 6 6 13- 1 195.82

162 Colton Parrot - Trevor Topken University of South Carolina 6 6 12-15 193.92

163 Taylor Cranford - Brent Rome Jr LSU 6 4 12-14 192.02

164 Scott Ellis - Ronnie Moore University of Tennessee 7 7 12-13 190.11

165 Luke Gillund - Bemidji State University 5 4 12- 5 188.21

166 Conner Young - Ryan Richardson University of Florida 6 6 12- 5 186.31

167 Benjamin Chandler - David Froehlich Abraham Baldwin Ag College 6 4 12- 4 184.41

168 John Neubauer - Joshua Lopez Western Michigan University 6 6 12- 3 182.51

169 Jacob Schrimsher - Austen Willard Calhoun Community College 6 6 12- 3 180.61

170 Will Monti - Chase Owens NC State 6 6 12- 1 178.71

171 Bryce Grogan - Eric Allen Mercer University 5 5 11-15 176.81

172 Jake Lee - Steven Ricketts Bryan College 6 6 11-14 174.90

173 Dylan Kear - Dannon Grubb Bryan College 5 5 11-13 173.00

174 Jacob Blocker - Tennessee Tech University 5 5 11-11 171.10

175 Dax Ewart - Logan Millsaps Bethel University 6 5 11-11 169.20

176 Trey Torres - Alec Smith Carson-Newman University 6 4 11-10 167.30

177 Michael Fisher - Brandon Padilla Jacksonville State University 5 5 11- 8 165.40

178 Austin Mau - Isaac Johnson Bemidji State University 6 6 11- 4 163.50

179 Tristan Thomas - Braxton Martin U. of North Georgia 5 5 11- 0 161.60

180 Denver Satterlee - Landon Smith Calhoun Community College 5 5 10-13 159.70

181 Ryan Wood - Reid Strobl Dallas Baptist University 5 5 10-10 157.79

182 Haden Holmes - James Whitacre Wallace State Hanceville 5 5 10- 9 155.89

183 Garrett Guinan - Jake Haggerty Kennesaw State University 5 5 10- 7 153.99

184 Dakota Pierce - Tristan McCormick Bethel University 5 5 10- 5 152.09

185 Colton Lindsey - Jacob Middleton Ohio State University 5 4 10- 5 150.19

186 Jackson Greer - Jacob Hutchins U. of West Georgia 5 5 9-15 148.29

187 Jordan Mullis - Jacob Gress Indiana University 6 6 9-10 146.39

188 Martin McCravy - Koby Littrell U. of North Alabama 4 4 9- 8 144.49

189 Jake Walters - Tanner Nettleship Murray State University 5 5 9- 4 142.59

190 Tanner Barnes - Ezra Oliver Campbellsville University 5 5 9- 0 140.68

191 Justin Grigg - Collins Janus Winthrop University 4 4 9- 0 138.78

192 Drew Camp - Connor Fenwick Christopher Newport University 4 4 8-14 136.88

193 Steven Petz - UAB 5 4 8-10 134.98

194 Liam West - Brady Waits Clemson University 4 4 8-10 133.08

195 Connor McNabb - Brandon Boyd Mississippi State University 4 3 8- 7 131.18

196 George Gendler - Chad Burkholder Penn State Harrisburg 3 3 8- 7 129.28

197 Trever Stephens - Polk State College 4 4 8- 4 127.38

198 Cam Young - Jason Zubris Penn State University 3 3 8- 3 125.48

199 Zachary Graham - Jarrett Martin Adrian College 5 5 7-15 123.57

200 Bo Thomas - Austin Sherwood Western Michigan University 4 4 7-14 121.67

201 Tyler Price - Alex Huston Carson-Newman University 3 3 7-13 119.77

202 Austin George - Ethan Guerrra Western Michigan University 4 4 7- 6 117.87

203 Grant Cordell - Caleb Lafleur Tusculum College 4 4 7- 4 115.97

204 Josef Rogers - Taggert Tesdal Iowa State University 4 4 7- 3 114.07

205 Chad Matthews - K.D. Sizemore Auburn University 3 3 7- 1 112.17

206 Caleb Bundy - Christian Waters U. of Central Florida 4 4 7- 0 110.27

207 James Preston - Josh Oakley East Carolina University 3 2 6-15 108.37

208 Laura Ann Foshee - Gabriella Gonzalez SCAD 3 3 6-14 106.46

209 Gardon Wycoff - Patrick Henry Ohio State University 3 3 6-13 104.56

210 Griffin Stephens - Wallace State Hanceville 3 3 6-11 102.66

211 Jacob Emery - Collin Torrey Adrian College 4 3 6- 9 100.76

212 Mitch Naler - Cody Coogan University of Alabama 3 3 6- 8 98.86

213 Preston Kendrick - Bennett Kudder Bryan College 3 3 6- 6 96.96

214 Hunter Bond - Karl Martin Clemson University 3 3 6- 5 95.06

214 Evan Bowman - Frank Depalma University of Rio Grande 3 3 6- 5 95.06

216 Brent Fowler - Zachary Nunamacher Clemson University 3 3 6- 2 91.25

217 Jessica Pecar - Ian Hardesty Virginia Tech 4 4 6- 0 89.35

218 Thomas Love - Karson Collier Western Michigan University 3 3 5-15 87.45

219 Justin Lloyd - Anthoney Jordan Middle Tennessee State University 3 3 5-14 85.55

220 Cameron Wilt - John Kristof Ohio State University 3 3 5-13 83.65

221 Ethan Raleigh - Austin Polly Morehead State University 2 2 5- 8 81.75

222 Daniel Brimer - Trey Phillips University of Tennessee 3 3 5- 6 79.85

223 Ryleigh Tyson - Kaylee Hettenbaugh SCAD 2 2 5- 5 77.95

224 Cameron Smith - Drury University 2 2 4-11 76.05

224 Jared Tuck - Monroe Sparks Emory & Henry College 2 2 4-11 76.05

226 Aaron Blankenship - Tyler Prater Upike 2 2 4- 7 72.24

227 Austin Buchanan - Landon Batten East Carolina University 2 2 4- 5 70.34

228 Tyler Price - Conner Dimauro Bryan College 2 2 4- 4 68.44

229 Jerris Bush - Hunter Stephens East Carolina University 2 2 4- 2 66.54

230 Corey Elliott - Blake Riley Eastern Kentucky University 2 2 4- 1 64.64

230 Conner Fogg - Chandler Fogg Bryan College 2 2 4- 1 64.64

230 Hunter Mills - Nathan Adams Murray State University 2 2 4- 1 64.64

233 Aaron Digh - Bryce Fowler East Carolina University 2 2 4- 0 58.94

234 Matthew Huff - University of Memphis 2 2 3-11 57.03

235 David Hendel - Kieran Adamo Ohio State University 3 3 3-10 55.13

236 Dale London - Andrew Mega UNC Charlotte 2 2 3- 9 53.23

237 Isaac Hillard - Cory Hensley University of Tennessee 2 2 3- 8 51.33

238 Logan Courter - Austin Knauer University of Tennessee 1 1 3- 1 49.43

239 David Maples - Jordan Allen Virginia Tech 2 2 2-11 47.53

240 Aaron Denny - Jake Helms Grand Valley State University 1 1 2-11 45.63

241 Seth Comer - Donavon Carson Bluefield State College 2 2 2- 4 43.73

242 Hunter Franklin - Jesse Morrison U. of South Alabama 2 2 2- 2 41.83

243 Mitchell Stone - Thomas Tidstrom Indiana University Southeast 1 1 2- 2 39.92

244 Abigail Askew - Haley Porter SCAD 1 1 1-14 38.02

244 Luke Kirk - Sawyer Biven Morehead State University 1 1 1-14 38.02

246 Corey Skaggs - University of Louisville 1 1 1-13 34.22

247 Ethan Maag - Jacob Sanders IUPUI 1 1 1-11 32.32

248 Austin Elswick - Logan Coleman U. of Kentucky 1 1 1- 9 30.42

249 Jaron Deal - Payton Couillard Kennesaw State University 1 1 1- 8 28.52

250 Ethan Gilmore - Wallace State Dothan 1 1 1- 5 26.62

251 Nick Caudill - Alice Lloyd College 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Matthew Cross - Mekiah Jack Middle Tennessee State University 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Luke Harvey - Glenn Rawson University of West Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Brodyn Huddleston - Levi Peters Emory & Henry College 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Dustan Jones - Tyler McClure U. of Kentucky 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Alex Lindsey - Landon Cook Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Shon Messmer - Murray State University 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Alex Moore - John Lone U. of Central Florida 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Jacob Novak - Wyatt Novak Virginia Military Institute 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Jordan Parisian - Garrett Stone University of Georgia 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Collin Settnek - Stetson University 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Micah Speights - UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 0.00

251 Zakary Womack - Lucas Meiners U. of Kentucky 0 0 0- 0 0.00

 

BIG BASS

Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz

1 Tyler Craig - Spencer Lambert Frierson, LA 3-14

2 Ryan Winchester - Tyler Black Powell, TN 4- 7

3 Dakota Cantrell - Austin Moore Decherd, TN 3-14


Strader goes back-to-back with BASS Eastern Open Win!

Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., won the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 2 held on Lake Norman out of Cornelius, N.C., with a three-day total of 40 pounds.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
May 12, 2018CORNELIUS, N.C. — On Monday, while other contestants in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open at Lake Norman, North Carolina, were enjoying their first day of official practice, Wesley Strader was putting the finishing touches on his first Elite Series victory in the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia. Six days later, Strader added the second of his back-to-back B.A.S.S. victories by winning the Eastern Open at Norman.

He joins a select group of B.A.S.S. tournament anglers who have won two or more consecutive events. The feat has not been accomplished since Kevin VanDam, of Kalamazoo, Mich., won the 2016 Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake followed by the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Classic Bracket on the Niagara River.

“The last two weeks have been unbelievable,” Strader said. “At the beginning of the year I was not sure if I had made the right decision to switch (tournament organizations).

“What I want to tell everyone is if your gut tells you to do something, do it.”

Strader did that. Though he was two bass short of a five-bass tournament limit on the final day, with only 8 pounds, 13 ounces, it provided him with a three-day total of 40-0. This was enough to give Strader his third B.A.S.S. victory.

“People talk about ‘fishing in the moment,’ and I did that. I don’t know how to describe it,” Strader said. “I have picked up the right bait, at the right time, in the right situations these last two weeks.

“I hope I can ride that lightning bolt the rest of the season,” he said. “But you can only ride these (streaks) out until they quit, and hope for another one.”

Unusually high, muddy water, below the Lookout Shoals Dam, allowed Strader to employ a tactic that he has used his entire life — fishing a dam’s tailrace with a spinnerbait and swimbait.

“I was super surprised to see that the water was as muddy as it was,” Strader said. “I fished current seams, just like I have for years on the Tennessee River.

“After catching a 6-pound bass there in practice, I knew that’s where I was going, all three days.”

Strader primarily used his signature series Stan Sloan’s Zorro Bait Company 5/8-ounce Bango Blade spinnerbait in “the exact color and blade combination,” along with a Zoom Bait Company White Split Tail trailer for his last two B.A.S.S. triumphs. He noted that he caught two key bass, of the 13 bass he weighed, on a Hitch colored Zoom Swimmer swimbait with a Trokar 1/4-ounce weighted swimbait hook.

Along with the first place prize of a Triton TrX 19 powered by a Mercury 200 Pro XS, Strader won the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $500 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat. He also qualified for the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Championship, Oct. 18-20, at a location to be announced later.

Fellow Elite Series angler Jared Lintner, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., finished second. He brought in five bass for 10-5, giving him a cumulative weight of 36-6 — 3 pounds, 10 ounces behind Strader.

“If I would’ve known how tough the fishing was today — on everyone — I may have finessed some of the larger bass that I was able to see,” said Lintner. “The fish I targeted this week were not on beds, and they weren’t on specific structure, they were just swimming … where I could see them.”

Lintner used a Jackall Mikey wakebait early in the morning and a discontinued “large” S-Flat swimbait by Evergreen Lures as a search bait.

“(The swimbait) would draw the fish away from the docks or whatever structure the bass were holding to,” Lintner said. “If they didn’t eat it, I would turn around with a Jackall 5.8 inch Neko Flick worm in Prism Gill color, wacky-style, and try to catch them.”

Lintner also caught key fish on a Zoom Baits Super Fluke (bubblegum).

In third place Sam George of Athens, Ala., weighed 10-12 during the final round. His final day limit gave him a total of 35-0.

“With the lead Strader had going into today, I knew I had to catch them,” George said. “So, I went and got a limit of spotted bass early, so I could settle in and run new water.”

George caught his early limit of spotted bass in a brushpile that postspawn spotted bass were “moving to.” He fished for largemouth around spawning bluegill the remainder of the day.

George’s main setup was a Yamamoto Senko (green pumpkin), rigged weightless, on a 7’1” Medium-Heavy Powell Spinning Rod paired with a Shimano 2500 reel, 15-pound braid and a fluorocarbon leader.

Will Evans of Winter Haven, Fla., finished fourth with 34-7, and Garrett Paquette of Canton, Mich., finished in fifth place with 33-9.

After finishing in the Top 12 seven of the previous nine B.A.S.S. events, Chad Smith of Minnetonka, Minn., won the co-angler division by catching a three-bass limit of 5-9 to finish with 19-5. Smith won a Triton TrX 179 powered by a Mercury 115ELPT Four Stroke motor valued at $27,000.

The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $750 on the pro side went to Allen Brooks of Canton, Ga., with a 6-4 largemouth caught during the semifinal round of competition. Paul Coburn of Pewaukee, Wis., and Austin Bonjour of Templeton Calif., tied with a pair of 5-5 largemouth to split the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $250 on the co-angler side.

The eight winners from each tournament in the Eastern and Central Opens divisions will qualify for the Opens Championship. The Top 10 anglers in the point standings from each division will also compete in the championship.

The 28 championship competitors will contend for berths in the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series and Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Visit Lake Norman, Visit Cabarrus and Visit Charlotte hosted the event.

2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open Lake Norman 5/10-5/12
Lake Norman, Cornelius  NC.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN         13  40-00  200  $52,605.00
Day 1: 5   13-13     Day 2: 5   17-06     Day 3: 3   08-13
2.  Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       15  36-06  199  $17,763.00
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 5   14-06     Day 3: 5   10-05
3.  Sam George             Athens, AL              15  35-00  198  $13,195.00
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   11-01     Day 3: 5   10-12
4.  Will Evans             Winter Haven, FL        15  34-07  197  $12,180.00
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 5   11-11     Day 3: 5   10-13
5.  Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI              15  33-09  196  $10,657.00
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 5   09-04
6.  Cody Pike              Powhatan, VA            14  33-04  195   $9,135.00
Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   09-07     Day 3: 4   08-07
7.  Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  31-05  194   $7,612.00
Day 1: 5   12-01     Day 2: 5   12-02     Day 3: 5   07-02
8.  Kurt Mitchell          Milford, DE             14  29-14  193   $5,582.00
Day 1: 5   10-11     Day 2: 5   13-04     Day 3: 4   05-15
9.  Patrick Walters        Ladson, SC              15  29-11  192   $4,568.00
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   07-06     Day 3: 5   06-09
10. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        15  29-08  191   $4,060.00
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   10-04     Day 3: 5   05-14
11. Whitney Stephens       Waverly, OH             13  29-00  190   $3,552.00
Day 1: 5   10-14     Day 2: 5   13-14     Day 3: 3   04-04
12. Jim Moynagh            Carver, MN              12  27-15  189   $3,349.00
Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   08-14     Day 3: 2   04-08
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Allen Brooks             Canton, GA          06-05        $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       160       919      1687-03
2       142       852      1475-11
3         7        51        92-10
----------------------------------
309      1822      3255-08

2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open Lake Norman 5/10-5/12
Lake Norman, Cornelius  NC.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Chad Smith             Minnetonka, MN           9  19-05  200  $30,000.00
Day 1: 3   08-05     Day 2: 3   05-07     Day 3: 3   05-09
2.  Rodney Tapp            North Augusta, SC        9  18-11  199   $5,684.00
Day 1: 3   08-15     Day 2: 3   06-00     Day 3: 3   03-12
3.  Austin Bonjour         Templeton, CA            9  18-10  198   $4,439.00
Day 1: 3   05-01     Day 2: 3   09-04     Day 3: 3   04-05
4.  Jeffrey Ozmon          Rock Hill, SC            8  17-04  197   $2,842.00
Day 1: 3   07-02     Day 2: 3   04-07     Day 3: 2   05-11
5.  Stetson Overton        Glen Rose, TX            9  16-14  196   $2,639.00
Day 1: 3   05-14     Day 2: 3   06-02     Day 3: 3   04-14
6.  Barry Burford          Charlotte, NC            9  16-11  195   $2,538.00
Day 1: 3   04-03     Day 2: 3   07-05     Day 3: 3   05-03
7.  Ross Rhodes            Paw Paw, MI              9  16-02  194   $2,436.00
Day 1: 3   07-14     Day 2: 3   04-06     Day 3: 3   03-14
8.  Paul Coburn            Pewaukee, WI             7  15-12  193   $2,459.00
Day 1: 3   09-09     Day 2: 1   01-15     Day 3: 3   04-04
9.  John Wiese             Charlotte, NC            7  15-10  192   $2,233.00
Day 1: 3   08-01     Day 2: 3   05-06     Day 3: 1   02-03
10. Andy Simm              Piney Flats, TN          9  15-10  191   $2,030.00
Day 1: 3   04-11     Day 2: 3   06-13     Day 3: 3   04-02
11. Jared Rudd             Salyersville, KY         9  15-09  190   $1,776.00
Day 1: 3   06-14     Day 2: 3   04-10     Day 3: 3   04-01
12. Nikki Hames            Gaffney, SC              9  15-06  189   $1,624.00
Day 1: 3   06-07     Day 2: 3   05-10     Day 3: 3   03-05
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Paul Coburn              Pewaukee, WI        05-05        $125.00
Austin Bonjour           Templeton, CA       05-05        $125.00


Bethel Wildcats Take First-Round Lead At Bassmaster College Eastern Tour On Cherokee Lake

Cully Scroggins (right) and Nathon Portch of Bethel University take the lead on the first day of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops on Cherokee Lake out of Jefferson City, Tenn., with 17 pounds, 7 ounces.

Photo by Andy Canulette/B.A.S.S.

May 10, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — While most other college bass fishing teams were pulling 2 1/2-pound bass out of Cherokee Lake today, Cully Scroggins and Nathon Portch were catching 3 1/2-pounders.

Scroggins and Portch, members of the Bethel University Bass Team, seized the first-round lead in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops with a five-bass limit that weighed 17 pounds, 7 ounces.

That was nearly 2 pounds better than the second-place team of Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee of Jefferson State (Ala.) Community College, who had a limit that weighed 15-9. Lee Mattox and Anderson Aldag of the University of Alabama are third with 15-7, and Lucas Murphy and Nolan Hitt of Grand Valley State (Mich.) University are in fourth with 15-1.

Behind those four tandems is a knot of teams that are wedged between 14-13 on the high end (good enough for fifth place), and 10 pounds (which is good for a tie for 108th place).

With so many teams within ounces of one another, competition should be heated as anglers try to get into the Top 32 here on Cherokee Lake. That’s the number of duos that will survive the cut and move on to the final round after Friday’s competition.

In all, 146 of the 263 teams competing in the College Eastern Tour event caught limits on Thursday. Many of the anglers keyed on a trifecta of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass and the smorgasbord helped create that logjam on the top half of the leaderboard.

Scroggins and Portch said they went “junk fishing” on Thursday. Their bite came early in the morning, long before steady rain storms moved eastward across the Volunteer State. The duo weighed three largemouth bass (the largest of which weighed 3-13); two smallmouth rounded out the bag.

“We didn’t really have a plan,” Scroggins said. “We just went out there and fished. We’ll do the same thing tomorrow.”

Tyler Craig and Spencer Lambert of the University of Louisiana at Monroe continued their torrid season on the college tour with a 14-13 limit today. The duo leads the Team of the Year point standings, and their opening catch has them in good position to remain there when this event is complete.

The Eastern Tour stop on Cherokee Lake is the third of four regular-season events for college anglers this year.

Lambert said he and Craig will continue the methods they employed on Thursday, despite the fact that rainy weather is expected to give way to sunny skies and temperatures hovering around 90 degrees on Friday.

“I don’t think anything will change,” Lambert said. “We just have to go back out and catch them again.”

Lambert and Craig weighed a 3-14 bass which gave them the lead for the Carhartt Big Bass Award. The $500 Carhartt gift card will be presented to the duo that catches the biggest bass over the course of the three-day tournament.

The full field of 263 boats will compete again on Friday. After the cut, 32 teams will fish Saturday with the winning duo taking home $2,500 for their school’s fishing team.

Friday’s launch will begin at 6:30 a.m. ET at the TVA Dam Ramps in Jefferson City. Friday’s weigh-in will be held in the same location beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops

5/10/2018 - 5/12/2018

Cherokee Lake - Hamblin County Park - Jefferson City, TN

STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1

Name # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz PTS

1 Cully Scroggins - Nathon Portch Bethel University 5 5 17- 7 5 5 17- 7 500.00

2 Zeke Gossett - Hayden Bartee Jefferson State 5 5 15- 9 5 5 15- 9 498.10

3 Lee Mattox - Anderson Aldag University of Alabama 5 5 15- 7 5 5 15- 7 496.20

4 Lucas Murphy - Nolan Hitt Grand Valley Sate University 5 5 15- 1 5 5 15- 1 494.30

5 Tyler Craig - Spencer Lambert U. of Louisiana at Monroe 5 5 14-13 5 5 14-13 492.40

6 Logan Parks - Lucas Lindsay Auburn University 5 5 14-12 5 5 14-12 490.49

7 Jarred Jones - Devin Mobbs Jacksonville State University 5 5 14- 8 5 5 14- 8 488.59

8 Thor Swanson - Mitch Swanson Bemidji State University 5 5 14- 6 5 5 14- 6 486.69

9 Cantley Krafft - Ethan Morrison Virginia Tech 5 5 14- 4 5 5 14- 4 484.79

10 Carter McNeil - Cole Floyd Bethel University 5 5 14- 1 5 5 14- 1 482.89

10 Nathan Ragsdale - Jerimiah Freelund University of Georgia 5 5 14- 1 5 5 14- 1 482.89

12 Logan Brewster - Chase Dawson U. of Tennessee 5 5 13-13 5 5 13-13 479.09

12 Jack Hippe - Nick Czajka Adrian College 5 5 13-13 5 5 13-13 479.09

12 Derek Horner - Matt Huggler Penn State University 5 5 13-13 5 5 13-13 479.09

12 Johnathan Peck - Griffin Heffington Bryan College 5 5 13-13 5 5 13-13 479.09

16 Cullen Lamm-Hoover - Jules Williams Hampden-Sydney College 5 5 13-12 5 5 13-12 471.48

16 Austin Young - Colin Glover University of North Georgia 5 5 13-12 5 5 13-12 471.48

18 David Brashear - Ryan Kent Georgia Southern University 5 5 13-11 5 5 13-11 467.68

19 Nathan Bell - Cole Sands Bryan College 5 5 13- 9 5 5 13- 9 465.78

20 Cole Cloud - Blake Wade U. of North Georgia 5 5 13- 8 5 5 13- 8 463.88

21 Dillon Harrell - Colby Bryant Sam Houston State University 5 5 13- 7 5 5 13- 7 461.98

21 Sloan Pennington - Hunter McCarty U. of North Alabama 5 5 13- 7 5 5 13- 7 461.98

21 Hunter Sales - Tristan Stalsworth Carson-Newman University 5 5 13- 7 5 5 13- 7 461.98

24 Brian Pahl - John Garrett Bethel University 5 5 13- 5 5 5 13- 5 456.27

25 Hunter Stewart - Luke Slaton U. of North Georgia 5 5 13- 1 5 5 13- 1 454.37

26 Maxwell Moneuse - Austin Mumford University of North Florida 5 5 13- 0 5 5 13- 0 452.47

27 Dalton Noble - Kolby Hillman Eastern Kentucky University 5 5 12-15 5 5 12-15 450.57

27 Thad Simerly - Ethan Shaw Bryan College 5 5 12-15 5 5 12-15 450.57

29 Brad Ableman - KJ Queen Bethel University 5 5 12-14 5 5 12-14 446.77

29 Stephen Jesso - Ryan Fox Penn State University 5 5 12-14 5 5 12-14 446.77

29 Jake Rogers - Lafe Messer Alice Lloyd College 5 5 12-14 5 5 12-14 446.77

32 Justin Barnes - Adam Carroll University of Montevallo 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-12 441.06

32 Jacob Keith - Mason Beatty East Texas Baptist University 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-12 441.06

32 Zane Loveday - Blake Burtram Calhoun Community College 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-12 441.06

35 Ben Barrus - Tyler VanBrandt Adrian College 5 5 12-10 5 5 12-10 435.36

35 Josh Hart - Ben Dominque Clemson University 5 5 12-10 5 5 12-10 435.36

37 Branden Newcome - Michael Shughart West Virginia University 5 5 12- 9 5 5 12- 9 431.56

38 Dawson Cranford - Braxton Resweber University of Louisiana at LaFayet t5e 5 12- 7 5 5 12- 7 429.66

38 Mason Sapp - Tray Hardwick Campbellsville University 5 5 12- 7 5 5 12- 7 429.66

40 Trevor Lewis - Hunter Osborne Georgetown College 5 4 12- 7 5 4 12- 7 425.86

41 Neal Wisinski - Sam Swiderski University of Wisconsin Stevens P o5int 5 12- 6 5 5 12- 6 423.95

42 Anthony Fazio - Luke Jasper Illinois State University 5 5 12- 5 5 5 12- 5 422.05

43 Luke Gillund - Bemidji State University 5 4 12- 5 5 4 12- 5 420.15

44 Rick Couch Jr - Cole Hewett U. of Central Florida 5 5 12- 4 5 5 12- 4 418.25

44 Caleb Gibson - Tyler Winn Northeastern State University 5 5 12- 4 5 5 12- 4 418.25

44 Danny Sprague - Riley Welch Michigan State University 5 5 12- 4 5 5 12- 4 418.25

47 Huff McIntosh - Chris Gaudin Louisiana Tech U 5 5 12- 3 5 5 12- 3 412.55

47 Trevor McKinney - McKendree University 5 5 12- 3 5 5 12- 3 412.55

49 Caleb Blackwood - Brett Blackwood Winthrop University 5 5 12- 2 5 5 12- 2 408.75

50 Tyler Andrews - McLane May Michigan State University 5 5 12- 1 5 5 12- 1 406.84

50 Daniel Kennedy - Sean Hall SCAD 5 5 12- 1 5 5 12- 1 406.84

52 Bryce Grogan - Eric Allen Mercer University 5 5 11-15 5 5 11-15 403.04

52 Tyler Lawwill - Chris Carnes UNC Charlotte 5 5 11-15 5 5 11-15 403.04

54 Chase Farris - Reid Daniel U. of North Georgia 5 4 11-15 5 4 11-15 399.24

55 Nolan Minor - Casey Lanier West Virginia University 5 5 11-14 5 5 11-14 397.34

55 Tanner Ward - Kent State University 5 5 11-14 5 5 11-14 397.34

57 Travis Howard - Sam Carris Tennessee Tech University 5 5 11-13 5 5 11-13 393.54

57 Hunter Louden - Seth Roberts Bethel University 5 5 11-13 5 5 11-13 393.54

59 Will Brown - Chase Chastain Jacksonville State University 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-12 389.73

59 Dylan Fuller - Dalton Bradford UT Martin 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-12 389.73

59 Evan Owrey - Isaac Duncan Bethel University 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-12 389.73

59 Jared Rascoe - LSU Shreveport 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-12 389.73

59 Anthony Vintson - Brandon Mathews Auburn University 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-12 389.73

64 Josh Bean - Caden Watson Tennessee Tech University 5 5 11-11 5 5 11-11 380.23

64 Jacob Blocker - Tennessee Tech University 5 5 11-11 5 5 11-11 380.23

64 J T Russell - Tyler Harless University of Montevallo 5 5 11-11 5 5 11-11 380.23

67 Spencer Guthrie - Ryan Kennedy Kennesaw State University 5 5 11-10 5 5 11-10 374.52

68 Garrett Enders - Cody Huff Bethel University 5 5 11- 9 5 5 11- 9 372.62

68 Gunner Wilson - Zach Manneback Adrian College 5 5 11- 9 5 5 11- 9 372.62

70 Joshua Rockefeller - Zachary Ramsey Augusta University 5 4 11- 9 5 4 11- 9 368.82

71 Brady Bowden - Tyler Pennington Faulkner University 5 5 11- 8 5 5 11- 8 366.92

71 Michael Fisher - Brandon Padilla Jacksonville State University 5 5 11- 8 5 5 11- 8 366.92

71 Blake Miles - Cooper Casillas James Madison University 5 5 11- 8 5 5 11- 8 366.92

74 Chase Serafin - Cody Batterson Adrian College 5 5 11- 6 5 5 11- 6 361.22

74 Ethan Stone - Stephen Stang Virginia Tech 5 5 11- 6 5 5 11- 6 361.22

76 Evan Slentz - Colin Slentz Lander University 5 5 11- 5 5 5 11- 5 357.41

77 Garrett Brown - Jordan Gantt LSU Shreveport 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 4 355.51

77 Kyler Chelminiak - Ricky Harris Bethel University 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 4 355.51

77 Ty Cox - Alden Keel Jr Blue Mountain College 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 4 355.51

77 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 4 355.51

81 Chase Christie - Brandon Black University of West Georgia 5 5 11- 3 5 5 11- 3 347.91

82 Grant Harris - Lauren Plunkett Drury University 5 4 11- 3 5 4 11- 3 346.01

83 Drew Elrod - Luke Byerly University of Tennessee 5 5 11- 2 5 5 11- 2 344.11

83 Jacob Miller - Colin Bope Ohio State University 5 5 11- 2 5 5 11- 2 344.11

83 Peyton Nance - Mitchell Peterson Auburn University 5 5 11- 2 5 5 11- 2 344.11

86 Alex Henderson - John Franko Adrian College 5 5 11- 1 5 5 11- 1 338.40

87 DJ Barber - Dalton Price Bryan College 5 5 11- 0 5 5 11- 0 336.50

87 Tristan Thomas - Braxton Martin U. of North Georgia 5 5 11- 0 5 5 11- 0 336.50

89 Bradley Dunagan - Nick Ratliff Campbellsville University 5 5 10-15 5 5 10-15 332.70

90 Billy Mathews - Peter Lombado Grand Valley State University 5 5 10-14 5 5 10-14 330.80

91 Cody Chambers - Ty Johnston U. of North Georgia 5 5 10-13 5 5 10-13 328.90

91 Denver Satterlee - Landon Smith Calhoun Community College 5 5 10-13 5 5 10-13 328.90

93 GL Compton - Mathew Sprouse Clemson University 5 3 10-12 5 3 10-12 325.10

94 Dylan True - Justin Melson UT Martin 5 5 10-11 5 5 10-11 323.19

95 Dakota Cantrell - Austin Moore Campbellsville University 5 5 10- 9 5 5 10- 9 321.29

95 Jacob Moore - Gilliam Tharpe NC State 5 5 10- 9 5 5 10- 9 321.29

97 Garrett Guinan - Jake Haggerty Kennesaw State University 5 5 10- 7 5 5 10- 7 317.49

97 Collin Jump - Kyle Jump Western Michigan University 5 5 10- 7 5 5 10- 7 317.49

97 Austin Starford - Spencer Selby James Madison University 5 5 10- 7 5 5 10- 7 317.49

100 Nathan Doss - Trey Rieser U. of North Alabama 5 5 10- 6 5 5 10- 6 311.79

100 Nick Schultz - Trey Autry UNC Charlotte 5 5 10- 6 5 5 10- 6 311.79

102 Jacob Louis - McKendree University 5 5 10- 5 5 5 10- 5 307.98

102 Dakota Pierce - Tristan McCormick Bethel University 5 5 10- 5 5 5 10- 5 307.98

102 Kenny Wilkins - Connor Felstead Northern Michigan University 5 5 10- 5 5 5 10- 5 307.98

105 Colton Lindsey - Jacob Middleton Ohio State University 5 4 10- 5 5 4 10- 5 302.28

106 Austin Tubbs - Jay Cowan U. of West Alabama 5 5 10- 4 5 5 10- 4 300.38

107 Garret Sanders - Parker Hamil Florida State University 5 5 10- 2 5 5 10- 2 298.48

108 Benjamin Hager - Noah Shaver UNC Charlotte 5 5 10- 1 5 5 10- 1 296.58

108 Jonathan Kelley - Rickey Wood Jr Coastal Carolina University 5 5 10- 1 5 5 10- 1 296.58

110 Derek Freeman - Robert White Clemson University 5 4 10- 1 5 4 10- 1 292.78

111 Benjamin Chandler - David Froehlich Abraham Baldwin Ag College 5 3 10- 1 5 3 10- 1 290.87

112 Reid Conner - Joshua Butts Wallace State Hanceville 5 5 10- 0 5 5 10- 0 288.97

112 John Neubauer - Joshua Lopez Western Michigan University 5 5 10- 0 5 5 10- 0 288.97

114 Jesse Erb - Gavin Oswalt University of Pittsburgh 5 5 9-15 5 5 9-15 285.17

114 Mitchell Jennings - Roy Zhang Auburn University 5 5 9-15 5 5 9-15 285.17

114 Matthew Lamastus - Elliott Tomlinson UT Martin 5 5 9-15 5 5 9-15 285.17

114 Briana Tucker - Hollie Reagan Bryan College 5 5 9-15 5 5 9-15 285.17

114 Breanna Wyatt - Joseph Lacy Faulkner University 5 5 9-15 5 5 9-15 285.17

119 Adam Carman - Grant Adams Campbellsville University 5 5 9-14 5 5 9-14 275.67

119 Connor Chapman - Grayson Wages Kennesaw State University 5 5 9-14 5 5 9-14 275.67

121 Mike Anderson - Zachary Schnepf U. of Wisconsin Oshkosh 5 4 9-14 5 4 9-14 271.86

122 Drew Pridgen - Chasten Beck Lander University 5 5 9-13 5 5 9-13 269.96

122 Landon Siggers - Eric Hawks Wytheville Community College 5 5 9-13 5 5 9-13 269.96

124 Dillon Bryant - Dustin Wagner Patrick Henry Comm College 4 4 9-13 4 4 9-13 266.16

125 Jon Kilpatrick - Dan Dubose University of Alabama 5 5 9-12 5 5 9-12 264.26

125 Saxton Long - Jordan Burdette University of Tennessee 5 5 9-12 5 5 9-12 264.26

127 Gabe Dubois - Brock Gordley University of Missouri 5 4 9-12 5 4 9-12 260.46

128 Trevor St. John - Bailey Fain Bryan College 5 5 9-11 5 5 9-11 258.56

129 Gavin Lagle - Atom Ward Indiana University Southeast 5 5 9-10 5 5 9-10 256.65

130 Brennan Ramirez - Jared Havenaar Western Michigan University 5 5 9- 9 5 5 9- 9 254.75

130 Grayson Whicker - Alex Rhoney UNC Chapel Hill 5 5 9- 9 5 5 9- 9 254.75

132 John Duarte - David Houchens Coastal Carolina University 5 5 9- 8 5 5 9- 8 250.95

133 Trevor Sagrecy - Travis Hunt Campbellsville University 5 4 9- 8 5 4 9- 8 249.05

134 Martin McCravy - Koby Littrell U. of North Alabama 4 4 9- 8 4 4 9- 8 247.15

135 Levi Neave - Noah Caulder Clemson University 4 3 9- 8 4 3 9- 8 245.25

136 Dalton Smith - Dustin Jones Campbellsville University 5 5 9- 7 5 5 9- 7 243.35

137 Dylan Bucci - Savannah Perry University of Florida 4 4 9- 4 4 4 9- 4 241.44

137 Conner Young - Ryan Richardson University of Florida 4 4 9- 4 4 4 9- 4 241.44

139 Kyle Palmer - Jason Felter Bethel University 5 3 9- 3 5 3 9- 3 237.64

140 Matt Garfield - Justin Sande University of Minnesota-Duluth 5 5 9- 1 5 5 9- 1 235.74

141 Tanner Barnes - Ezra Oliver Campbellsville University 5 5 9- 0 5 5 9- 0 233.84

141 Johnny Ledet - Northwestern State University 5 5 9- 0 5 5 9- 0 233.84

141 Jake Lee - Steven Ricketts Bryan College 5 5 9- 0 5 5 9- 0 233.84

144 Rick Lassiter - Mathew Biernat University of Florida 5 4 8-15 5 4 8-15 228.14

145 Austin Finley - Hunter Ward Central AL Community College 5 5 8-14 5 5 8-14 226.24

146 Drew Camp - Connor Fenwick Christopher Newport University 4 4 8-14 4 4 8-14 224.33

146 Caleb Fisk - Chris Lupo Calhoun Community College 4 4 8-14 4 4 8-14 224.33

148 Jacob Schrimsher - Austen Willard Calhoun Community College 4 4 8-13 4 4 8-13 220.53

149 JP Kimbrough - Ryan Antee LSU Shreveport 4 4 8-12 4 4 8-12 218.63

150 Scott Ellis - Ronnie Moore University of Tennessee 5 5 8-11 5 5 8-11 216.73

150 Andrew Himmelreich - Ben Giles Young Harris College 5 5 8-11 5 5 8-11 216.73

152 Steven Petz - UAB 5 4 8-10 5 4 8-10 212.93

153 Connor McNabb - Brandon Boyd Mississippi State University 4 3 8- 7 4 3 8- 7 211.03

154 George Gendler - Chad Burkholder Penn State Harrisburg 3 3 8- 7 3 3 8- 7 209.13

155 Trever Stephens - Polk State College 4 4 8- 4 4 4 8- 4 207.22

156 Weston Hollar - Landon Tidwell Central AL Community College 5 5 8- 3 5 5 8- 3 205.32

157 Cam Young - Jason Zubris Penn State University 3 3 8- 3 3 3 8- 3 203.42

158 Will Nichols - Cody McBryar Jacksonville State University 5 5 8- 2 5 5 8- 2 201.52

159 Miller Spivey - Chandler Sickafoose Wallace State Hanceville 4 4 8- 0 4 4 8- 0 199.62

160 Zachary Graham - Jarrett Martin Adrian College 5 5 7-15 5 5 7-15 197.72

161 Joe Long - Clayton Davis Indiana University 4 4 7-14 4 4 7-14 195.82

162 Tyler Price - Alex Huston Carson-Newman University 3 3 7-13 3 3 7-13 193.92

163 Sam Thomas - Solomon Smith Alice Lloyd College 4 4 7-12 4 4 7-12 192.02

164 Chad Ziegler - Ross Kellermeier Bemidji State University 4 4 7-10 4 4 7-10 190.11

165 Jared Baker - Branson Marks Georgia Southern University 3 3 7- 4 3 3 7- 4 188.21

165 Dylan Kear - Dannon Grubb Bryan College 3 3 7- 4 3 3 7- 4 188.21

167 Josef Rogers - Taggert Tesdal Iowa State University 4 4 7- 3 4 4 7- 3 184.41

168 Armando Ortiz - Dylan McKee Auburn University 3 0 7- 3 3 0 7- 3 182.51

169 Robert Gee - Ben Dodson University of Tennessee 3 3 7- 2 3 3 7- 2 180.61

169 Max McQuaide - Grant Tattersall Coastal Carolina University 3 3 7- 2 3 3 7- 2 180.61

171 James Preston - Josh Oakley East Carolina University 3 2 6-15 3 2 6-15 176.81

172 Will Monti - Chase Owens NC State 3 3 6-13 3 3 6-13 174.90

172 Ryan Wood - Reid Strobl Dallas Baptist University 3 3 6-13 3 3 6-13 174.90

174 Ty Black - Grant Tootle Georgia Southern University 4 4 6-12 4 4 6-12 171.10

175 Griffin Stephens - Wallace State Hanceville 3 3 6-11 3 3 6-11 169.20

176 Jordan Mullis - Jacob Gress Indiana University 4 4 6- 9 4 4 6- 9 167.30

177 Mitch Naler - Cody Coogan University of Alabama 3 3 6- 8 3 3 6- 8 165.40

178 Tyler Woolcott - Daytona State College 3 3 6- 6 3 3 6- 6 163.50

179 Hunter Bond - Karl Martin Clemson University 3 3 6- 5 3 3 6- 5 161.60

179 Evan Bowman - Frank Depalma University of Rio Grande 3 3 6- 5 3 3 6- 5 161.60

181 Will Phillips - Sean Murphy Auburn University 3 3 6- 2 3 3 6- 2 157.79

182 Joshua Bennett - Hatten Mitchell Georgia Highlands College 3 3 6- 0 3 3 6- 0 155.89

182 Payton Morgan - Heath Alread Kennesaw State University 3 3 6- 0 3 3 6- 0 155.89

184 Justin Lloyd - Anthoney Jordan Middle Tennessee State University 3 3 5-14 3 3 5-14 152.09

185 Justin Roberts - Jacob Cox SCAD 3 3 5-13 3 3 5-13 150.19

186 Ethan Raleigh - Austin Polly Morehead State University 2 2 5- 8 2 2 5- 8 148.29

187 Daniel Brimer - Trey Phillips University of Tennessee 3 3 5- 6 3 3 5- 6 146.39

188 Nathan Sheehan - Trevor Howard U. of Kentucky 2 2 5- 6 2 2 5- 6 144.49

189 Justin Mayfield - Colby Hays Campbellsville University 2 1 5- 5 2 1 5- 5 142.59

190 Logan Anderson - Joshua Frederick NC State 3 3 5- 4 3 3 5- 4 140.68

191 Isaac Johnson - Austin Mau Bemidji State University 3 3 5- 1 3 3 5- 1 138.78

192 Andrew Kelley - Chase Cavalier Central AL Community College 2 2 5- 1 2 2 5- 1 136.88

193 Tanner Metler - Tennessee Tech University 2 2 5- 0 2 2 5- 0 134.98

194 Chad Matthews - K.D. Sizemore Auburn University 2 2 4-12 2 2 4-12 133.08

195 Ryan Winchester - Tyler Black Bethel University 3 2 4-10 3 2 4-10 131.18

196 Aaron Blankenship - Tyler Prater Upike 2 2 4- 7 2 2 4- 7 129.28

196 Joe Wyatt - Ben Grizzell Middle Tennessee State Universtiy 2 2 4- 7 2 2 4- 7 129.28

198 Brent Fowler - Zachary Nunamacher Clemson University 2 2 4- 4 2 2 4- 4 125.48

199 Corey Elliott - Blake Riley Eastern Kentucky University 2 2 4- 1 2 2 4- 1 123.57

199 Conner Fogg - Chandler Fogg Bryan College 2 2 4- 1 2 2 4- 1 123.57

199 Hunter Mills - Nathan Adams Murray State University 2 2 4- 1 2 2 4- 1 123.57

202 Aaron Digh - Bryce Fowler East Carolina University 2 2 4- 0 2 2 4- 0 117.87

203 Benjamin Statly - Blake Johnson Adrian College 2 2 3-15 2 2 3-15 115.97

204 Parker Davis - Ethan Goodwin U. of North Alabama 2 2 3-13 2 2 3-13 114.07

205 Matthew Huff - University of Memphis 2 2 3-11 2 2 3-11 112.17

206 Austin George - Ethan Guerrra Western Michigan University 2 2 3-10 2 2 3-10 110.27

207 Dale London - Andrew Mega UNC Charlotte 2 2 3- 9 2 2 3- 9 108.37

208 Isaac Hillard - Cory Hensley University of Tennessee 2 2 3- 8 2 2 3- 8 106.46

209 Trey Torres - Alec Smith Carson-Newman University 1 0 3- 7 1 0 3- 7 104.56

210 Zachary Catoe - U. of South Carolina 1 1 3- 3 1 1 3- 3 102.66

211 Jake Walters - Tanner Nettleship Murray State University 2 2 3- 2 2 2 3- 2 100.76

212 Logan Courter - Austin Knauer University of Tennessee 1 1 3- 1 1 1 3- 1 98.86

213 Justin Grigg - Collins Janus Winthrop University 1 1 3- 0 1 1 3- 0 96.96

214 David Hendel - Kieran Adamo Ohio State University 2 2 2-14 2 2 2-14 95.06

215 Bo Thomas - Austin Sherwood Western Michigan University 1 1 2-14 1 1 2-14 93.16

216 Laura Ann Foshee - Gabriella Gonzalez SCAD 1 1 2-12 1 1 2-12 91.25

217 Jackson Greer - Jacob Hutchins U. of West Georgia 2 2 2-11 2 2 2-11 89.35

217 David Maples - Jordan Allen Virginia Tech 2 2 2-11 2 2 2-11 89.35

219 Aaron Denny - Jake Helms Grand Valley State University 1 1 2-11 1 1 2-11 85.55

220 Tyler Dixon - Robert Pryor Virginia Tech 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4 83.65

220 Dax Ewart - Logan Millsaps Bethel University 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4 83.65

222 Taylor Cranford - Brent Rome Jr LSU 1 0 2- 4 1 0 2- 4 79.85

223 Colton Parrot - Trevor Topken University of South Carolina 1 1 2- 3 1 1 2- 3 77.95

224 Hunter Franklin - Jesse Morrison U. of South Alabama 2 2 2- 2 2 2 2- 2 76.05

225 Mitchell Stone - Thomas Tidstrom Indiana University Southeast 1 1 2- 2 1 1 2- 2 74.14

226 Haden Holmes - James Whitacre Wallace State Hanceville 1 1 2- 1 1 1 2- 1 72.24

227 Thomas Love - Karson Collier Western Michigan University 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0 70.34

228 Abigail Askew - Haley Porter SCAD 1 1 1-14 1 1 1-14 68.44

228 Luke Kirk - Sawyer Biven Morehead State University 1 1 1-14 1 1 1-14 68.44

230 Austin Buchanan - Landon Batten East Carolina University 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13 64.64

230 Jerris Bush - Hunter Stephens East Carolina University 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13 64.64

230 Corey Skaggs - University of Louisville 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13 64.64

233 Preston Kendrick - Bennett Kudder Bryan College 1 1 1-12 1 1 1-12 58.94

233 Cameron Wilt - John Kristof Ohio State University 1 1 1-12 1 1 1-12 58.94

235 Ethan Maag - Jacob Sanders IUPUI 1 1 1-11 1 1 1-11 55.13

236 Liam West - Brady Waits Clemson University 1 1 1-10 1 1 1-10 53.23

237 Grant Cordell - Caleb Lafleur Tusculum College 1 1 1- 9 1 1 1- 9 51.33

237 Austin Elswick - Logan Coleman U. of Kentucky 1 1 1- 9 1 1 1- 9 51.33

239 Jaron Deal - Payton Couillard Kennesaw State University 1 1 1- 8 1 1 1- 8 47.53

240 Tyler Price - Conner Dimauro Bryan College 1 1 1- 1 1 1 1- 1 45.63

241 Caleb Bundy - Christian Waters U. of Central Florida 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Nick Caudill - Alice Lloyd College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Seth Comer - Donavon Carson Bluefield State College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Matthew Cross - Mekiah Jack Middle Tennessee State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Jacob Emery - Collin Torrey Adrian College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Ethan Gilmore - Wallace State Dothan 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Luke Harvey - Glenn Rawson University of West Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Brodyn Huddleston - Levi Peters Emory & Henry College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Dustan Jones - Tyler McClure U. of Kentucky 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Alex Lindsey - Landon Cook Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Shon Messmer - Murray State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Alex Moore - John Lone U. of Central Florida 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Jacob Novak - Wyatt Novak Virginia Military Institute 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Jordan Parisian - Garrett Stone University of Georgia 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Jessica Pecar - Ian Hardesty Virginia Tech 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Collin Settnek - Stetson University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Cameron Smith - Drury University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Micah Speights - UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Cody Stahl - Reese Kingston SCAD 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Jared Tuck - Monroe Sparks Emory & Henry College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Ryleigh Tyson - Kaylee Hettenbaugh SCAD 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Zakary Womack - Lucas Meiners U. of Kentucky 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

241 Gardon Wycoff - Patrick Henry Ohio State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0 0.00

 

BIG BASS

Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz

1 Tyler Craig - Spencer Lambert Frierson, LA 3-14


Patrick Walters Claims Narrow Lead In Bassmaster Open At Lake Norman

Patrick Walters of Ladson, S.C., took the lead on the first day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 2 held on Lake Norman out of Cornelius, N.C. Walters brought 15 pounds, 12 ounces to the scales at Thursday's weigh-in.

Photo by Chris Mitchell/B.A.S.S.
May 10, 2018

CORNELIUS, N.C. — It wasn’t difficult to catch a five-bass limit of 14-inch keepers Thursday at Lake Norman. But finding anything bigger was a daunting task. Patrick Walters of Ladson, S.C., and Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., solved the problem best.

Walters leads the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 2 after the opening round with 15 pounds, 12 ounces. Pike is only 6 ounces behind with 15-6.

Finding largemouth bass instead of the much more plentiful, but smaller spotted bass was the key for Walters.

“The largemouth have really begun to show up the last two days,” said Walters, 23, a former FLW College Fishing champion. “Getting another big bite again (Friday) will be the difference between another good bag and an 8- or 9-pound limit.”

There were plenty of those Thursday — 67 pro anglers in the 203-boat field weighed-in limits of 8 pounds or greater.

Walters said he’s rotating three styles of baits while fishing shallow boat docks. He had only one spotted bass in his limit. His largest bass weighed 5-7 and it was caught on a spawning bed.

Pike, 25, who manages an assisted living home, also had a largemouth advantage. His biggest bass was a largemouth that weighed just over 4 pounds.

“I got kind of lucky and caught all my weight in one area, so I didn’t have to put any pressure on any of the other areas I have,” Pike said. “I’m fishing shallow, dirty water, but it’s clearing up, so that could affect my bite.”

Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., took the lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award of the tournament with his 6-4 largemouth. It boosted him into third place with 14-9.

“I found that fish Wednesday in practice,” said Moynagh, a veteran pro. “It was in real shallow, murky water. The fish bit three times. It jumped off once when I had it halfway back to the boat. It probably took me 45 minutes to catch it.”

Moynagh is no stranger to Lake Norman. He has fished four FLW tournaments here and made the Top 10 in three, including a second-place finish in 2008.

“I’m not sure how I’ll go about it tomorrow because the largemouth pattern I found in practice didn’t play out,” said Moynagh.

Ronald Farrow of Rock Hill, S.C., fourth with 14-4, and Tyler Berger of Delaware, Ohio, fifth with 14-2, were the only other anglers to top 14 pounds.

Leading the co-angler standings is Paul Coburn of Pewaukee, Wis., who caught a three-bass limit weighing 9-9, which included the lead in the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for the co-angler division. It weighed 5-5. Rodney Tapp of North Augusta, S.C., is second with 8-15, and Chad Smith of Minnetonka, Minn., is third with 8-5.

Friday’s 6:15 a.m. ET launch and 2:15 p.m. weigh-in will be held at Blythe Landing, 15901 NC 73 Highway in Huntersville. The field will be cut to the Top 12 pros and co-anglers after the Day 2 weigh-in. Championship Saturday’s weigh-in will shift to the Bass Pro Shops at 8181 Concord Mills Blvd. in Concord.

2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open Lake Norman 5/10-5/12
Lake Norman, Cornelius  NC.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Patrick Walters        Ladson, SC               5  15-12  200
Day 1: 5   15-12
2.  Cody Pike              Powhatan, VA             5  15-06  199
Day 1: 5   15-06
3.  James Moynagh          Carver, MN               5  14-09  198
Day 1: 5   14-09
4.  Ronald Farrow          Rock Hill, SC            5  14-04  197
Day 1: 5   14-04
5.  Tyler Berger           Delaware, OH             5  14-02  196
Day 1: 5   14-02
6.  Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN          5  13-13  195
Day 1: 5   13-13
7.  Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL         5  13-06  194
Day 1: 5   13-06
8.  Sam George             Athens, AL               5  13-03  193
Day 1: 5   13-03
9.  Drew Montgomery        Maiden, NC               5  12-14  192
Day 1: 5   12-14
10. Jason Wilson           Lincolnton, NC           5  12-10  191
Day 1: 5   12-10
11. Alvin Shaw             Roaring Gap, NC          5  12-08  190
Day 1: 5   12-08
12. Cole Blythe            Charlotte, NC            5  12-06  189
Day 1: 5   12-06
13. Vernon Kemp            Umatilla, FL             5  12-03  188
Day 1: 5   12-03
14. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  12-02  187
Day 1: 5   12-02
15. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC           5  12-01  186
Day 1: 5   12-01
16. Ryan Davidson          Branchland, WV           5  12-00  185
Day 1: 5   12-00
16. Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL             5  12-00  185
Day 1: 5   12-00
16.  Matt Mollohan         Prosperity, SC           5  12-00  185
Day 1: 5   12-00
19. Ken Iyobe              Tokoname-Shi JAPAN       5  11-15  182
Day 1: 5   11-15
19. Greg Mansfield         Olathe, KS               5  11-15  182
Day 1: 5   11-15
21. Will Evans             Winter Haven, FL         5  11-15  180
Day 1: 5   11-15
22. Cody Detweiler         Orlando, FL              5  11-14  179
Day 1: 5   11-14
23. Preston Harris         State Road, NC           5  11-12  178
Day 1: 5   11-12
24. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA        5  11-11  177
Day 1: 5   11-11
25. Derek Cummings         Denver, NC               5  11-08  176
Day 1: 5   11-08
25. David Williams         Newton, NC               5  11-08  176
Day 1: 5   11-08
27. Scott Suggs            Alexander, AR            5  11-08  174
Day 1: 5   11-08
28. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               5  11-07  173
Day 1: 5   11-07
29. Miles Burghoff         Hixson, TN               5  11-04  172
Day 1: 5   11-04
30. Tim Frederick          Leesburg, FL             5  11-03  171
Day 1: 5   11-03
31. Michael Fox            Statesville, NC          5  11-02  170
Day 1: 5   11-02
31. Parker Mott            Winter Garden, FL        5  11-02  170
Day 1: 5   11-02
33. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  11-01  168
Day 1: 5   11-01
33. Ed Loughran III        Mechanicsville, VA       5  11-01  168
Day 1: 5   11-01
35. Mike Lavallee          Sandy, UT                5  11-00  166
Day 1: 5   11-00
36. Hunter Eubanks         Inman, SC                5  11-00  165
Day 1: 5   11-00
37. Garrett Rocamora       Lithia, FL               5  10-15  164
Day 1: 5   10-15
38. Luke Gritter           Otsego, MI               5  10-14  163
Day 1: 5   10-14
38. Cameron Smith          Mashpee, MA              5  10-14  163
Day 1: 5   10-14
38. Brad Staley            Pleasant Garden, NC      5  10-14  163
Day 1: 5   10-14
38. Whitney Stephens       Waverly, OH              5  10-14  163
Day 1: 5   10-14
42. Brad Knight            Lancing, TN              5  10-13  159
Day 1: 5   10-13
43. Kurt Mitchell          Milford, DE              5  10-11  158
Day 1: 5   10-11
44. Tracy Adams            Wilkesboro, NC           5  10-08  157
Day 1: 5   10-08
44. David Boelkins         Hubertus, WI             5  10-08  157
Day 1: 5   10-08
46. Walt Bowen             Walnut Cove, NC          5  10-07  155
Day 1: 5   10-07
46. Nick Hatfield          Jonesborough, TN         5  10-07  155
Day 1: 5   10-07
46. Patrick Touey          Santa Maria, CA          5  10-07  155
Day 1: 5   10-07
49. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TX AUSTRALIA  5  10-04  152
Day 1: 5   10-04
49. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  10-04  152
Day 1: 5   10-04
49. Scott Pellegrin        Chippewa Falls, WI       5  10-04  152
Day 1: 5   10-04
52. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI              5  10-01  149
Day 1: 5   10-01
53. Ron Johnson            Chandler, AZ             5  10-00  148
Day 1: 5   10-00
54. Jon Englund            Farwell, MN              5  09-15  147
Day 1: 5   09-15
55. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  09-14  146
Day 1: 5   09-14
55. Nick Tate              Knoxville, TN            5  09-14  146
Day 1: 5   09-14
57. David Cornelius        Apison, TN               5  09-14  144
Day 1: 5   09-14
58. Bailey Boutries        Daphne, AL               5  09-12  143
Day 1: 5   09-12
58. Kyle Hall              Rio Vista, TX            5  09-12  143
Day 1: 5   09-12
60. Greg Dipalma           Millville, NJ            5  09-11  141
Day 1: 5   09-11
60. John Hunter Jr         Shelbyville, KY          5  09-11  141
Day 1: 5   09-11
60. Kyle Kempkers          Hamilton, MI             5  09-11  141
Day 1: 5   09-11
60. Jeff Mathews           Maitland, FL             5  09-11  141
Day 1: 5   09-11
64. Michael Crocker        Pasadena, MD             5  09-10  137
Day 1: 5   09-10
64. Daniel Martin          Elmhurst, IL             5  09-10  137
Day 1: 5   09-10
64. Roland Martin          Naples, FL               5  09-10  137
Day 1: 5   09-10
67. Cody Dawson            Mount Vernon, OH         5  09-09  134
Day 1: 5   09-09
67. Carl Svebek  III       Siloam Springs, AR       5  09-09  134
Day 1: 5   09-09
67. Steve York             Bronson, MI              5  09-09  134
Day 1: 5   09-09
70. Drew Cook              Midway, FL               5  09-09  131
Day 1: 5   09-09
70. Trait Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  09-09  131
Day 1: 5   09-09
72. Joel Willert           Lakeville, MN            5  09-07  129
Day 1: 5   09-07
73. James Cassaday         Wirtz, VA                5  09-04  128
Day 1: 5   09-04
73. Scott Hamrick          Denver, NC               5  09-04  128
Day 1: 5   09-04
73. Tadd Johnson           Lakeview, MN             5  09-04  128
Day 1: 5   09-04
73. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL            5  09-04  128
Day 1: 5   09-04
77. Buddy Cipoletti        Wading River, NY         5  09-03  124
Day 1: 5   09-03
77. Jared Dial             Winter Haven, FL         5  09-03  124
Day 1: 5   09-03
79. Jeff Lugar             Cross Junction, VA       5  09-03  122
Day 1: 5   09-03
80. Ronald Ryals Jr        Live Oak, FL             5  09-03  121
Day 1: 5   09-03
81. Shayne Berlo           Mclean, VA               5  09-02  120
Day 1: 5   09-02
81. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               5  09-02  120
Day 1: 5   09-02
83. William Pioch          Beckley, WV              5  09-01  118
Day 1: 5   09-01
83. Travis Rulle           Denver, NC               5  09-01  118
Day 1: 5   09-01
85. Brian Latimer          Belton, SC               5  09-00  116
Day 1: 5   09-00
85. Freddy  Palmer         Estill Springs, TN       5  09-00  116
Day 1: 5   09-00
87. Derek Hudnall          Baton Rouge, LA          5  08-15  114
Day 1: 5   08-15
87. Corey Neece            Bristol, TN              5  08-15  114
Day 1: 5   08-15
89. Seiji Kato             Outsu Shiga JAPAN        5  08-14  112
Day 1: 5   08-14
90. Eric Panzironi         Longwood, FL             5  08-14  111
Day 1: 5   08-14
91. Brad Houchins          Thomasville, NC          5  08-13  110
Day 1: 5   08-13
91. Jody White             Gilbertsville, KY        5  08-13  110
Day 1: 5   08-13
93. Michael Purvis         Canton, GA               5  08-13  108
Day 1: 5   08-13
94. David Hudson           Jasper, AL               5  08-12  107
Day 1: 5   08-12
94. Jade Keeton            Killen, AL               5  08-12  107
Day 1: 5   08-12
96. Nick Denham            Louisville, KY           5  08-11  105
Day 1: 5   08-11
96. Wayne Hauser Jr        Mooresville, NC          5  08-11  105
Day 1: 5   08-11
96. David Kilgore          Jasper, AL               5  08-11  105
Day 1: 5   08-11
99. Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                 5  08-10  102
Day 1: 5   08-10
99. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               5  08-10  102
Day 1: 5   08-10
99. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           5  08-10  102
Day 1: 5   08-10
99. Toshinari Namiki       Tokyo JAPAN              5  08-10  102
Day 1: 5   08-10
103. Scott Bonvillain       Lake Charles, LA         5  08-09   98
Day 1: 5   08-09
104. Michael Murphy         Lexington, SC            5  08-08   97
Day 1: 5   08-08
105. Craig Chambers         Harrisburg, NC           5  08-07   96
Day 1: 5   08-07
105. Cole T. Harris         Essex Junction, VT       5  08-07   96
Day 1: 5   08-07
107. Scott Patton           Paris, TN                5  08-07   94
Day 1: 5   08-07
108. Brian Rufty            Berea, KY                5  08-06   93
Day 1: 5   08-06
109. Woo Daves              Spring Grove, VA         5  08-05   92
Day 1: 5   08-05
109. Michael Delvisco       Dandridge, TN            5  08-05   92
Day 1: 5   08-05
109. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           5  08-05   92
Day 1: 5   08-05
112. Matt Mattingly         Gravel Switch, KY        5  08-04   89
Day 1: 5   08-04
113. Erroll Duckett         Charlotte, NC            5  08-03   88
Day 1: 5   08-03
114. Wil Hardy              Harlem, GA               5  08-02   87
Day 1: 5   08-02
114. Rick Pierce            Mountain Home, AR        5  08-02   87
Day 1: 5   08-02
114. James Plessinger       Carrollton, VA           5  08-02   87
Day 1: 5   08-02
117. Gary Clouse            LaVergne, TN             4  08-02   84
Day 1: 4   08-02
118. Tim Wilson             Gas City, IN             4  08-02   83
Day 1: 4   08-02
119. Steven Priest          New Lexington, OH        5  08-00   82
Day 1: 5   08-00
119. Scott Siller           Milwaukee, WI            5  08-00   82
Day 1: 5   08-00
121. Allen Brooks           Canton, GA               5  07-15   80
Day 1: 5   07-15
121. Pete Cherkas           Des Moines, IA           5  07-15   80
Day 1: 5   07-15
121. Eric Conant            Lakeland, FL             5  07-15   80
Day 1: 5   07-15
121. Derek Lehtonen         Woodruff, SC             5  07-15   80
Day 1: 5   07-15
125. Randy Elliott          Severn, MD               4  07-15   76
Day 1: 4   07-15
126. Jon Canada             Pelham, AL               5  07-14   75
Day 1: 5   07-14
126. Chris Dillow           Waynesboro, VA           5  07-14   75
Day 1: 5   07-14
128. Darryl Halbert         Enoree, SC               5  07-14   73
Day 1: 5   07-14
129. Jack Morgan            Lake Placid, FL          5  07-13   72
Day 1: 5   07-13
129. Jim Smith              Georgetown, KY           5  07-13   72
Day 1: 5   07-13
131. Rich Howes             Oviedo, FL               5  07-10   70
Day 1: 5   07-10
132. Jason Lieblong         Conway, AR               5  07-08   69
Day 1: 5   07-08
133. Dave Frost             Mount Dora, FL           5  07-07   68
Day 1: 5   07-07
133. Stephen Morella        Whitehall , PA           5  07-07   68
Day 1: 5   07-07
135. George Hirapetian      Charlotte, NC            5  07-05   66
Day 1: 5   07-05
136. Teb Jones              Hattiesburg, MS          5  07-05   65
Day 1: 5   07-05
137. Joseph Bouma           Rogers, AR               5  07-04   64
Day 1: 5   07-04
138. Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           5  07-04   63
Day 1: 5   07-04
139. Chuck Pippin Jr        Gotha, FL                5  07-03   62
Day 1: 5   07-03
140. John McBride           Mount Airy, NC           5  07-02   61
Day 1: 5   07-02
141. Rodney Morrow          Hickory, NC              5  07-02   60
Day 1: 5   07-02
142. Rob Clowers            Sweetwater, TN           5  07-01   59
Day 1: 5   07-01
143. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  07-00   58
Day 1: 5   07-00
143. Jimmy Kennedy          Plainfield, VT           5  07-00   58
Day 1: 5   07-00
145. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           5  06-14   56
Day 1: 5   06-14
145. Coleton Jennings       New Concord, KY          5  06-14   56
Day 1: 5   06-14
145. Brandon Johnson        Owingsville, KY          5  06-14   56
Day 1: 5   06-14
148. Brian Travis           Conover, NC              4  06-14   53
Day 1: 4   06-14
149. Mason Brown            Crawfordville, FL        3  06-14   52
Day 1: 3   06-14
150. Chris Flint            Potsdam, NY              5  06-12   51
Day 1: 5   06-12
150. Carson Orellana        Mooresville, NC          5  06-12   51
Day 1: 5   06-12
152. Jamey Caldwell         Carthage, NC             4  06-12   49
Day 1: 4   06-12
153. Kyle Fox               Lakeland, FL             5  06-10   48
Day 1: 5   06-10
154. Shawn Hendrix          Sharpsburg, GA           5  06-09   47
Day 1: 5   06-09
155. Mike Hoese             Crown Point, IN          4  06-09   46
Day 1: 4   06-09
156. Chris Ferguson         Wittensville, KY         5  06-08   45
Day 1: 5   06-08
156. Rick Hawkins           Roanoke, VA              5  06-08   45
Day 1: 5   06-08
158. Lucas Bogosian         Harrington Park, NJ      5  06-07   43
Day 1: 5   06-07
158. Christian Mazzola      Walnutport, PA           5  06-07   43
Day 1: 5   06-07
160. Brad Burkhart          Speedwell, TN            4  06-07   41
Day 1: 4   06-07
161. Charlie Ingram         Centerville, TN          5  06-06   40
Day 1: 5   06-06
162. Al Farace Jr           Hunt Valley, MD          5  06-03   39
Day 1: 5   06-03
162. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  06-03   39
Day 1: 5   06-03
164. David May              Odessa, FL               4  06-03   37
Day 1: 4   06-03
165. Brian Tyler            Johnsonville, SC         3  06-03   36
Day 1: 3   06-03
166. Ernie Freeman          Broad Run, VA            4  06-02   35
Day 1: 4   06-02
167. David Perdue           Wirtz, VA                4  06-01   34
Day 1: 4   06-01
168. Darrell Pons           Gainesville, FL          4  06-01   33
Day 1: 4   06-01
169. Darrell Davis          Dover, FL                5  06-00   32
Day 1: 5   06-00
170. Mike Anderson          Milford, MI              4  06-00   31
Day 1: 4   06-00
171. Chris Hart             Franklin, TN             5  05-13   30
Day 1: 5   05-13
172. Michael McCoy          Mentor On The Lake, OH   5  05-11   29
Day 1: 5   05-11
173. Frank Ramsey           Spring Grove, IL         3  05-11   28
Day 1: 3   05-11
174. Wayne Murray           Baton Rouge, LA          4  05-05   27
Day 1: 4   05-05
175. John Dial              Winter Haven, FL         5  05-04   26
Day 1: 5   05-04
176. Guy Eaker              Cherryville, NC          3  05-04   25
Day 1: 3   05-04
177. Denny Fiedler          Minnetonka, MN           4  05-01   24
Day 1: 4   05-01
178. Jamie Pierce           Hallsboro, NC            2  04-12   23
Day 1: 2   04-12
179. Kendall Newson         Decatur, GA              3  04-11   22
Day 1: 3   04-11
180. Wes Lewis              Sherrills Ford, NC       2  04-09   21
Day 1: 2   04-09
181. Joey Spradley          Gloverville, SC          3  04-06   20
Day 1: 3   04-06
182. Daniel Wicker          Hillsborough, NC         3  04-05   19
Day 1: 3   04-05
183. Hunter Bland           Ocala, FL                3  04-02   18
Day 1: 3   04-02
183. Clabion Johns          Covington, GA            3  04-02   18
Day 1: 3   04-02
183. Rick Shannon           Woodlawn, TN             3  04-02   18
Day 1: 3   04-02
186. Ricky Congero          Windermere, FL           3  04-01   15
Day 1: 3   04-01
187. Randy Huffman          Charleston, WV           3  03-14   14
Day 1: 3   03-14
188. Charlie Evans          Berea, KY                5  03-11   13
Day 1: 5   03-11
189. Terry Segraves         Kissimmee, FL            2  03-11   12
Day 1: 2   03-11
190. Jeremy Bogard          Wilkesboro, NC           2  03-10   11
Day 1: 2   03-10
191. Jerrod Albright        Kissimmee, FL            4  03-09   10
Day 1: 4   03-09
192. John Parker            Gaffney, SC              2  03-03    9
Day 1: 2   03-03
193. Brandon Mcintosh       St Augustine, FL         2  02-11    8
Day 1: 2   02-11
194. Walter Dice            Port Saint Lucie, FL     2  02-08    7
Day 1: 2   02-08
195. Christian Thompson     Lake City, FL            2  02-06    6
Day 1: 2   02-06
196. James Castillo         W. Richland, WA          2  01-15    5
Day 1: 2   01-15
197. John Zeolla            Oak Park, CA             1  01-11    4
Day 1: 1   01-11
198. Jonathan Carter        Glenburn, ME             1  01-09    3
Day 1: 1   01-09
199. Fredrick Requarth      Dayton, OH               1  01-07    2
Day 1: 1   01-07
200. Tony Hogan             Mc David, FL             1  01-06    1
Day 1: 1   01-06
201. Bruce Whitmire         Channelview, TX          1  01-02    0
Day 1: 1   01-02
202. Ronnie Getz            Sunman, IN               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
202. Teddie Scalf           Gray, KY                 0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       160       919      1687-03
----------------------------------
160       919      1687-03

2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open Lake Norman 5/10-5/12
Lake Norman, Cornelius  NC.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Paul Coburn            Pewaukee, WI             3  09-09  200
Day 1: 3   09-09
2.  Rodney Tapp            North Augusta, SC        3  08-15  199
Day 1: 3   08-15
3.  Chad Smith             Minnetonka, MN           3  08-05  198
Day 1: 3   08-05
4.  John Wiese             Charlotte, NC            3  08-01  197
Day 1: 3   08-01
5.  Ross Rhodes            Paw Paw, MI              3  07-14  196
Day 1: 3   07-14
6.  Tony Sears             Dahlonega, GA            3  07-11  195
Day 1: 3   07-11
7.  Cody Bertrand          Dyer, IN                 3  07-09  194
Day 1: 3   07-09
8.  Jeffrey Ozmon          Rock Hill, SC            3  07-02  193
Day 1: 3   07-02
9.  Tim Beeman             Winston Salem, NC        3  07-01  192
Day 1: 3   07-01
9.  Wesley Watson          Huntington, WV           3  07-01  192
Day 1: 3   07-01
11. Zach Lyles             Mooresville, NC          3  07-00  190
Day 1: 3   07-00
12. Jared Rudd             Salyersville, KY         3  06-14  189
Day 1: 3   06-14
13. John Goebel            Lumberton, TX            3  06-12  188
Day 1: 3   06-12
14. Skyler Anderson        Harlem, GA               3  06-10  187
Day 1: 3   06-10
15. Steven Michaels        Garner, NC               3  06-09  186
Day 1: 3   06-09
15. Mandel Pettus          Miller Place, NY         3  06-09  186
Day 1: 3   06-09
15. Chuck Thurlow          Auburn, AL               3  06-09  186
Day 1: 3   06-09
18. Mark Bartosch          Clarksville, TN          3  06-07  183
Day 1: 3   06-07
18. Nikki Hames            Gaffney, SC              3  06-07  183
Day 1: 3   06-07
18. Brett Hobson           Clermont, FL             3  06-07  183
Day 1: 3   06-07
21. Jack Pollio            Chatham, VA              3  06-03  180
Day 1: 3   06-03
21. Paul Tabisz            Virginia Bch, VA         3  06-03  180
Day 1: 3   06-03
23. Scott Gregory          West Richland, WA        3  06-01  178
Day 1: 3   06-01
23. Gary McClain           Chesapeake, VA           3  06-01  178
Day 1: 3   06-01
25. William Beekman        Diamond Point, NY        3  06-00  176
Day 1: 3   06-00
26. Christopher Fleming    Haysi, VA                3  05-15  175
Day 1: 3   05-15
27. Michael Comeau         Jericho, VT              3  05-14  174
Day 1: 3   05-14
27. Stetson Overton        Glen Rose, TX            3  05-14  174
Day 1: 3   05-14
27. Julien Raymond         Wendover CANADA          3  05-14  174
Day 1: 3   05-14
30. Adam Kremer            Daleville, MS            3  05-13  171
Day 1: 3   05-13
30. Jeremy Spencer         Jefferson, NC            3  05-13  171
Day 1: 3   05-13
32. Terry Proctor          Pensacola, FL            3  05-13  169
Day 1: 3   05-13
33. John Vest              Cloverdale, VA           3  05-11  168
Day 1: 3   05-11
34. Sam Leary              Canaan, CT               3  05-10  167
Day 1: 3   05-10
35. Daniel Beebe Jr        Niota, TN                3  05-09  166
Day 1: 3   05-09
35. Ron Cherkas            Ankeny, IA               3  05-09  166
Day 1: 3   05-09
35. Charles Daugherty Jr   Raleigh, NC              3  05-09  166
Day 1: 3   05-09
35. Benjie Seaborn         Guin, AL                 3  05-09  166
Day 1: 3   05-09
35. Mike Spears            Jasper, AL               3  05-09  166
Day 1: 3   05-09
40. Joshua Milam           South Charleston, WV     3  05-08  161
Day 1: 3   05-08
40. Matt Price             Manhattan, IL            3  05-08  161
Day 1: 3   05-08
42. Jonathan Barnette      Jasper, AL               3  05-07  159
Day 1: 3   05-07
42. Jimmy Hayes            Fayetteville, NC         3  05-07  159
Day 1: 3   05-07
42. Jerry Morris Jr        Charlotte, NC            3  05-07  159
Day 1: 3   05-07
45. Todd Walters           Ladson, SC               3  05-06  156
Day 1: 3   05-06
46. Taylor Genz            Indian Mound, TN         3  05-05  155
Day 1: 3   05-05
46. Chip Stith             Piscataway, NJ           3  05-05  155
Day 1: 3   05-05
48. Brian Benedit          Canton, GA               3  05-04  153
Day 1: 3   05-04
49. Bobby Bakewell         Orlando, FL              3  05-03  152
Day 1: 3   05-03
49. Gary Haraguchi         San Jose, CA             3  05-03  152
Day 1: 3   05-03
49. Brian Transon          Sherrills Ford, NC       3  05-03  152
Day 1: 3   05-03
52. Alan Engberg           Greenville, AL           3  05-03  149
Day 1: 3   05-03
53. Dennis Akers           South Portsmouth, KY     3  05-02  148
Day 1: 3   05-02
53. Patrick King           Lincolnton, NC           3  05-02  148
Day 1: 3   05-02
53. Geordie Kinnear        Longmeadow, MA           3  05-02  148
Day 1: 3   05-02
56. Sheldon Hipps          Mooresville, NC          3  05-02  145
Day 1: 3   05-02
57. Steve Bjorklund        Bozeman, MT              3  05-01  144
Day 1: 3   05-01
57. Austin Bonjour         Templeton, CA            3  05-01  144
Day 1: 3   05-01
57. Aram Hirapetyan        Charlotte, NC            3  05-01  144
Day 1: 3   05-01
57. Corey Lindsey          Sunbury, OH              3  05-01  144
Day 1: 3   05-01
57. Danny Smith            Tyrone, GA               3  05-01  144
Day 1: 3   05-01
62. Gerald Robbins Jr.     Asheboro, NC             2  05-01  139
Day 1: 2   05-01
63. Philip Miller          Saint Cloud, FL          3  05-00  138
Day 1: 3   05-00
64. Barry Brandt Jr.       Newport News, VA         3  04-15  137
Day 1: 3   04-15
64. Wayne Foriest          Nashville, TN            3  04-15  137
Day 1: 3   04-15
64. Jason Hames            Gastonia, NC             3  04-15  137
Day 1: 3   04-15
64. Jason Kremer           East Berlin, PA          3  04-15  137
Day 1: 3   04-15
64. Jerry Pruitt           Vale, NC                 3  04-15  137
Day 1: 3   04-15
69. Joel Greene            Enoree, SC               2  04-15  132
Day 1: 2   04-15
70. Trey Brown             Lexington, NC            3  04-14  131
Day 1: 3   04-14
70. Michael Vice           Rossville, IL            3  04-14  131
Day 1: 3   04-14
72. Jonathan Hankins       North Tazewell, VA       3  04-13  129
Day 1: 3   04-13
72. Jeff Keever            Tignall, GA              3  04-13  129
Day 1: 3   04-13
74. C.J Daddario Jr        Mooresville, NC          3  04-12  127
Day 1: 3   04-12
74. Matthew Mccarthy       Marysville, OH           3  04-12  127
Day 1: 3   04-12
76. Derrick Bustle         Statesville, NC          3  04-11  125
Day 1: 3   04-11
76. Jamie Ferdarko         Dubois, PA               3  04-11  125
Day 1: 3   04-11
76. Bill Kohls             Roanoke, VA              3  04-11  125
Day 1: 3   04-11
79. Andy Simm              Piney Flats, TN          3  04-11  122
Day 1: 3   04-11
80. Robert Hoyt            Rocky Mount, VA          3  04-09  121
Day 1: 3   04-09
80. Robin Williamson       Niles, OH                3  04-09  121
Day 1: 3   04-09
82. Jeff Lederman          Powhatan, VA             3  04-08  119
Day 1: 3   04-08
82. Dave Ramey             Kingsport, TN            3  04-08  119
Day 1: 3   04-08
82. Tim Royall             Winston Salem, NC        3  04-08  119
Day 1: 3   04-08
82. Roy Winkler III        Charlotte, NC            3  04-08  119
Day 1: 3   04-08
86. James Roten            West Jefferson, NC       3  04-07  115
Day 1: 3   04-07
86. Jay West               Canton, GA               3  04-07  115
Day 1: 3   04-07
88. Shane Doughtie         Roanoke Rapids, NC       3  04-07  113
Day 1: 3   04-07
89. Steven Roosen          Charlotte, NC            3  04-06  112
Day 1: 3   04-06
90. Steve Robbins          Piketon, OH              2  04-06  111
Day 1: 2   04-06
91. Gary Hall              Delbarton, WV            3  04-05  110
Day 1: 3   04-05
92. Eulon Lee Jr.          Eclectic, AL             3  04-05  109
Day 1: 3   04-05
93. Jesse Buss             Pennsburg, PA            3  04-04  108
Day 1: 3   04-04
93. Thomas Vickers         Lincolnton, NC           3  04-04  108
Day 1: 3   04-04
95. Barry Burford          Charlotte, NC            3  04-03  106
Day 1: 3   04-03
95. Patrick Anthony Herrera Rockaway, NJ             3  04-03  106
Day 1: 3   04-03
95. Greg Mauldin           Archdale, NC             3  04-03  106
Day 1: 3   04-03
95. Gerald Williams        Maiden, NC               3  04-03  106
Day 1: 3   04-03
99. KC Stone               Ogden, UT                2  04-03  102
Day 1: 2   04-03
100. Kent Biggs             Morristown, TN           3  04-02  101
Day 1: 3   04-02
101. Jim Opetaia-Williamson Dunnellon, FL            3  04-01  100
Day 1: 3   04-01
101. James Southeard        Scottsboro, AL           3  04-01  100
Day 1: 3   04-01
103. Johnathan Crossland    Chapin, SC               3  04-01   98
Day 1: 3   04-01
104. Casey Richter          Blaine, MN               2  04-01   97
Day 1: 2   04-01
105. Johnny Dease           Orlando, FL              3  04-00   96
Day 1: 3   04-00
105. Matt Markland          Blowing Rock, NC         3  04-00   96
Day 1: 3   04-00
105. Taylor Stumbo          Prestonsburg, KY         3  04-00   96
Day 1: 3   04-00
108. Myron Bruffett         Branson, MO              3  03-15   93
Day 1: 3   03-15
108. Charles Fochtman       Moneta, VA               3  03-15   93
Day 1: 3   03-15
108. Donnie Hannah          Blacklick, OH            3  03-15   93
Day 1: 3   03-15
108. Tristen Trull          Mount Holly, NC          3  03-15   93
Day 1: 3   03-15
112. Akira Okuyama          Forest Hills, NY         3  03-15   89
Day 1: 3   03-15
113. Mike Leary             Naples, FL               2  03-15   88
Day 1: 2   03-15
114. Brian Pemberton        Homer Glen, IL           3  03-14   87
Day 1: 3   03-14
115. Justin Salisbury       Binghamton, NY           3  03-13   86
Day 1: 3   03-13
116. Todd Lee               Jasper, AL               3  03-12   85
Day 1: 3   03-12
117. Pete Patterson         Kingsport, TN            3  03-11   84
Day 1: 3   03-11
118. Jeremy Maye            Windsor, VA              2  03-08   83
Day 1: 2   03-08
118. Jason Sturgill         Big Stone Gap, VA        2  03-08   83
Day 1: 2   03-08
120. Kyle Tonione           Ocala, FL                3  03-06   81
Day 1: 3   03-06
121. Logan Trapp            Greenbrier, TN           2  03-06   80
Day 1: 2   03-06
121. Todd Young             Perryville, KY           2  03-06   80
Day 1: 2   03-06
123. Chad Dejohn            Orange, TX               3  03-05   78
Day 1: 3   03-05
124. Kent Mittelstaedt      New Hope, MN             2  03-04   77
Day 1: 2   03-04
125. Scap Cicero            Wetumpka, AL             2  03-02   76
Day 1: 2   03-02
125. Russell Phillips       Guilford, VT             2  03-02   76
Day 1: 2   03-02
125. Lee Whitworth II       Charlotte, NC            2  03-02   76
Day 1: 2   03-02
128. Travis Benes           Freeport, OH             2  02-15   73
Day 1: 2   02-15
128. Kenneth Epperson       Napa, CA                 2  02-15   73
Day 1: 2   02-15
128. Tyler Quackenbush      Mattawan, MI             2  02-15   73
Day 1: 2   02-15
131. Andy Brode             Mooresville, NC          1  02-15   70
Day 1: 1   02-15
132. Rodrigo Cruz           Clermont, FL             2  02-14   69
Day 1: 2   02-14
132. Richard Pugh           Knoxville, TN            2  02-14   69
Day 1: 2   02-14
132. Allen Tuttle           Mooresville, NC          2  02-14   69
Day 1: 2   02-14
135. Billy Cusic III        Lakeland, FL             2  02-13   66
Day 1: 2   02-13
135. Scott Sides            Lenoir, NC               2  02-13   66
Day 1: 2   02-13
135. Rodney Vaow            Troutman, NC             2  02-13   66
Day 1: 2   02-13
135. John Watts Jr          Flushing, MI             2  02-13   66
Day 1: 2   02-13
139. John Barnes            Richmond, VA             2  02-12   62
Day 1: 2   02-12
139. David Pechacek         Hastings, MN             2  02-12   62
Day 1: 2   02-12
139. Brian West             Gloucester, VA           2  02-12   62
Day 1: 2   02-12
142. Daniel Fillippo        Harleysville, PA         2  02-11   59
Day 1: 2   02-11
142. Scott King             Crescent City, FL        2  02-11   59
Day 1: 2   02-11
144. Rick Hamer             Charleston, WV           2  02-09   57
Day 1: 2   02-09
144. Kibbee Mccoy           Morristown, TN           2  02-09   57
Day 1: 2   02-09
144. Drake Prichard         Knoxville, TN            2  02-09   57
Day 1: 2   02-09
147. Chris Kingree          Inverness, FL            2  02-09   54
Day 1: 2   02-09
148. Christopher Mcmillan   Charlotte, NC            2  02-07   53
Day 1: 2   02-07
148. John Shumate           Elkin, NC                2  02-07   53
Day 1: 2   02-07
150. Lee Busque             Zebulon, NC              2  02-07   51
Day 1: 2   02-07
151. Jim Oconnell Jr        Castle Rock, CO          2  02-06   50
Day 1: 2   02-06
152. Shaun Avery            Windham, ME              1  02-05   49
Day 1: 1   02-05
153. Mark Frickman          Reidsville, NC           2  02-04   48
Day 1: 2   02-04
154. Thad Wells             Mooresville, NC          2  02-03   47
Day 1: 2   02-03
155. Tony Laaper            Pittsboro, NC            1  02-02   46
Day 1: 1   02-02
156. Jon Jezierski          Troy, MI                 1  02-01   45
Day 1: 1   02-01
157. Wesley Tuttle          Arthur, TN               1  01-15   44
Day 1: 1   01-15
158. Keith Iddins           Knoxville, TN            1  01-13   43
Day 1: 1   01-13
159. Roland Beaulieu        Swanton, VT              1  01-11   42
Day 1: 1   01-11
160. Bill Bruce             Hendersonville, TN       1  01-10   41
Day 1: 1   01-10
160. Russell Hoyle          Newton, NC               1  01-10   41
Day 1: 1   01-10
160. Roger Love             Etters, PA               1  01-10   41
Day 1: 1   01-10
160. Bill Mandikas          Tampa, FL                1  01-10   41
Day 1: 1   01-10
164. Liam Oneill            Beverly Hills, FL        1  01-09   37
Day 1: 1   01-09
165. Tom McDermott          Madison, NC              1  01-08   36
Day 1: 1   01-08
166. Thomas Abraham         Winchester, TN           1  01-07   35
Day 1: 1   01-07
166. Jacob Johnson          Saint Clairsville, OH    1  01-07   35
Day 1: 1   01-07
168. Les Ore Jr             Chesapeake, VA           1  01-07   33
Day 1: 1   01-07
169. Richard Coogle         Shepherdsville, KY       1  01-06   32
Day 1: 1   01-06
169. Brad Peyton            Salisbury, NC            1  01-06   32
Day 1: 1   01-06
169. Warren Ray             Greensboro, NC           1  01-06   32
Day 1: 1   01-06
169. Billy Watson III       Murfreesboro, TN         1  01-06   32
Day 1: 1   01-06
169. Ronald Wilkins         Decatur, TN              1  01-06   32
Day 1: 1   01-06
174. David Chamberlain      Keasbey, NJ              1  01-05   27
Day 1: 1   01-05
174. Don Ramsey             Orlando, FL              1  01-05   27
Day 1: 1   01-05
176. Todd Sosebee           Bessemer City, NC        1  01-04   25
Day 1: 1   01-04
177. Roger Holtsclaw        Johnson City, TN         1  01-04   24
Day 1: 1   01-04
178. Mike Barker II         Haslett, MI              1  01-03   23
Day 1: 1   01-03
178. Lance Owen             Greer, SC                1  01-03   23
Day 1: 1   01-03
178. Stephen Smith          Raleigh, NC              1  01-03   23
Day 1: 1   01-03
178. Bradley Sterner        Manchester, PA           1  01-03   23
Day 1: 1   01-03
182. Casey Griffith         Statesboro, GA           1  00-00   19
Day 1: 1   00-00
182. Don Harvey             Franklin, TN             1  00-00   19
Day 1: 1   00-00
184. Alan Blondino          Rustburg, VA             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. David Booth            Erin, TN                 0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. David Bright           Mooresville, NC          0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Chris Clarke           Fairburn, GA             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Ron Coogle             Louisville, KY           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Jack Crocker           Pasadena, MD             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Jarvis Ellis           Albany, GA               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Randy Futch            Dunnellon, FL            0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Joel Gabel             Boyertown, PA            0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Curtis Hall II         Battle Creek, MI         0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Todd Hargrave          Guyton, GA               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Patrick Herrera        Rockaway, NJ             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Brian Hopton           Mason, OH                0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Jason Hughes           Clarksburg, PA           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Jeremy Jones           Big Rapids, MI           0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Jp Lopez Jr            Brooklyn, NY             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Bill Rutkowski         Odessa, FL               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Kevin Steele           Kissimmee, FL            0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Walter Tucker          Osceola, MO              0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
184. Billy Wright           Marion, NC               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00


Mustad Announces Appointment of President, Americas

MIAMI, Fla., May 10, 2018 — O. Mustad and Son is pleased to announce that Jordan Davis has accepted the position of President, Americas, effective May 1, 2018. He will report to the CEO.

Davis will be responsible for strengthening the organization, preparing the Americas’ market operation for expansion, as well as leading Mustad’s growth initiatives within the region.

Prior to accepting this position, Davis served as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at the Remington Outdoor Company (ROC). He brings the necessary experience and proven track record of success in the market, which will be invaluable in meeting Mustad’s goals and objectives.

“I am excited to be joining such an iconic outdoor brand, and to be given the opportunity to work with such an outstanding global team. Mustad has been synonymous with fishing for over 140 years, so the privilege of being able to steward such a brand is humbling. I look forward to working with the Mustad team to seize the many opportunities that lie ahead,” Davis said.

“I am very satisfied to have Jordan Davis on board. He will, with his background and experience, contribute to our goals of growth going forward,” said John Are Lindstad, President & CEO.

* * *

Founded in 1877, O. Mustad and Son (Mustad) is a Norway-based manufacturer of fishing equipment for sport, commercial, industrial, and traditional fishing applications. With a presence in more than 160 countries, Mustad serves customers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. For more information, visit Mustad-Fishing.com.


Costa Countdown to Blastoff - May 9th

AC's John Byrne & Sportsmans Warehouse's CJ Freeman Preview this weeks upcoming tournaments and highlight the SE Derbies on the docket!

 


Sore Losers........

Luke Estel

Let’s all admit, at one point in our tournament fishing career, we have gotten mad after weigh in and left. It happens to the best of us but I would like to change that.

First of all, you can’t win every tournament you fish. If you did or think you can, then sign up with the big boys and see what happens. Which brings me to this.

First of all, congratulate the winners. They worked hard and figured it out the best. Whether you like them or not, give props when it’s due. We as tournament anglers are mostly fierce competitors and we all strive to do well. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. There is no reason to be mad or stomp off like a baby after you get your butt handed to you. It makes you look bad. Take a step back, reflect on the day, and move on. It’s part of the game. Your actions in this life, not only in tournament fishing but in your personal life will get you further than going around with a sour look on your face. People respect humbleness and just maybe they will do the same for you when you win.

Last week, my partner and I fished the USA Bassin Classic held on Kentucky Lake. We found them and in fact we found multiple areas with good fish in them. Our buddies that we stayed with had a terrible practice. So, we gave them a clue on how to catch some keepers.

Tournament time rolled around and we come to the scales with one fish. Yes, I said one! I was dumbfounded. I still don’t know what happened. Our friends weighed in 18.5 pounds, and they caught three of them where we told them to go. The next day they weighed in another limit catching three more shallow where we again told them. They ended up in 7thplace. The next day I received a phone call from one of them. He wanted to thank me for helping him and his partner out and he said they wouldn’t have done that well if it weren’t for us. That meant a lot to me.

Maybe next time they will clue us in on something and us do well.

Life is too short to be pissed off all of the time.

The sun will rise tomorrow no matter what. Enjoy the time you get to spend on the water.

Good things happen to good people.

Don’t be a sore loser.

It will never work out to your advantage.

Congrats again to Marc Sheffer and Kevin Reynolds for doing so well.

You guys deserved it.

 

Strike King Pro Luke Estel from Carbondale Illinois Fishes the BASS Opens, Is an AnglersChoice Classic Champion and an all around great guy and fisherman as well as accomplished writer.

AnglersChannel Insider Episode #13 Featuring BASS Elite Champ Kevin VanDam!!!!

On this weeks AnglersChannel Insider Podcast, The boys talk with the GOAT! Kevin VanDam on his recent Grand Lake win, They Talk Strike King Lures, Mustad Hooks, Minn Kota and Humminbird Technology and more! You do not want to miss this Episode! Make Sure to Rate and Review and Share with your friends!

 


Strader Notches First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory On Kentucky Lake

Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., won the 2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia out of Paris, Tenn., with a four-day total weight of 80 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

 

May 7, 2018

PARIS, Tenn. — The final day of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia threw Wesley Strader the right pitch, and he knocked it out of the park.

Strader, a first-year Elite Series pro from Spring City, Tenn., caught a final-day limit of five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces and earned his first Elite Series victory with a four-day total of 80-4

After sitting in 16th place on Day 1 with 19-6, Strader added 17-13 Saturday and improved to 11th, before taking over the Day 3 lead with 22-6 — the biggest catch of Sunday’s semifinal round.

His final-day catch cemented a $100,000 payday.

“Yesterday, I figured out that the fish were positioning under the walkways on the docks,” he said. “Today, that went away; they got out under the floats. It seemed like, as the sun got higher, the shade got tighter to the docks and you could pretty much pinpoint where they’d bite.

“I didn’t think the shad spawn was that big of a deal for me today. But I pulled up on a stretch of docks that I had not fished early in the morning and just about every cast, when I’d reel my bait out from underneath the floats, there would be two or three threadfin shad following my spinnerbait.”

Unlike the previous days, Strader was unable to leverage the early-morning shad spawn. But he put several keepers in the boat by alternating between a 5/8-ounce Stan Sloan Bango Blade spinnerbait with a white swimbait trailer, a buzzbait, a popping frog and a white Zoom Z-Craw that he swam through shallow bushes.

He still found some early productivity. But it was a magical, one-hour midday flurry that vaulted Strader into the unofficial BASSTrakk lead.

Flipping shallow bushes in a small pocket off Big Sandy Creek, Strader added three solid keepers — all 4-plus pounds — to his livewell. That left him releasing fish he normally would would not cull.

“That’s a good problem to have — catching 3-pounders and they can’t help you,” said Strader, as he chuckled during a BASS Live segment.

Strader caught his flipping fish on a Texas-rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver with a 5/16-ounce Reins Tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Trokar hook fished on 20-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon. The Tramp Stamp color, he said, has proven productive in all his previous Kentucky Lake events. Trusting that pattern Monday proved to be a winning decision.

“For some reason, in this tea-colored water, they like that color,” he said.

Strader said his fish were probably postspawners. Targeting likely staging areas with vertical falls was key.

“I think I was just on a hot pocket where they were either coming out or guarding fry; I don’t think they were spawning,” he said. “They were just in those bushes chilling, and it was all on the initial fall of the bait.”

Auburn, Calif., superstar Skeet Reese missed his limit by one fish. But his four bass weighed 17-10 and he still finished second with 76-6. Reese spent much of his final day throwing a 7-inch line-through swimbait, but some of his key bites during the tournament came on a a Lucky Craft Magnum SKT squarebill.

“That’s a giant squarebill,” Reese said. “These fish aren’t eating little threadfin shad. They’re eating gizzard shad. They’re eating carp. So I did key in on the big baits this week. I caught some 4s, 5s and 6s on it.

Kelly Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., added a solid limit of 18-7 on the final day and improved two spots to third place with 73-6. Jaye caught all of his fish on a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait in the matte shad color.

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., placed fourth with 71-8, and Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark., placed fifth with 70-5.

Bradley Roy was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.

​Strader also earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.

Shaw Grigsby Jr.​ was awarded $1,500 dollars as the winner of the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award. He had the largest bass of the tournament with a 7​-11 on Day 2.

Christie was awarded the Toyota Bonus Bucks Award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Josh Bertrand​, received $2,000.

2018 Bassmaster Elite At Kentucky Lake Title Sponsor: Berkley

2018 Bassmaster Elite At Kentucky Lake Presenting Sponsor: Abu Garcia

2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia 5/4-5/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 20 80-04 110 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 22-06 Day 4: 5 20-11
2. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 18 76-06 109 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 4 13-07 Day 4: 4 17-10
3. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 20 73-06 108 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 5 21-01 Day 4: 5 18-07
4. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 20 71-08 107 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 16-09 Day 4: 5 15-03
5. Fred Roumbanis Russellville, AR 18 70-05 106 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 22-11 Day 3: 3 13-03 Day 4: 5 16-08
6. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 20 69-08 105 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 18-06 Day 4: 5 17-01
7. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 20 68-08 104 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 15-03 Day 4: 5 14-12
8. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 66-10 103 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 16-02 Day 4: 5 14-01
9. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 19 65-14 102 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 4 11-01
10. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 17 64-09 101 $11,500.00
Day 1: 4 14-02 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 5 17-15 Day 4: 3 08-08
11. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 17 60-12 100 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 4 13-07 Day 4: 3 06-12
12. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 16 56-02 99 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 16-01 Day 4: 1 03-08
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 07-11 $1,500.00


LEXINGTON’S WALSER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON JORDAN LAKE

West Virginia’s Grose Grabs Co-angler Title

NEW HILL, N.C. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament on Jordan Lake. For his win, Walser was awarded $5,048.

Walser started his day fishing banks with rocks and wood on the lower end of the lake using a Rush Lures spinnerbait with a chartreuse-colored Zoom Swimmin’ Fluke Jr. He said he caught the bulk of his fish early, and was culling by 8 a.m.

“I figured out in practice on Tuesday that bass were trying to eat shad and when I returned Saturday, they were fairly close by,” said Walser, who earned his 10th career win in BFL competition. “I ran my Garmin Panoptix and could see the rocks and stumps out in front of me. In addition to helping me stay off them, it helped me cast my spinnerbait to the right depths. The bait was 2 to 3 feet down and I wanted to keep it there.”

Around 11 a.m., Walser ran to the upper end of the lake in search of a kicker. He said he flipped wood with a green-pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hog rigged on a Berkley Fusion 19 Offset Hook with Hi-Seas fluorocarbon line.

“The hook was a bit smaller and didn’t get hung up as much – it’s a strong little hook,” said Walser. “I caught two that helped – a 2¾- and a 4-pounder – and they turned out to be what I needed to win it all.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 18-11, $3,048 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd:         James Blankenship, Siler City, N.C., five bass, 18-1, $1,374

3rd:          Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 18-0, $1,116

4th:          Billy Bledsoe, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 17-12, $793

5th:          Matt Stoupa, Colonial Heights, Va., five bass, 16-2, $650

6th:          Ryan Deal, Indian Trail, N.C., four bass, 14-12, $504

7th:          Neil Eckberg, Cary, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $458

8th:          Russell Corry, Shelby, N.C., four bass, 12-11, $412

9th:          Ralph Hollifield Jr., Winston-Salem, N.C., three bass, 10-14, $495

9th:          Doug Dulin, Apex, N.C., three bass, 10-14, $343

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bledsoe brought a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $152.

Nathan Grose of Summersville, West Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,574 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Nathan Grose, Summersville, W. Va., four bass, 11-11, $1,574

2nd:         Zach Lyles, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 10-8, $687

3rd:          Brian Transon, Sherrills Ford, N.C., four bass, 10-3, $459

4th:          Justin Johnson, Apex, N.C., two bass, 9-6, $473

5th:          Robert Green, Sedalia, N.C., four bass, 8-3, $275

6th:          Mark Whitman, Elon, N.C., two bass, 7-14, $302

7th:          Frank Earnhardt, Troy, N.C., three bass, 6-12, $229

8th:          Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., three bass, 6-10, $206

9th:          Mathew Baker, Asheboro, N.C., two bass, 6-9, $183

10th:        Robert Jarrett, Lexington, N.C., three bass, 6-7, $160

Johnson caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $152.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 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. 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 FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Snapchat.


PRESCOTT HIGH SCHOOL WINS TBF/FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING ARKANSAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE DARDANELLE

RUSSELVILLE, Ark. (May 7, 2018) – The Prescott High School fishing duo of Bryer Pennington and Jack Arnette, both of Prescott, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces to win the 2018 TBF/FLW High School Fishing Arkansas State Championship on Lake Dardanelle.

A field of 91 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville. 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 Lake Dardanelle that qualified for the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:

1st:     Prescott High School, Prescott, Ark. – Bryer Pennington and Jack Arnette, both of Prescott, Ark., five bass, 19-3

2nd:    Northwest Arkansas Youth Fishing Club – Gavin Webb, Farmington, Ark., and Gavin Pennington, Springdale, Ark., five bass, 15-1

3rd:     Westside Anglers – Tanner Fife, Greers Ferry, Ark., and Tristen Cottrell, Prim, Ark., five bass, 14-10

4th:     NEA Youth Fishing – Jay Morgan and Cade Gartman, both of Trumann, Ark., five bass 14-8

5th:     Arkansas Youth Fishing Association – Johnathan Pipkens, Benton, Ark., and Malachi Thornton, Lonsdale, Ark., five bass, 14-7

6th:     Cabot High School, Cabot, Ark. – Quaid Barber and Gavin Smith, both of Cabot, Ark., five bass, 12-11

7th:     Greenbrier High School, Greenbrier Ark. – Cameron Fortner and Justin Watson, five bass, 11-15

8th:     Highland High School, Highland Ark. – Spemncer Wiles, Hardy, Ark., and Matt Boyd, Cherokee Village, Ark., five bass, 11-12

8th:     Western Arkansas High School Hawg Hunters – Noah Newell and Weston Bufkin, both of Van Buren, Ark., five bass, 11-12

Rounding out the top 10:

10th:   Mena High School, Mena, Ark. – Austin Johnston and Austin Rose, both of Mena, Ark., five bass, 11-9

Complete results from the event can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.

The 2018 TBF/FLW High School Fishing Arkansas State Championship 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 on Pickwick Lake, in Florence, Alabama, June 26-29. 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 on Pickwick Lake. 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.