Bill Mayo and Walt Roberts win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Wheeler Lake with over 23 pounds of Smallmouth!
by Dan O’Sullivan
April 21, 2018 – Decatur, Ala. – The Alabama Bass Trail’s Northern Division made its second stop of the season at Wheeler Lake out of Ingalls Harbor in Decatur on Saturday April 21, 2018. While much of the state has seen delayed spring migrations of bass due to the inclement weather the State of Alabama has seen; Wheeler Lake still showed its strength as a fishery, and the ABT North field showed its skill.
For the first time this season, the conditions leading up to an event have been stable, and the fishing was expected to be strong. However, with another rainstorm predicted for the day after the event, the water level at Wheeler was drawn down to make room, and those on extremely shallow bites had to make adjustments. Easy shallow water bites became a little harder to come by, and the weights dipped slightly.
One team that did not build their program around a shallow water pattern was Bill Mayo and Walt Roberts. The pair planned to target current breaks upriver near the Guntersville Dam, and their plan payed of with 23.43 pounds of smallmouth bass, their first ABT victory and a check worth $10,000.
The accomplishment was not lost on the longtime ABT competitors. “This has been a long time coming for us, and it means a lot because we know the level of anglers in this field,” they said. “We worked hard to put together a program this week, and we’re really fortunate that it worked out the way it did; we couldn’t be happier.”
The pair reported running to Guntersville Dam and fishing current breaks to Ditto Landing with Green Pumpkin Blue Flake Texas Rigged NetBait Baby Paca Craws. “The wind and current were running together, so we had to increase our sinkers to 1/4-ounce and downsize our line to 8-pound-test to keep the bait down,” they reported. “We fished current break we saw, and caught several limits to get our final bag; it really was a great day, and we’re thrilled to be here after all is said and done.”
The team of Rusty Strickland and Charles Hemm finished the day in second place with five fish bag of largemouth that weighed 21.07 pounds. The former ABT North Neely Henry winners did what they do best – they turned to a Flippin’ bite. “We used black and blue creature baits and fished in midlake pockets and ended the day in a feeder creek upstream,” they said. “We targeted mainly buck brush and fished for females that had set up their beds in the middle of the brush; we caught a lot of fish and had a good day.” The pair earned $5,000 for their efforts.
Paul Davis and Josh Chapple brought a 20.14-pound limit to the scales to finish third and take home $4,000.
Danny Shell and Anthony Land weighed a 6.98-pound largemouth that anchored their seventh place 18-pound limit. The fish earned the $500 Mountain Dew Big Bass bonus for the event.
The Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/
| Place | Anglers | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Bill Mayo / Walton Roberts | 23.43 | 5.25 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Rusty Strickland / Charles Hemm | 21.07 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | Paul Davis / Josh Chapple | 20.14 | 6.85 | $4,000 |
| 4 | Drew Mattox / Kenny Mattox | 19.42 | 5.09 | $3,000 |
| 5 | Johnathon Nixon / Kaisle Lawson | 19.21 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | Graig Grubbs / Matt Ferguson | 19.06 | $1,500 | |
| 7 | Danny Shell / Anthony Land | 18.00 | 6.98 | $1,100 |
| 8 | Don Hill / Jeff Langston | 17.91 | $1,100 | |
| 9 | Nolen Spencer / Jonathon Reese | 17.65 | $1,100 | |
| 10 | Adam Bain / Kris Colley | 17.09 | $1,100 |
TENNESSEE’S POWELL WINS COSTA FLW SERIES CENTRAL DIVISION OPENER ON TABLE ROCK LAKE
Courtesy of FLW Communications
BRANSON, Mo. (April 21, 2018) – Pro Hensley Powell of Whitwell, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces, to the scale Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Central Division opener on Table Rock Lake presented by Lowrance. Powell’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 12 ounces, was enough top the 197-boat field and take the first place prize of $49,700.
Powell spent the majority of the event fishing the backs of pockets on the White River. He said he used an umbrella rig with White Ice-colored Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. soft jerkbaits to work through 30 to 35 pockets a day, catching smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass in the process.
“I threw an umbrella rig the entire tournament and a Strike King jerkbait maybe a dozen or so times when I was in clearer water,” said Powell, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “For me, it was more about where the fish were this week. In practice I figured out that they were in the back third of the pockets, in 8 to 12 feet of water. Even the spotted bass and smallmouth were up there staging to spawn, and that’s where the majority of the largemouth were.”
Powell said he was able to catch plenty fish in each of his areas, but their weight gradually decreased throughout the event.
“I thought this front we had would make the big ones bite again, but it didn’t,” said Powell.
Powell credited his 7-foot, 6-inch heavy-action Cashion rod with being his most beneficial piece of equipment. He said it provided the sensitivity he needed to feel the bites.
“I could feel the largemouth as they were about to bite the bait and I was able to keep it with them. I could feel them come up behind it and push it. When they did that, I would speed it up a little bit, slow down and then they’d eat it.”
The top 10 pros on Table Rock Lake finished:
1st: Hensley Powell, Whitwell, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-12, $49,700
2nd: Mike McClelland, Bentonville, Ark., 14 bass, 39-4, $19,500
3rd: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 39-1, $14,000
4th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 15 bass, 38-15, $12,000
5th: Derek Jenkel, Pinckneyville, Ill., 14 bass, 35-2, $11,100
6th: Kevin Meeks, Smyrna, Tenn., 13 bass, 34-9, $9,000
7th: Keith Amerson, Bethel Springs, Tenn., 13 bass, 34-8, $7,800
8th: Graden Hansen, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 12 bass, 33-3, $7,100
9th: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 12 bass, 30-13, $5,800
10th: Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., 10 bass, 28-0, $4,400
A complete list of results will be posted at FLWFishing.com.
Hansen weighed a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass Friday – the biggest of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Hansen earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Chad Allison of Carl Junction, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower outboard motor. Allison earned his win with a three-day cumulative catch of 14 bass weighing 39 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Table Rock Lake finished:
1st: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., 14 bass, 39-10, $28,200
2nd: Cullen Baxter, Columbia, Mo., 15 bass, 35-1, $6,050
3rd: Robbie Bartoszek, Hampshire, Tenn., 13 bass, 32-0, $4,800
4th: Dewey Larson, Fayetteville, Ark., 14 bass, 31-8, $3,900
5th: Matthew Justice, Fair Play, S.C., 12 bass, 29-10, $3,400
6th: Bryan Tracy, St. Peters, Mo., 12 bass, 29-0, $2,900
7th: Jeffrey Smith, Concordia, Mo., 12 bass, 27-15, $2,400
8th: Jason Sandidge, Centerton, Ark., 12 bass, 27-1, $1,950
9th: Eric Nance, Washington, Mo., 12 bass, 25-14, $1,580
10th: Gerald Andrews, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 23-4, $1,330
John Fuller of Salem, Arkansas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Table Rock Lake presented by Lowrance was hosted by ExploreBranson.com. It was the first of three Costa FLW Series Central Division tournaments of the 2018 regular season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be a Western Division event, held May 10-12 on Clear Lake in Lakeport, California, and is presented by Evinrude. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Adrian College Uses Largemouth To Claim Bassmaster College Series Win
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Horne Puts Finishing Touches On Dominant Central Open Victory At Arkansas River
Harvey Horne of Bella Vista, Ark., won the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open No. 2 held on the Arkansas River out of Muskogee, Okla., with a three-day total weight of 52 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Thomas Allen/B.A.S.S.
April 21, 2018
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Bass kept moving into his area every day, and Harvey Horne kept intercepting them to win the pro division of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River.
Keying on fish moving shallow to spawn each day, Horne tallied a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 7 ounces, to claim his first Opens victory and take home a Skeeter ZX200 bass boat with a Yamaha VF200LA outboard motor package worth $58,000 plus $5,075 in cash. He also qualified for the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Championship, Oct. 18-20, at a location to be announced later.
The Bella Vista, Ark., angler said he caught his limit by about 9:30 a.m. Saturday and finished with 18-8 to seal the victory. “I caught three of the fish off beds today and caught two out of brushpiles in a little deeper water,” he said.
His main lure throughout the tournament was a Spro 5.5-inch Dean Rojas Fighting Frog (in the confusion, tilapia and hematoma color patterns) attached to an All-Terrain Swing Head Rock Jig with a 6/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid hook.
Horne said he usually never goes out the final practice day for the Opens, but this past Wednesday he wanted to check out one last spot. When it produced a 6-pounder, he decided it would be one of his primary areas for the tournament. The area was a small gravel pit off the main river that featured a hole about 10 feet deep.
“They had pulled into that little area to spawn,” he said. “The females were sitting out there in the middle in a little deeper water, and the males had pulled up on the beds. I didn’t catch any bedding fish until today.”
He believes spawning bass moved onto the beds Friday night.
Lake Fork guide Justin Margraves also targeted spawning bass to finish second with 48-9. “I had one area that had fish moving in to spawn, so I had more fish showing up every day,” he said.
The Diana, Texas, angler caught all of his bass each day on a black-and-blue 5/16-ounce Santone swim jig and a black-and-blue Strike King Rage Craw.” Margraves said he was fishing the swim jig “like a topwater bait” in muddy water 1 to 2 feet deep.
Derek Hudnall of Baton Rouge, La., finished third with 47-8, followed by Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., with 45-13 and Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., with 44-14.
Joe Lee of Midlothian, Texas, recorded his second Central Opens co-angler victory by catching a three-bass limit of 11-10 to finish with 29-1. He received a Triton 179 TrX bass boat with a Mercury 115ELPT Four Stroke outboard motor package valued at $27,000.
The Texas angler also won the 2014 Central Open at Lake Amistad. The first two days of the event, Lee flipped a green pumpkin 6-inch Gene Larew plastic lizard with a rattle inserted into it. On Saturday, he caught his first keeper on the lizard, but then switched to a Zoom Speed Craw in emerald blue to complete his limit.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $750 on the pro side went to Hudnall with a 6-3 largemouth. Colton Wood of Panhandle, Texas, weighed in a 5-9 largemouth to earn the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $250 on the co-angler side. Hudnall also 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.
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.
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Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 15 52-07 200 $50,075.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 18-08
2. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 14 48-09 199 $12,688.00
Day 1: 4 13-03 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 17-04
3. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 15 47-08 198 $10,675.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 17-13
4. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 45-13 197 $8,700.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 18-01
5. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 44-14 196 $7,613.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 17-11
6. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 15 43-12 195 $6,525.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 13-15
7. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 41-05 194 $5,438.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 12-06
8. Benjamin Blaschke Muldrow, OK 15 41-02 193 $3,988.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 13-04
9. David Gillham Heath, TX 14 38-07 192 $3,263.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 4 07-14
10. Greg Vance Dubuque, IA 15 38-00 191 $2,900.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 5 10-00
11. Brandon Lee Ratcliff, AR 13 34-05 190 $2,538.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 3 07-07
12. Frank Talley Temple, TX 12 30-00 189 $2,393.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 2 03-06
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 06-03 $750.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 56 476 1172-15
2 48 428 1083-14
3 9 54 157-09
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113 958 2414-06
2018 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open Arkansas River 4/19-4/21
Arkansas River, Muskogee OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Joe Lee Midlothian, TX 9 29-01 200 $30,000.00
Day 1: 3 10-01 Day 2: 3 07-06 Day 3: 3 11-10
2. Caleb Black Mcalester, OK 9 24-01 199 $4,060.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 07-00 Day 3: 3 10-02
3. David Gibson Red Oak, TX 8 23-10 198 $3,081.00
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 3 09-11 Day 3: 3 08-07
4. Clayton Coppin Muskogee, OK 9 23-09 197 $2,030.00
Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 3 06-07 Day 3: 3 07-11
5. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 7 21-05 196 $1,885.00
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 2 05-00 Day 3: 2 05-01
6. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 9 20-10 195 $1,812.00
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 3 07-00 Day 3: 3 08-03
7. Steven Denmark Malcolm, AL 7 20-09 194 $1,740.00
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 2 06-04 Day 3: 2 06-02
8. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 9 20-04 193 $1,668.00
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 3 06-15 Day 3: 3 05-09
9. Chandler Stewart Waco, TX 7 18-12 192 $1,595.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 07-03 Day 3: 1 02-15
10. Calvin Bogan Livingston, TX 8 18-05 191 $1,450.00
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 05-12 Day 3: 3 05-11
11. Justin Leet Bartlett, TN 6 17-12 190 $1,269.00
Day 1: 3 10-14 Day 2: 1 02-03 Day 3: 2 04-11
12. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 7 17-06 189 $1,160.00
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 08-03 Day 3: 1 01-14
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Colton Wood Panhandle, TX 05-09 $250.00
Bassmaster Elite Series To Visit Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees At Prime Fishing Time
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., will be competing on his home waters, Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, for his seventh blue trophy April 26-29 in Grove, Okla.
Courtesy BASS Communications
April 19, 2018
GROVE, Okla. — The world’s top 109 bass anglers will go toe-to-toe for the second stop of the season at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, April 26-29.
The Grand Lake derby was originally scheduled to be the third regular-season event, but torrential rainfall and flooding postponed the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by Econo Lodge in Orange, Texas, previously scheduled to occur April 6-9. The event is now slated for June 7-10.
The last time B.A.S.S. visited the picturesque Grand Lake was at the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. At that event, native Oklahoman Edwin Evers weighed a three-day total of 60 pounds, 7 ounces to top the field and claim the world championship title.
Evers is looking forward to fishing Grand Lake again.
“I have a lot of fond memories from that lake, especially winning the Classic in 2016,” he said. “I’m comfortable with how it fishes throughout the year, and I expect this tournament to be very exciting with lots of big fish brought to the scales.”
Considering the time of year, and the quality of anglers competing in this event, Evers expects numbers of 20-plus-pound bags to be brought to the scales daily.
“The Midwest has endured the fifth coldest spring on record, and the late spring has the bass just itching to get up shallow and start spawning,” Evers said. “I think the bass will be in all phases of the spawning process, allowing for quite a few different techniques to be effective. But I believe the biggest fish will be shallow, and that makes for a very competitive tournament.”
Each angler can weigh his five largest bass each day for a shot at the $100,000 top prize, and Evers said a winning four-day total could exceed the 80-pound mark.
“My best fish at the Classic in 2016 was over 6 pounds, but it was earlier in the year,” he said. “This time I bet we see a big bass over 8 pounds. That’s an exciting fish to bring to the scales no matter where you are in the country.
“This is the absolute best week of the year to be fishing on Grand Lake, and I think the fans and spectators are in for a real treat each afternoon at weigh-in,” he said. “With the unpredictable spring weather this year, the lake conditions could change day to day, and the angler who figures out how to adapt with the changes as they occur will be the angler who could win the event.”
After two days of full-field competition, the Top 51 anglers will qualify to fish the semi-final round on Saturday. The field will then be cut again to the Top 12 on Sunday’s championship round.
Daily takeoffs will begin each morning at 6:15 a.m. CT out of Wolf Creek Park in Grove, Okla. Weigh-ins will happen in the same location beginning at 3 p.m. each afternoon.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo will take place at the park on Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon. The event will feature demo rides, an aquarium, free prizes and the latest fishing products on the market. The fan-favorite kid’s area, Toyota Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Shakespeare, will also include catfish-casting ponds and a chance to meet the pros.
All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
John Garrett & Brian Pahl of Bethel University Take Lead In Bassmaster College Bass Tournament on Pickwick!
John Garrett (right) and Brian Pahl of Bethel University take the lead on the first day of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake out of Florence, Ala., with 22 pounds, 12 ounces.
Courtesy of BASS Communications
April 19, 2018
FLORENCE, Ala. — A record-setting field of college anglers hit the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake for the three-day Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Tour event presented by Bass Pro Shops today.
When the dust settled, John Garrett and Brian Pahl of Bethel University took the top spot after the first round of competition with 22 pounds, 12 ounces of smallmouth bass. They lead the field of 266 teams into Friday’s important cut-day.
Anglers had to contend with cold and windy, weather. Temperatures were in the low 40s at the launch site at McFarland Park, presenting slow fishing early in the day. Most teams had to decide between two predominant patterns that had excelled during the practice period on Pickwick.
Quickly it became a battle between the bass fishing teams that focused on smallmouth bass at the base of the Wilson Dam and those anglers who focused on largemouth around bushes and shallow cover elsewhere on the lake.
Bethel’s Garrett and Pahl concentrated their efforts on smallmouth, even with a hefty crowd of anglers in that region of the lake.
“Everything happened a lot faster than we expected today,” Garrett said. “We had a later boat number, but we were able to pull in exactly where we wanted to, and we caught all of our weight before 10:30 a.m.”
Their five-bass limit was anchored by a hefty smallmouth that tipped the scales at 6-plus pounds. They landed that fish with 10 boats nearby, but that wasn’t anything different than they expected because the tailrace area had seen heavy fishing pressure all week.
“We could go out and catch two fish tomorrow and someone beside us could catch them like we did today,” Pahl said. “It’s not necessarily luck, but there are so many quality fish in the area, and a slight change in current could reposition them completely differently.”
Garrett and Pahl have a storied history together as they finished second in the 2016 Bassmaster College Series National Championship. Garrett later won the Classic Bracket. Then in 2017, the duo finished fourth and fished in the Classic Bracket once again. The one thing they haven’t accomplished is a major Bassmaster win together. After narrowly missing out a few times, they’d like to accomplish that, since they already qualified via the Central Tour event at Toledo Bend in January.
Right behind Garrett and Pahl is the Murray State University duo of Harbor Lovin and Evan Bramhill, who boasted 22-8 after Thursday’s action.
“We stumbled on these fish on the final day of practice,” Bramhill said. “We had all our weight by 9:30 to 10 a.m. and then went looking for new places but never really found anything better.”
The freshmen duo is only 4 ounces off the pace set by Garrett and Pahl and are feeling confident as they brought a 6-11 largemouth to the scales. Their 22-8 also included a fish less than 2 pounds that they couldn’t cull the rest of the day. They know there is plenty of opportunity for a heavier catch Friday. Unlike the leaders, they targeted largemouth solely, but they, too, had a lot of company in their area.
“We fished behind other teams and caught fish behind them,” Lovin said. “It made us more confident, but we plan to start our day on our key stretch tomorrow and see if we can catch a few quality fish.”
The Big Bass of the event so far is an 8-2 largemouth caught by Middle Tennessee State University’s Mekiah Jack and Matthew Cross. Their giant catches helped them mightily and it anchored their 21-3 total, which has them tied for third with Adrian College’s Nick Marsh and Jarrod Layton. Rounding out the Top 5 is Ryan Nevil and Nathan Wood of Dallas Baptist University with 20-15.
Fishing is excellent despite the weather. Eight teams caught limits weighing more than 20 pounds in the opening frame of competition on Pickwick, and the 32nd place cut-weight for the National Championship qualification is 16-7, which is held by Polk State’s Justin Bun and Evan Wieber.
Friday’s takeoff begins at 7 a.m. CT at McFarland Park in Florence (110 W College St.) and weigh-in will take place at the same location starting at 3 p.m. CT.
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Harvey Horne Takes First-Round Lead In Bassmaster Open On The Arkansas River
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CODY HUFF HAS EARLY LEAD IN FLW COSTA ON TABLE ROCK WITH 19-10
Courtesy of FLW Fishing
April 19, 2018
by David A. Brown
You gotta love it when a plan comes together. For Cody Huff, that plan worked so well that he was able to start planning for day two en route to leading day one of the Costa FLW Series event presented by Lowrance on Table Rock with 19 pounds, 10 ounces.
Running far up the James River, the Ava, Mo., pro returned to a pattern he had established during practice for the Central Division opener. He left the morning takeoff expecting to run right to a good number of prespawn staging fish and upon his arrival, he found them exactly where he had left them.
“I got to my area this morning and got them pretty quickly,” says Huff, who was boat 155 on day one. “I have a couple of schools up there that are working pretty good.”
How good? Good enough to pull back on the throttle well before sandwich-thirty.
“I left my area today around 10 o’clock and laid off of them,” Huff says. “I’ll try to get back up there tomorrow and do it again.
“I had a couple of schools found in practice, so I rolled up to my first spot this morning and caught two big ones. I went to my second spot and caught two 5-pounders.”
Huff says the river fishing is more a necessity than a first choice, as the main lake fishing has not treated him kindly of late.
“I like catching them however they bite, but I can’t catch them in the clearer water this week,” he says. “I live an hour from here and I have not caught a fish on anything I’ve caught them off of before this week.
“It’s all the cold fronts we’ve had lately. The lake is so far behind this year.”
Essential to Huff’s success has been leveraging the river’s more protected environment. He’s catching his fish in less than four feet of water, in areas with a foot of visibility.
“I found one little area of the lake where the water’s a little warmer and they’re doing what they’re supposed to do,” he says. “Everything just sets up perfectly right now. It’s the warmest water around, it’s not getting pressured and nobody’s messing with them.”
Huff opted to keep his bait selection confidential, but he does tell us that he’s using a trio of different baits. Essential to his plan is moving through his areas quickly to cover water and find the fish.
“I’m just flying around and fishing real fast,” he says.
Top 10 pros
1. Cody Huff – Ava, Mo. – 19-10 (5)
2.Mike McClelland – Bentonville, Ark. – 16-12 (5)
2. Hensley Powell – Whitwell, Tenn. – 16-12 (5)
4. Cody Hahner – Wausau, Wis. – 16-8 (5)
5. Glenn Harrison – Arma, Kan. – 16-1 (5)
6. Keith Amerson – Bethel Springs, Tenn. – 16-0 (5)
7. Jimmy Mize – Ben Lomond, Ark. – 15-15 (5)
8. Josh Shirley – Cabot, Ark. – 15-10 (5)
9. Matt Wood – Jessieville, Ark. – 15-7 (5)
10. Kelly Readhimer – Beech Bluff, Tenn. – 15-2 (5)
Allison leads co-angler side
Success off the back of the boat generally requires presentations that vary from what the pro is doing. Chad Allison made sure he did that with a variety of baits that led him to the co-angler division lead with 15 pounds, 7 ounces.
“I threw a swimbait, drug a jig, fished a jerkbait and a spinnerbait and just tried to keep something fresh going,” says Allison, who fished behind Peter Wenners on day one. “It just depended on where my pro was fishing.
“I’ve been fishing a couple of team tournaments down here and had a little deal that was working behind my pro today. I think the fish were holding deeper, toward the bottom, so I fished baits I could keep down there.”
Allison says he caught his fish in 8-10 feet and sacked up his weight by 11:30 in the morning.
Complete Day 1 Boater Results
Complete Day 1 Co-Angler Results
FLW TOUR HEADS TO LEWIS SMITH LAKE FOR FOUR-DAY EVENT PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE
World’s top bass anglers eye $125,000 grand prize, crucial Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year points at fifth stop of 2018 FLW Tour season
Courtesy of FLW Communications
JASPER, Ala. (April 12, 2018) – The FLW Tour, professional bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit, is returning to Jasper, April 26-29, for the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, the four-day event will feature 368 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.
Lewis Smith Lake last played host to the FLW Tour in 2015, when pro Dave Lefebre weighed a 19½-pound limit on the final day to overcome an 8½-pound deficit to Rookie of the Year Zack Birge and win with a total weight of 65 pounds, 6 ounces. Lefebre’s strategy involved catching a decent limit in the morning targeting schooling fish before transitioning to pockets where the herring were spawning in the afternoon.
“There’s going to be a lot of different ways to catch fish in this tournament,” said Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury of Odenville, Alabama, a nine-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “I pre-fished at Lewis Smith Lake recently and there were largemouth spawning in every pocket I went in. I think we’re going to be competing at the tail-end of the spawn, but there’s still going to be quite a few fish on beds and somebody will catch them.”
In addition to the shallow bite, Canterbury said many spotted bass will be suspended in deeper water chasing blueback herring – a good option for anglers looking to mix up their day.
“We had a bit of a warming trend in Alabama about six weeks ago and water temperatures jumped, for a short time, from the low 50s to 70 degrees,” said Canterbury. “I’m pretty sure a lot of the spotted bass either spawned or tried to spawn. They’ll be chasing blueback herring – that’s the deal there now. Just find the bait and you’ll be able to find the fish.”
Canterbury said largemouth will be relating to buckbrush, logs and laydowns and spotted bass will primarily be hanging around points as they head back out to the lake.
“Swimbaits and jerkbaits will be good bets,” said Canterbury. “For largemouth, you’ll be able to catch them with a shallow crankbait. A (Zoom) Trick Worm or something similar will be productive for those still guarding fry. Anglers are really going to be able to fish their strengths.”
The Alabama veteran predicted that a four-day cumulative total in the 60- to 64-pound range should be enough to secure the win.
“Lewis Smith Lake is a really healthy fishery,” said Canterbury. “It’s going to be a great tournament.”
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day from the Smith Lake Dam Access, located at 7482 Smith Lake Dam Road in Jasper. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, April 26-27, will be held at the Access beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 28-29, will also be held at the Access, but will begin at 4 p.m.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine is more than $930,000.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) June 6 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, April 28-29, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Smith Lake Dam Access 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, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the Smith Lake Dam Access on Saturday, April 28, from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to youth (18 and under) and Special Olympics athletes (all ages). Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
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 368 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.
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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Rhino Hitch - The Most Versatile Adjustable Hitch on the Market & Made in the USA!!
Rhino Hitch products are both beautiful and strong, like our namesake animal. If you have been searching for the best custom adjustable hitch for your truck, then look no further! The Rhino Hitch is the most versatile, custom adjustable hitch on the market today and we proudly manufacture our custom hitches here in the USA. Our tow hitch is rated to pull up to 14,000 pounds of cargo. So, it really doesn’t matter if you’re hauling a boat for a day on the lake, a motor home for a trip to the dunes, or a trailer full of equipment for your job, because the adjustable Rhino Hitch will pull anything within the weight limit. More than that, we assure you that the hitches are sturdily built using high-quality billet aluminum. With few moving parts and fastened by industrial-strength screws, your Rhino Hitch ensures a lifetime of heavy lifting.
Superior Custom Adjustable Steel and Aluminum Hitches
The Rhino Hitch is manufactured to last for years of grueling towing. We are confident that the 9″ of vertical travel will be exactly what you need for your towing convenience.
Rhino Hitch customers have the option to choose between our steel powder coated black finish and our aluminum made hitches in polished or brushed finishes. The aluminum hitches are great for that super aesthetic appeal and the steel hitch is great for that rough and tough look.
Best of all, our hitches are easy to use. Simply pull the side pin and move your hitch up or down to accommodate where your trailer needs to ride. Your Rhino Hitch will be the envy of your friends wherever you go! Whether you’re at the lake, the dunes, the race track, or in the mountains, you can relax knowing that whatever you are towing will be kept safely behind your truck.
Learn more HERE!
MADE IN THE USA
Temple Fork Outfitters Renews Ties with ACA, Cabela's Collegiate Bass Fishing
The Association of Collegiate Anglers has announced that Temple Fork Outfitters™, makers of affordable high-performance fishing rods, has renewed its ties and sponsorship of the 2018 Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. As part of their support to the ACA events this year TFO will be on-site during 2018 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship where college anglers will have a chance to visit with staff from TFO personally. Temple Fork rods are available in major retailers, and hundreds of independent stores throughout the country.
“TFO is very excited to partner with ACA and their anglers. The high level of competition is exciting. But, more than that the competitors are the future of fishing. Each tournament ACA anglers are refining tackle, sharpening skills and most importantly, protecting our resources. The participant and the ACA series exemplify TFO’s guiding philosophy, Power to the Angler.”
Temple Fork Outfitters™, a Dallas based company developed their rod-building skills in the fly-rod market in 1997, then brought their expertise into the freshwater market in 2008. Their first line, the Signature Series was designed by industry pioneer, Gary Loomis, with the goal of “Unparalleled performance at an unparalleled price.” The Signature Series are all fast action rods, but in varying lengths and powers, to match a variety of situations on the water. TFO followed up the successful Signature Series, with the Tactical Series, which is a lineup of technique-specific rods built to the same high standards, but in various actions, as well as lengths and powers. Both lines feature a unique Color ID System, which makes picking up the right tool for the job a snap.
“Temple Fork has been a great supporter of collegiate bass fishing for years now, and they continue to introduce anglers to great products at prices within their budget, which is a win for our collegiate anglers,” said Wade Middleton, Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers and President of CarecoTV. “We’re looking forward to having TFO on-site at this year’s Championship to show off their rods to the anglers first-hand.”
Collegiate Anglers this year will have a unique opportunity to work with Temple Fork to purchase their custom rods as part of a discount purchase program created jointly between the Association of Collegiate Anglers and TFO. For more information on that program collegiate anglers are urged to contact college@carecotv.com or go online at www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com and visit the Discount and Incentives page.
For more information about the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, please visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com.
Costa Countdown to Blastoff - With John Byrne & CJ Freeman of Sportsman's Warehouse
AC's John Byrne and Fishing Manager CJ Freeman from the Sportsmans Warehouse in Columbia, SC talk SE Fishing and Whats hot where. Check it out!
AC Insider Podcast Featuring Costa Sunglasses Bass Community Leader Melinda Mize-Hays!
On this weeks Episode Chris & Jason talk with Costa Sunglasses BASS Community Leader Melinda Mize-Hays on her LBAA Win last fall,
Her return to the front of the boat and the new Costa High School Fantasy Camp Program that will be announced shortly for this summer.
The Boys Also have thier Simms Shoutout, The Progressive Bass Wrap Up, FLW Pro Cody Meyer in the Sportsmans Product Spotlight and More!
Check it out!
Carhartt-B.A.S.S. Classic Beanie Raises $6,000 for South Carolina Lake Cleanup
Courtesy Dynamic Sponsorships
GREENVILLE, South Carolina– (April 18, 2018) – Carhartt-sponsored angler Jordan Lee winning back-to-back Bassmaster Classics wasn’t the only great story to come from the 2018 Bassmaster Classic. In addition to Lee’s win, a cooperative effort between Carhartt, B.A.S.S., and the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation epitomized the concept of working together for the greater good to collect a win of their own.
During the three-day 2018 Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo inside the Greenville Convention Center from March 16 -18, Shelby Horn and Savannah Sparks, two hard working associates from the Carhartt manufacturing facility in Kentucky, were in the Carhartt booth sewing the iconic B.A.S.S. logo on Carhartt’s famous “A18” acrylic watch cap.
Over the course of the exciting Classic consumer show, hundreds of gracious fans donated $5 to the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation fund at the Carhartt booth in exchange for one of the limited-edition hats ideally suited for cool weather work or fishing.
“I like the creativity involved in my job, and watching it all come together from a pattern to a finished garment is really rewarding. And having a lot of fishing fans at the Classic thank us for still making Carhartt in America has been really neat too,” said Sparks, a Carhartt employee of five years.
Alongside Sparks at the Bassmaster Classic was Horn, who also reflected on the goodness of the project. “Our little town of Irvine, Kentucky, is home to one of three Carhartt sewing facilities in America, and I love what I do so much that I actually bought a sewing machine for my home,” said Horn. “At first, I was nervous about being here at the Classic, but it’s been really neat because so many fishing fans have thanked us for being here, and our work is going toward conservation and lake cleanup.”
The net result was $6,000 raised for the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation for cleanup of 11 area bass fisheries. The money will be donated to the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation to buy gloves, boots, tools, and trash bags for high school anglers and other volunteers who will be cleaning up trash from the fisheries.
“This $6,000 donation will be huge to funding the more than 500 youth anglers in our South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation during their trash pick-up this summer. In fact, we’ll probably make a friendly competition out of it to see what schools can pick up the most trash around the lakes. But it takes money to transport these kids and buy supplies for the cleanup, so this money is really, really, appreciated,” concludes Randy Mosley, President of the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation.
COLLEGE ANGLERS SET TO COMPETE AT YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE
BEDFORD, Va. (April 10, 2018) – YETI FLW College Fishing will continue the 2018 fishing season with an event April 21 on Smith Mountain Lake. The tournament, hosted by Visit Bedford, is the first of three regular-season events for anglers in the Northern Conference, and will feature a top prize of a $2,000 club scholarship and an invitation to compete in the 2019 College Fishing National Championship.
“The lake is fishing really good and this tournament could turn out to be an absolute slam-fest,” said local BFL angler Brian Calloway of Danville, Virginia, who has three top-10 finishes at Smith Mountain Lake in FLW competition. “The timing is just about perfect. There is a full moon coming, the fish should be on beds and it is going to be wide open.
“It’s been taking at least 20 pounds to win any tournament here since November,” Calloway continued. “Some teams will probably catch them with a spinnerbait or a crankbait in muddy water, but I think the best chance of winning the tournament will be sight-fishing.”
Calloway said that he expects Yamamoto Senkos, shaky-head rigs, Texas-rigged creature baits and Big Bite Baits WarMouth to all be popular with sight-fishing anglers. He said that jigs and swimbaits should be productive on wind-blown points.
“The main pattern will be targeting the spawning fish on the stumpy, flat points on the lower to middle end of the lake,” Calloway went on to say. “The docks could definitely play a role as well. I expect that it will take at least 22 to 24 pounds to win.”
Competitors will take off from the Parkway Marina, located at 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway in Huddleston, at 6:30 a.m. EDT Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 2:30 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com.
Schools registered to compete in the Smith Mountain Lake tournament include:
California University of Pennsylvania – Colton Higgins and Jakob Bissett, both of Waynesburg, Pa.
California University of Pennsylvania – Nick Fulks, Canonsburg, Pa., and David Blaker, Rices Landing, Pa.
Christopher Newport University – Thomas Carter, Sandston, Va., and Willson Baxley, Staunton, Va.
Clarkson University – Benjamin Seaman, Colchester, Vt., and Tyler Robinson, Madrid, N.Y.
Franklin & Marshall College – Collin Martin, Sykesville, Md., and Nicholas Brown, Manheim, Pa.
James Madison University – Blake Miles, Chesterfield, Va., and Cooper Casillas, Ashburn, Va.
James Madison University – Daniel Jenkins, Midlothian, Va., and Peter Chang, Harrisonburg, Va.
Kent State University – Eric Lamb, Amherst, Ohio, and Chandler Hildebrand, Solon, Ohio
Kent State University – Andrew George, Canton, Ohio, and Riley Minerd, Rocky River, Ohio
Kent State University – Tanner Ward, Coshocton, Ohio, and Jacob Klicman, Deerfield, Ohio
Lake Superior State University – Hunter Scharphorn, Grand Haven, Mich., and Taylor Wright, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Liberty University – Caleb Unger, Dry Fork, Va., and Alex Williamson, Gorham, Maine
Liberty University – Preston Kulakowski, Manassas, Va., and Jackson Monk, Fuquay Varina, N.C.
Mansfield University – Logan Murray, Easton, Pa., and Christopher Tanczos, Mansfield, Pa.
Mansfield University – Nicholas Hoffman, Dallastown, Pa., and James Grassi, Saxonburg, Pa.
Mansfield University – Lock Holmes, Fairport, N.Y., and Stephen Lowther, New Florence, Pa.
Marshall University – Evan Haley, Scott Depot, W.Va., and Chase Arkell, Winfield, W.Va.
Marshall University – Kevin Sansom, Wayne, W.Va., and Jacob Lingenfelter, Salt Rock, W.Va.
Ohio State University – Gardon Wycoff, Delaware, Ohio, and Patrick Henry, Stanhope, N.J.
Ohio State University – Nathan Durbin, Columbus, Ohio, and Romolo Rabasi, Newbury, Ohio
Pennsylvania College of Technology – Chad Burkholder, Palmyra, Pa., and Luke Thomas, Forksville, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Cam Young, Bloomsburg, Pa., and Caleb Meighen, Dubois, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Derek Horner and Matthew Huggler, both of State College, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Stephen Jesso, Plymouth, Pa., and Ryan Fox, Thornhurst, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – George Gendler, Mountaintop, Pa., and Nicolas Vosburg, Ulster, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Jonathan Dietz, Corry, Pa., and Shane Rolle, Hanover, Pa.
Radford University – Tucker Dunaway, Powhatan, Va., and Nicholas Brognano, Gum Spring, Va.
Radford University – Matthew Cooley, Chesterfield, Va., and Zack Lemaster, Bedford, Va.
Roanoke College – Alex Watts, Greensboro, N.C., and Thomas Burchard, Burlington, Va.
Shippensburg University – Zachary Borger, Brodheadsville, Pa., and Nick Bertholdt, Shrewsbury, Pa.
Slippery Rock University – Nathan Quince and Samuel Jenesky, both of Pittsburgh, Pa.
State University of New York-Buffalo – Andy Wengender, Buffalo, N.Y., and Anthony DeGregorio, Queensbury, N.Y.
State University of New York-Buffalo – Austin Keppler, Hamburg, N.Y., and John Danvir, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
State University of New York-Buffalo – Austin Ocwieja, Webster, Nev., and Daniel Peltier, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
State University of New York-Buffalo – Corey Henderson, King George, Va., and Tyler Manthey, Marietta, N.Y.
The Apprentice School – Brian Weinz and Will Ivey, both of Newport News, Va.
The Apprentice School – Hunter Atkins, Carrsville, Va., and Kitt Moger, Suffolk, Va.
The Apprentice School – Sean Coast, Virginia Beach, Va., and Nicholas White, Hampton, Va.
The Apprentice School – Zachary Blarr, Newport News, Va., and Jordan Roth, Virginia Beach, Va.
University of Pittsburgh – Henry Colberg, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Dominic Vitale, Shickshinny, Pa.
Virginia Highland Community College – Clay Winebarger and Dustin Murray, both of Abingdon, Va.
Virginia Highland Community College – Ryan Strong, Bristol, Va., and Dylan Andis, Abingdon, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Cantley Krafft, Christianburg, Va., and Perry Marvin, Peru, N.Y.
Virginia Tech University – Junior Roberts, Ringgold, Va., and Ethan Stone, Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Clay Ferguson, Bedford, Va., and Hunter Woodford, Huddleston, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Jacob Honaker and Jacob Thompson, both of Moneta, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Robert Odum, Fort Chiswell, Va., and Cole Bitler, Earlysville, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Robert Swope, Orange, Va., and Jacob Pegelow, Fredericksburg, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Trey Gregg, Powhatan, Va., and Jeffery Cullop, Marion, Va.
Virginia Tech University – Tyler Dixon, Abingdon, Va., and Robert Pryor, Reidsville, Va.
Wytheville Community College – Eric Hawks, Galax, Va., and Landon Siggers, Dry Fork, Va.
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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Seaguar - Superlative Lines Made in Superior Ways
Courtesy of Traditions Media/Seaguar Fishing Line
Seaguar maintains its technological edge in the manufacturing of fishing lines
New York, NY (April 10, 2018) - The fluorocarbon line revolution, propelled by Seaguar innovation, is one of the most important pathways that anglers can follow to catch more and bigger fish. In a wide variety of fresh and saltwater applications, fluorocarbon lines are, quite simply, superior to nylon monofilament or braided lines.
Fluorocarbons absorb less water than monofilament lines, and are impervious to UV rays, helping fluorocarbon lines remain strong and effective for longer periods of time. Fluorocarbons are more dense than other line choices, delivering baits into the strike zone faster. The enhanced abrasion resistance of fluorocarbon lines and leaders means fewer lost trophies when fishing in heavy cover. And when dealing with gin-clear water and ultra wary fish, fluorocarbon’s near invisibility beneath the surface enhances lifelike presentations and puts more fish in the boat.
Seaguar 100% fluorocarbon fishing lines and leaders are the singular choice of dedicated professional and recreational anglers, pursuing victories and personal-bests in fresh and saltwater. Not only did Seaguar invent and introduce the world’s first fluorocarbon fishing lines more than 45 years ago, but their innovations in chemistry and engineering have advanced the art and science of fluorocarbon fishing lines in ways never thought possible. Indeed, Seaguar is the only manufacturer of fluorocarbon fishing lines that produces its own resins and controls the manufacturing process from start to finished products. This makes Seaguar lines and leaders what they are: Always The Best.
Seaguar’s Exclusive Fluorocarbon Resins: At the heart of every fluorocarbon line is an elaborate polymer resin, poly (vinylidene fluoride), that is transformed and extruded into a thin diameter fishing line or leader. The chemical nature of this fluorine-enriched material is responsible for every one of fluorocarbon line’s unique properties, including their high density, abrasion resistance, water repellency and resiliency against UV rays.
Not only does Seaguar manufacture their own resin, but they produce an entire library of fluorocarbon polymers, each with their own unique chemical and physical properties. This allows Seaguar to manufacture a broad spectrum of 100% fluorocarbon fishing lines, each with its own specialty characteristics. For example, Seaguar AbrazX, the line that has carried Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler Jordan Lee to back-to-back Bassmaster Classic championships in 2017 and 2018, boasts twice the abrasion resistance of other fluorocarbon lines – an enhancement made possible by Seaguar’s custom fluorocarbon resins. “Seaguar AbrazX definitely boosts my confidence when I’m dragging baits on hard offshore cover because I get far fewer frays in my line,” Lee asserts.
Seaguar’s unique Double-Structure Fluorocarbons: Born of a desire to enhance knot strength for leader and tippet applications, Seaguar spearheaded a fishing line revolution in their perfection of Double-Structure Fluorocarbons. These premium lines and leaders represent a paradigm shift in line design, yielding a new standard with limitless possibilities that is exclusive to Seaguar.
Double-Structure Fluorocarbons are prepared by a unique and innovative method, one that unites two different fluorocarbon resins into the finest fishing line available. In Seaguar’s proprietary co-extrusion process, a strong, sensitive fluorocarbon core is encased within a soft, supple, fluorocarbon exterior. The bond between the two resins is intimate and unbreakable, and results in a Double-Structure Fluorocarbon line that exhibits the beneficial attributes of each of its two components. Forget about having to choose between strong and supple, or between sensitive and castable. With Seaguar’s Double-Structure Fluorocarbons, you can have it all, in a single spool of 100% fluorocarbon fishing line.
One Seaguar Double-Structure Fluorocarbon is Finesse, a favorite of FLW Tour angler Cody Meyer, who relies on this supple, micro-diameter line with optimized tensile and knot strength to hold onto highly-pressured fish in crystal-clear waters. Super strong, yet incredibly castable with finesse spinning tackle, Meyer depends on Seaguar Finesse to put that fifth fish in the livewell on tough tournament days. The Seaguar-exclusive Double-Structure Fluorocarbon process is also found in Tatsu mainline, Fluoro Premier and Blue Label leaders, as well as Max and Grand Max tippet.
Spooling up with Level Wind Technology: One way to preserve the advantages of Seaguar’s 100% fluorocarbon leaders between the factory and the water is to load bulk leader onto its spool with precision and accuracy. Seaguar’s Level Wind Technology is an exclusive, labor-intensive process for loading fluorocarbon leader onto its spool. By ensuring that the leader is laid down in a precise, side-by-side manner, it cannot cross over or cut into itself on the spool. As a result, when you tie a Seaguar leader on, you can rest assured that there will be no kinks or deformations that might cause it to behave poorly, or to fail at the hookset or while fishing a fish. Level Wind Technology is available for saltwater leaders including Fluoro Premier, Blue Label and Pink Label.
Seaguar’s manufacturing innovation continues to drive the fluorocarbon fishing line revolution, helping freshwater and saltwater anglers to hook and land more fish. Spool up with Seaguar, and you’ll soon learn why their 100% fluorocarbon lines and leaders are Always The Best!
Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks Win Piedmont Bass Classic Team Trail Win on Kerr Lake
PBC ACADEMY SPORTS & OUTDOORS $10,000 SPRING TEAM BASS TRAIL
QUALIFIER #4 RESULTS
Saturday April 14th, 2018 ~ Kerr Lake ~ Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp
Another great turnout for the 2018 PBC Academy Sports & Outdoors $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Qualifier #4 at
Kerr Lake! 97 boats vied for the win on a warm day at Kerr. That morning the air temp was 64 degrees then warmed up
to 80 in the pm. Water temps averaged about 60 degrees. Winds were light at blastoff and then picked up to about 10
mph for the afternoon! For most of the anglers the bite was good with a lot of 2 pounders caught and also a lot of 4 lb.
class bass caught! The bass a Kerr are recovering very well from a gill disease in the past and look very healthy!!
Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks beat out the field weighing in 5 bass at 19.46 lbs. & also won the 1st Place TWT &
Skeeter Boats Easy Money for a total of $6,460 in winnings. The team found the fish in shallow water in the back of
coves in the bushes using plastics & jigs take home $2,209 in winnings.
John Anton & Bryce McClenney took 2nd place with 5 fish weighing 17.75 lbs. and won 1st Place Big Fish (5.85 lbs.) to
take home $2,209 in winnings.
3rd Place Team, Seth Ellis & Doug Stallings, had 5 healthy fish weighing 17.62 lbs. and
along with winning the 2nd place TWT they took home $1,518!! The 2nd Place Big Fish award (5.28 lbs.) went to the 11th
Place Team of Thanos Tsoumbos & Mike Stephenson for $839 in total prize money.
359 fish were weighed in for a total of 866 pounds for an average of 2.41 lbs. each. Most of the fish were caught on
flippin' plastics, jigs and shallow running squarebill crankbaits in anywhere from 2 to 7 feet of water. The warm weather
is coming but staggered with the cold weather making it tough to predict the spawn and anticipated 'good' bite!!!
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail. Our next tournament is
Saturday April 21st, the Tobacco Bass Invitational at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife Ramp. This is an
invite event only and is not open to the general public. All the info can be found at this link:
http://piedmontbassclassics.com/TobaccoBassInvitational.html
Following that will be the PBC Academy Sports & Outdoors $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Qualifier #5, Saturday
April 28th at Jordan Lake.
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...19.46 lbs...$1,570
2nd Place: John Anton & Bryce McClenney of Chapel Hill & Cary...5 bass...17.75 lbs...$865
3rd Place: Seth Ellis & Doug Stalling of Durham...5 bass...17.62 lbs...$708
4th Place: Brian Morgan & Roger Pope of Newton & Statesville...5 bass...16.79 lbs...$630
5th Place: Paul Owens & Tyler Faggart of Raleigh...5 bass...16.71 lbs...$550
6th Place: Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris of Butner & Oxford...5 bass...16.19 lbs...$470
7th Place: Matt Dean & Stanton McDuffie of Clayton & Raleigh...5 bass...16.17 lbs...$391
8th Place: Stump Bledsoe & Glenn Elliott of Hope Mills & Fayetteville...5 bass...14.96 lbs...$330
9th Place: Troy Searcy & Bryan Welch of Pleasant Garden & Greensboro...5 bass...14.71 lbs...$305
10th Place: Howard & Justin Bohannan of Durham & Bahama...5 bass...14.68 lbs...$285
11th Place: Mike Stephenson & Thanos Tsoumbos of Bahama & Oxford...5 bass..14.41 lbs...$263
12th Place: Bobby & David Matthews of Durham & Stoval...5 bass...14.16 lbs...$235.50...Tie
12th Place: Mark Williams & Eric Leifheit of Wilmington...5 bass...14.16 lbs...$235.50...Tie
14th Place: Bud Whitt & Spencer Moody of Staley & Siler City...5 bass...13.99 lbs...$200
15th Place: Vinston Nettles & Mike Cole of Pittsboro & Siler City...5 bass...13.91 lbs...$176
16th Place: Ronnie Hart & Danny Woodell of Bunn Level & Erwin...5 bass...13.89 lbs...$159
17th Place: Thomas Sheffer & Ken McNeill of Cary & Raleigh...5 bass...13.85 lbs...$138
18th Place: Stacy Hobson & Brandon Pearce of Angier...5 bass...13.79 lbs...$129
19th Place: Larry Hipps & Dean Larison of Cary & Wendell...5 bass...13.66 lbs...$120
1st Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...5.85 lbs...$1,344
2nd Place Big Fish..11th Place Team above...5.28 lbs...$576
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...19.46 lbs...$1,890
2nd Place TWT..3rd Place Team above: 17.62 lbs...$810
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: philsflags@msn.com website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com
Flash Butts Wins $5920.00 On Lake Gaston
Courtesy of AmericanBassAnglers.com
ATHENS, Ala. – Flash Butts of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina won the American Bass Anglers Open Series event held 4/14/2018 on Lake Gaston. Running out of Holly Grove Marina in Bracey Virginia, Flash weighed in a five-bass limit weighing 15.97 pounds, with a6.25 pound kicker. For the win he took home a check for $5000.00. For having the biggest bass weighed in for the boaters Flash took home an additional $920.00. Also, for having the biggest bass of the tournament and because the bass was caught using an ABU Garcia reel Flash took home an ABU Garcia reel valued at $160.00.
“It’s really no secret, I found a pocket I could catch a quick limit sight fishing. I caught five in about 30 minutes including the big fish. I was able to cull up a couple of times during the day,” said Butts.
In second for the boaters Jared Sasnett of Kinston, North Carolina landed a five basslimit weighing 15.61 pounds. Jared took home a check for $1700.00 for the effort.
“I caught five keepers today. I caught one on a buzz bait and the rest sight fishing a jig,” said Sasnett.
Shawn Hammack of Gasburg, Virginia took third for the boaters with a five bass limit weighing 14.72 pounds. He took home a check for $1130.00 for his catch.
“The day started slow for me. I was sight fishing but I kept losing them. I finally started getting them in the boat around 11:00. I think I caught around 15 bass today,” said Hammack
In fourth place for the boaters Brandon Gray of Bullock, North Carolina weighed in a five bass limit for 14.37 pounds. Rounding out the top five Brad Weese of Petersburg, West Virginia weighed in a five bass limit for 14.02 pounds. Also for be the highest finishing Triton Owner and being in the Triton Gold program, Weese qualified for additional monies from Triton.
In the Co-AnglerDivision Ralph Taylor of Rockville, Virginia weighed in a three bass limit weighing 8.30 pounds, anchored by a bass that weighed 4.69 pounds. Ralph took home a check for $1200.00 for the win. He also collected an additional $110.00 for weighing in the largest bass caught by a co-angler.
“I had most of my weight in about 45 minutes on a spinnerbait. I was able to cull up on my small fish a couple of times,” said Taylor.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Michael Trivette of Blackstone, Virginia brought in a three bass co-angler limit weighing 7.63 pounds. He collected $400.00 for the effort.
“I caught three bass within the first hour and I caught them on a Neko rig,” said Trivette.
Ernest McIntyre Jr. of Fayetteville, North Carolina placed third among the co-anglers with three bass weighing 7.53 pounds. He earned $350.00 for the effort.
“I Caught probably nine fish today, all on a weightless senko,” said McIntyre.
In fourth among the co-anglers Travis Garrett of Charlottesville, Virginia weighed in a three bass limit weighing 6.62 pounds and rounding out the top five was Cameron Newhouse of Manson, North Carolina with three bass weighing 6.41 pounds.
Slated for June 23, 2018 the next Virginia Division tournament will be held on Kerr Lake Launching from Nutbush Park in Henderson North Carolina.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Blustery conditions on Belton give way to big wins for Ryan Warren and Jason Derrick at Bass Champs
| By: Patty Lenderman/Bass Champs |
| Lake Belton is a favorite stop for many anglers fishing the Central Region of Bass Champs. Having their fourth event of the season on April 14, over $54,000 was up for grabs and 172 teams had their work cut out for them to get a portion of it. Ryan Warren and Jason Derrick weighed in the only sack in excess of twenty pounds to win over $20,000!
Blustery just doesn’t quite describe the windy conditions on Belton during the tournament. Sustained winds of 25 mph plus higher gusts had boaters searching for the best cover they could find while still hunting for good places to fish. Adding to their challenges was to find areas not already covered up by other contenders. These skilled anglers didn’t shy away, finding solid bites throughout the day, with checks awarded to the top 23 teams. Winners Ryan Warren and Jason Derrick had their work cut out for them coming into the tournament. “We hadn’t done any pre-fishing, and really didn’t have a game plan. When we got on the water, we just drove, looking for a spot to fish with no other boats in it.” They started out catching fish, but they weren’t what they were looking for. “We caught white bass, stripers – we had to change it up.” They decided to try another area, and caught a three pounder plus another keeper. “It was getting close to 10:00, and we finally started putting it together.” They fished everything from windy main lake areas to backs of pockets in search of the fish they needed, using flukes, jerk baits, crank baits and Alabama rigs. “It was the end of the day, and we didn’t have a lot of time left. We needed to make one more big cull. We went to this spot, and caught a small fish on the A-rig. As I was reeling it in, we noticed a big fish following the bait.” Pausing the lure to see what the big fish would do, it darted underneath the boat. Then, all of a sudden, it grabbed the bait and they landed a six pounder, increasing their overall weight by about three pounds! When they got to the scales, their total was 21.30 lbs to win the event and the guaranteed $20,000 1st place check plus bonuses from Lowrance and Sure Life. “Normally Jason and I fish against each other in tournaments, but got together and decided to team up and fish Bass Champs. I guess that was a good decision, it turned out to be our day. We’re looking forward to fishing LBJ!” 2nd place was won by Garrett Hennig and Brandon McQueen. They had just enough to hold the spot with 19.30 lbs, just 3/100ths of a pound ahead of the third place team. “It was hard earned, I promise you!” Garrett stated. “Between the wind and the cold, it shut our fish down.” They started out fishing areas protected from the wind with 3/8 and ½ ounce spinnerbaits, but didn’t yield any bites. On top of that, Garrett was not feeling well and had a fever. “We normally come in with a game plan and stick to it no matter what. We weren’t getting any bites, then Brandon got hung up.” Garrett stopped reeling in his spinnerbait, and while Brandon was working on retrieving his lure, a three pounder latched onto Garrett’s spinnerbait. “That was our clue. From that I got the idea to move deeper, using 1 ounce spinnerbaits.” They focused on ledges in 15-20 depths close to river bends, out in the open wind. “We just slow rolled the spinnerbaits, and it started producing. The fish were spread out, but when one bit, it was a quality fish. If Brandon didn’t get hung, we wouldn’t have keyed in to where we needed to be! They won $3,500 for their finish, then Skeeter Boats doubled their winnings for being the highest finishing team in a qualified Skeeter boat. “It just went flawless for us. We didn’t miss any fish, and we are so grateful. We’ve been fishing Bass Champs since 2008, and this is our best finish yet! For Ryan Crawford and his step son Elliott Latham, they had a tough start but lined it out as the day wore on. “We really didn’t have a for sure starting spot, just looked for an open spot to fish with no boats. The wind made a lot of areas un-fishable,” Ryan recalled. “We caught a 3# early, then missed one soon after that.” Their main baits were flukes and spinnerbaits, and they stayed on the move covering about six miles of water. “After we caught the first fish, the bite just died until around 10:30. By noon we had a limit in the boat, and were able to cull three times after that, adding around two pounds to our total.” Their biggest fish was between 5 and 6 pounds, with their smallest being around 3. “We had a really good day, and got lucky getting a lot of bites. It was great fishing it with Elliott, he had a great time and it was a good experience. We’re looking forward to the next tournament!” Bass Champs awarded the duo a check for $2,500 for their 3rd place finish. The 4th place and Big Bass winners were Todd Irvin’s and Billy McCrary II. “We started out using spinnerbaits,” Todd began. “There was a good fish on a bed in 18’-20’, and we boated the male first. Billy kept pitching to it, and the female would hit it and let go. About the fourth time he hooked her, and the fight was on.” She wasn’t going to make it easy on them to get her in, wrapping around the prop of the motor as he wrestled her closer to the boat. “She finally came up and made a jump, and I netted her on the first try!” She weighed 7.60 lbs, and by 7:30 the team had fourteen pounds in the boat. “We were pretty pumped, everything was going really good. We caught another on a top water bait, then the bite slowed down to a crawl until about 1:00. We caught one more on a Texas rigged craw worm, and spent the rest of the time trying to cull our last two pounder.” While they weren’t able to make that last cull, they wound up with 18.44 lbs to win 4th place and $2,000. They won an additional $500 for Big Bass, and the Abu Garcia bonus, plus the Sportsman’s Auto Bonus worth over $5,000! Bass Champs paid the top 23 teams, with the last check going to Cris Tatum and Justin Tatum having 14.15 pounds. Three out of four tournaments for the Central Region are now in the books. The points for Anglers of the Year are racking up. Lee Beuershausen and Randy Grounds were the points leaders coming into this event, and stayed on top going into the final tournament. The rest of the top five line up got shook up pretty good, with the top five teams all in sights of taking the Anglers of the Year title. Who will come out on top after the final tournament for the Central Region on May 5th at LBJ? Good luck to all teams! There are just a few regular season events left, and they are open to anyone who would like to fish – so don’t miss out! |
HOPKINS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MUSIC CITY DIVISION EVENT ON PERCY PRIEST LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Courtesy of FLW Communications
Brinson Grabs Co-angler Title
SMYRNA, Tenn. (April 16, 2018) – Boater John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division event on Percy Priest Lake presented by Navionics. For his efforts, Hopkins took home $4,177.
According to post-tournament reports, Hopkins caught his fish in the mid-lake area, fishing in 6 to 10 feet of water throwing a jig.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: John Hopkins, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 15-2, $4,177
2nd: Dwight Fox, Gainesboro, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $1,589
3rd: Cornell Creciun III, Nolensville, Tenn., five bass, 14-12, $992
4th: Hunter Carmichael, Nolensville, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $695
5th: Ronald Perry, Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $595
6th: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $546
7th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 13-3, $496
8th: Matt Farrar, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 12-14, $447
9th: John Graves, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 12-13, $397
10th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 12-8, $347
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
David Milan of Memphis, Tennessee, brought a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $340.
Bryan Brinson of Hendersonville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,489 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bryan Brinson, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass 13-4, $1,489
2nd: Howard Dowdy, Livingston, Tenn., four bass, 13-3, $844
3rd: Michael Dority, Winchester, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $497
4th: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 12-1, $347
5th: Michael Penix, Chapel Hill, Tenn., five bass, 11-15, $298
6th: Brandon Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 11-10, $260
6th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., five bass, 11-10, $310
8th: Jonathan Wiley, Smyrna, Tenn., four bass, 10-15, $223
9th: Jacob Jewell, Chapel Hill, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $198
10th: Brandon Davis, Canton, Ga., five bass, 10-5, $174
Derrick Harris of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $170.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Mossy Oak Adds Matt Lee to Pro Fishing Team
WEST POINT, MS - Mossy Oak is excited to announce the addition of Matt Lee to the Mossy Oak Fishing Team.
Established this year in conjunction with the launch of Mossy Oak Elements Agua, the Mossy Oak Fishing Team is growing with bassmasters KevinVanDam, Jordan Lee, Ott DeFoe, Brandon Palaniuk and Gerald Swindle.
Originally from Cullman, Alabama, Matt Lee started fishing at a young age with his brother, 2-Time Bassmaster Classic Champion, Jordan Lee. During his Junior year at Auburn he won the College BASS College Bracket which jumpstarted his career and allowed him to compete in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. Now, Matt Lee competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series and continues to finish as one of the top finalists in events fished.
"Living in North Alabama, Mossy Oak has always had a huge presence," said Lee. "It is a brand that everyone knows of and trusts in. Carhartt has been a title sponsor of mine from day one and just as Carhartt is a brand everyone can relate to, Mossy Oak is as well. I'm pumped to see what the future holds for this new partnership and showing that Mossy Oak definitely is a lifestyle brand everyone should want to be a part of."
"The professionalism and talent Matt displays event-after-event made us excited about partnering with him," said Ben Maki, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Mossy Oak. "Adding him to the Mossy Oak Fishing Team was a must. He is a powerful player in his sport and a true ambassador for the sport and the Mossy Oak Fishing Team."
For more information on Matt Lee, visit www.mattleefishing.com or follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mattleefishing and Twitter at https://twitter.com/mattleefishing. To learn more about Mossy Oak's Elements pattern, visit https://www.mossyoak.com.
HOLLISTER’S REED WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL GATOR DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Courtesy of FLW Communications
Miami’s Mut Grabs Co-angler Title
CLEWISTON, Fla. (April 16, 2018) – Boater Jason Reed of Hollister, Florida, caught five bass Saturday weighing 28 pounds, 2 ounces, to take top honors at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division event on Lake Okeechobee. Reed earned $4,246 for his win.
Reed said he picked apart scattered eel grass in 3 feet of water in the Harney Pond area of the lake. He said he used a black and blue-colored Gambler Heavy Cover Southern Swim Jig with a Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper trailer of the same color and caught around 40 keepers throughout the day.
“I found a big wave of fish that was moving in there to spawn during practice on Thursday and they were still there on Saturday,” said Reed, who earned his first career victory in BFL competition. “I fished the same two-acre area all day long and really caught them.”
Reed said the bite was slow in the morning, but picked up as soon as the sun rose higher and the wind started blowing.
“I think my fluorocarbon line helped me get more bites,” said Reed. “I had a lot of boats around me, but everyone was throwing braided line. I think that was my edge out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jason Reed, Hollister, Fla., five bass, 28-2, $4,246
2nd: Dillon McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 27-7, $2,423
3rd: Greg Harp, Vero Beach, Fla., five bass, 26-7, $1,348
4th: Nicholas Hoinig, Delray Beach, Fla., five bass, 25-5, $944
5th: Mikey Keyso Jr., North Port, Fla., five bass, 24-11, $809
6th: Jim Hurlock Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla., five bass, 22-6, $742
7th: Clay Batson, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 21-3, $674
8th: Justin Morgan, Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 20-8, $573
8th: Chris Crow, Lake Placid, Fla., five bass, 20-8, $573
10th: Mike Jackson, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 19-10, $472
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Donald Dunnam of Okeechobee, Florida, brought a 9-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $555.
Alex Mut of Miami, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,223 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Alex Mut, Miami, Fla., five bass, 19-15, $2,223
2nd: Kenneth Hunnicutt, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 19-4, $1,288
3rd: Brian Malys, Bartow, Fla., five bass, 18-13, $724
4th: Dana Bass, Miami, Fla., five bass, 13-1, $472
5th: Jeff Claiborne, Pembroke Pines, Fla., five bass, 12-9, $388
5th: Jerry Heaton, Webster, Fla., five bass, 12-9, $388
7th: Shannon Bryson, Merritt Island, Fla., five bass, 12-6, $337
8th: Clyde Arnold, Coconut Creek, Fla., four bass, 11-13, $303
9th: Anthony Cilladi, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 11-12, $270
10th: Timothy Hibbs, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 11-11, $236
Hunnicutt caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $277.
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 Saint 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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
HUTSON WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SOUTH CAROLINA DIVISION EVENT ON SANTEE COOPER LAKES
Courtesy of FLW Communications
Mount Pleasant’s Simmons Tops Co-angler Division
SUMMERTON, S.C. (April 16, 2018) – Boater Mark Hutson of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 30 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division event on Santee Cooper Lakes. For his win, Hutson netted $5,536.
“I fished the upper end of Lake Marion and caught everything off of spawning beds. Most were within a 50-yard stretch of trees,” said Hutson, who notched his third career win on the Santee Cooper Lakes in FLW competition. “I used craws in different shapes and colors with 3/16th-ounce weights. I wanted enough weight to hold the bait in place, but still have it light enough to inch along easier in the bed.”
Hutson said he was able to put 12 keepers in the boat throughout the tournament. He added that he caught the majority of his weight between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.
“I caught a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass on my first cast. It was a great way to start out the morning,” said Hutson.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mark Hutson, Moncks Corner, S.C., five bass, 30-14, $5,536
2nd: Chad Cook, Cross, S.C., five bass, 29-3, $2,668
3rd: Cecil Wolfe, Goose Creek, S.C., five bass, 26-5, $1,780
4th: Freddie Gibbs, Darlington, S.C., five bass, 26-0, $1,245
5th: Jeremiah Jensen, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 24-2, $1,067
6th: Daniel Howell, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 23-11, $978
7th: Derek Schlotterback, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 23-10, $989
8th: Allan Williams, Goose Creek, S.C., five bass, 22-14, $800
9th: Adam Waters, Denver, N.C., five bass, 22-12, $712
10th: Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., five bass, 22-10, $1,463
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
McCoy brought an 8-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 $840.
James Simmons of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,582 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: James Simmons, Mount Pleasant, S.C., five bass, 19-13, $2,582
2nd: Chris Williams, West Columbia, S.C., five bass, 15-14, $1,693
3rd: Christopher Scott, Sumter, S.C., five bass, 15-2, $863
4th: Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $603
5th: Beau Wilder, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 13-12, $716
6th: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., three bass, 12-12, $473
7th: Kenny Mathis, Boiling Springs, S.C., three bass, 12-3, $430
8th: John Christian McKenzie, Hampton, S.C., four bass, 12-1, $387
9th: Jack Daniel Hoy, Hollywood, S.C., four bass, 11-12, $394
10th: Tyler Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., four bass, 11-11, $301
Williams caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $402.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
LIEBLONG, LAYTON TIE FOR WIN AT T-H MARINE FLW BFL ARKIE DIVISION EVENT ON GREERS FERRY LAKE PRESENTED BY GEARED
Boater Chris Layton (left) and co-angler Eric Pinter (right) Pictured Above
Courtesy of FLW Communications
Little Rock’s Pinter Grabs Co-angler Title
GREERS FERRY, Ark. (April 16, 2018) – Boaters Chris Layton of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jason Lieblong of Conway, Arkansas, each caught five bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces, to tie for the win at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division event on Greers Ferry Lake presented by GEARED. After contingency bonuses Layton earned $5,207, while Lieblong took home $4,672.
“I started out throwing a crawdad-colored Strike King 3XD crankbait and caught my first largemouth right after 7 (a.m.),” said Layton, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “There’s a big buck brush flat in the Edgemont area that is generally loaded with fish after the spawn. I figured out that they were actually outside of the brush in 10 to 12 feet of water. I paralleled them with a ChatterBait and a white Mister Twister Twister Tail trailer and caught a 6-pound, 7-ouncer.”
Following his kicker bite, Layton said a cold front moved in which prompted him to target smallmouth. He said he fished a flat with rocks in the Shiloh Park area and finished his limit with the crankbait.
“Around 2 (p.m.) I caught a smallmouth that gave me a ½–pound upgrade – that was key for me,” said Layton.
Lieblong took advantage of the flipping bite and caught his first three largemouth using a green-pumpkin and red-colored lizard around buck brush.
“I’m pretty sure they were on beds, but the water was too dingy to know for sure,” said Lieblong, who logged his third win in FLW competition. “Two of them were on the backside of the brush and one was out front. It took a couple hours to get them in the boat. The water was rising so I think they were scattered.”
Around 1 p.m., Lieblong finished his limit with a Megabass 110 jerkbait fishing main-lake points and bluff walls.
“Within 10 minutes I caught a spotted bass and then a 5-pound largemouth – that’s when I knew I had a chance to win,” said Lieblong.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris Layton, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 12-15, $4,207 + $1,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
1st: Jason Lieblong, Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-15. $3,672 + $1,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
3rd: Shawn Gordon, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 12-7. $1,422
4th: Tyler Matlock, Omaha, Ark., five bass, 12-6, $925
5th: Mike Brower, Texarkana, Texas, five bass, 11-13, $793
6th: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 11-9, $1,027
7th: Nicholas Brown, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 11-8, $660
8th: Russell Richmond, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 11-7, $594
9th: Reid Prescott, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-14, $528
10th: Kyle Hess, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 10-12, $439
10th: Wayne Dixon, Morrilton, Ark., five bass, 10-12, $439
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Layton’s 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth was the heaviest caught in the Boater Division, and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $535.
Eric Pinter of Little Rock, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $1,944 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Eric Pinter, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 11-7, $1,944
2nd: Steve Belew, Beebe, Ark., five bass, 10-2, $810
2nd: Robert Scott, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-2, $810
4th: Jason Mullins, Benton, Ark., five bass, 9-7, $454
5th: Matt Russell, England, Ark., four bass, 9-5, $389
6th: Nicholas Bergt, Atlanta, Texas, five bass, 9-4, $356
7th: Spencer Clark, Maryland Heights, Mo., five bass, 9-3, $308
7th: Dusty Rhoades, Gravelly, Ark., five bass, 9-3, $508
9th: Randy Bridges, Quitman, Ark., five bass, 9-2, $259
10th: Jonathan Lourenco, Lee's Summit, Mo., five bass, 9-1, $227
David Adams of Roland, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $262.
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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
12 Named To 2018 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team
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OWENS, BROUSSARD WEIGH-IN OVER 32 POUNDS TO CLAIM LAKE AMISTAD TEXAS TEAM TRAIL WIN
By David A. Brown
The second place team of Kris Wilson and Harold Moon spent their day in Mexican waters, fished creeks up the Rio Grande and sacked up a second-place limit of 20.53. Wilson said he and his partner targeted hydrilla in 18-25 feet and caught their fish on 6th Sense hollow body swimbaits.
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Robinson And Fulmer Win Bassmaster High School Eastern Open On Lake Hartwell
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Gerald Swindle Joins Millennium Marine Pro Staff
Pearl, Mississippi— Millennium Outdoors, the proud manufacturers of Millennium Treestands and Millennium Marine, is thrilled to announce the addition of professional bass fisherman Gerald Swindle to the Millennium Marine pro staff roster.
Swindle is a two-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year. He has competed in B.A.S.S. events for more than 20 years.
“Gerald is a respected, admired angler across the nation, and we could not be more excited for him come aboard the Millennium Marine Pro Staff,” said William Vancor, National Sales Manager of Millennium Outdoors Marine/Aviation Division. “His skills and personality are the perfect fit for what Millennium represents.”
In addition to his exceptional fishing skills, Swindle is also known for his sense of humor and his popular nickname, “G-Man.”
“Millennium Marine is an iconic brand in the angling world,” Swindle said. “I’m a huge fan of Millennium Outdoors as a whole. I constantly use Millennium when I’m hunting and fishing because of their awesome quality. I am passionate about their products and am honored to be a part of this team.”
Swindle’s additional accolades in the angling world include 17 Bassmaster Classic appearances and 52 Top 10 finishes.
About Millennium Outdoors
Headquartered in Pearl, Mississippi, Millennium Outdoors has shown a long-standing commitment to quality in everything they craft. This commitment has positioned Millennium for sound growth within the outdoor lifestyle space, as they continue to meticulously design and engineer an impressive array of products in the hunting, fishing, and boating segments. Known primarily for their excellence in comfort and performance, Millennium Outdoors is remaining focused on hunting and fishing safety, success, and enjoyment. For more information on Millennium Outdoors, visit https://millennium-outdoors.com/
LureLock Adds Jonathon VanDam
BASS Elite Series Angler Takes Tackle Storage to the Next Level with Lure Lock in 2018
Ettrick, Wisconsin – Lure Lock is excited to announce that it has entered into a multi-year partnership with Bassmaster Elite Series Angler, Jonathon Van Dam. Van Damn burst onto the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2011, following two successful year’s competing in the Bassmaster Opens. Over his career with BASS, Van Dam has recorded two wins and has 18 top-ten finishes.
“The energy and excitement about Lure Lock is growing each and every time we see our pro team on stage representing our brand,” stated Jessica Kriesel, Lure Lock Marketing Coordinator. “Jonathon began this season with a 9th place finish on Lake Martin and we are proud to say that he had Lure Lock cases securing his tackle during that event.”
With its proprietary gel, Lure Lock cases securely hold hard baits and terminal tackle firmly in place, preventing movement when running down the lake, or from accidental spilling when the case is knocked over.
“Growing up in a tackle shop, I have been around tackle boxes my entire life, and until now they all functioned basically the same way. The Lure Lock cases are changing the game when it comes to tackle storage - giving anglers a storage solution they have been wanting for some time.” stated Van Dam. “And it isn’t just bass fisherman using Lure Lock cases, over this past winter, the cases have been selling well at D&R Sports Center for ice fisherman as well.”
Lure Lock boxes come in three sizes LL1, LL2 and LL3 and are available in Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Academy, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Tackle Warehouse and key independent sporting goods dealers at $15.99, $17.99 and $19.99. Lure Lock gel kits (for retro-fitting other boxes) range from $6.99 to $9.99, depending upon size.
For more information about Lure Lock products please visit http://www.lurelock.com,
Sportsmans Warehouse Pro Bryan Thrift Wins FLW Tour Event on Lake Cumberland!
North Carolina Pro Earns Sixth Career FLW Tour Victory, $125,000
SOMERSET, Ky. (April 15, 2018) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, added to his ever-growing list of accolades Sunday, bringing another five-bass limit of smallmouth to the scale, this one weighing 18 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire and the top prize of $125,000 – his sixth career FLW Tour win. Thrift’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 70-2 gave him the win by a 1-pound, 10-ounce margin over second place pro Allen Boyd of Salem, Indiana, the TBF “Living The Dream” package winner who weighed 20 bass for 68-8 to finish second and earn $30,000.
“I’ve had a phenomenal week,” said Thrift, the reigning Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year who moved into a tie for third all-time for most career FLW Tour wins. “I was starting down in Indian Creek and fishing my way back to Burnside each day.”
Thrift weighed in a limit of smallmouth bass each day by fishing points, bluffs, lead-in banks and the mouth of the creek. He credited his equipment setup as being the key to his win.
“I caught all of my fish this week on two main baits – a 3-inch Damiki Armor Shad (flash shad) and a 3½-4-inch swimbait (Tennessee shad),” said Thrift. “I used the Armor Shad when it was sunny the first two days. When it got cloudy, I started throwing the bigger swimbait. The Armor Shad is a more subtle swimbait.”
Thrift threw the swimbaits on 8-pound-test P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon line, a 7-foot, medium-heavy Fitzgerald Fishing Stunner HD rod, and an Abu Garcia Revo MGX baitcasting reel.
“I feel like the 8-pound line helped me get a lot more bites,” he said. “A lot of people don’t like using that light of line on a baitcaster, but you just have so much more control over your bait. I never lost any fish this week and the key was the combination of my rod, reel and line.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Cumberland finished:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 70-2, $125,200
2nd: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., 20 bass, 68-8, $30,100
3rd: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 20 bass, 67-10, $25,000
4th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 20 bass, 65-9, $20,000
5th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 65-4, $19,000
6th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 20 bass, 63-1, $18,000
7th: Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, 20 bass, 62-11, $17,000
8th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 20 bass, 62-2, $16,000
9th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 20 bass, 61-14, $15,000
10th: Kerry Milner, Bono, Ark., 20 bass, 60-3, $14,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 50 bass weighing 162 pounds, 15 ounces caught by pros Sunday. All of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces, followed by Robert Case III of Point, Texas, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 23-15, worth $7,550.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) May 23 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire was more than $930,000. The tournament was hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lewis Smith Lake presented by T-H Marine, April 26-29 in Jasper, Alabama, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Walker County.
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 366 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
THRIFT OVERTAKES MORGAN TO LEAD AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY GENERAL TIRE
Courtesy FLW Outdoors
Final-Day Showdown Looms for Championship Sunday
SOMERSET, Ky. (April 14, 2018) – Reigning Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year (AOY) Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, brought an 18-pound, 11-ounce limit of smallmouth bass to the weigh-in stage Saturday to overtake Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, and vault to the top of the leaderboard at the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire. Thrift, who has weighed 15 smallmouth totaling 51-8 over the first three days of competition, will bring a slim 7-ounce lead into Championship Sunday over second-place pro Morgan, who led the first two days of competition.
The showdown between Thrift and Morgan is an exciting rivalry for bass-fishing fans, as one of the two anglers has won the Tour AOY in four of the last five seasons. The duo have combined for more than $4.3 million in career earnings, are 1-2 for most career Top-10 finishes on the FLW Tour, and both frequently debated as being the best angler on Tour by their fellow anglers and peers.
Also still in contention are two-time The Bass Federation (TBF) Living The Dream package winner Allen Boyd of Salem, Indiana (3rd, 50-6), who weighed the largest limit of the tournament Saturday at 19-9, pro Greg Bohannan of Bentonville, Arkansas (4th, 49-9), whose limit weight has increased in each of the three days of competition, and Clent Davis of Montevallo, Alabama (5th, 49-5), the 2012 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year and the only angler to weigh a limit of at least 16 pounds each day.
“I caught a lot of fish today and had a lot of fun,” said Thrift, who weighed his 52nd consecutive limit in FLW Tour competition Saturday, extending the all-time Tour record. “The first two days were a bit of a struggle, but I went out today and caught 30 or 40. You never know when these smallmouth are going to quit biting, so I was just trying to catch as much as I could. I don’t know if they’ll bite tomorrow, but I’m ready to get out there and see.”
Although he has caught three small largemouth this week, Thrift has brought a limit of smallmouth to the scale each day and said that he hopes to do the same Sunday. He said that he is fishing three or four different moving baits slowly along a one-mile stretch of water.
“I’ve had a couple of good days, but I honestly still don’t know what these smallmouth are doing,” Thrift said. They’re scattered – everywhere. I’ll catch one on a point, then one in the back of a pocket. Then one out on the main lake, then one in a creek. I’m not covering a whole lot of water, I think I just found an area where fish live.
“Tomorrow I’m just going to go out there and do what I have been doing – fishing by the seat of my pants,” Thrift went on to say. “I’ll pull in somewhere and fish what looks good until it feels like I need to go somewhere else.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 51-8
2nd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-1
3rd: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., 15 bass, 50-6
4th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 15 bass, 49-9
5th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 15 bass, 49-5
6th: Kerry Milner, Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 48-1
7th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 15 bass, 47-2
8th: Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, 15 bass, 45-15
9th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 15 bass, 45-10
10th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 45-8
Finishing in 11h through 30th are:
11th: Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 15 bass, 45-3, $12,000
12th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 15 bass, 45-0, $12,000
13th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 44-10, $12,000
14th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 44-5, $12,000
15th: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, 15 bass, 44-4, $12,000
16th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 43-13, $12,000
17th: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 43-6, $12,000
18th: Billy Hines, Vacaville, Calif., 15 bass, 43-6, $12,000
19th: Bob Morin, Seymour, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-3, $12,000
20th: Clayton Batts, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 43-2, $12,000
21st: Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
22nd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 15 bass, 41-13, $10,000
23rd: Glenn Chappelear, Acworth, Ga., 15 bass, 41-12, $10,000
24th: Shawn Murphy, Nicholasville, Ky., 15 bass, 41-10, $10,000
25th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 41-1, $10,000
26th: James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 15 bass, 40-12, $10,000
27th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 40-9, $10,000
28th: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 40-5, $10,000
29th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 37-15, $10,000
30th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 37-7, $10,000
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 150 bass weighing 445 pounds, 7 ounces caught by pros Saturday, All of the final 30 pros were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.
Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces, followed by Robert Case III of Point, Texas, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 23-15, worth $7,550.
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 366 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros now continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire is more than $930,000. The tournament is hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
The final 10 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT Sunday from General Burnside Island State Park, located at 8801 S. Highway 27, in Burnside, Kentucky. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at the park beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-in Sunday, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at General Burnside Island State Park from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) May 23 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
MORGAN MAINTAINS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY GENERAL TIRE - TOP 30 FISH SATURDAY
Courtesy of FLWFishing.com
Minnesota’s Willert Wins Co-angler Title, $20K
SOMERSET, Ky. (April 13, 2018) – Pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, brought a 15-pound, 12-ounce limit of bass to the scale Friday to maintain his lead after Day Two of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire. Morgan’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a 1-pound, 6-ounce advantage heading into the third day of competition in the four-day event that featured a field of 183 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers competing for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
The field is now cut to 30 as anglers resume competition Saturday morning, with only the top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday. Former Forrest Wood Cup Champions Darrel Robertson (2nd place, 33-5), Polaris pro David Dudley (22nd place, 28-0), Scott Martin (24th place, 27-13), and Justin Atkins (29th place, 27-4) remain in competition, along with reigning Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift (4th place, 32-13).
Thrift weighed another five-bass limit Friday – his 51st consecutive limit weighed in FLW Tour competition – breaking the FLW Tour’s all-time record of 50, set in 2014 by pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California. Thrift has the opportunity to extend his record Saturday.
“Despite my weight being down, today was actually a better day for me,” said tournament leader Morgan, a 20-year Tour veteran who has 38 career top-10 Tour finishes. “I caught a lot more fish, and I had a shot at a really good bag. It might have just been bad luck, but a lot of fish were just slapping at my bait and would come off, for no real rhyme or reason. I lost four or five really good ones today – including a 5-pound largemouth.”
Morgan is fishing in the lower end of the lake, running pockets and covering water with a spinnerbait and a jig. He estimated that he caught around 20 keepers on Friday and weighed in a limit consisting of four largemouth and one smallmouth bass.
“I started the day running totally new water, but this afternoon I ended up going back through some things that I did yesterday,” Morgan said. “The water is fairly clean, but a little windblown in some places. It really didn’t matter where I fished, though. They were biting.
“Tomorrow I think everyone will blast them again and we’re going to see a lot of fish caught,” Morgan went on to say. “Anyone fishing can still win this deal. There is a 20-pound bag lurking around out there, and 20 pounds can go far here. I’m going to continue to do more of the same, and going to keep doing it until it quits.”
The top 30 pros that made the first cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.., 10 bass, 34-11
2nd: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 10 bass, 33-5
3rd: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., 10 bass, 32-15
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 32-13
5th: Kerry Milner, Bono, Ark., 10 bass, 31-6
6th: Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 30-14
7th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., 10 bass, 30-13
8th: Chris McCall, Palmer, Texas, 10 bass, 30-11
9th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 30-8
10th: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, 10 bass, 30-5
11th: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 30-3
12th: Chad Grigsby, Maple Grove, Minn., 10 bass, 29-14
13th: Bob Morin, Seymour, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-11
14th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 10 bass, 29-3
15th: Glenn Chappelear, Acworth, Ga., 10 bass, 29-0
16th: Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 10 bass, 28-8
17th: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 28-7
18th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 10 bass, 28-7
19th: Clayton Batts, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 28-5
20th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 28-3
21st: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 10 bass, 28-1
22nd: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 28-0
23rd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 10 bass, 27-13
24th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 27-13
25th: Billy Hines, Vacaville, Calif., 10 bass, 27-12
26th: Shawn Murphy, Nicholasville, Ky., 10 bass, 27-12
27th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 27-6
28th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 27-4
29th: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 27-4
30th: James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 10 bass, 27-4
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, earned Friday's $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.
Overall there were 872 bass weighing 2,190 pounds, 2 ounces, caught by 181 pros Friday. The catch included 161 five-bass limits.
Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minnesota, won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces, followed by Robert Case III of Point, Texas, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 23-15, worth $7,550.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., 10 bass, 24-2, $20,000
2nd: Robert Case III, Point, Texas, 10 bass, 23-15, $7,550
3rd: Shane Melton, Kokomo, Ind., 10 bass, 23-11, $5,000
4th: Pat Eichmann, Nancy, Ky., 10 bass, 23-7, $4,000
5th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., nine bass, 23-5, $3,000
6th: Robert Case Jr., Point, Texas, 10 bass, 23-4, $2,500
7th: J.P. Sims, Cookeville, Tenn., 10 bass, 23-2, $2,000
8th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, nine bass, 22-12, $2,050
9th: Mike Casada, Stearns, Ky., 10 bass, 22-12, $1,700
10th: Joe Rucker, Nicholasville, Ky., nine bass, 22-12, $1,850
Honeycutt earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division Friday with a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass.
Overall there were 578 bass weighing 1,137 pounds, 10 ounces, caught by 157 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 70 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 366 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire is more than $930,000. The tournament is hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
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.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT each morning from General Burnside Island State Park, located at 8801 S. Highway 27, in Burnside, Kentucky. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 14-15, will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at General Burnside Island State Park from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Pulaski County Park, located at 1200 State Highway 3189 in Nancy, Kentucky on Saturday, April 14 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) May 23 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
MORGAN LEADS DAY ONE OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE CUMBERLAND PRESENTED BY GENERAL TIRE
Courtesy of FLW Outdoors
Three-Time Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year Catches 18-15 of Lake Cumberland Largemouth
SOMERSET, Ky. (April 12, 2018) – Pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, weighed an 18-pound, 5-ounce limit of largemouth bass to take the lead on Day One of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire. Morgan will bring a 1-pound, 6-ounce lead into Day Two of the four-day event that features a field of 183 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers competing for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“It felt good today to get out and get some bites,” said Morgan, a three-time Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year who has logged two triple-digit Tour finishes this season for the first time since 2006. “I knew coming in here that I was going to fish my way. I didn’t care if the smallmouth were biting off the hook, I was going to fish exactly how I liked and I was going to do it all day.
“It wasn’t like I smashed them and caught a ton of fish today, but I had some quality,” Morgan continued. “The five fish that I weighed today were probably the prettiest limit of fish that I have ever caught. They were all female, full of eggs, and not a blemish on them. Just fat, chunky and gorgeous.”
Morgan said he spent the day covering water with a crankbait, spinnerbait, ChatterBait and flipping. He said he caught around 10 keepers, including two spotted bass and one little smallmouth.
“It’s really pretty random – you don’t know what the next one is going to be beside, or how deep he’s even going to be,” Morgan said. “I struggled for a pretty good portion of the day. I caught one every hour or so. Later in the day seemed to be a little better – I think we’ll see some bigger bags tomorrow.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 18-15
2nd: Jason Meninger, Saint Augustine, Fla., five bass, 17-9
3rd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 16-13
4th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 16-12
5th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., five bass, 16-5
6th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 16-2
7th: Billy Hines, Vacaville, Calif., five bass, 15-15
7th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., five bass, 15-15
9th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 15-13
10th: Glenn Chappelear, Acworth, Ga., five bass, 15-11
10th: Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., five bass, 15-11
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Wes Logan of Springville, Alabama, earned the day's $500 Simms Big Bass award in the pro division thanks to a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
Overall there were 824 bass weighing 1,870 pounds even caught by 180 pros Thursday. The catch included 145 five-bass limits.
Reigning Pennzoil Marine Angler of the Year pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit Thursday – his 50th consecutive limit weighed in FLW Tour competition – tying the FLW Tour’s all-time record of 50, set in 2014 by pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California. Thrift can break the record if he is successful in bringing a limit of bass to the scale Friday.
Richard Littlepage of Cincinnati, Ohio, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 13 pounds even, followed by Robert Case III of Point, Texas, who weighed five bass totaling 12-11, good for second place.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Richard Littlepage, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-0
2nd: Robert Case III, Point, Texas, five bass, 12-11
3rd: J.P. Sims, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-0
4th: Joe Rucker, Nicholasville, Ky., four bass, 11-11
4th: Denver Eaton, Monticello, Ky., five bass, 11-11
6th: Joel Willert, Prior Lake, Minn., five bass, 11-8
7th: Warren Shores, Bulls Gap, N.Y., five bass, 11-6
8th: Pat Eichmann, Nancy, Ky., five bass, 11-4
9th: Wataru Iwahori, Palestine, Texas, five bass, 10-14
10th: Christopher Kanute, Clover, S.C., four bass, 10-12
Rucker earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.
Overall there were 425 bass weighing 795 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 147 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 34 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 366 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 Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire is more than $930,000. The tournament is hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
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.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT each morning from General Burnside Island State Park, located at 8801 S. Highway 27, in Burnside, Kentucky. Friday’s weigh-in, April 13, will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, April 14-15, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at General Burnside Island State Park from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Pulaski County Park, located at 1200 State Highway 3189 in Nancy, Kentucky on Saturday, April 14 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) May 23 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Navionics Warm up for Spring April Webinar Line-up
Warm Up for Spring with Our April Webinar Lineup |
| Boat Safer. Fish Smarter. Get ready to catch more fish in 2018 with our April webinars, including tournament tips & tricks, freshwater bass, and inshore saltwater techniques. Visit navionics.com to see the updated webinar schedule. |
| April 12th, 10 PM EDT
Targeting Kelp Bed Calicos Erik Landesfeind |
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| April 24th, 8 PM EDT
Fishing Inshore in the Southeast Capt. Stephen Fields |
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| April 26th, 8 PM EDT
Breaking Down Your Lake Spring Fishing Terry Baksay |
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Bassmaster Open Anglers Should Find Arkansas River In Prime Shape For Big Catches
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TABLE ROCK LAKE SET FOR COSTA FLW SERIES CENTRAL DIVISION OPENER
Courtesy of FLW Fishing
BRANSON, Mo. (April 10, 2018) – The top bass anglers from around the region will converge on Table Rock Lake April 19-21 for the Costa FLW Series Central Division opener at Table Rock Lake presented by Lowrance. Hosted by ExploreBranson.com, the event will feature a field of more than 300 competitors and a top award of up to $85,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard in the Pro Division.
“Table Rock Lake fished better this winter than it has the past few winters,” said FLW Tour pro Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, who finished seventh in the 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship on Table Rock Lake. “The lake is in good shape and the fish are fat and healthy – as healthy as I’ve seen them in a long time. They’re definitely going to do their part in this event.”
Lawyer said due to unseasonably cold weather, anglers will primarily be targeting prespawn bass in this derby.
“When the schedule was first released, I really thought this would be a full-blown sight-fishing tournament,” said Lawyer. “But with snow falling in the area as late as last week, Mother Nature won’t let the lake warm up. I think we’ll see a little bit of sight-fishing, but it won’t be as dominant as in past years.
“It will be anyone’s game because it will be a bank-beating tournament,” continued Lawyer. “There are a lot of bushes in the water and wood for them to get around. We’ve also had a lot of rain, which means more color in the water and better fishing. If the water is gin-clear, it’d be a little tougher, but these fish will really be comfortable and get up shallow.”
Lawyer said a variety of lures will be in play including crankbaits, worms, spinnerbaits and umbrella rigs.
“I think it will take 54 to 55 pounds caught over the three days to win,” said Lawyer. “Someone will have a good 20-pound day to start and then fall back to 14 or 15 the next day. Table Rock is known for not giving them up each day of a tournament, but there’s going to be a lot of limits weighed in. It’s going to be a fun tournament.”
Anglers will take off from Table Rock State Park Marina, located at 380 State Park Marina Road, in Branson, at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the state park, and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will take place at the Branson Landing, located at 100 Branson Landing, and will begin at 3:30 p.m. 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 Table Rock 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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Mr. Scan Man
AC Contributor Luke Estel
It’s coming!
I'm not talking about the spawn, although I really look forward to that time of year. I am talking about the post spawn/summer scanning that fishermen do all over the lake.
Side scanning, structure scanning, or whatever you want to call it is getting ready to happen in less than a month. Kentucky Lake is notorious for the scanning gps pirates and other lakes on the TVA also have the same problem.
But I am not going to go into detail about that right now. The trend I see happening is more people scanning and less fishing. Then when tournament time comes the same fishermen fish their spots and they are either gone or they aren’t the quality size they need.
We fishermen are not FISHING!
That’s the whole point is to fish.
I have scanned for days before and then to only get disappointed in my results in the tournament. Yes, scanning is one of the fastest ways to find fish offshore but I believe it is starting to hurt anglers more now than help them.
They are relying too much on what is on their screen.
You hear phrases like this all the time,
“ I scanned several spots and there was no fish on them so I left.” Scanning is not 100% accurate. Bass can actually hide if you didn’t know that already.
The angle at which you drove over can make a difference, maybe the fish were swimming 50 yards away at the time. There are a lot of variables which can help or hurt you while scanning.
The solution is simple.
Try fishing the spot.
Yes, I said fish.
Just because you didn’t see them doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.
Before side scanning was on everyone’s boat, fishermen had to fish their spots to see if they had fish on them.
I believe that getting a bite or two on a spot can elevate your confidence more than just hitting a waypoint on the mega school you just thought you found.
Go back to the basics.
Get out on the lake and go fishing.
You may surprise yourself at what you can actually find just by taking a cast.
April 11 - Costa Countdown to Blastoff with John Byrne & Robbie Digh
AnglersChannel's John Byrne and AC Pro Staffer Robbie Digh Talk about the Santee Cooper Costa Event, the upcoming BFL and Big Bass Tour on Smith Mountain Lake! Check it out!
Knoxville To Host 2019 Bassmaster Classic On The Tennessee River
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Abu Garcia Renews with Collegiate Bass Fishing Series and the Association of Collegiate Anglers
Abu Garcia and the Association of Collegiate Anglers have announced the renewal of their partnership for the 2018 Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. As a Series partner, Abu Garcia will enjoy a wide range of promotions with collegiate anglers throughout the nation at each of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events including being the presenting sponsor of the Cabela’s School of the Year.
A leader in performance and innovation, Abu Garcia continually advances its technology to offer anglers equipment they can trust. Abu Garcia rods and reels are packed with features serious anglers demand to make them more efficient and effective on the water.
“Partnering with the ACA and Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series is exciting,” said Neil Eibeler, CEO of Pure Fishing. “We are committed to providing anglers with the highest quality reels and rods, and this sponsorship demonstrates our dedication to the sport and support for these young competitors.”
Abu Garcia will be a featured sponsor of the Cabela’s Big Bass Bash, as well as the Yamaha Angler Appreciation night casting contest at the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. In addition to those aspects, collegiate anglers competing in the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series will have an opportunity to win Abu Garcia Revo reels by catching the big bass of each day, at each of the four events. To qualify to win, the collegiate anglers must catch the daily big bass on a qualifying Abu Garcia reel.
“We are extremely proud to have the continued support of Abu Garcia on board for the 2018 Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Their continued support of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series illustrates their commitment to the young men and women who make up the ACA and college fishing,” said Wade Middleton, President of CarecoTV and Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
Abu Garcia is also proud to support the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Angler with a discount program. To qualify, an angler must be fishing one of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events and have a valid college email address. For more details, please email selectanglerservice@newellco.com.
AnglersChannel Insider Podcast Episode 9.2 Featuring Texas Tournament Zone Champ & Texas Share Lunker Winner Stacy Spriggs!
Wrapping up this weeks Podcast Episode's, Chris & Jason get a unique interview with Stacy Spriggs from Huntsville, TX.
Stacy and her Team Partner Clint Wade recently won a Texas Tournament Zone Event with over 37 pounds and a week later Stacy bought a 13.06 Largemouth
to claim the last Texas Sharelunker Legacy Class Bass of 2018. Stacy gives us all the details and the download on how she caught that behemoth and more!
Check it out and Share it with your friends!!
Got Me Under Pressure
Story by Vance McCullough - Photos Courtesy of National Weather Service & Trintec.com
After his big Elite Series win on the St Johns River a couple of years ago, legendary bass pro Rick Clunn said that if he was just staring out in the sport, the first thing he would study is the effect that barometric pressure has on fish behavior.
When the barometer is high, fish stick tight to cover, often tucking beneath matted grass or anything that offers a canopy. They will use sheer water depth as cover when none other is available.
In this situation it becomes important to pick apart the cover with well-placed presentations and give fish a little extra time to react.
When the barometer drops, fish tend to roam farther in search of bait. They may chew the paint off of fast moving lures at these times. Move fast and pick off the aggressive fish in more open water.
You’ve likely heard the old saw: ‘Wind out of the east, fish bite the least. Wind out of the west, fish bite the best. Wind from the north, don’t venture forth. Wind from the south blows the bait in the fish’s mouth.’
While overly simplistic, these old axioms are based on centuries of observation. However, wind direction is not so much the driving force as is the pressure generated by the frontal systems that cause them.
So how do we know what the barometer is doing – without owning a barometer? Sky and wind, especially the changein wind direction give big clues.
High pressure systems move in a clockwise fashion so if the wind switches from NW to N to NE and around to the east over the course of a day or two, then high barometric pressure is dominating the region. And the fish feel the effects. So will anglers as they work hard to pull a few bass from thick cover or deep water.
Low pressure systems, hurricanes being an extreme example, rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. So when the wind dials back from the NW to the W and eventually the south, fish should be playing fast and loose in areas where even a novice can cast without getting hung up.
This is a time when smart anglers don’t waste time dragging a worm or doing anything else slow. You’ve got to strike while the iron is hot, as they say. The best action may come just minutes before a heavy downpour. If you run off the lake before getting wet you may also be leaving behind some fast fishing action. Simms makes clothing for these conditions.
Of course, it’s not worth getting struck by lightning so be smart. Besides, lightning will put fish down and absolutely kill the most aggressive bite, especially in clear water.
John Byrne, owner of AnglersChannel.com, turned me on to a great weather resource – Intellicast.com.
Pilots have to know what the weather is going to do. Many of them trust this site for its dependable, no fluff forecasting. Type in your location and get a local report. You can check historical data and recent observations. There’s even a column on the far right that predicts barometric trends.
I also have, and frequently consult, the My Radar app on my phone. Real time color weather radar. Need I say more?
Fishing so close to the water as we do in kayaks, we learn to rely heavily on our instincts. For all the variables we study and the electronics that help us do so, one of the most important questions can only be answered by making a few casts. And the answer can change without notice - so pay constant attention.
The question is simply: ‘Tight, or loose’?
When I fished Lake El Salto, Mexico with popular Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike ‘Ike’ Iaconelli, he paid careful attention to determine how tightly the fish were oriented to cover. Once he figured out that they would roll out from their hiding spots and attack a topwater plug he tied-on a popper and put on a show!
Throughout the day Ike kept asking, “So, are they still loose? Or have they tightened up to cover yet?”
The answer depends more on barometric pressure than anything else, though the intensity of sunlight also has an influence. And that answer dictates lure choice, lure placement and pace of retrieve for anglers who are clued-in.
One great indicator that a topwater bite is eminent is the bubble trail left by a lure as it disturbs the surface. If the hemispherical bubbles stay big and ride on the water’s surface for a while, you need to toss a topwater. If not, look deeper.
Call it the ‘broke man’s barometer’.
Another clue would be how high the birds are flying. If they appear as pepper flakes in the stratosphere, the pressure is correspondingly high. If they are low and circling, the fish are probably feeding as well.
No need for expensive weather-measuring equipment. Check the forecast before you go and then trust your instincts while on the water.
And answer that question – “tight, or loose?”
Tight weights and big wins at Bass Champs on Ray Roberts – Scott McDaniel takes the cake topping over 200 teams
| By: Patty Lenderman |
| Blustery conditions greeted 212 teams to fish the second Bass Champs North Region tournament on Ray Roberts April 7, 2018. Nearly $64,000 was up for grabs and the fight for the bite was on. Weights were stacked up tight, but in the end it was Scott McDaniel & Keith Krzeminski who came out on top – by only 4/100ths of a pound!
Air temperatures were already in the 30’s as anglers embarked on their mission to land their fish. The weather service had issued high wind advisories, so for safety reasons everyone was allowed to trailer their boats to launches closer to their fishing spots. The wind velocity was in excess of 25 mph at times, feeling like it was straight off of an ice berg. Adding to this were waves creating white caps and some fog. Vying for protected areas to fish in, the lake may have felt ‘skinny’ for this mass of anglers all shooting for similar areas. Going into the event, Keith Krzeminski knew he would have to leave early to get to a family commitment. Nevertheless, he and Scott McDaniel headed out to catch what they could in the time they had. “It was so cold!”, Keith recalled. “Soon after we got on the water, I checked the weather on my phone. Temperature 33, ‘feels like’ 25. We went to a cove to fish in less than 3’ of water with flukes and chatter baits.” Staying in their first spot for three hours, they put three fish in the boat and one of them was their kicker weighing in at 7.43 lbs. “When Keith got that bite, the fish wrapped around a limb. We started scrambling, fighting the wind, trolling to it, then getting the net under it just before the line broke!” Securing their big fish, they went on hitting four locations, all similar and close to each other. Scott caught a six pounder around 2pm, and that was their 5th fish. Time was ticking, with Keith needing to leave early they only had an hour left to fish. “We just kept at it, and just before we had to wrap it up we caught one more, and was able to cull up six or eight ounces with it.” They locked down their gear and headed to the weigh in site. Scott was the first to weigh in, having a five fish limit of 21.73 pounds. “We figured we had a pretty good chance to win a check, but figured it would take 25 pounds to win.” For the next few hours, Scott watched as everyone else brought in their catch. It was a grueling wait until the scales closed – especially when the top weights were so tight! “I called Keith near the end of the weigh in,” Scott stated. “I told him he wasn’t going to believe this, but we just might win!” As luck would have it, they pulled out the win by an extremely narrow margin to win the guaranteed $20,000 check for 1st place. “To win a tournament like this, as competitive as everyone who fishes Bass Champs is – it is nothing less than a dream come true!” They added “We would like to thank Bass Champs for always looking after everyone’s safety, and allowing us to trailer in this event. Also a special thanks to our wives, for letting us do this thing we love!” The 2nd place winners WT Dyson II and Patrick Jorski headed straight to a protected cove, finding a little shelter to fish in. “It was right off the main lake, with deep water 30-40’ leading into the area,” WT explained. “We stuck to the edges, around 6’ deep, with standing timber, rock and buck brush.” Using a wacky rigged senko, they fished the area thoroughly. “We had four fish in the boat by 10am, weighing around 14 pounds. A few hours went by, and I was waiting to eat a sandwich, but wanted to catch one more before I did.” Switching to deep structure, WT got his bite, landing their 6.94 lb kicker. “We got one more bite after that, around 3pm. I had just adjusted my drag, and when she bit she took off. When I got her turned, she came up then wrapped around a limb, popping the hook out of her mouth. She probably weighed around 5 pounds. If we landed her, we would have won the tournament!” Still in all, they came in with 21.69 lbs to win 2nd place and $5,000. “This is our first year fishing Bass Champs. We had a great day, and practice paid off. We only hope to keep getting better!” 3rd place was won by Don Meek and Merle Little with 20.63 lbs. “We had a great time – Bass Champs always does a good job at these tournaments,” Don exclaimed. “I live on this lake, and feel like I know it pretty good,” Don continued. “With the weather the way it was, I figured everyone would be in or looking for protected areas to be in. Merle and I decided to go to a less obvious spot that had some protection.” It was a stretch of 300 to 400 yards with lay downs, brush and stumps. Using soft plastics and chatter baits, they landed their first fish at 8:15. “We figured out that willow stick-ups were key. If there was a willow stick-up by a stump, you could count on a fish being there!” It took all day to wrap up a limit, then at 3:30 they made their only cull, switching it with their first fish of the day and gaining a pound and a half. They were awarded $4,000 for their finish. Rounding out the top five teams include (4th) Craig Dowis & Michael Vasquez with 19.99 lbs for $3,000, (5th) Pete Brandt and Keith McMillan with 19.90 lbs winning $2,500. The Sportsman’s Auto Bonus (worth over $5,000) went to 6th place Ky Martin and Chris Moore, having 19.22 lbs for another $2,000. Cole and Jeff Massey doubled their 11th place $1,100 winnings with the Skeeter bonus, having 16.27 lbs. They also won the Lowrance and Fun N Sun bonuses. It took 13.02 lbs to win a check in 29 places paid. The last check winners were Tim Brockway and Kevin Dritschler. The biggest bass of the day weighed in at 9.35 lbs, brought in by Jeff Pitrucha and Brad Williams. This catch anchored their 7th place finish with 17.29 lbs, winning $1,500 for their overall finish, another $1,000 for their big bass, plus they won the Abu Garcia and Amphibia bonuses as well. All total there are four qualifying events in each region. The North Region now has two tournaments in the books, and the Anglers of the Year race is well underway. The current top five points leaders are: The next tournament for the North Region will be on Lake Tawakoni on May 19. In the meantime, Bass Champs staff and crew are headed to Lake Belton for another Central Region event.
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AC Insider Podcast Episode 9.1 Featuring KBF National Champion Dwayne Taff and Kayak Bass Fishing Founder Chad Hoover!
In a crazy cool week of podcast fun and entertainment, we are featuring two episodes this week! Part 1 of this weeks 9th Episode, Hosts Chris & Vance talk to Kayak Bass Fishing National Champion Dwayne Taff. Taff who recently won $100,000 in a two-day Kayak Tournament tells us how he did it and why he loves Kayak Fishing. We also talk to KBF Founder & President Chad Hoover on how this all started and the future of Kayak Bass Fishing! Check it out! Part 2 will air tomorrow!
ELIZABETHTON’S CHAMBERS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE VOLUNTEER DIVISION EVENT ON SOUTH HOLSTON RESERVOIR
Kingsport’s Blakely Grabs Co-angler Title
BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 9, 2018) – Boater Chip Chambers of Elizabethton, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division event on South Holston Reservoir Saturday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces. Chambers earned $6,718 for his win.
“I started out cranking some secondary points for prespawn bass on the lower end of the lake,” said Chambers, who notched his first career win in FLW competition. “They were sitting out in 8 to 12 feet of water just waiting for the conditions to be right to head up and spawn.”
Chambers said he used a Rapala DT6 crankbait, custom painted by Norris Lake Baits, and a CP Custom Baits Series 3 crankbait to catch his fish. Around 10 a.m., a change in the weather made Chambers switch patterns and target fish in deeper water.
“I picked up a Sexy Lavender-colored (Major League Lures) Boom Shad swimbait with a ½-ounce head and moved out to more main-channel points,” said Chambers. “The points had some mud and a mix of clay and chunk rock and I ended up catching two 5-pound smallmouth.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chip Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 18-4, $4,718 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Todd Nidiffer, LaFollette, Tenn., five bass, 17-4, $1,859
3rd: Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., five bass, 17-3, $1,238
4th: Wes Crager, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $867
5th: Steve Coleman, Clayton, Ga., five bass, 16-3, $744
6th: Eddie Ball, Newport, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $651
6th: Craig Powers, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $1,136
8th: Steven Brady, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 15-6, $558
9th: Brian Bogart, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 15-2, $496
10th: Jessie Hall, Sweetwater, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $634
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Craig Powers brought a 6-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 $485.
David Blakely of Kingsport, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,959 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Blakely, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $1,959
2nd: Colton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., four bass, 11-8, $929
3rd: Jose Ramirez, Barbourville, Ky., three bass, 11-2, $526
3rd: Shawn Hudson, Bristol, Va., four bass, 11-2, $526
5th: Chad Ball, Abingdon, Va., four bass, 10-11, $372
6th: Richard Pugh, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 10-1, $341
7th: Austin Compton, Raven, Va., four bass, 9-15, $310
8th: Ryan Godsey, Chickamauga, Ga., three bass, 9-6, $279
9th: Cody Hammons, Bluff City, Tenn., four bass, 8-14, $232
9th: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., three bass, 8-14, $232
Scott Pittman of Powell, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $242.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
SHEETS MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING HIGH ROCK LAKE OPEN IN NORTH CAROLINA
LEXINGTON, N.C. (April 9, 2018) – The Sheets Memorial Christian School duo of Brody McCullogh, of Lexington, North Carolina, and Ryan Bame, of Salisbury, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing High Rock Lake Open. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National championship, held June 26-30, on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
A field of 34 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Southmont Boat Ramp in Lexington. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams on High Rock Lake that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Sheets Memorial Christian School, Lexington, N.C. – Brody McCullogh, Lexington, N.C., and Ryan Bame, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 23-4
2nd: Holston High School, Damascus, Va.– Mason Steele and Parker Newton, both of Damascus, Va., five bass, 17-9
3rd: South Caldwell High School, Hudson, N.C. – Lane Bailey and Jake Cantrell, both of Granite Falls, N.C., five bass, 16-12
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: North Carolina Student Angler Federation – Isaac Bost and Panner Bost, both of Kannapolis, N.C., five bass, 16-4
5th: St. Josephs Regional High School, Montvale, N.J. – Eric Bocchino and Michael Bocchino, both of Washington Township, N.J., five bass, 16-2
6th: North Carolina Student Angler Federation – Jeffrey Olson, Harrisburg, N.C., and Brayden Mueller, Moorsville, N.C., five bass, 15-7
7th: Carrol County High School, Hillsville, Va. – Justin Carico, Fancy Gap, Va., and Ashton Frost, Galax, Va., five bass, 14-13
8th: Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount, Va. – Peyton Brown and Ryan Shelton, both of Rocky Mount, Va., five bass 14-4
9th: Piedmont High School, Monroe, N.C. – Ian York, Monroe, N.C., and Ethan Whitley, Marshville, N.C., five bass, 14-2
10th: Badin Bandits – Carson Palmer and Luke Miller, both of Richfield, N.C., five bass, 13-9
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing High Rock Lake Lake Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
GUNTERSVILLE’S SUMMERLIN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION EVENT ON LEWIS SMITH LAKE
Jasper’s Stephenson Takes Co-angler Title
JASPER, Ala. (April 9, 2018) – Boater Gil Summerlin of Guntersville, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division event on Lewis Smith Lake. For his win, Summerlin earned $4,652.
Summerlin spent the event fishing a long clay point, a few miles from the dam, where he’d caught a good keeper in practice.
“I casted to the same place I’d caught the big one in practice and got hung up on a tree that I didn’t know was there,” said Summerlin, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “I retrieved my bait, returned to my waypoint and casted back to it and caught a 4-pound spotted bass. It ended up being my magic tree.”
Summerlin said the tree was the only one along the point and was 20 feet deep.
“About every 30 minutes the tree reloaded,” said Summerlin. “They came up schooling on that point all day long until about 11 a.m. We probably caught 40 to 45 fish from that one spot all day.”
Summerlin said that his most productive baits were a Fish Head Spin with a Sexy Shad-colored Big Bite Baits Swimbait and a wacky-rigged green-pumpkin-colored Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Ocho.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Gil Summerlin, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 16-3, $4,652
2nd: Jeff Kitchens, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 15-8, $2,326
3rd: Mitch Mitchell, Muscle Shoals, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $1,751
4th: David Milsaps, Ranger, Ga., five bass, 14-10, $1,486
5th: Lee Black, Danville, Ala., five bass, 14-1, $930
6th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 13-15, $853
7th: Griffin Phillips, Mount Olive, Ala., five bass, 13-14, $697
7th: Danny Shell, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 13-14, $697
7th: Matt Graves, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 13-14, $697
10th: Jake Roberson, Tuscumbia, Ala., five bass, 13-10, $543
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Scott Wright of Carbon Hill, Alabama, brought a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $685.
Justin Stephenson of Jasper, Alabama, won the Co-angler Division and $2,288 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Justin Stephenson, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 14-4, $2,288
2nd: William Ryan, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 13-15, $1,144
3rd: Brian Warfel, Woodbridge, Va., five bass, 12-10, $862
4th: Tyler Power, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $534
5th: Larry Hughes, Summertown, Tenn., five bass, 11-11, $458
6th: Larry McNeil, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 11-10, $419
7th: Daniel Douglas, Meridianville, Ala., five bass, 11-9, $431
8th: Jody Moore, Hixson, Tenn., five bass, 11-7, $343
9th: Josh Clark, Logan, Ala., four bass, 11-2, $305
10th: Michael Park, Birmingham, Ala., four bass, 11-1, $267
Leandra McClendon Jr. of Trussville, Alabama, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $332.
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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING EVENT ON LAKE TEXOMA
DENISON, Texas (April 9, 2018) – The Northeastern State University team of Cody Metzger of Wagoner, Oklahoma, and Blayke Haggard of Gans, Oklahoma, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Texoma on Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned the Riverhawk bass club $2,600 and a spot in the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
The duo said that they spent the day targeting smallmouth bass on main-lake points, about 5 to 8 miles away from the takeoff ramp at Highport Marina.
“We were wearing short sleeves in practice, but the temperature dropped to 32 degrees the morning of the tournament,” said Metzger, a senior majoring in criminal justice. “We knew that fishing for largemouth were going to be tough, so we decided to target the smallmouth.”
“We focused on the points where the wind was blowing the hardest, fishing the mid to southeastern areas of the lake,” said Haggard, a sophomore majoring in cellular and molecular biology. “We had five or six points that we rotated through that all looked very similar, fishing in 4 to 10 feet.”
The Riverhawk club cited citrus shad-colored Bandit 200 crankbaits and a prototype Bandit squarebill crankbait as their most productive lures. They said that they caught 10 to 12 keepers.
“I think our timing was really key,” Metzger said. “The key was finding the right spots and then sticking it out to find a couple of good bites. A couple of people were fishing next to us, but they weren’t staying long enough. It had to be at the right time.”
“We had great execution,” Haggard went on to say. “I caught a 4-pounder early, then three casts later Cody put a 3½-pounder in the boat. Those early fish clued us in that we were doing the right thing. It also helped that we didn’t lose any fish, all day.”
The top 10 teams on Lake Texoma that advanced to the 2019 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Northeastern State University – Cody Metzger, Wagoner, Okla., and Blayke Haggard, Gans, Okla., five bass, 19-4, $2,400
2nd: Louisiana Tech University – Spencer White and Greg Herman, both of Minden, La., five bass, 18-14, $1,000
3rd: Colorado State University-Pueblo – Danielle Dupont and Austin Miles, both of Pueblo, Colo., five bass, 18-6, $500
4th: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Jacob Andrews, Monroe, La., and Luke O’Neal, Madisonville, La., five bass, 18-0, $500
5th: University of Arkansas – Samuel Meaders, Fayetteville, Ark., and Kyle Jessie, Pearcy, Ark., five bass, 17-15, $500
6th: Northeastern State University – Caleb Gibson and Tyler Winn, both of Tahlequah, Okla., five bass, 17-14
7th: Southern Arkansas University – Drake Vines, El Dorado, Ark., and Reed Barham, Hope, Ark., five bass, 17-10
8th: Oklahoma State University – Rhett Meyer, Stilwell, Okla., and Jake Biram, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 17-4
9th: Tarleton State University – Hayden Pittman, Bergheim, Texas and Jarrett Robertson, Kerrville, Texas, five bass, 17-3
10th: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Hunter Freeman, Monroe, La., and Wesley Banks, Calhoun, La., five bass, 17-1
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Texoma was hosted by the Denison Area Chamber of Commerce, and was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Southern Conference anglers in 2018. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event takes place April 21, when Northern Division anglers compete at the YETI FLW College Fishing event at Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford, Virginia.
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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Stanfill & Abbott win Carolina Bass Challenge with over 23 pounds!! on Lake Greenwood
Courtesy of CBC:
The 3rd stop for the CBC Trail in SC was at Lake Greenwood April 7th launching from the Greenwood State Park! Cool and wet weather was with us the whole day but it was still a good day on the water for some! The CBC pays back $11,000.00 above the entry fees!
Bobby Stanfill & Shane Abbott go in on some the Skeeter action with 5 bass weighing 23.82 lbs good for 1st Place and the 1st Skeeter Bonus! They took home $12,000.00!
Barry Holloman & Joey Bramlett claimed the 2nd Skeeter Bonus plus 2nd place money with 5 bass weighing 21.63 lbs! They also weighed in the BF of the day at 7.26 lbs. All total Barry & Joey pocketed $7,000.00!
Scott Farmer & Samuel Freeman took 3rd with 5 bass weighing 19.08 lbs and they earned $2,000.00!
Cole Winn & Lee Sawyer grabbed the 3rd Skeeter Bonus with their 4th Place bag weighing up at 19.04 lbs! They took home $3,500.00!
Even Weaver & Tripp Clark rounded out the top 5 with a limit weighing 17.86! They collected $1,000.00!
The 4th Skeeter Bonus went to Derek Smithson & Chad Pennell with a limit totaling up to $16.16 lbs! They received $1,600.00!
Complete Results:
| Place | Team Name | Team # | #Fish | Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings | Winnings | Winnings |
| 1 | Bobby Stanfill - Shane Abbott | 79 | 5 | 23.82 | 5.89 | 310 | $8,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
| 2 | Barry Holloman - Joey Bramlett | 28 | 5 | 21.63 | 7.26 | 309 | $3,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $7,000.00 |
| 3 | Scott Farmer - Samuel Freeman | 46 | 5 | 19.08 | 0 | 308 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 | |
| 4 | Cole Winn - Lee Sawyer | 82 | 5 | 19.04 | 0 | 307 | $1,500.00 | $2,000.00 | $3,500.00 |
| 5 | Evan Weaver - Tripp Clark | 27 | 5 | 17.86 | 5.67 | 306 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 6 | J.w. Smith - Jonathan Sutton | 1 | 5 | 17.08 | 7.09 | 305 | $800.00 | $800.00 | |
| 7 | Derek Smithson - Chad Pennell | 52 | 5 | 16.16 | 6.27 | 304 | $600.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,600.00 |
| 8 | Michael Murphy - Kevin Sanders | 89 | 5 | 16.06 | 5.9 | 303 | $500.00 | $500.00 | |
| 9 | Wayne Frierson - Ronnie Mueller | 50 | 5 | 15.26 | 0 | 302 | $475.00 | $475.00 | |
| 10 | Kenny Brice - Kenny Fenters | 98 | 5 | 15.14 | 0 | 301 | $425.00 | $425.00 | |
| 11 | Rodney Cromer - Roger Farr | 32 | 5 | 14.95 | 0 | 300 | $375.00 | $375.00 | |
| 12 | James Clements - Steve Taylor | 69 | 5 | 14.68 | 0 | 299 | $350.00 | $350.00 | |
| 13 | Vinson Blanton - Randy Settle | 78 | 5 | 14.49 | 7.09 | 298 | $300.00 | $300.00 | |
| 14 | Marty Quesada - guy dana | 39 | 5 | 14.28 | 0 | 297 | $250.00 | $250.00 | |
| 15 | Alan Fletcher - Donald Hinson | 19 | 5 | 14.23 | 0 | 296 | $225.00 | $225.00 | |
| 16 | Albert Darminio - Steve Harris | 71 | 5 | 14.22 | 0 | 295 | $200.00 | $200.00 | |
| 17 | Thomas Vickers - Brian Huskins | 44 | 5 | 13.92 | 0 | 294 | |||
| 18 | Gary Atkinson - Troy Buffington | 8 | 5 | 13.84 | 0 | 293 | |||
| 19 | Tim McKinney - Yurgen Harter | 20 | 5 | 13.73 | 4.02 | 292 | |||
| 20 | Rusty Bullard - Eric Martin | 83 | 5 | 13.56 | 0 | 291 | |||
| 21 | Kevin Chandler - Bradley Chandler | 10 | 5 | 12.79 | 0 | 290 | |||
| 22 | Keith Porter - Tony Price | 2 | 5 | 12.72 | 0 | 289 | |||
| 23 | Justin Stoltzfus - Matthew Benge | 41 | 5 | 12.52 | 0 | 288 | |||
| 24 | Donald Poteat - Larry Yancey | 63 | 3 | 12.36 | 6.47 | 287 | |||
| 25 | Kevin Rake - terry morris | 75 | 5 | 12.28 | 0 | 286 | |||
| 26 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 30 | 5 | 12.25 | 0 | 285 | |||
| 27 | Jesus Loaces - Tracy Mccready | 43 | 5 | 12.16 | 0 | 284 | |||
| 28 | Sam Hopkins - Craig Matthews | 93 | 5 | 12.05 | 0 | 283 | |||
| 29 | jesse brooks - ross parris | 60 | 5 | 11.98 | 0 | 282 | |||
| 30 | Robert Wood - Justin Wood | 12 | 5 | 11.96 | 0 | 281 | |||
| 31 | Rob Ross - Lee Morris | 34 | 5 | 11.89 | 0 | 280 | |||
| 31 | Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird | 80 | 5 | 11.89 | 0 | 280 | |||
| 33 | Blake Wright - Greg Wright | 100 | 5 | 11.87 | 0 | 278 | |||
| 34 | John Allen - Scott Stallings | 94 | 5 | 11.85 | 0 | 277 | |||
| 35 | Dennis Reedy - Jeffrey Thomas | 16 | 5 | 11.84 | 3.87 | 276 | |||
| 36 | Larry Parker - Glenn Altman | 6 | 5 | 11.81 | 0 | 275 | |||
| 37 | Deron Donohoo - Davey Thomas | 35 | 5 | 11.65 | 0 | 274 | |||
| 38 | Justin Harvey - Michael Sprouse | 3 | 5 | 11.59 | 0 | 273 | |||
| 39 | Michael Smith - Joshua Queen | 54 | 5 | 11.4 | 0 | 272 | |||
| 40 | Toby Keisler - Bill Wilson | 48 | 5 | 11.38 | 0 | 271 | |||
| 41 | Allen Eaker - Jason Eaker | 70 | 5 | 11.25 | 0 | 270 | |||
| 42 | Terry Odom - Freddie Gibbs | 96 | 5 | 11.17 | 0 | 269 | |||
| 43 | Bo Chappell - Judy Chappell | 61 | 5 | 10.99 | 0 | 268 | |||
| 44 | Chase Stewart - Andrew Allen | 88 | 5 | 10.88 | 0 | 267 | |||
| 45 | Glenn Gentry - Shannon Jordan | 23 | 5 | 10.62 | 0 | 266 | |||
| 46 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 72 | 5 | 10.52 | 0 | 265 | |||
| 47 | Rodney Bell - Tommy Jones | 15 | 4 | 10.42 | 5.28 | 264 | |||
| 48 | Tommy Williams - Thomas Hardwick | 53 | 5 | 10.37 | 0 | 263 | |||
| 49 | Stan Gunter - Kevin Ashley | 91 | 5 | 10.36 | 0 | 262 | |||
| 50 | Greg Rikard - Norm Attaway | 99 | 5 | 10.35 | 0 | 261 | |||
| 51 | Travis Parrish - rodney tapp | 64 | 5 | 10.33 | 0 | 260 | |||
| 52 | JESS WHITE - Hunter Spivey | 59 | 5 | 10.32 | 0 | 259 | |||
| 53 | Craig Opperman - Joseph E. Vaughn Jr. | 86 | 5 | 10.12 | 0 | 258 | |||
| 54 | Gary Avery - Mike Goodman | 58 | 5 | 10.06 | 0 | 257 | |||
| 55 | leonard moore - Ronnie Crapps | 97 | 5 | 10.05 | 0 | 256 | |||
| 56 | Kenny hollingsworth - Gerald Owen | 14 | 5 | 9.88 | 0 | 255 | |||
| 57 | Tim Chapman - Marcus Leech | 36 | 5 | 9.65 | 0 | 254 | |||
| 58 | Steve Christie - Sammy Freeman | 17 | 5 | 9.64 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 59 | Sammie Grier - David Strickland | 33 | 5 | 9.42 | 0 | 252 | |||
| 60 | Robbie Harrelson - Justin Barfield | 92 | 5 | 9.18 | 0 | 251 | |||
| 61 | Chris Morris - Clint Postell | 42 | 5 | 8.6 | 0 | 250 | |||
| 62 | Todd Gambrell - Brandt Tumberg | 24 | 5 | 8.56 | 0 | 249 | |||
| 63 | Winkey Watford - scotty mixon | 9 | 4 | 8.31 | 0 | 248 | |||
| 64 | Perry Banks - Corey Banks | 49 | 5 | 7.84 | 0 | 247 | |||
| 65 | chris miller - Joey Miller | 13 | 3 | 6.75 | 0 | 246 | |||
| 66 | todd sinclair - Jeff Horton | 51 | 3 | 6.64 | 0 | 245 | |||
| 67 | Larry Mckissick - Larry Boykin | 90 | 3 | 6.42 | 0 | 244 | |||
| 68 | Wesley Bray - Tommy Purvis | 21 | 2 | 5.9 | 0 | 243 | |||
| 69 | Terry Thomas - David Kneece | 29 | 3 | 5.75 | 0 | 242 | |||
| 70 | Thomas King - Clayton King | 5 | 3 | 5.58 | 0 | 241 | |||
| 71 | Larry Moss - Michelle McLain | 26 | 3 | 4.36 | 0 | 240 | |||
| 72 | Juddie Revels | 77 | 1 | 4.1 | 0 | 239 | |||
| 73 | James 007 Bond - gerald bennett | 38 | 2 | 3.57 | 0 | 238 | |||
| 74 | Kipton Burba - Kiwon Anderson | 45 | 2 | 3.51 | 0 | 237 | |||
| 75 | Bradley Formby - David Miller | 68 | 1 | 2.33 | 0 | 236 | |||
| 76 | Robert Murdock - Jason Moyer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Jimmy Bass - Johnny Houser | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | randy moss - John parker | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Michael Williams - Kevin Richbourg | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Michael Fuller - Chris Morris | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Brad Nappier - Nathan Luke | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Amy Faulkner - Kenneth Broome | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | James Cook - Justin Hallman | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Steve Wicker - Cameron Kaihara | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | George Lauster - Bryan Tilly | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Ryan Raley - Mike Raley | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Chris Coxey - Stacey James | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Alton Rockett - Robert Kale | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Jonathon Peeler - Colt Peeler | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | BRENT bartman - Ben Smith | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Jason McClendon - Chad Griffin | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Jason Miles - Andy Rutledge | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Mike Boatright - Gary Angel | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Gary Elenbark - Curtis Williams | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Brian Randolph - Ronald Moss | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Daryl Watson - Ken McFarland | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Kiel Kelly - Chuck Whittaker | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Darrin Albertson - Terri Albertson | 87 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 76 | Sean Anderson - George Berry | 95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235 |
Chase Stewart Wins American Bass Anglers AFT-D96 Event on Laker Greenwood!
The day started out at 39 degrees with a 15 mph NNE wind. At the 3pm weigh-in it was 60 degrees with a light NE wind. Cloudy and cold until 12 noon when the sun came out and the wind laid down to 5 to 10 mph.
There were 24 anglers fishing this Division 96 1-day qualifier tournament out of Greenwood State Park near Ninety Six, SC.
First place, Chase Stewart had 5 fish weighing 15.31 pounds. Chase was fishing the middle and lower parts of the lake and caught some of his fish early on a chatterbait and the rest bed fishing. The combined payback for first place and first place option pot earned Chase $725 with the first place trophy.
Paul Selle was second with 5 fish weighing 14.92 pounds. He caught some of his fish early on the lower part of the lake with a swimbait and then went to the upper part for the remainder of his limit fishing a shakey head and a chatterbait. Paul took home the second place trophy and $445 for second place, second place option pot.
Andrew Allen took third place with 5 fish weighing 13.08 pounds. He had a kicker fish of 4.12 pounds to anchor his limit. Andrew won third place trophy and $123.
Fourth place was Wayman Coleman with 4 fish weighing 11.47 pounds. Wayman won a $94 for his fourth place finish.
Fifth place and ALX Rod Big Fisn Winner was James Stone with 3 fish weighing 10.53 that included the tournament big fish at 6.89 pounds. James won $120 for Big fish and a $25 Gift Certificate from Wolfstone Tungsten for fifth place.
The next D-96 tournament for the 2018 season is May 20, 2018 on Clarks Hill Lake out of the Dorn Facility near McCormick, SC.
Here’s how we finished:
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Timothy Hatcher and Shane Underwood win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lake Eufaula South Event!
by Dan O’Sullivan
April 8, 2018 – Eufaula, Ala. – Once known as the Big Bass Capital of the World, Lake Eufaula has shown repeatedly that it is still an impressive fishery. Home to many historical tales and legendary bass fishing industry companies, Eufaula has been fishing very well of late, with big bags being the norm at events for much of the spring.
Word in the week leading up to the third event of the 2018 Alabama Bass Trail’s Southern Division schedule was that an expected cold front was going to knock the fishing back a bit. Many anglers thought that the overall weights would be lower.
Eufaula and the 225 boat strong ABT Southern Division field proved that prognosticators were not very good at prognosticating.
The team of Timothy Hatcher and Shane Underwood produce five quality largemouth on a cold, rainy day at Eufaula that weighed 27.41 pounds and took home the victory along with the $10,000 winner’s prize this week. The team from Leeds and Trussville, Ala. used a strategy that revolved around the shad spawn early from Lakepoint to Town Creek, then probing brushpiles from White Oak to the dam as the day wore on.
They said a pair of jigs was the key. “We used a white Fat Daddy swim jig with a Reaction Innovations Twerk trailer during the shad spawn, and switched to a 5/8-ounce brown and blue Fat Daddy’s casting jig with a Twerk trailer on the brushpiles in the afternoon’ we were truly blessed.”
The pair reported that their main action was spread apart by a few hours. “We caught three of fish that we weighed out of the grass during the shad spawn – a big one and two four pounders on the swim jig,” they said. “We had a couple other small fish as well, but culled them with our big fish ( a 7.15) and another five pounder down lake around one o’clock, and that was the end of our day; we had fun, and excited to be standing here having won the tournament.”
Austin Lang and Michael Vinson from Dothan and Enterprise, Ala. came into the event with high expectation having won a tournament on the lake a week early. They were able to continue producing quality bites, but the big fish they needed never showed up. “We caught good ones until about 11:30, and had one bite that felt really good, but it pulled of before we ever got a chance to see it,” they said. “We were deep cranking for postspawn fish on offshore structure in the lower third of the lake; the wind changed directions midday and our bite absolutely shut off.” They reported making a 20-minute run first thing and using a minimum of six different colors of Strike King 5XD and 6XD crankbaits to produce their limit; they took home $5,000 for their efforts.
The team of John Skipper and Jeremy Headley finished the day in third place with a 25.19-pound limit that earned them $4,000. The Mountain Dew Big Bass of the Tournament went to the Georgia based team of Bill Cook and Trent Adams. The 8.83-pound largemouth anchored their 19.41-pound limit and earned them the $500 big bass bonus prize.
The Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/le-results/
| Place | Team | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Timothy Hatcher / Shane Underwood | 27.41 | 7.15 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Austin Lang / Micheal Vinson | 25.40 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | John Skipper / Jeremy Headley | 25.19 | $4,000 | |
| 4 | Foster Bradley / Clint Ellis | 22.49 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | Shane Horton / Brandon Horton | 22.08 | 7.84 | $2,000 |
| 6 | Marc Frazier / John Nolan | 21.17 | $1,500 | |
| 7 | Nolan Brannan / Angel Garcia | 20.94 | $1,100 | |
| 8 | Les Bratcher / Larry McDonald | 20.82 | 6.61 | $1,100 |
| 9 | Nicholas Turner / Joe Lay | 20.77 | $1,100 | |
| 10 | Steven Morris / Matt Vanzant | 20.56 | $1,100 |