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.


Boatright & Maxwell champion Bass Champs Central Region finale on LBJ Anglers of the Year are named!

By: Patty Lenderman
It has been quite a season for Bass Champs Central Region teams, and the anticipation factor for the final event May 5, 2018 on LBJ only increased with weather delays. Nearly $53,000 was up for grabs and it was the last tournament to accumulate the points needed in the Anglers of the Year race. The hunt was on, but in the end it was Nick Boatright and Chad Maxwell who came out on top to win over $20,000!

The morning of the tournament greeted 174 teams with a heavy blanket of fog. “We had to keep everyone at the launch until the visibility improved,” stated Chad Potts, President of Bass Champs. “Everyone was biting at the bit to get started, but the safety of our participants is paramount.” After two long hours of delay, boats were finally released to start the hunt. “We extended the fishing time at the end of the day by one hour. Once the fog lifted, it was a beautiful sunny day with very little wind out of the North.”

Winners Nick Boatright and Chad Maxwell had planned to start their day using topwater lures. “Once we were able to get to our spots, it was too late for the topwater bite,” Chad recalled. They went to their first area, and didn’t do any good so started hunting different places. “We stayed in fairly shallow areas, all less than ten feet deep. Our third spot had brush piles and rock, and we started catching fish.” They used jigs and crankbaits throughout the day, staying on the move. Around noon, Chad latched on to their kicker fish, weighing in at 7.40 pounds on a jig in a brush pile. “That was a big help to our limit. At one point we lost a four pounder at the boat, and couldn’t help but think about it all day. We figured it would probably take 25 pounds to win, and we may have blown it losing that fish.” They tried a lot of old spots, and some new ones, mostly trying to find places without any boats on it. “Our last fish of the day was on a crank bait. It was a six pounder, and we culled a 3# with it.” Being in the first flight, they were among the first to weigh in, establishing the bar to beat at 23.50 pounds. “We just kept watching as all of the other teams came in, expecting to get knocked down at any time.” When it was all said and done, they stayed on top to win 1st place and $20,000! They also won the Lowrance bonus. “We just had an awesome day. I caught my personal best fish, and we caught our best stringer in this tournament. I guess it was just meant to be!” Chad concluded.

Jake Kennamer and Carson Conklin had a slow start, but came out with a 2nd place win. “Once we were let go, there were jet ski’s and wave runners everywhere,” Jake began. “We bounced around all morning looking for fish, and didn’t have anything at noon.” It wasn’t for lack of bites. They simply missed some and broke off on others. Then things started to change. Jake caught one around six pounds to christen their livewell with. “We started catching one here, one there, and finally had a limit around 15 pounds.” They tried deep water, they tried shallow water, docks and shady pockets. “It was getting late, and we only had about 30 minutes left to fish. We decided to do a Hail Mary and head to a shallow sea wall.” It must have been the power of prayer, as they caught their biggest fish at 6.81 pounds, plus made two other culls, increasing their overall weight by seven pounds in those last minutes! Weighing in, their best five totaled 22.28 pounds for a 2nd place finish and a check for $3,500. “We are really pleased how it all turned out. We had a great day, and are hoping for a 1st place finish someday!”

There was a tie for 3rd place. The father and son team of Kenneth and Jesse Fry as well as brothers Adrian and Daniel Barnes came in with 21.09 pounds. Kenneth said Jesse caught their fish and he netted them all day. “They seemed to only be hitting on that one bait,” Kenneth chuckled. Jesse was using a white-ish colored swim bait for his fortune. “I threw a lot of other stuff, but wasn’t having any luck on any of it,” Kenneth continued. They focused on isolated grass patches in 6’-8’ depths, and had a limit by noon. “Most of our fish were small, but we culled the rest of the day. Our better fish bit in the afternoon.” Now you may ask why Kenneth didn’t throw the same bait? “We had other swim baits like it, but they were all darker color and the fish only wanted that one lighter one!” They made significant culls late in the afternoon, starting by catching their biggest fish at around seven pounds. “Some of them we culled up by a few pounds, but we gained five pounds off of that biggest one.” The team tied the win for 3rd place earning a check for $2,250.

Brothers Daniel and Adrian Barnes hadn’t pre-fished for the tournament, but know LBJ well. “We went to a deep spot after the take off delay,” Adrian began, “and managed a limit within thirty minutes.” Mostly small fish, they headed to shallow water hunting for more. “We caught around fifteen fish throughout the day, and were able to cull four times. Our best cull was exchanging a 7.73 for a two pounder.” Every bit counts, and their weight also hit 21.09 lbs for a shared 3rd place win. They received $2,250 then Skeeter Boats doubled their win for being the highest placing team fishing out of a qualified Skeeter boat.

There were a lot of big bass seen at the scales, and the biggest of them all weighed 8.75 pounds. The team of Landon Glass and Craig Cordova brought this brute in catching a check for $500. It also anchored their 4th place overall finish with 20.73 lbs for another $1,700 check.

All total twenty three teams went home with winnings. The last $600 check went to Travis Daugherty and Travis Cockerham having 15.45 lbs.

With this final regular season event now in the books for the Central Region, the Anglers of the Year have been named. Lee Beuershausen and Randy Grounds have held on to the lead in points for most of the season and landed at the top of the pack earning the title Bass Champs 2018 Central Region Anglers of the Year!

 

Full Results HERE!


WAYNESFIELD’S LOGAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BUCKEYE DIVISION OPENER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS ON OHIO RIVER

Kentucky’s Howard Wins Co-angler Title

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Bob Logan of Waynesfield, Ohio, caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division opener on the Ohio River presented by Navionics. For his victory, Logan earned $6,000.

“I was fishing down by the dam, near Craig’s Creek,” said Logan, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “During practice on Thursday and Friday I worked my way down the river and caught a bunch of little males that were setting up on the nests. I knew the females would be coming in, so that’s where I concentrated my time during the tournament.

“I couldn’t sight fish, because the water wasn’t clean enough,” Logan continued. “So, I would just make blind casts to those areas where I knew the beds were and the females were setting up. I managed to catch six keepers.”

Five of Logan’s keepers came on a Zoom Brush Hog, green-pumpkin with a chartreuse-dyed tip, Texas-rigged with a 3/16 ounce weight. His sixth keeper came on a black-and-blue-colored Reaction Innovation’s Little Beaver, rigged the same as the Brush Hog.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Bob Logan, Waynesfield, Ohio, five bass, 12-4, $4,000 + $2,000 Ranger Cup

2nd:         Michael Powell Jr., Greendale, Ind., five bass, 11-6, $2,200

3rd:         Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 10-13, $1,334

4th:         Pat White, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 10-9, $933

5th:         Ken Garbe, Wyoming, Ohio, five bass, 10-5, $800

6th:         Cody Seeger, Bellefontaine, Ohio, five bass, 9-14, $833

7th:         Douglas Lyon, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 9-7, $667

8th:         Mark Dove, North Vernon, Ind., five bass, 8-11, $600

9th:         Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 8-10, $533

10th:       Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 8-5, $467

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Steve Hengehold of Cincinnati, Ohio, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $540.

Trevor Howard of Union, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $2,228 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces. Howard earned $2,228 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:          Trevor Howard, Union, Ky., five bass, 11-5, $2,228

2nd:         Dennis Hughes, Bethel, Ohio, three bass, 8-7, $981

3rd:         Jonathan Fulton, Ray, Ohio, five bass, 8-0, $855

4th:         Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 7-12, $508

5th:         Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 7-2, $393

6th:         John Lane, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 6-13, $360

7th:         Remington Throckmorton, Otway, Ohio, five bass, 6-9, $327

8th:         Clint Brodsky, Burlington, Ky., five bass, 6-6, $294

9th:         Joshua Wright, Arcanum, Ohio, four bass, 5-10, $262

10th:       Frank Aldridge, Wheelersburg, Ohio, five bass, 5-5, $229

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 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.


Kevin Phillips and Robert Medas win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lake Jordan

by Dan O’Sullivan

May 5, 2018 – Wetumpka, Ala. – When the Southern Division of the Alabama Bass Trail launched into the waters of Lake Jordan for its fourth stop of the season, the discussion of boat numbers being critical, bed fish and shad spawn was rampant.  The compactness of the lake meant that hot spots and waypoints for bedding areas might mimic parking lots more so than a fishing tournament.

Because of the crowded conditions, there was no real way to be able to accurately assess what it would take to win the day.  With Lake Jordan, there is the varied chance that a bag of spotted or largemouth bass eclipsing 20 pounds could win, or, a solid mixed bag would take the win.

What ended up happening was that the team of Kevin Phillips and Robert Medas found a quality bite early and enough bedding largemouth to sack an 18.62-pound limit to take home their first Alabama Bass Trail victory, the $10,000 first prize and clinch their trip to the ABT Championship in October.  They also earned the $500 Mountain Dew Big Bass Bonus with their 5.13-pound largemouth.

The pair said they had 10 bedded fish marked after practice, and were able to get one key bite early to seal the deal.  “We caught our big fish in the morning on a frog and then caught six other bed fish throughout the day,” they reported.  “Our waypoints covered much of the main lake, and it took most of the day to get our limit.  We never thought that 18.62 would be enough to win.  We’ve had better days and gotten edged out, and to be standing here now is an amazing feeling.

The reported catching the one fish on a white SPRO Popping Frog and the bed fish coming on a 1/4-ounce brown Big Money Bait Company jig with a black Zoom Z Hog as a trailer.

Chris Rutland is a familiar name atop the Alabama Bass Trail standings, usually with Coby Carden, his typical team partner.  However, with Carden expecting to have having back surgery, the pair named longtime friend Mike Keel as their alternate for the season.  That pairing resulted in a 17.56-pound mixed bag limit, good for a second place finish and a check for $5,000, as well as the $500 bonus for using Garmin electronics.

The pair said that their strategy revolved around the grass and the shad spawn.  “We all love fishing for postspawn fish around the shad spawn with homemade swim jig and frog,” they said.  “We spent the morning doing that and caught two of our better fish, then turned to hard spots with a crankbait and deep jig with a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog as a trailer.”

The team of Evan Robbins and Justin Coker finished the day in third place with 17.08 pounds, which earned them a pay day of $4,000. The rest of the Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lj-results/

Place Anglers Weight Big Fish Winnings
1 Kevin Phillips / Robert Medas 18.62 5.13 $10,000
2 Chris Rutland /  Mike Keel 17.56 4.23 $5,000
3 Evan Robbins / Justin Coker 17.08 5.10 $4,000
4 Martin (Rocky) Lyons / Daniel McQueen 17.00 $3,000
5 Jeff Morgan / Tim Vanegmond 16.66 4.74 $2,000
6 John Pollard / Dallas Weldon 16.42 $1,500
7 Jimmy Miller / Chris Miller 16.39 $1,100
8 Daryl Crenshaw / Barry Chaffin 16.27 $1,100
9 Keith Kirkley / Jeff Kirkley 16.26 $1,100
10 Chris Cook / Lawson Cook 16.17 $1,100

Full Results

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

 


MCKEE’S AKEMON WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE CUMBERLAND

Michigan’s Wathen Grabs Co-angler Title

BURNSIDE, Ky. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Jason Akemon of McKee, Kentucky, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division event on Lake Cumberland Saturday with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces. For his efforts, Akemon took home $4,271.

Akemon said he spent his day sight-fishing toward the dam, and that his fish were scattered along a 5-mile stretch.

“I found 11 fish in practice that were worth going after and were fairly protected,” said Akemon, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “I knew it was going to be windy and rainy, so I needed to have fish I could get to.”

Akemon said he originally planned on targeting smallmouth out deep, but decided to stick with bed-fishing.

“I was afraid the smallmouth bite would fall off with the front coming in, and it did. I fished for them in practice Thursday and by Friday it had already started falling off,” said Akemon. “I knew I could get 18 or 19 pounds bed-fishing and it ended up being the right decision. I had my limit by 7:45 a.m.”

Akemon ended up bringing two smallmouth and three largemouth to the scale. He used two baits - a Z-Man ChatterBait with a Strike King Rage Tail Craw trailer for smallmouth, and a white Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog for largemouth.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Jason Akemon, McKee, Ky., five bass, 18-15, $4,271

2nd:         Ryan Coleman, Utica, Ky., five bass, 17-10, $2,136

3rd:          Michael Morrison, Georgetown, Ky., five bass, 16-2, $1,424

4th:          Dwight Fox, Gainesboro, Tenn., five bass, 15-4, $1,125

4th:          Jason Barr, Fort Campbell, Ky., five bass, 15-4, $925

6th:          Brian Wilson, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 15-2, $1,183

7th:          James Copeland, Bowling Green, Ky., five bass, 13-15, $712

8th:          Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $641

9th:          Jeff Carman, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 13-13, $569

10th:        Billy Hall, Florence, Ky., five bass, 13-12, $498

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Curtis Hall of Florence, Kentucky, 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 $595.

James Wathen of Royal Oak, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division and $2,346 Saturday after bringing four bass weighing 10 pounds, 14 ounces, to the scale.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          James Wathen, Royal Oak, Mich., four bass, 10-14, $2,346

2nd:         Levi Neathery, Albany, Ky., five bass, 10-8, $1,050

3rd:          Mark Major, Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 9-7, $701

4th:          Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., five bass, 9-5, $540

5th:          Taylor Wisniewski, Lexington, Ky., five bass, 9-4, $420

6th:          R.J. Anderson, Beaver Dam, Ky., five bass, 8-13, $385

7th:          Brian Reed, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 8-7, $350

8th:          Jeff Pergram, Richmond, Ky., four bass, 8-6, $297

8th:          Michael Skaggs, Brownsville, Ky., four bass, 8-6, $297

10th:        Doug Adkins, Gray Hawk, Ky., four bass, 8-4, $245

Wathen also 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 $146.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. 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.


GEORGIA’S JONES WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON NEELY HENRY LAKE

Co-angler Title Goes to Tennessee’s White

GADSDEN, Ala. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Bradley Jones of Aragon, Georgia, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division event on Neely Henry Lake. Jones took home $5,224 for his efforts.

“I caught bedding fish that I’d found a couple weeks earlier and in practice,” said Jones, who logged his fourth win on Neely Henry Lake in BFL competition. “I never actually saw any of them during the tournament, but I made some long pitches into their general area and they bit on the first cast each time.”

Jones said he fished three larger creeks on the lower end of the lake. He caught around 15 fish throughout the event, citing a Texas-rigged green-pumpkin-colored V&M J-Bug as his bait of choice.

“I could tell where the beds were by the way the structure was,” said Jones. “I just pitched it in there and they bit it, there wasn’t really anything to it. I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario – everything just worked out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Bradley Jones, Aragon, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $5,224

2nd:         Andrew Johnson, Glencoe, Ala., five bass, 16-10, $2,197

3rd:          Blake Hall, Hartselle, Ala., five bass, 15-10, $1,564

4th:          Landon Lomax, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., five bass, 15-6, $1,025

5th:          Geoff McKnight, Rainbow City, Ala., five bass, 14-11, $879

6th:          Brandon McGinnis, Pell City, Ala., four bass, 13-13, $805

7th:          Scott Chatham, Kingston, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $732

8th:          Brian Davenport, Attalla, Ala., five bass, 13-5, $659

9th:          Terry Tucker, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 13-2, $586

10th:        Jeff Cannon, Douglasville, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $513

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jones also 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 $630.

Truman White of Spring Hill, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $2,612 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Truman White, Spring Hill, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $2,612

2nd:         Cameron Gatlin, Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $1,148

3rd:          Steven White, Ashville, Ala., five bass, 12-11, $733

4th:          Kenny Pannell, Springville, Ala., five bass, 11-14, $513

5th:          Davey Bailey, Warrior, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $439

6th:          Marcus Corbett, Anniston, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $403

7th:          Jason Risley, Cordova, Tenn., five bass, 9-14, $366

8th:          David Blakely, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 9-13, $330

9th:          Sal Pinto, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 9-2, $293

10th:        Michael Corbett, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 8-13, $256

White also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $315.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. 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.


SOCIAL CIRCLE’S CARTER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BULLDOG DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE SINCLAIR

Athens’ Kimmel Grabs Co-angler Title

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Kip Carter of Social Circle, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. For his efforts, Carter netted $6,126.

“I caught the majority of my fish in the first two hours of the day during the shad spawn,” said Carter, who earned his second career win on Lake Sinclair in BFL competition. “I fished mid-lake, targeting grass and seawalls.”

Carter said he used three baits – a buzzbait, a Nasty Shad-colored Spro Dean Rojas 65 Bronzeye Frog and a custom chartreuse and white-colored spinnerbait with gold double-willow leaf blades and a white Zoom Split Tail trailer.

“The spinnerbait caught more in terms of the number of fish, but the topwaters got the bigger ones,” said Carter.

With around 15 pounds of fish in his livewell, Carter left the shad spawn and flipped docks for the remainder of his day with a Junebug-colored Zoom Trick Worm on a shaky-head rig.

“I stayed mid-lake and got a couple key bites that ended up anchoring my bag for the win,” said Carter.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Kip Carter, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 18-2, $4,126 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2nd:         Dylan Peppers, Good Hope, Ga., five bass, 15-13, $1,963

3rd:          Mark Svendsen, Doraville, Ga., five bass, 14-2, $1,939

4th:          Steve Phillips, Douglas, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $916

5th:          John McKinney, Palatka, Fla., five bass, 12-6, $785

6th:          Terry Adams, Mansfield, Ga., five bass, 11-7, $720

7th:          Tony Couch, Buckhead, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $654

8th:          David Milsaps, Ranger, Ga., five bass, 11-3, $856

8th:          Pat Fisher, Colbert, Ga., five bass, 11-3, $556

10th:        John Bitter, Maitland, Fla., five bass, 10-4, $458

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Svendsen brought a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $530.

Justin Kimmel of Athens, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,228 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $2,228

2nd:         Mike Thornton, Jonesboro, Ga., four bass, 8-11, $1,081

3rd:          Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 8-3, $705

4th:          Brandon Padilla, Roswell, Ga., five bass, 8-0, $458

5th:          Zachary Padilla, Roswell, Ga., three bass, 7-10, $393

6th:          Daniel Bentley, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 7-9, $360

7th:          Ariel Laria, Flowery Branch, Ga., four bass, 7-5, $294

7th:          Ron Lee, Cumming, Ga., four bass, 7-5, $294

7th:          Carlos Guzman, Fayetteville, Ga., four bass, 7-5, $294

10th:        Christopher Wilder, Macon, Ga., four bass, 7-3, $229

Kimmel also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $265.

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 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.


NORMAN’S FAUCETT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OKIE DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON ARKANSAS RIVER

Tulsa’s Hemphill Wins Co-angler Title

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (May 7, 2018) – Boater Eric Faucett of Norman, Oklahoma, caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Okie Division tournament on the Arkansas River. For his efforts, Faucett pocketed $6,019.

“I worked through shallow flats in Kerr Reservoir that had scattered cover – stumps, grass, laydowns – a lot of different stuff,” said Faucett, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “There were eight other boats in there, and I ended up fishing behind them.”

Faucett said two of his fish came on a 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white-colored War Eagle spinnerbait with a gold willow-leaf blade and a red Colorado kicker blade, noting that they were two of his more quality bites. Of the other three bass that filled his limit, one came on a black Booyah Poppin’ Pad Crasher Frog and the other two came on a black Stanley Top Toad.

“The reason I switched to the Top Toad was because the fishing slowed down and I wanted to give them something they had to react to,” said Faucett. “I threw it on a high-speed Quantum S3 Tour reel with 7-to-1 ratio. The high-speed reel gave them as little time as possible to think about it.”

Faucett said he caught around 30 fish throughout the day.

“They loved the frogs – after a while it was about sifting through the keepers,” said Faucett.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Eric Faucett, Norman, Okla., five bass, 15-7, $6,019

2nd:         Billy Hardin, Tuttle, Okla., five bass, 15-6, $2,860

3rd:          Joe Erwin, Cleora, Okla., five bass, 14-12, $1,837

4th:          Dale Hightower, Mannford, Okla., five bass, 14-0, $1,288

5th:          John Shore, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 13-12, $1,104

6th:          Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., five bass, 13-9, $1,012

7th:          Mark Johnson, Weleetka, Okla., five bass, 12-10, $920

8th:          Jeff Peterson, Pryor, Okla., five bass, 12-6, $828

9th:          Jason Beem, Gravette, Ark., four bass, 12-1, $736

10th:        Jay Nyce, Rogers, Ark., five bass, 12-0, $644

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jason Sandidge of Centerton, Arkansas, brought a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $885.

Aaron Hemphill of Tulsa, Oklahoma, won the Co-angler Division and $2,960 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Aaron Hemphill, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 11-8, $2,960

2nd:         Stephen Delgado, Lee’s Summit, Mo., three bass, 9-11, $1,430

3rd:          Nathan Christie, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 9-3, $918

4th:          Chase Williams, Riverton, Kan., four bass, 9-1, $644

5th:          Shane McGlothlin, Anadarko, Okla., four bass, 8-11, $552

6th:          Keith Baucom, Oklahoma City, Okla., four bass, 7-15, $506

7th:          Darrin Allen, Mounds, Okla., three bass, 7-14, $460

8th:          Lang Yang, Miami, Okla., three bass, 7-12, $635

9th:          Jacob Girty, Porum, Okla., three bass, 7-3, $368

10th:        Darin Comstock, Denison, Texas, three bass, 6-13, $322

Wyatt Asbill of Gans, Oklahoma, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $221.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. 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.


BRYAN COLLEGE ANGLER SKIPS GRADUATION, WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING EVENT AT LAKE CHICKAMAUGA

DAYTON, Tenn. (May 7, 2018) – The Bryan College team of Nathan Bell of Riceville, Tennessee, and Cole Sands of Calhoun, Tennessee, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event at Lake Chickamauga presented by Bass Pro Shops on Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned the Lions bass club $2,000 and a spot in the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

“It was a pretty good day for me,” said Bell, a senior majoring in business administration and management. “I actually graduated on Saturday as well, but I skipped the ceremony so I could compete in this tournament. I’d rather be out fishing, anyways.”

“We had an unbelievable practice,” said Sands, a junior majoring in business management. “We thought we were going to be fishing deep, but the fish were still shallow. We watched the weather and knew that it was going to be cloudy and overcast during the tournament, so we spent our entire practice day on Thursday just running around and marking waypoints where we could see fish on beds.”

The Bryan College duo said that they had around 20 different waypoints marked to visit during the tournament and although they didn’t get to all of them, they did catch around 20 keepers throughout the day. They said they mainly concentrated on a five-mile stretch of water from near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant to Harrison Bay.

“Our main bait was a 1/16-ounce Big Bite Baits shaky-head rig with a 4-inch blue flash-colored Zoom Finesse worm,” Bell said. “Of the five bass that we weighed in, three came on that. We also weighed in two on a green-pumpkin (Berkley Havoc) Pit Boss, Texas-rigged with a ¼-ounce tungsten weight.”

“The key was definitely marking all of those fish in practice on Thursday,” Sands went on to say. “They were really spooked, and if you got to close to them you weren’t able to catch them. So having those marks allowed us to make long casts and catch a lot of fish that we never would have seen Saturday.”

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

1st:          Bryan College – Nathan Bell, Riceville, Tenn., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 21-9, $2,400

2nd:         Lipscomb University – Hunter Hanks, Hermitage, Tenn., and Scout Monteith, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 21-7, $1,200

3rd:         Auburn University – Lucas Lindsay and Logan Parks, both of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 20-1, $500

4th:         University of Tennessee – Saxton Long, Pulaski, Tenn., and Jordan Burdette, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 19-1, $500

5th:         Calhoun Community College – Dakota Guzman, Moulton, Ala., and Zane Loveday, Killen, Ala., five bass, 18-13, $500

6th:         Auburn University – Peyton McCord, Headland, Ala., and Cole Burdeshaw, Newville, Ala., five bass, 18-9

7th:         Clemson University – Brady Waits, Clemson, S.C., and Liam West, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 18-8

8th:         Lander University – Austin Gregory, Georgetown, S.C., and Kevin Latham, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 18-7

9th:         Bethel University – Nathon Portch, McKenzie, Tenn., and Cully Scroggins, Longview, Wash., five bass, 17-14

10th:       University of Montevallo – Justin Barnes, Monroeville, Ala., and Adam Carroll, Carrollton, Ga., five bass, 16-8

FLW also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 136 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2019 College Fishing National Championship are:

11th:       Savannah College of Art & Design – Reese Kingston, Villa Rica, Ga., and Cody Stahl, Griffin, Ga., four bass, 15-14

12th:       University of North Alabama – Nathan Doss, Cullman, Ala., and Charles Rieser, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 15-11

13th:       Bethel University – Brad Ableman, Latham, N.Y., and Kristopher Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 15-8

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

The YETI FLW College Fishing event at Lake Chickamauga presented by Bass Pro Shops was hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council, and was the third and final regular-season qualifying tournaments for Southeastern Conference anglers in 2018. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event takes place May 12, when Western Conference anglers compete at the YETI FLW College Fishing event at Clear Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops in Lakeport, California.

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

The 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship 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 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.


Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Honored with Boating Industry Magazine’s 2018 Top Products Awards

RACINE, Wis., May 7, 2018 – Boating Industry Magazine has announced its Top Products awards for 2018 and included products from both Humminbird® and Minn Kota®.

The fifth annual Boating Industry Magazine Top Products include the Humminbird SOLIX® 10 which earned top billing in the fish finder category and Minn Kota Talon®, the winner in the shallow water anchor category. This year marks the first time Humminbird has been honored, while Minn Kota earned Top Products awards in 2017 (Ultrex™ Trolling Motor) and 2016 (Riptide Ulterra™ Trolling Motor).

“Winning two categories in this year’s Top Product awards is validation of our work providing anglers with tools and technologies that make their time on the water more productive,” said Serena Petri, Director of Marketing for Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics. “Our unique ability to bring connectivity to the Humminbird and Minn Kota products has brought seamless automated boat control to the fishing world.”


SOLIX 10 is the newest member of the SOLIX family, joining the 12- and 15-inch models. This new model has received rave reviews since its introduction and is packed full of advanced features. Its Cross Touch® Interface lets anglers operate the unit via touchscreen or keypad. Ultra-clear MEGA Imaging™ is the first Down and Side Imaging technology to enter the megahertz range resulting in the clearest, sharpest on-screen images ever seen.  Also, AutoChart® Live is an exclusive Humminbird technology that allows the user to map and save depth contours, bottom hardness and vegetation data on any body of water.

The new Minn Kota Talon gives anglers full control over their shallow water anchor from anywhere on the boat utilizing a variety of control options (control panel, Talon remote, i-Pilot remote, foot switch and Humminbird fish finder). The new 2018 Bluetooth® enabled models can now interface with the Minn Kota i-Pilot® or i-Pilot® Link™ GPS system and select Humminbird fish finders. The new product line-up also includes a 15-foot model which will allow anglers to lock down more of the water than ever before.

For more information on Humminbird and Minn Kota’s new products visit Humminbird.com and MinnKotaMotors.com.


PELS BROTHERS WARM UP TO TREE PITCHING FOR TEXAS TEAM TRAIL RAY ROBERTS WIN

By David A. Brown
Them weekend's warmer weather benefited brothers Chris and Adam Pels, who caught a limit of bass that weighed 28.70 pounds and earned them the top prize of a Nitro Z18 w/150 Mercury. In addition, they claimed $1,875 of Anglers Advantage cash. Their total payday was $30,870.
"Last weekend, we were practicing for (another tournament) and I caught some good fish in there, but we didn't do any good during that tournament because of the cold snap we had. This weekend, it was probably 20-degrees warmer. We went back to the same area in this tournament and it really paid off for us."
The Pels fished multiple areas, but found most of their success in a major spawning creek known as Community Cove on the south side. Here, they targeted hardwoods and cedars in about 6 feet of water.
The Pels caught their fish on creature baits Texas-rigged with a 4/0 hook and 3/16-ounce sinker,  a weightless Senko on a 3/0 hook and a Carolina-rigged creature bait. Across the board, watermelon was their preferred bait color and they accented the creature baits with chartreuse tips.
"We tried to look for specific details in the trees, but it didn't work; it was so random," Chris said. "You would throw at 20 big ones and then you'd come up to a small one and you'd catch a fish out of it; and then another fish out of a big one. We just couldn't key on anything in particular.
"That's one of the reasons we used a weightless Senko. We had one on the deck at all times and if we came across a shallower tree, we would Pitch the Senko into it. We caught two fish this way."
Overall, the Texas-rigged creature bait was most productive, but it took some experimentation to determine that. The brothers kept their boat in 6-8 feet of water and passed the first couple of hours without a fish.
"About 9 a.m. this morning, my brother caught our fish - a 6-pounder -off of a tree with a creature bait and we kept trying that for a while, but it wasn't working," Chris said. "Then, we started swapping around and when I picked up a Texas-rigged creature bait again, I caught another 5-pounder about 11:30. At that point, it seemed like we should stick with this bait, so that's what we did."
"We just hit as many trees as we could and that probably was the biggest deal," Adam said. "It depended on where we were; if there were multiple trees, we would each pick a tree, but if we came up to a point where there was one tree, we would both pitch at it.
"Probably, when there were a lot of trees in the area we were moving pretty fast. We never had a tree with multiple fish."
Adam said the post-frontal conditions had the fish in a lethargic mood. No arm-yankers; the fish just sucked in the baits with hardly a sign.
"I never felt one hit it, you just picked up and they were there," he said. "When I know they're not biting good, I pitch it in there, feed line and let it sit for just a second longer to make sure it falls straight down."

As Chris noted, patience and perseverance were essential to his team's success. Not only were the fish in a finicky mood, but they also had to suffer through the frustration of watching opportunities squandered.

"We caught fish on one side of the cove, but there was a boat on the place where we really wanted to be,"Chris said. "I watched that guy lose a 4-pounder and an 8-pounder within about 10 minutes. It just didn't work out, so we moved off to another spot and I ended up pulling in a 7-pounder about 1:30.
"At that time, we thought we might get a check and then we ran to another area where my brother caught one on a Carolina rig about 3 o'clock. That was a 6- to 7-pounder that culled out a 16-inch fish."
Even with this late addition, the brothers still were not optimistic about their day. But, as it turned out, they overestimated the efforts of others.
"We have friend that all fish the same water as we do and they got earlier boat numbers than we did and I really thought they whacked them offshore,"Chris said. "It just turned out that they put too much stock where we were all fishing (in practice) and they didn't catch 'em. We ran around the lake and we caught 'em."
Haverkamp and Lain Second
The second-place team of Roger Haverkamp and Kevin Lain spread most of their day across several major creek arms on the lake's west end where they targeted timber in about three feet or less. Pitching a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog in watermelon got them the majority of their 26.54 pounds, but a late-day move would finish off the effort.
"We were just covering a lot of water and flipping at spots that looked like they should hold a fish," Lain said. "I got bites in practice on a topwater and that keyed us in to a position where some fish were on beds. We just went back to those areas today and caught three fish in the exact same spots I got bites (the day before the tournament).
"In the last hour of the hour of day - 2:55 and 3:15 to be exact - we caught our last two on a ledge in 12 feet of water," Lain said. "It was later in the day and with the bluebird skies, we figured those fish would start setting up offshore better.
"We hadn't had a bite from noon to 3 o'clock, so we pretty much just scrapped our shallow bite and made the right move."
The anglers caught their offshore fish on a Texas-rigged 10-inch Berkley Power Worm in the red bug color. Targeting big rock transitions that fish would pass on their way into and out of spawning pockets, the anglers used a slow dragging presentation.
"The key to our success was that last hour decision to fish that drop," Lain said. "We had 20-21 pounds with 30-45 minutes of fishing time left. We went there, made a cast, I caught one and while I was retying, my partner made a cast and he caught a second one. That took us from a decent stringer to a second-place stringer."
Haverkamp and Lain earned $6,825, which included $1,375 in Angler Advantage cash.
Lauck and Martin Third
During a tournament on Ray Roberts the week before the TXTT event, Robert Lauck and Ted Martin had no bites by 1 pm., but marked the 2 o'clock hour with 20 pounds in the well. Why is this relevant? Because what they learned allowed them to focus their efforts this week, take third place with a limit weighing 25.80 pounds and earn $4,520 (including $1,250 in Angler Advantage cash).

Martin noted that it wasn't so much about an afternoon bite last weekend, as it was about wasting time on dead water. Correcting that mistake, they devoted all of their time to the productive are they located a week prior.

The key spot was a small main lake point with a subtle dip in the shoreline. Bass were bedding on top of the point in about 4 1/2-5 feet, so the anglers focused on making super slow presentations with Texas-rigged black/blue Smash Tech stick baits Texas rigged on 4/0 light wire hooks with 1/4-ounce weights.
"The key was fishing slowly," Martin said. "We had a bunch of guys come through our area and they were fishing way to fast, so they didn't catch anything. You weren't going to get a bite unless you just crawled your bait through there.
"We did most of our damage in the morning and then we upgraded a couple of times in the afternoon. We only had seven keeper bites today. It took us until noon to get our limit, but by 9:30, we had four fish for over 20 pounds."
George Jeane and Tater Reynolds weighed five bass worth 24.27 pounds, taking fourth place and earning $3,492.50.Behind them Kurt Luker and Richie Thornton with 23.49. pounds. For fifth place, they earned $2,572.50
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 teams at the 2017 Texas Team Trail event on Ray Roberts:
6th: Kelly Owens - Brent Broussard -23.42
7th: Tory Sweatman - Nathan Sprabary -23-0
8th: Keith Phillips - Darwin Ballard -22.26
9th: Blake Schroeder - Easton Heigley -21.45
10th: Doug Morrow - John Barrera -21.28
Full Results HERE
Up next
The championship event of the 2018 season for the Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela's is slated for June 2-3 on Sam Rayburn.

Hackney is Headed Plinkin’ on Championship Monday

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

 After 176 B.A.S.S. tournaments, Greg Hackney has invented a new fishing term probably unfamiliar to even the most avid anglers. He calls it “plinking” - a word normally applied to shooting a .22 caliber rifle at random targets like bottles and cans.

However for Hackney, “plinking” applies to making soft underhand pitch casts with a relatively light worm weight on a Texas-rigged soft plastic lure.

“Anytime I’m just moving super slow and methodical pitching to every little target I come to with a light weight, I call that “plinking”,” grinned the 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year.

The Gonzales, Louisiana pro has “plinked” his way to yet another Top 12 this week on famed Kentucky Lake by focusing on super shallow bushes in less than 2’ of water.

His best stringer of the event thus far weighed 19 pounds, and he planned to spend “Championship Monday” doing more of the same with a Strike King Structure Bug threaded on a 5/0 Hack Attack Flippin’ Hook tied to 65-pound braid.

He uses a large spooled Quantum Smoke HD or Smoke S3 in a 7.3:1 gear ratio for fast line pick-up once a bite occurs. A 7’ 6” TourPT rod provides plenty of leverage to get fish from the flooded buck brush.

Hackney is also one of the few Elite Series anglers that uses braid nearly exclusively when pitchin’, flippin’, and “plinkin’”. “Guys that say they don’t get as many bites with braid compared to fluorocarbon have got kind of a mental hang-up in my opinion, because I’ve never seen that be the case, and there’s so many more advantages to braid,” says Hackney.

“I use braid every time I’m fishing heavy cover – whether it’s wood, grass, or whatever. And I’ll also tell you that fatter braid like 65-pound test actually slides over limbs better than fluorocarbon or mono with a lot less hang-ups. Plus, I get to fish pretty much all day without ever retying,” he emphasizes.

Known best for this style of shallow water, heavy cover fishing, Hackney says his favorite way to catch a bass is with a topwater frog, but this is a close second.

“I mean look, it’s pretty tough to beat the up-close-and-personal approach I’ve used this week, when you’re dragging ‘em out of bushes in less than 2-feet of water with 25-feet of line,” said Hackney just before pushing away from the dock at Paris Landing Marina for another great day of “plinkin’.”


COSTA FLW SERIES WESTERN DIVISION HEADS TO CLEAR LAKE FOR EVENT PRESENTED BY EVINRUDE

LAKEPOINT, Calif. (May 2, 2018) – As many as 350 boaters and co-anglers are set to compete on Clear Lake May 10-12 for the Costa FLW Series Western Division event at Clear Lake presented by Evinrude. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, will feature a top prize of up to $85,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard engine.

“This tournament is going to be a slugfest,” said Yamamoto Baits pro Jimmy Reese, of Witter Springs, California, who has 12 top-10 finishes on Clear Lake in FLW competition. “Aside from some clouds, which could change a few things, it’s supposed to be between 79 and 85 degrees just about every day leading up to the event. It’s going to be good.

“There has already been a wave of fish that have spawned, so anglers will be able to target them in all three phases – postspawn, spawners and even some prespawners,” continued Reese. “An underspin will play a big role for prespawners, as well as jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits like a Live Target Golden Shiner. For spawners, a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog or another light-colored grub will be good choices.”

Reese said the postspawn fish will prefer topwater lures like a Boing Topwater or a Heddon Super Spook.

“I’ll throw a Super Spook when I’m trying to cover a lot of water, and the Boing in tighter places because it walks – it has a noise to it and sends out a vibration,” said Reese. “Buzzbaits and frogs will be good postspawn lures as well.”

Reese said he thinks most of the lake will be utilized by anglers for this event, especially the north end.

“The water level is lower this year compared to the last few years, due to the lack of rain. Docks and tules will still be the deal for fish in all three phases, though,” said Reese.

The California veteran said that a three-day cumulative total of 72 pounds should be enough to take home top honors.

“Everything is lined up for this to be a great event,” said Reese. “Clear Lake hasn’t shined in the last eight months like it has in the past, but I think people will be surprised by what they see in this tournament.”

Anglers will take off from Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, located at 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, in Lakeport, at 6:30 a.m. PDT each day. Weigh-ins will also take place at Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, and will begin at 2:30 p.m. each day. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free to attend and open to the public.

In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At Clear Lake, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $85,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a brand new Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard, and $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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


Ranger Boats Pro Wesley Strader Strides Into Kentucky Lake Lead

Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., takes the lead on the third day of the 2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia out of Paris, Tenn., with a three-day total weight of 59 pounds, 9 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2018Strader Strides Into Kentucky Lake Lead

PARIS, Tenn. — Wesley Strader caught a five-bass limit during Sunday’s semifinal round of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia that weighed 22 pounds, 6 ounces.

It was the biggest limit of the day — and it put the Spring City, Tenn., pro in position for his first-ever Elite Series victory with a three-day total of 59-9.

Despite his strong effort on Day 3, Strader said the fishing has been anything but easy.

“It’s a struggle to get bit,” Strader said. “But if you hang around, you can catch a few. I’m making it look a lot easier than it is. I only got eight keeper bites today.

“It’s really weird. One day you’ll get a lot of bites, and then one day you won’t get many. Every time I caught one today, it’d be on the very back hook, which tells me they’re not eating. They’re just slapping at it, but luckily my Trokar hooks kept them buttoned up.”

Strader took advantage of the daybreak shad spawn, but that window was small Sunday than it had been earlier in the event. The change was due to cooler, sunnier conditions.

“I think the shad spawn was shorter today because it got cold last night,” Strader said. “The water cooled off. The optimum water temperature for the shad to spawn at daybreak is somewhere close to 70, and this morning it was 64 to 65. That knocked it back a little bit, plus the bright skies didn’t help. We got about 30 minutes and it quit.”

Strader caught his first three keepers on a handmade BH Custom Lures balsa crankbait. After that, his day amounted to a junk-fishing exercise that included topwater baits and flipping. Strader had a limit by late morning and made a key cull toward the end of his day.

“I’m just putting my trolling motor down and fishing and whatever I come to, I’m picking the right bait for the conditions,” he said.

Later in the day, Strader figured out a specific scenario that he feels he can use on Day 4. He wouldn’t divulge many details, but he’s fairly confident he’ll have it to himself.

“I’m kind of fishing things that nobody else is fishing,” he said. “I’m doing something that probably nobody else in the tournament is doing. It’s a very limited scenario, but you can run it over and over and over and catch more fish.

“There are times that they don’t bite. You might go by a bush and flip it 10 times and not get a bite, but come back an hour later and catch a 4-pounder. It’s just a timing thing.”

Looking ahead to Championship Monday, Strader said the morning bite will determine his fortune.

“It all depends on what those shad do,” he said. “If those shad come up and spawn really good, it’ll be decent. If not, it will just be a grind.”

Just one space below Strader is California superstar Skeet Reese, the Day 2 leader who now trails by less than a pound with 58-12. Reese managed only four keepers for 13-7 Sunday.

After plucking only two keepers from the shad spawn with a squarebill crankbait, Reese switched to flipping. On Bassmaster LIVE, Reese commented that he was in survival mode today — concerning himself more with making the Top 12 cut than weighing another big sack like his previous weights of 23-11 and 21-10.

“I knew the shad spawn bite would be shorter for me today,” he said “I thought the fish might stay up a little longer in the dirtier water I was fishing, but they didn’t. I tried running my key stuff as fast as I could and as early as I could to try and capitalize on it, but I could only get two good ones.

“I couldn’t get bit again, so I just forced myself to get up there and start flipping bushes, which I hadn’t done the last two days. I got two doing it. I thought if I kept doing it, I could get five.”

Reese caught his fish on a Berkley tube rigged on a Trokar kahle-style tube hook.

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., lost a 6-pounder right at the boat Sunday, but he still caught a limit that weighed 16-9 and moved up form fourth place to third with 56-5. He spent his day pitching shallow cover.

“The bite was a lot tougher; I only had seven bites today,” he said. “I lost that big one, then I caught a big one and then I went hours without a bite.”

Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., is in fourth with 56-1, and Kelly Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., is fifth with 54-15.

The tournament will conclude Monday with takeoff scheduled for 6 a.m. CT from Paris Landing State Park and the final weigh-in back at the park at 3:15 p.m..

2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia 5/4-5/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1.  Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN         15  59-09  110
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   17-13     Day 3: 5   22-06
2.  Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              14  58-12  109
Day 1: 5   23-11     Day 2: 5   21-10     Day 3: 4   13-07
3.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           15  56-05  108
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 5   16-09
4.  Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL        14  56-01  107
Day 1: 4   14-02     Day 2: 5   24-00     Day 3: 5   17-15
5.  Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           15  54-15  106
Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 5   21-01
6.  Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        15  54-13  105
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-04     Day 3: 5   19-05
7.  Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         14  54-00  104
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 4   13-07
8.  Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR        13  53-13  103
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   22-11     Day 3: 3   13-03
9.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            15  53-12  102
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   18-02     Day 3: 5   15-03
10. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             15  52-10  101
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   20-09     Day 3: 5   16-01
11. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            15  52-09  100
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   19-09     Day 3: 5   16-02
12. Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ      15  52-07   99
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   13-15     Day 3: 5   18-06
13. Ott DeFoe              Blaine, TN              15  52-06   98  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 5   16-09
14. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        15  52-06   97  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 5   18-07
15. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 15  52-02   96  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 5   15-04
16. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           15  51-15   95  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   19-08     Day 3: 5   13-14
17. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              15  51-06   94  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   14-10     Day 3: 5   19-11
18. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV            13  50-15   93  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-03     Day 2: 3   07-02     Day 3: 5   19-10
19. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN           14  50-12   92  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 4   14-06     Day 3: 5   19-09
20. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               15  50-08   91  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   22-07     Day 3: 5   13-03
21. Fletcher Shryock       Dennison, OH            15  48-13   90  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   18-11     Day 3: 5   15-01
22. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           15  48-12   89  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   17-05     Day 3: 5   12-13
23. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            15  48-08   88  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   17-10     Day 3: 5   16-02
24. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               15  47-14   87  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   15-10     Day 3: 5   16-12
25. Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            15  47-07   86  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-13     Day 2: 5   14-15     Day 3: 5   13-11
26. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              14  47-06   85  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   19-12     Day 3: 4   08-04
27. Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             13  47-03   84  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   19-11     Day 3: 3   08-09
28. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          15  46-15   83  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   15-15     Day 3: 5   14-10
29. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              15  46-08   82  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   16-06     Day 3: 5   12-03
30. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          14  46-03   81  $10,000.00
Day 1: 4   13-05     Day 2: 5   20-00     Day 3: 5   12-14
31. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        15  46-02   80  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 5   10-06
32. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              14  46-01   79  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   17-07     Day 3: 4   10-01
33. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID              15  45-15   78  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   15-12     Day 3: 5   15-08
34. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         15  45-12   77  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   15-07     Day 3: 5   15-09
35. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         15  44-10   76  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   18-13     Day 3: 5   12-01
36. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            15  44-05   75  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   19-11     Day 3: 5   10-08
37. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       15  44-03   74  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-13     Day 3: 5   13-03
38. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         15  43-12   73  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   13-11     Day 3: 5   10-07
39. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL        12  42-11   72  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 4   13-12     Day 3: 3   09-08
40. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       13  42-07   71  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   20-00     Day 3: 3   11-00
41. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        13  42-03   70  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   15-04     Day 3: 3   08-06
42. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           14  41-14   69  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   13-03     Day 3: 4   11-07
43. Alton Jones Jr.        Waco, TX                13  41-07   68  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   13-10     Day 3: 3   11-09
44. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             13  40-02   67  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   16-07     Day 3: 3   10-03
45. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         12  39-01   66  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   17-09     Day 3: 2   04-04
46. John Murray            Spring City, TN         11  37-09   65  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 1   03-00
47. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               10  36-14   64  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   15-11     Day 3: 0   00-00
48. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            12  34-02   63  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   13-13     Day 3: 2   04-07
49. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX        10  33-14   62  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   20-08     Day 3: 0   00-00
50. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL        12  33-12   61  $10,000.00
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   15-13     Day 3: 2   03-14


Swindles are leaning on Church

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

 

Given the massive number of miles he planned to pilot his Triton, there’s a good chance that by the time you’re reading this, Gerald Swindle will have just arrived at his first fishing spot Sunday morning at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Kentucky Lake.

“We’re fixin’ to put a little Church on and make about a 1-hour run,” said Swindle under a gorgeous but foggy sunrise, as he pushed earphones in, and the throttle down.

However, the Church he was referring to didn’t involve a preacher’s sermon on this particular Sunday, but instead the music of one of his all-time favorite artists, Eric Church as he made the mega-long haul down the Tennessee River.

Most fans know Swindle for his world-class humor and two Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, but many may not realize his love of music and meaningful lyrics. “We’re fixin’ to do some “Creepin’,” said Swindle in reference to Eric Church’s 2012 hit single by that title.

Meanwhile, 60 miles away from where Swindle is slinging crankbaits from a Quantum reel this morning, his best friend and bride, “Lulu” is taking in church on her laptop, saying lots of prayers, and cleaning-up the couples 5thwheel RV, partly to find peace, and partly to keep her mind off a very trying time with their sweet old dog, Myrick.

The couple’s 12-year-old Weimaraner has traveled the Elite Series for a dozen years, but is of poor health, and has had a very tough week here at Kentucky Lake. Understandably, Myrick’s struggles have led to a deeply emotional tournament for Gerald and LeAnn.

“People say pro anglers aren’t athletes, but I’ll promise you the willpower and focus that Gerald is showing this week is every bit as much as a top athlete,” says LeAnn. “He didn’t get as many bites yesterday, and I know that allows his mind to wonder and think about Myrick, so I’m hoping he gets a lot of bites today.”

Whether from a sermon on her laptop in the 5thwheel, or lyrics in his ears along a very lengthily boat ride, all who know and love the Swindles are praying this particular Sunday grants them plenty of bites, and a whole lot of peace.


Skeet Reese Takes Second-Round Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Kentucky Lake

Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., takes/maintains the lead on the second day of the 2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia out of Paris, Tenn., with a two-day total weight of 45 pounds, 5 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

May 5, 2018 

PARIS, Tenn. — When Bassmaster tournament emcee Dave Mercer noted that Skeet Reese was “making it look easy” during the morning’s Bassmaster LIVE coverage, the veteran pro gave a simple explanation for the seemingly tranquil performance that pushed him into the lead with 45 pounds, 5 ounces on Day 2 of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia.

“It’s easy when you have 20 pounds in the boat,” Reese said.

Indeed, the Auburn, Calif., Elite angler got the party started early and quickly added 21-10 to his 23-11 from yesterday. Noting that he was more dialed in on his pattern today, Reese had his limit by 8 a.m. and had caught his day’s weight by about 10.

This early productivity bore consistent with the morning shad spawn that had bass rallying around key areas awash with reproducing baitfish.

“The shad spawn was everything,” Reese said. “They’re feeding for the first four hours of the day, but the last two days we’ve had cloud cover, which probably extended the bite.”

Reese caught his fish on a mix that included a jerkbait, swimbait and squarebill crankbait. The latter did most of the work, but presentations had to be specific.

“The whole key is getting the bait to deflect,” Reese said. “If your bait’s not deflecting off the bottom, for the most part, you’re not getting the bites. The key is triggering these fish. It’s typical postspawn.”

Once his morning action subsided, Reese struggled the rest of the day. With clearer conditions and more sun in tomorrow’s forecast, he’s contemplating his options.

“I definitely have to change how I fish in the afternoons because I pretty much drove the suck bus the last two afternoons,” Reese said.

Reese said he fished a lot of new water today. Not everything produced, but he found himself in a position to experiment, so he took advantage of the opportunity.

“I was fortunate to have a good bag in the boat early. That allowed me to ‘prefish’ and fine-tune something and find that one little sweet spot,” Reese said. “Obviously, I found one sweet spot yesterday where I hooked four or five fish and I hooked four there today. If there’s one spot like that, there’s definitely a lot more like that out there.

“I don’t know if I was fishing good water or bad water, but I could have fished some amazing stuff in the afternoon that, even though I didn’t get a bite, maybe they’re chewing in the morning.”

Bassmaster LIVE, the innovative live-stream coverage of on-the-water fishing action pioneered by B.A.S.S., documented a Skeet Reese highlight reel moment when he snatched opportunity from the jaws of disaster after hooking a 6-pounder on a jerkbait and tangling his kill-switch cord around his reel handle. Calmly managing the moment, Reese unwrapped the cord and reeled the fish boatside for a clean catch.

“What a train wreck; I couldn’t make another turn on the reel handle,” Reese lamented. “When you have a 5 1/2-pounder jumping in front of you and you can’t turn the reel handle, it’s like ugh!

“I’m glad I made it look smooth, because internally, I was a wreck.”

Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark., made a big second-round improvement by sacking up a limit that weighed 22-11 and moved him up from 27th place to second with a total weight of 40-10. Today’s calm conditions initially hindered Roumbanis, but a gutsy call to abandon a limit strategy and stick with his big-fish bait helped him overcome an early roadblock and hammer out an impressive day.

“I felt like I needed the wind to make my swimbait bite work,” he said. “I’m throwing my signature Boom Boom Swimbait, and I came across a certain little deal and caught what I caught.

“When I picked up a spinning rod with a shaky head and caught two keepers, I relaxed a little bit. But this is Kentucky Lake, so I put that down and picked up the swimbait and said ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s a confidence thing when I’m throwing a swimbait. I know I’m fishing for the right bites.”

Roumbanis said he identified the right areas by studying his Garmin Panoptix imaging and interpreting what he saw.

“If you look at bait and then you see bigger blobs, those are probably bass; if you don’t see bait and you see a lot of blobs, they’re probably carp,” he said. “I’m using the bait to distinguish what I’m looking at.”

In third place, Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla., rose from 11th place on Friday to third, just 1 ounce behind Roumbanis. His 20-13 limit of five bass gives him a two-day total of 40-9. Grigsby caught all of his bass by sight fishing with soft plastics. His second-round catch included a 7-11 that leads the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award.

Rounding out the Top 5 are Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 39-12 and Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., with 39-2.

Takeoff Sunday morning will be at 6 a.m. CT out of Paris Landing Marina, and weigh-ins are scheduled at Paris Landing State Park beginning at 3:15 p.m.

2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia 5/4-5/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Skeet Reese            Auburn, CA              10  45-05  110
Day 1: 5   23-11     Day 2: 5   21-10
2.  Fred Roumbanis         Russellville, AR        10  40-10  109
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   22-11
3.  Shaw Grigsby Jr.       Gainesville, FL         10  40-09  108
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   20-13
4.  Jason Christie         Park Hill, OK           10  39-12  107
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   18-15
5.  Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              10  39-02  106
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   19-12
6.  Chad Pipkens           Lansing, MI             10  38-10  105
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   19-11
7.  Bobby Lane Jr.         Lakeland, FL            10  38-09  104
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   18-02
8.  Boyd Duckett           Guntersville, AL         9  38-02  103
Day 1: 4   14-02     Day 2: 5   24-00
9.  Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN           10  38-01  102
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   19-08
10. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL               10  37-05  101
Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   22-07
11. Wesley Strader         Spring City, TN         10  37-03  100
Day 1: 5   19-06     Day 2: 5   17-13
12. Jordan Lee             Grant, AL               10  36-14   99
Day 1: 5   21-03     Day 2: 5   15-11
13. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  36-14   98
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   17-01
14. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  36-09   97
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   20-09
15. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  36-07   96
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   19-09
16. Alton Jones            Lorena, TX              10  36-00   95
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   17-07
17. Bradley Roy            Lancaster, KY           10  35-15   94
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   17-05
18. Ott DeFoe              Blaine, TN              10  35-13   93
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   16-03
19. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  35-12   92
Day 1: 5   20-04     Day 2: 5   15-08
20. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira, KS        10  35-08   91
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   18-04
21. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  34-13   90
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   17-09
22. John Murray            Spring City, TN         10  34-09   89
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   16-03
23. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  34-05   88
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   16-06
24. Josh Bertrand          San Tan Valley, AZ      10  34-01   87
Day 1: 5   20-02     Day 2: 5   13-15
25. Chris Lane             Guntersville, AL        10  33-15   86
Day 1: 5   16-07     Day 2: 5   17-08
26. Kelley Jaye            Dadeville, AL           10  33-14   85
Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   11-14
27. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX        10  33-14   84
Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 5   20-08
28. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  33-13   83
Day 1: 5   14-02     Day 2: 5   19-11
29. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL        10  33-13   82
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   15-04
30. Jacob Wheeler          Harrison, TN            10  33-12   81
Day 1: 5   18-13     Day 2: 5   14-15
31. Fletcher Shryock       Dennison, OH            10  33-12   80
Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   18-11
32. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           9  33-05   79
Day 1: 4   13-05     Day 2: 5   20-00
33. David Walker           Sevierville, TN         10  33-05   78
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   13-11
34. Matt Lee               Guntersville, AL         9  33-03   77
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 4   13-12
35. Scott Rook             Little Rock, AR         10  32-09   76
Day 1: 5   13-12     Day 2: 5   18-13
36. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka, AL            10  32-06   75
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   17-10
37. Andy Montgomery        Blacksburg, SC          10  32-05   74
Day 1: 5   16-06     Day 2: 5   15-15
38. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              10  31-11   73
Day 1: 5   17-01     Day 2: 5   14-10
39. Tim Horton             Muscle Shoals, AL       10  31-07   72
Day 1: 5   11-07     Day 2: 5   20-00
40. Chris Zaldain          Laughlin, NV             8  31-05   71
Day 1: 5   24-03     Day 2: 3   07-02
41. Brandon Card           Knoxville, TN            9  31-03   70
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 4   14-06
42. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC               10  31-02   69
Day 1: 5   15-08     Day 2: 5   15-10
43. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande, CA       10  31-00   68
Day 1: 5   17-03     Day 2: 5   13-13
44. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  30-07   67
Day 1: 5   17-04     Day 2: 5   13-03
45. Brandon Palaniuk       Hayden, ID              10  30-07   66
Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   15-12
46. Seth Feider            Bloomington, MN         10  30-03   65
Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 5   15-07
47. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ             10  29-15   64
Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   16-07
48. Alton Jones Jr.        Waco, TX                10  29-14   63
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 5   13-10
49. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL        10  29-14   62
Day 1: 5   14-01     Day 2: 5   15-13
50. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC            10  29-11   61
Day 1: 5   15-14     Day 2: 5   13-13
51. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City, AZ     8  29-10   60
Day 1: 3   12-13     Day 2: 5   16-13
52. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  29-10   59
Day 1: 5   15-06     Day 2: 5   14-04
53. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  29-07   58
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 5   17-11
54. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo, MI            9  29-06   57
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 4   13-09
55. Paul Elias             Laurel, MS               9  29-05   56
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 4   09-04
56. Keith Poche            Pike Road, AL            8  29-05   55
Day 1: 4   13-13     Day 2: 4   15-08
57. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS               10  29-04   54
Day 1: 5   19-09     Day 2: 5   09-11
58. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC             10  29-02   53
Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   16-04
59. Adrian Avena           Vineland, NJ            10  28-10   52
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   10-12
60. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  28-09   51
Day 1: 5   16-15     Day 2: 5   11-10
61. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           9  28-05   50
Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 4   11-13
62. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo, FL           10  28-02   49
Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   12-07
63. Shin Fukae             Palestine TX JAPAN       8  28-00   48
Day 1: 4   13-04     Day 2: 4   14-12
64. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           7  27-15   47
Day 1: 2   09-08     Day 2: 5   18-07
65. Gerald Spohrer         Gonzales, LA             8  27-15   46
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 3   10-01
66. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  27-12   45
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   12-09
67. Jesse Wiggins          Cullman, AL              8  27-11   44
Day 1: 5   18-14     Day 2: 3   08-13
68. David Fritts           Lexington, NC           10  27-09   43
Day 1: 5   15-04     Day 2: 5   12-05
69. Brent Ehrler           Redlands, CA             9  27-04   42
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 4   10-06
70. Kelly Jordon           Flint, TX               10  27-03   41
Day 1: 5   13-00     Day 2: 5   14-03
71. James Elam             Tulsa, OK               10  26-15   40
Day 1: 5   12-14     Day 2: 5   14-01
72. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          8  26-07   39
Day 1: 3   13-09     Day 2: 5   12-14
73. Justin Lucas           Guntersville, AL        10  26-02   38
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 5   12-07
74. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        8  26-01   37
Day 1: 5   16-04     Day 2: 3   09-13
75. Mark Daniels Jr.       Tuskegee, AL            10  26-00   36
Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   12-07
76. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL          10  25-15   35
Day 1: 5   13-03     Day 2: 5   12-12
77. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          8  25-06   34
Day 1: 4   12-02     Day 2: 4   13-04
78. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL         9  25-00   33
Day 1: 5   13-11     Day 2: 4   11-05
79. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  24-14   32
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   11-07
80. Ish Monroe             Hughson, CA              9  24-09   31
Day 1: 5   15-10     Day 2: 4   08-15
81. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  24-07   30
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 5   11-05
82. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              9  24-05   29
Day 1: 5   11-11     Day 2: 4   12-10
83. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA         10  24-03   28
Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 5   10-12
84. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            9  23-11   27
Day 1: 4   10-04     Day 2: 5   13-07
85. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          9  23-02   26
Day 1: 5   12-13     Day 2: 4   10-05
86. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA         10  22-14   25
Day 1: 5   10-15     Day 2: 5   11-15
87. Mike McClelland        Bentonville, AR          7  22-09   24
Day 1: 4   12-02     Day 2: 3   10-07
88. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           6  21-13   23
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 1   03-04
89. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             9  21-08   22
Day 1: 5   11-15     Day 2: 4   09-09
90. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               8  21-06   21
Day 1: 5   13-02     Day 2: 3   08-04
91. Roy Hawk               Lk Havasu Cty, AZ        9  21-00   20
Day 1: 4   07-09     Day 2: 5   13-07
92. Dave Lefebre           Erie, PA                 8  20-02   19
Day 1: 4   10-06     Day 2: 4   09-12
93. Gary Klein             Mingus, TX               8  19-02   18
Day 1: 4   08-12     Day 2: 4   10-06
94. Dustin Connell         Clanton, AL              7  19-01   17
Day 1: 4   10-07     Day 2: 3   08-10
95. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              6  18-08   16
Day 1: 4   11-03     Day 2: 2   07-05
96. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         7  17-05   15
Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 2   04-04
97. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              7  17-01   14
Day 1: 3   06-08     Day 2: 4   10-09
98. Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  16-13   13
Day 1: 2   08-00     Day 2: 3   08-13
99. Morizo Shimizu         Suita, Osaka JAPAN       6  16-06   12
Day 1: 3   07-11     Day 2: 3   08-11
100. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            6  16-01   11
Day 1: 3   07-03     Day 2: 3   08-14
101. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              6  15-15   10
Day 1: 5   11-12     Day 2: 1   04-03
102. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  15-13    9
Day 1: 3   08-08     Day 2: 2   07-05
103. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               6  15-06    8
Day 1: 2   04-09     Day 2: 4   10-13
104. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore, OK              7  14-07    7
Day 1: 3   06-10     Day 2: 4   07-13
105. Takahiro Omori         Emory, TX                5  14-02    6
Day 1: 1   02-08     Day 2: 4   11-10
106. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI               5  10-13    5
Day 1: 3   05-07     Day 2: 2   05-06
107. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  4  10-06    4
Day 1: 4   10-06     Day 2: 0   00-00
108. Darrell Ocamica        New Plymouth, ID         3  07-06    3
Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 3   07-06


Sportsmans Warehouse Pro Zaldain Claims Narrow Lead Over Reese In Bassmaster Elite Tournament At Kentucky Lake

Chris Zaldain of Laughlin, Nev., takes the lead on the first day of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia, bringing 24 pounds, 3 ounces to the scales on Friday.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

May 4, 2018

PARIS, Tenn. — Chris Zaldain knew what he wanted to do, he knew why he wanted to do it and he got the job done to the tune of a 24-pound, 3-ounce limit of bass that leads the first round of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia.

“A few days ago, I got some bad news about my mom’s (Rose) health, she’s battling cancer,” said Zaldain of Laughlin, Nev. “The last few days have been rough, so I came into this event to win it for my mom.

“I really want a chance to go into Sunday and win this event. I feel like my career needs it. I feel like my family needs it.”

Zaldain said he’s fishing such a specific pattern that he couldn’t divulge many details. However, he did note that a very specific integration of three distinct factors — some habitat, others conditional — were essential to his success.

“I practiced with one thing in my mind, pretty much one bait, one approach and it paid off big time today,” Zaldain said. “The second day of practice, I caught almost 30 pounds, no joke. Kentucky Lake has got ’em.

“A lot of people are complaining about the Asian carp, but the bass still live here. You just have to fish where the carp aren’t.”

Noting that he fished a purely prespawn pattern, Zaldain knew his day would be one of quality over quantity. His biggest was a 6-pounder, which made it to the Bassmaster blog feed with Zaldain’s handwritten dedication note to his mother.

“I’m fishing for five bites,” Zaldain said. “I’m not going out there trying to catch as many as I can, I’m just trying to catch five.

“Angles are everything to the way I’m fishing. I watched people fish through an area twice and I went in behind them and caught fish.”

The morning bite was key for Zaldain, who tanked his last keeper at 10 a.m. Looking ahead, he’s confident that he can replicate his game plan again Saturday, the second of four competition days.

“If I keep doing what I’m doing, I’ll have a big bag,” he said. “We have a weather change coming tomorrow, so I may have to make a few adjustments, but it’s going to be more of the same. In fact, a few of my spots, I didn’t even touch today.”

While Zaldain’s game plan worked to perfection, Skeet Reese’s didn’t. The Elite pro from Auburn, Calif., had to scrap his original game plan when he found himself fishless at 8 a.m. Switching to waters he never visited in practice, Reese targeted an area where he threw reaction baits and intercepted fish coming and going from a spawning area. His decision to change game plans led to a solid limit of 23-11, just 8 ounces behind the leader.

In third, Alabama’s Kelly Jaye picked off a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds by throwing a custom colored Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait that he modified with larger hooks for a faster sink rate in the 8-foot depths he targeted.

Jaye said he needs sunlight penetration to allow the fish to see his bait better, so if Saturday offers any break in the cloud cover, he’s anticipating a heavier bag.

Rounding out the Top 5 are reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Jordan Lee of Grant, Ala., with 21-3 and Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 20-13

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., and Chad Pipkens of Lansing, Mich., are tied for the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award with twin 7-pound, 7-ounce fish.

Daily takeoffs will begin at 6 a.m. CT out of Paris Landing Marina, and weigh-ins are scheduled at Paris Landing State Park beginning at 3:15 p.m. CT. each day.

2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Kentucky Lake presented by Abu Garcia 5/4-5/7
Kentucky Lake, Paris TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 5 24-03 110
Day 1: 5 24-03
2. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 23-11 109
Day 1: 5 23-11
3. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 22-00 108
Day 1: 5 22-00
4. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 21-03 107
Day 1: 5 21-03
5. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 20-13 106
Day 1: 5 20-13
6. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 20-07 105
Day 1: 5 20-07
7. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 20-04 104
Day 1: 5 20-04
8. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 5 20-02 103
Day 1: 5 20-02
9. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 20-01 102
Day 1: 5 20-01
10. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 19-13 101
Day 1: 5 19-13
11. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 19-12 100
Day 1: 5 19-12
12. Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 5 19-10 99
Day 1: 5 19-10
12. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 19-10 99
Day 1: 5 19-10
14. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 19-09 97
Day 1: 5 19-09
15. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 19-07 96
Day 1: 5 19-07
16. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 19-06 95
Day 1: 5 19-06
16. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 5 19-06 95
Day 1: 5 19-06
18. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 18-15 93
Day 1: 5 18-15
19. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 18-14 92
Day 1: 5 18-14
20. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 5 18-13 91
Day 1: 5 18-13
21. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 18-10 90
Day 1: 5 18-10
22. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 18-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-09
22. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 18-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-09
22. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 18-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-09
22. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 18-09 89
Day 1: 5 18-09
26. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 18-06 85
Day 1: 5 18-06
27. Fred Roumbanis Russellville, AR 5 17-15 84
Day 1: 5 17-15
28. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 17-15 83
Day 1: 5 17-15
29. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 17-14 82
Day 1: 5 17-14
29. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 5 17-14 82
Day 1: 5 17-14
31. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 17-04 80
Day 1: 5 17-04
31. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 17-04 80
Day 1: 5 17-04
31. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 17-04 80
Day 1: 5 17-04
34. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 17-03 77
Day 1: 5 17-03
35. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 17-01 76
Day 1: 5 17-01
36. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 16-15 75
Day 1: 5 16-15
37. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 5 16-14 74
Day 1: 5 16-14
37. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 16-14 74
Day 1: 5 16-14
39. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 16-13 72
Day 1: 5 16-13
40. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 16-08 71
Day 1: 5 16-08
41. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 16-07 70
Day 1: 5 16-07
42. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 16-06 69
Day 1: 5 16-06
43. Alton Jones Jr. Waco, TX 5 16-04 68
Day 1: 5 16-04
43. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 16-04 68
Day 1: 5 16-04
45. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 16-00 66
Day 1: 5 16-00
46. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 15-14 65
Day 1: 5 15-14
47. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 15-13 64
Day 1: 5 15-13
48. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 15-11 63
Day 1: 5 15-11
49. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 15-10 62
Day 1: 5 15-10
50. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 15-08 61
Day 1: 5 15-08
51. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 15-06 60
Day 1: 5 15-06
52. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 15-04 59
Day 1: 5 15-04
53. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 15-03 58
Day 1: 5 15-03
54. Fletcher Shryock Dennison, OH 5 15-01 57
Day 1: 5 15-01
55. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 14-14 56
Day 1: 5 14-14
56. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 14-12 55
Day 1: 5 14-12
56. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 14-12 55
Day 1: 5 14-12
58. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 14-11 53
Day 1: 5 14-11
59. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 14-02 52
Day 1: 5 14-02
60. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 4 14-02 51
Day 1: 4 14-02
61. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 5 14-01 50
Day 1: 5 14-01
62. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 4 13-13 49
Day 1: 4 13-13
63. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 13-12 48
Day 1: 5 13-12
64. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 13-11 47
Day 1: 5 13-11
64. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 13-11 47
Day 1: 5 13-11
66. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 5 13-09 45
Day 1: 5 13-09
67. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 3 13-09 44
Day 1: 3 13-09
68. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 13-08 43
Day 1: 5 13-08
69. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 13-07 42
Day 1: 5 13-07
69. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 13-07 42
Day 1: 5 13-07
71. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 13-06 40
Day 1: 5 13-06
72. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 4 13-05 39
Day 1: 4 13-05
73. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 4 13-04 38
Day 1: 4 13-04
74. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 13-03 37
Day 1: 5 13-03
75. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 13-02 36
Day 1: 5 13-02
75. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-02 36
Day 1: 5 13-02
77. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 13-01 34
Day 1: 5 13-01
78. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 13-00 33
Day 1: 5 13-00
79. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 12-14 32
Day 1: 5 12-14
79. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 12-14 32
Day 1: 5 12-14
81. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 12-13 30
Day 1: 5 12-13
82. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 3 12-13 29
Day 1: 3 12-13
83. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 4 12-02 28
Day 1: 4 12-02
83. Mike McClelland Bentonville, AR 4 12-02 28
Day 1: 4 12-02
85. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 11-15 26
Day 1: 5 11-15
86. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 11-12 25
Day 1: 5 11-12
86. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 11-12 25
Day 1: 5 11-12
88. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 11-11 23
Day 1: 5 11-11
89. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 11-07 22
Day 1: 5 11-07
90. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 4 11-03 21
Day 1: 4 11-03
91. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 10-15 20
Day 1: 5 10-15
92. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 4 10-07 19
Day 1: 4 10-07
93. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 10-06 18
Day 1: 4 10-06
93. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 4 10-06 18
Day 1: 4 10-06
95. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 4 10-04 16
Day 1: 4 10-04
96. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 2 09-08 15
Day 1: 2 09-08
97. Gary Klein Mingus, TX 4 08-12 14
Day 1: 4 08-12
98. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 3 08-08 13
Day 1: 3 08-08
99. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 2 08-00 12
Day 1: 2 08-00
100. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 3 07-11 11
Day 1: 3 07-11
101. Roy Hawk Lk Havasu Cty, AZ 4 07-09 10
Day 1: 4 07-09
102. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 3 07-03 9
Day 1: 3 07-03
103. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 3 06-10 8
Day 1: 3 06-10
104. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 3 06-08 7
Day 1: 3 06-08
105. Jonathon VanDam Gobles, MI 3 05-07 6
Day 1: 3 05-07
106. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 2 04-09 5
Day 1: 2 04-09
107. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 1 02-08 4
Day 1: 1 02-08
108. Darrell Ocamica New Plymouth, ID 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 82 493 1589-05
----------------------------------
82 493 1589-05

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Show Off Your 'Best Catch' and You Could Be Fishing with Mark Zona

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – If you’re an angler or know someone who is, the countdown begins now for a chance to win big. Showing off your “best catch” could get you an action-packed fishing trip with Mark Zona, former pro angler, co-host of the Bassmaster Elite Series, and host of “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show” on his favorite lake.

Submit your photo of any catch, past or recent, to the BoatUS “Best Catch” Photo Contest. No need to buy anything. No hoops to jump through. Just enter your photo, and before you know it, you could be on the water, rod in hand, with none other than the “Z-Man,” as he’s known to fans. The contest runs May 1–31, 2018. Entry details and contest rules can be found at BoatUS.com/Catch.

In addition to a fully expensed fishing trip, the grand prize winner will be awarded one-year Premium FishTrack and Buoyweather Memberships, providing global satellite imagery and marine weather. A one-year BoatUS Unlimited Towing Membership with Unlimited Trailer Assist will also be included, providing 24/7 assistance to boaters on the water or on the road who face trouble or break down.

Zona, one of the biggest fishing personalities in outdoor television and never one to turn down a chance to go fishing, said, "We always have a blast on the BoatUS Best Catch fishing trip! I want our winner to have more than an epic day of fishing. I want them to feel like they had an out-of-body fishing dream!”

The winner will be notified by June 8, 2018. The winning photo will appear in the largest national boating magazine, BoatUS Magazine.

Suggested Tweet and Facebook post:

Show off your “best catch” and you could win a fishing trip with Mark Zona! Submit your photo to the @BoatUS Best Catch Photo Contest by May 31. https://bit.ly/2KAohcC

About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):

Celebrating over 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. On the water, TowBoatUS brings boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.


This Weekend - Sportsmans Warehouse Sportsmans Dream Tournament on Lake Chickamauga!

AC's John Byrne & Sportmans Warehouse Manager Craig Baird Talk about this Weekends Sportsmans Warehouse Sportsmans Dream tournament on Lake Chickamauga!

Complete Info Here!

https://anglerschannel.com/tournaments/sportsmans-warehouse-fishermans-dream-bass-tournament-lake-chickamauga-may-5-2018/


BoatUS Renews Title Sponsorship of 2018 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship

May 2, 2018

The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) announces that Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has renewed its title sponsorship of the 2018 Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship. Now in its thirteenth anniversary year, the event will be held May 23-25 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. The Championship is the third major ACA event of four tournaments in the rapidly expanding Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series slated for this year. BoatUS has been the title sponsor of the Championship since its inception.

 

Starting with the first Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship held on Lake Lewisville in 2006, student anglers have benefitted, both on the water and off, from the relationship with BoatUS. A decade later, collegiate anglers continue to be able to tap into BoatUS’ 24/7 on water towing and roadside assistance services, information, and more at each Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series event.

Wade Middleton, President of CarecoTV and Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers, said, “Since first becoming involved in college fishing, BoatUS has provided so much over the past decade from education on safety issues and boating issues, offering important services like insurance, towing and more as well a wide range of services both on and off the water to help ensure this next generation of anglers are prepared to safely and properly enjoy the waters across the nation.”

To find out how you can get signed up for your BoatUS membership and participants’ incentive plans, visit the www.boatus.com.

 


St. Croix Rods - A New Legend for Anglers Who Want it All

Courtesy of St. Croix Rods / Traditions Media

Legend X packs every technology at St. Croix’s disposal to deliver unrivaled performance

Park Falls, WI (May 3, 2018) – The Senko spiraled toward the bottom of a gin-clear lake, turning the reel on the opposite end ever closer towards the end of its spool. Twenty feet down and dozens of yards from the boat, a thin strand of four-pound fluorocarbon traced a line from fish to man. On a sunny day at this depth and distance, the line was impossible for the angler’s eye to see — then, a thump.

“I could feel it in my hands,” said angling guru Dan Johnston. “It blew my mind.”

 

 

 

Johnston, National Accounts Manager for St. Croix Rod, was in the midst of a three-day video shoot with Jarrett Edwards of Jarrett Edwards Outdoors. The gin-clear water belonged to the mystic desert fishery of Lake Powell, where a maze of clear water channels crisscrosses the Arizona/Utah border in a dance with time and nature. At Lake Powell, the ruins of an Anasazi empire and exposed fossils of plesiosaurs line the same canyon walls where bass loiter for food, feasting on shad in the shadows of legends.

It was here on Powell that Johnston and Edwards had come to document a legend of their own — a battle test for the St. Croix Rod Legend X.

“I was basing bite detection off of that thump in my hands,” Johnston said. “Usually, all of the conditions have to line up to feel that hit. Here, Jarrett and I were throwing a light soft plastic almost as far as we could throw, getting a bite at the very end of the cast, and in 20 feet of water you could still feel it.”

 

 

Adds Johnston, “You can write that, but people reading it will roll their eyes. They won’t believe you until they do it for themselves.”

Legend X rumors began to swirl last summer, just before the rod made its official debut at ICAST 2017. There, retailers got their first look at the production models which would eventually find their way out to the desert with Johnston and Edwards. Featuring Relentless Olive blanks with cork, split-grip handles and a familiar name, it didn’t take long for consumers who hadn’t seen the rods up close to dub Legend X a ‘Legend Elite with split grips.’ But Johnston says only part of that moniker is true.

“It does have the same SCV blank as the Legend Elite, and it does have split grips, but this is a rod built with every single technology St. Croix Rod has at its disposal. It’s a rod for the ultimate, discerning angler who understands that 32 pairs of hands have touched this rod during the manufacturing process. It’s for the angler who wants the ultimate in sensitivity and light weight. It’s for the angler who wants all of St. Croix’s rod building technologies. Every one of them.”

 

 

An 18-year veteran of St. Croix Rod, Johnston is no spring chicken when it comes to rod design. He’s fished nearly every rod the Wisconsin-based company has produced in almost two decades with the company; and in a field with many favorites, he says Legend X stands above them all.

“It’s a dream rod for me,” he elaborates. “A lot of people have been waiting on a SCV blank with split grips. Legend X is unbelievably impressive.”

The rod’s list of technical features reads like a laundry list of high-performance rod specifications: Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) mandrel tooling technology; Advanced Reinforcing Technology™ (ART™); a Taper Enhancement Technology (TET) blank; super high-modulus SCVI graphite with Fortified Resin System (FRS) in its lower section for maximum power and reduced weight; high-modulus/high-strain SCV graphite with FRS and carbon-matte scrim for unparalleled strength, durability and sensitivity; Fuji® Torzite® tangle-free guides with titanium frames; a Fuji® TVS blank-touch reel seat with a built-in hood on spinning rods; a Fuji® PTS blank-touch reel seat with a built-in hood on casting rods; anodized, machined-aluminum wind check and trim pieces; a Kigan titanium hook-keeper; two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish, and its signature split-grip super-grade cork handles.

 

 

Asked about the relentless, madman’s list of features, Johnston had a simple explanation.

“St Croix exists to provide every angler with the upper hand. That explains Legend X. That explains the engine behind the brilliance, the fuel behind the idea, the execution, and the final product. We wanted to give people the ultimate advantage on the water. Everything about Legend X is distilled to that. St. Croix Rod wanted to go all-in.”

Just a few short months after its ICAST 2017 unveiling, Legend X is starting to fill the dealer pipelines. Soon, Dan Johnston and Jarrett Edwards will have to share their legend with the rest of the angling world. Johnston swears Legend X is the ultimate fishing rod come to life.

It’s a tale that may seem hard to believe — but like the mysterious landscape of Lake Powell—is 100 percent true.

 

 

 

#stcroixrods


Jordan Lee says Kentucky Lake feels a lot like Grand

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Bassmaster Classic Champion Jordan Lee played a lot of baseball in his younger years growing up around Cullman, Alabama. And right now, the easy-going 26 year old feels a lot like one of former Yankees icon Yogi Berra’s famous quotes, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

Go to Conroe – win a Classic. Go to Hartwell the following year – win a Classic.

Go to Grand Lake, Oklahoma last week knowing there’s bass on spawning beds poor water clarity won’t permit you to see.

Work hard. Fish hard. Notch another Top 12 finish.

Fire up the Tundra and head straight to the next event at Kentucky Lake, realize once again there’s bass on spawning beds poor water clarity won’t permit you to see.

“There’s a lot of bass on beds here, but it won’t be much of a sight fishing tournament because the water’s been high and off-colored, and beds are hard to see here, just like at Grand Lake last week,” says the Quantum pro.

And much like Northeast Oklahoma last week, the weather forecast is one to make the Chamber of Commerce proud here in Henry County, TN. Lots of sunshine and temps perfectly suited for nothing more than the Carhartt Force long sleeve shirt you seeing Lee wearing here.

After two very long but comfortable days on Kentucky Lake, Lee predicts weights very similar to Grand Lake.

“I averaged 17 pounds a day at Grand and finished 10th, and I’m guessing that’s just about exactly what it’ll take here for a Top 12,” he says.

Unlike Grand, the water is in the bushes on Kentucky Lake, but it’s falling fast. And while there’s tons of shallow habitat to cast or pitch to right now, the TVA will likely suck as much as 2-feet of water out of this massive reservoir by competition … which again, could bring flashbacks of Grand’s mostly dry shoreline habitat.

Still, just like Grand, Lee feels this will be a shallow water tournament. “The water temps are in the 60s and warming daily, fish want to be shallow. I’m not saying somebody won’t slip off the bank and win off a gravel bar or shell bar, but for the most part there’s going to be a lot of guys fishing shallow,” says Lee.

Finally, there’s the intangibles that seem so similar with Jordan Lee at Kentucky Lake, just like Hartwell, Conroe, and Grand  – he’ll be one of the very last anglers to leave the boat ramp.

“It’s 6:00 p.m., and I’ll probably be out here until pretty much dark at 8:00 p.m. – I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he grinned as the sun began to fall in western sky on Day 2 of practice near Buchanan, TN.


AnglersChannel Insider Podcast Episode #12 Featuring FLW Tour Winner David Williams & Nascar Gasman turned Ranger Boats Dealer Ed Watkins!

On this weeks episode Chris gets stuck in traffic in the ATL and records the pod from the front seat of the AC Tundra. The Boys talk to David Williams, FLW Tour Winner on how he led wire-to-wire on Smith Lake as well as talk to Ranger Boat Dealer owner Ed Watkins of Ed Watkins Marine in Denver, NC. We also have the Progressive Bass Wrap up, The Costa Countdown to Blastoff and a ton more, only on the AC Insider Podcast!

 


Bassmaster Team Championship To Be Held On Florida’s Harris Chain For The First Time

Competitors in the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship will fish the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Leesburg, Fla., Dec. 5-8. Up for grabs is the national team title and a berth in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Photo by Ronnie Moore/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2018

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Steeped in bass fishing history, Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes has been selected to host the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship Dec. 5-8, B.A.S.S. announced today.

Part of the Oklawaha River Basin, the Harris Chain covers about 50,000 acres, including eight lakes — seven of which will be accessible to the bass fishing teams competing in the championship and connecting channels. Lake Yale, a 4,000-acre natural lake, is not accessible by boat from the other seven lakes.

In its 50-year history, B.A.S.S. has held 15 professional bass tournaments on the Harris Chain, including the first five B.A.S.S. MegaBucks tournaments, which featured a 10-hole fishing course where finalists competed for a $100,000 first prize. The Lake County network of bass lakes also hosted the B.A.S.S. Nation championships in 2006 and 2009.

“We love going to the Harris Chain, Leesburg and Lake County for events,” said Team Championship tournament director Jon Stewart, who also serves as B.A.S.S. Nation national director. The Harris Chain of Lakes should produce well in early December. The anglers might even come across a few early spawners, and when fishing in Florida, you always have a chance at catching the bass of a lifetime.”

One of the qualifiers for the event will be sure to have the tournament a lifetime, because he or she will earn a berth in the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing,” the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods at Knoxville, Tenn.

Founded in 2014, the Bassmaster Team Championship fields approximately 175 two-angler teams each year. The teams qualify by winning championships or performance points titles on one of dozens of B.A.S.S. sanctioned team tournament circuits. The teams compete for two days — Dec. 5-6 this year — to earn the title of top team in the nation. Next, members of the Top 3 teams fish solo for two more days, with the winner of that phase qualifying for the Classic.

Tournament headquarters will be Leesburg, Fla. It is hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission and LakeBigBass.com – Lake County, Fla.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bassmaster back to Lake County this December for the 2018 Team Championship,” said Jason Siegel, CEO of the Central Florida Sports Commission. “CFSC and B.A.S.S. have enjoyed a long-time partnership of more than 10 years, and we look forward to working with them on this event and in the future.”

Tim Frederick, a Bassmaster Opens angler who is sponsored by LakeBigBass.com, predicts good action for big fish in early December, which could provide some heavyweight bass entering the prespawn phase.

“I am excited to welcome the anglers in the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship to my home, the Harris Chain of Lakes,” Frederick said. “December is a great time of year to be on the water with the prespawn bass. If the weather is right and an angler gets lucky, there could be some big bags on the scale. This is going to be an exciting tournament.”

In the 2018 team tournament held on Norfork Lake in Arkansas, brothers Brett and Beau Govreau of St. Louis, Mo., representing the US Anglers Choice circuit, won the team title over 169 other teams from 57 trails, while Ryan Butler of Blue Eye, Mo., who qualified from the Joe Bass Trail, won the Classic Fish-Off and the right to compete with the pros in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods at Greenville, S.C.


3rd Annual Carhartt College Fishing Video Contest

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

Calling all college anglers. Want the chance to go fishing with back-to-back Bassmaster Classic champ Jordan Lee and Elite Series standout Matt Lee, as well as win a boatload of Carhartt apparel? Your opportunity waits via the Carhartt College Fishing Video Contest.  For the 3rd year, the title sponsor of the College Bassmaster Series extends this contest to collegiate anglers.

The rules remain simple, anglers are asked to put together a short video showcasing what college fishing means to them and how Carhartt has their back on the water, while they are hard at work, in the classroom, or at home. Video submissions should be kept around 3:00 minutes long and can be filmed on any video capturing device. As long as you are currently enrolled in college courses you are eligible to participate.

The rules are left loose to allow for creativity. So college anglers, have fun with it! Include videos from fun fishing trips, fishing club meetings, Carhartt College B.A.S.S. events, campus life, or whatever else you feel fits the bill. All is fair game. On top of the Grand Prize winner, there will be (4) other videos chosen to win a prize package with the latest and greatest Carhartt fishing gear.

Jacob Smith of Wallace State University was the 2017 Grand Prize winner, check out his winning video submission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP-_K6nxxow

“The whole trip up to Lake St Clair was a dream come true honestly,” Smith said. “Getting a behind-the-scenes look at a Bassmaster Elite Series event, meeting all the great folks from B.A.S.S, and catching giant smallmouth with Jordan, Matt, and my buddy Miller are all experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

The Carhartt fishing team of Mark Zona, Terry Scroggins, Matt Lee, and Jordan Lee once again make up the esteemed panel of judges who will pick the Grand Prize and Carhartt apparel prize package winners.

The Grand Prize up for grabs is an all-inclusive trip to Chatuge Lake for the Toyota Angler of the Year Championship, and then a two-day fishing trip with Lee brothers following the tournament. Previous Grand Prize trips were held on infamous fisheries like Lake Guntersville (2016) and Lake St. Clair (2017). College anglers were treated to an exciting and educational couple of days on the water with the Lee brothers.

This year’s Grand Prize trip promises more of the same, so get your creative juices flowing and submit a video before the cutoff date of July 15th, 2018.

Videos can be submitted through this link: https://www.facebook.com/dynamicsponsorships/app/403834839671843/. For more information, questions, or concerns email luke@dynamicsponsorships.com.


CUBA’S BECHTEL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OF THE OZARKS

Springfield’s Lloyd Wins Co-angler Title

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (April 30, 2018) – Boater Zach Bechtel of Cuba, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division event on Lake of the Ozarks. For his win, Bechtel earned the first place prize of $5,020 plus a $2,000 Ranger Cup contingency bonus.

“I had been fishing in a few local tournaments over the past few weeks and had been catching a lot of fish,” said Bechtel. “But, when I went out on Friday to practice for this event, the fish were gone. I looked and looked and I couldn’t find them anywhere. I knew I was in trouble.

“Saturday, I woke up without a real plan and just decided to go fishing,” Bechtel said. “Everyone else kept saying that the fish had moved shallow to spawn, but I decided that I was going to fish in areas where I believed the fish were still staging. On my first spot I caught a 4½- and a 5-pounder and I just dialed it in from there.”

Bechtel said that he fished around 20 different points through the day with a ¾-ounce silver and red-colored War Eagle spinnerbait with a smoke shad-colored Keitech Fat Impact swimbait on it. He estimated that he caught 10 or 11 keepers throughout the day.

“I think the wind was pretty important to my pattern,” Bechtel said. “The points had to be wind-blown in order to get bit.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Zach Bechtel, Cuba, Mo., five bass, 21-7, $5,020 + $2,000 Ranger Cup

2nd:         Mark Tucker, Kirkwood, Mo., five bass, 19-8, $2,560

3rd:         Keith Nickell, Warsaw, Mo., five bass, 19-1, $1,574

4th:         Rob Bueltmann, Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 18-2, $1,201

5th:         David Ryan, Levasy, Mo., five bass, 17-12, $944

6th:         Ronnie Kane, Gardner, Kan., five bass, 17-8, $865

7th:         Tom Alsop, Overland Park, Kan., five bass, 15-5, $787

8th:         Tom Silber, Labadie, Mo., five bass, 15-2, $708

9th:         Jason Rhyne, Foristell, Mo., five bass, 15-1, $629

10th:       Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 14-6, $551

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Doug Henzlik of Leawood, Kansas, caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.

Tom Lloyd of Springfield, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $2,560 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds even.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Tom Lloyd, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 16-0, $2,560

2nd:         Spencer Clark, Maryland Heights, Mo., five bass, 12-15, $1,180

3rd:         Taylor Day, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., two bass, 9-0, $787

4th:         Lang Yang, Miami, Okla., three bass, 8-10, $551

5th:         Jordan Williams, Oak Grove, Mo., three bass, 8-4, $522

6th:         Dennis Spell, Bonne Terre, Mo., three bass, 7-10, $433

7th:         Bryan Barnard, Harrison, Ark., two bass, 7-8, $393

8th:         Walter Hammond, Lees Summit, Mo., three bass, 7-3, $354

9th:         Terry Misenhelter, Four Seasons, Mo., two bass, 6-13, $315

10th:       Kory Ries, Union, Mo., two bass, 6-12, $275

Jeffrey Miller of Fredericktown, Missouri caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division event at Lake of the Ozarks was hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association and Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. 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.


Seeing What Your Not Looking For

As April grows small in the rearview mirror and we head into May, many people stop sight-fishing. They figure the spawn has wound down and, in many cases, they’re right but ‘sight-fishing’ need not be confused with ‘bed-fishing’. There’s still a lot to see . . . and catch.

My son and I stood on the dock at our lake and talked over the bass that came and went, including a true giant that busted Hunter’s fluorocarbon line. He had seen the fish eat his bait as it swam in 8 feet of water and that proved too much for the 15-year-old and his 15-pound line. He set the hook like a gorilla.

He then collapsed on the dock like somebody had kicked his gonads through his rib cage.

His girlfriend, Romi, giggled and asked what was wrong with him. It was one of many questions she asked. Among them was, ‘how can y’all see all those fish? I don’t see anything.’

My wife explained about polarized glasses. Even with our Costas though, I explained that there are tricks to seeing fish. And there’s an art to catching them.

Somebody had to teach me so I’m passing along some of the best tips I ever got on the subject of sight-fishing for bass year-round, not just when they’re on the beds.

My teachers include Shaw Grigsby, Bernie Schultz and no less a sight-casting pioneer than Guido Hibdon himself.

The best thing I ever picked up from Hibdon - and passed along to Romi the other day – was to look for ‘game trails’ under the water. “When bass swim, they brush away bottom debris and leave a light-colored trail along the bottom,” shared Hibdon who learned the craft on the deep highland lakes of the Ozarks region. He further expounded that knowing where to look in the first place is half the battle when visually searching for fish.

Hibdon said, “They will swim back and forth along that same trail and if you wait, just like deer hunting, one will come back through the area and you can cast out ahead of him far enough to let the lure settle to bottom before he gets there.”

Letting the lure settle before the fish gets there can be key.

Letting the line sink is critical.

“You never want your line to go over the fish’s back,” emphasized Grigsby after a mid-summer day of sight-casting on Tennessee’s Lake Cherokee. “And you don’t want to cast right at the fish either. If you see one sitting there looking at you, that’s not good. You want to bring the lure at an angle and make it act as if it’s trying to escape. Make the fish think it’s his idea.”

For these reasons, you need to lead the fish by a wide margin when casting to them. This is also a strong reason to use fluorocarbon line as it will sink much faster than mono or braid which means you’ll be less likely to ‘line’ the fish (cast or pull the line over its back).

Bernie Schultz once told me about a tournament on Georgia’s West Point Lake where he saw bass swimming around a shallow point, back and forth at a consistent depth, following game trails as Hibdon had told me they would. “I just tossed a Senko way out in front, made sure it got down, pulled the line beneath the surface and let the fish find the lure.”

It can be just that simple. Not all fish will bite. But Grigsby and Hibdon both estimated their odds of catching any given bass at better than 50%. Their tournament records back that up.

Odds go way up when you see the fish before the fish see you. Keep a low profile, move silently – which means move slowly in most cases. And wear the best quality polarized sunglasses you afford.

Costa del Mar has set the standard for decades. The clearest lenses on the planet not only show you fish, but also protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful effects as well as the occasional flying tungsten sinker. My favorite model, the Blackfin has wide sides to block distracting peripheral glare.

Keep the sun over your shoulder to further minimize glare and then, as Grigsby says, “Put the trolling motor down and go learn what to look for.”

One clue I look for is shadows. Fish are notorious for camouflaging themselves into their environment. But they can’t change the density of their body. They cast consistent shadows when in shallow water. The dark oval on the lake floor is often the first cue I get that there is something swimming, suspended slightly higher in the water column.

When looking for the fish itself, try to first find the vertical black stripe on their tail. This stripe contrasts sharply with the rest of the tail fin and it is nearly always moving – and movement always gives an animal away when it is trying to hide.

Wakes can give fish away. On cloudy days, bulging v’s that ripple the surface may be your most obvious sign. Remember, the deeper a fish swims, the further behind its wake will trail. Also, the deeper the fish swims, the further ahead of it you need to cast. Again, you must get your line down so as not to spook the fish.

Take these tips and go see some fish!

Author Vance McCullough is an avid Outdoorsman and Football Coach from Jacksonville, Florida. You can Follow Vance here on Facebook or here on Instagram.

MILTON’S LEIDHOLDT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE GREAT LAKES DIVISION OPENER ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS

 

Illinois’ Howard Wins Co-angler Title

LA CROSSE, Wis. (April 30, 2018) – Boater Rob Leidholdt of Milton, Wisconsin, caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division opener on the Mississippi River presented by Navionics. Leidholdt earned $5,046 for his victory.

“I stayed in Pool No. 8 all day, throwing a spinnerbait all day long on a shallow flat near Stoddard,” said Leidholdt, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “There were around 15 boats fishing the same flat, but I was fishing slower than most of them. I caught around 10 fish all day long.”

Leidholdt’s spinnerbait of choice was a Spot Remover-colored War Eagle Finesse Spinnerbait with a white Zoom Swimmer Paddle Tail swimbait.

“I think only having one day to practice actually really helped me,” Leidholdt said. “The river has had so much water fluctuation in the past few weeks, so even if I would have had time to practice it likely would have been very different come tournament time.

“It’s the first time in a long time that I can remember that I put the jig down and picked up the spinnerbait,” Leidholdt joked. “I’ve been fishing BFL tournaments for 15 years, so I definitely put my time in to earn the win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Rob Leidholdt, Milton, Wis., five bass, 17-11, $5,046

2nd:         Michael Hanrahan, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, five bass, 16-15, $2,523

2nd:         Ryan Lewis, Glasford, Ill., five bass, 16-14, $1,682

4th:         Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 16-0, $1,177

5th:         Ben Potaracke, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 15-15, $1,209

6th:         Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, five bass, 15-12, $925

7th:         Bob Downey, Hudson, Wis., five bass, 15-8, $841

8th:         Nick Trim, Galesville, Wis., five bass, 15-1, $857

9th:         Frank Cipra, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 14-10, $673

10th:       Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 14-1, $589

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Tony Seiler of River Falls, Wisconsin, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $770.

David Howard of Farmington, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,523 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          David Howard, Farmington, Ill., five bass, 16-9, $2,523

2nd:         Kory Kreinke, Annandale, Minn., five bass, 14-9, $1,262

3rd:         Mike Frazer, DeForest, Wis., five bass, 14-1, $841

4th:         Jake Lambrecht, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 13-14, $589

5th:         Alexandru Spiac, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 12-6, $505

6th:         Brad Juen, La Crosse, Wis., four bass, 11-6, $663

7th:         Jason Wulf, Crown Point, Ind., three bass, 10-2, $471

8th:         Chad Schultz, Rockton, Ill., four bass, 9-10, $378

9th:         Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, three bass, 9-5, $336

10th:       Chad Smith, Davenport, Iowa, three bass, 8-4, $294

Bill McBride of Rockford, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 5-pound, 12-ounce fish. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $385.

The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division opener on the Mississippi River presented by Navionics was hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. 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.