Hatton & Atkins weigh 17 even to win Media Bass ARK-LA Team Event on Providence
| Place | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | # Bass | Pounds | Winnings | Points |
| 1 | William Hatton | Ronnie Atkins | 5 | 17.00 | $2,000.00 | 167.00 |
| 2 | Greg Musgrove | Stanley Brantley | 5 | 15.89 | $700.00 | 164.89 |
| 3 | JR Grubb * | Frank Fulmer * | 5 | 14.81 | $414.00 | 162.81 |
| 4 | Rusty Linares | Patrick Chapman | 5 | 14.41 | $250.00 | 161.41 |
| 5 | Chris Clement | Greg Duke | 4 | 14.20 | $180.00 | 160.20 |
| 6 | Jeff Marks | Chris Watkins | 4 | 12.72 | 157.72 | |
| 7 | Robert Rush | Bruce Johnston | 4 | 10.24 | 154.24 | |
| 8 | Zachary Oden | Trevor Rodgers | 5 | 9.86 | 152.86 | |
| 9 | Calvin Lusby | Joe Rainwater | 3 | 9.09 | 151.09 | |
| 10 | Josh Burroughs | Derek Davis | 3 | 8.44 | 149.44 | |
| 11 | Billy Burchfield | Tony Harris | 3 | 8.39 | 148.39 | |
| 12 | Timothy Powell | Cole Cantrell | 2 | 7.67 | 146.67 | |
| 13 | Jonathan Brockwell | Steven Cash | 2 | 7.01 | 145.01 | |
| 14 | Dakotah Pennington | Ben Bryan | 4 | 6.60 | 142.60 | |
| 15 | AJ Morgan | Gary Roberts | 2 | 5.60 | 141.60 | |
| 16 | Scott Pennington | Ken McDonald | 2 | 4.66 | 139.66 | |
| 17 | Jeff Gregory | Matt Jones | 1 | 3.84 | 137.84 | |
| 18 | Tyler Rhodes | John Ross | 2 | 3.40 | 136.40 | |
| 18 | Andy Graves | 1 | 3.40 | 136.40 | ||
| 18 | Justin Young | Beaver Smith | 1 | 3.40 | 136.40 | |
| 21 | Caleb Lane | Brandon Lyon | 2 | 2.93 | 132.93 | |
| 22 | John Tilbury | Tanner Caldwell | 1 | 2.72 | 131.72 | |
| 23 | Mike Pirtle | Ernie Heckford | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Robert Adkins | David Cameron | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Jon Craven | Josh Tittle | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Jimmy Farrar | Grady Rinehart | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Raymond Mosley | Jesse Mosley | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Brandon Wooten | Brandon Johnston | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| 23 | Rob Bland | Matt Shepherd | 0 | 0.00 | 64.00 | |
| Place | Big Bass | Pounds | Winnings | ||
| 1 | Rusty Linares | Patrick Chapman | 5.80 | $250.00 | |
| 2 | Chris Clement | Greg Duke | 5.19 | $0.00 | |
| Statistics | |||||
| Entries - | 29 | ||||
| Number Limits - | 5 | ||||
| Number Zeros - | 7 | ||||
| Bass Weighed - | 66 | ||||
| Bass Released - | 66 | ||||
| Total Pounds - | 186.28 | ||||
| Avg. Bass In Boat - | 2.3 | ||||
| Avg. Lbs. In Boat - | 6.42 | ||||
| Avg. Bass Size - | 2.82 | ||||
| Total Payout - | $3,794.00 |
Old School Prevails, New Elites Shine - Tournament Team Blog
Courtesy of Luke Estel - Tournament Team Blogger
Bass fishing fans around the country got a taste of one of the most historical fish catching tournaments in history. The Bassmaster Elite season opener will go down as one of the greatest fishing events in history.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. When the MLF debuted, fans got to witness history being made as the newly formed superstar circuit blew the doors off with their coverage. Fans were quick to say that BASS would never compete with them. They were wrong. Not only did BASS compete, but they too showed the world that they are not going away and they are bigger and better than ever before.
So what does this all mean to us? Fans will now have more options to watch their hero’s fish. This should not be a competition on who is the best, it should be about the exposure that these professional fishermen deserve. We have MLF, BASS, and FLW and all three are doing great things for our sport.
Now, let’s talk about the Bassmaster Elite on the St. Johns River. All I can say is, “WOW!” I have never seen more big fish catches in all my life. The coverage was great, the fish catches were phenomenal, and did the fishermen ever put on a show!
The veterans Rick Clunn and Mark Menendez put on an old school clinic on days three and four. Rick busted out and old school gator tail worm and a spinnerbait while Mark custom built his spinnerbait and methodically flipped. They brought the spinnerbait back and once again showed the world that the spinnerbait is still a deadly weapon. They also showed everyone that they can not only still catch them, but they will continue to be a threat in every event. Ricks impressive 34 pound catch sealed the deal with a total of 98 pounds. Mark was the most consistent in the top ten to weigh over 20 pounds each day to place 3rdwith 95 pounds.
The new faces in the Elites. I heard people saying, “Who are these guys and can they even catch a fish?” Yes they can and the two guys that stood out were the Johnston brothers from Canada. Did they ever put on a show every time they set the hook. For a while it looked as if they would finish one and two. Chris took home second place and will be able to hold his head up high for such a feat. Both are going to become a household names in professional bass fishing. Others like Patrick Walters and Lee Livesay did a fantastic job showing off their skills as they caught fish after fish.
I wish all three circuits the best of luck and will continue to support them all. The sport of bass fishing is changing for the better and I am excited be able to watch it unfold.
"The Elite Series Should Heed Clunn's Words"
By Vance McCullough - Photo Courtesy of Andy Crawford/BASS
Historic.
That’s the word to describe the Bassmaster Elite Series event that just went down on Florida’s famed St Johns River.
Following the most disruptive offseason in the history of professional bass angling, the tournament organization with the deepest roots returned to a fishery where Rick Clunn made history in 2016 as the eldest angler to ever win a Tour-level tourney.
History repeated itself this weekend as Clunn broke his own record for longevity by reclaiming the St Johns River Elite Series title at age 72.
The river itself put on a performance for the ages. Not since the glory days of Falcon Lake have we seen so many 30-plus-pound bags.
Clunn neared the century mark with a total weight of 98 pounds, 14 ounces over 4 days. He had to do so if he wanted to win. Strong competition on one of the nation’s best big bass factories demanded it.
His two closest pursuers posted more than 95 pounds apiece – Chris Johnston at 95-2 and Mark Menendez at 95-1.
An average weight of 20 pounds per day landed Scott Canterbury in 9thplace.
Long time Tournament Director Tripp Weldon said Saturday’s Day 3 weigh in was perhaps “the most incredible weigh in I have ever seen.”
The new era with its slimmed-down Elite Series field featured a huge number of fat weigh bags.
The St Johns also wore a new look. Miles of eel grass that have always rolled out before the anglers like a boundless welcome mat are gone in the continued wake of a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Bass have relocated to dock pilings and whatever emergent vegetation they find in the now-more-heavily-stained shallows of the wide, tidal waterway that oozes northward.
One constant that remains is Clunn, a pioneer who helped build the sport of professional bass fishing the first time around. With men such as him on the trail, joined by a host of journeymen pros and more than a few promising young rookies, the future of the Bassmaster Elite Series looks bright.
Thousands of screaming fans who attended the live weigh in shows each day would agree. While they warmed up to relative unknowns, including Patrick Walters and Lee Livesay, they voiced undying love for Clunn, one man yelling, “you’re my hero,” before a lady added, “we love you!”
Menendez was another crowd favorite. The veteran pro took 3rdplace, an ounce behind FLW Tour transplant Johnston of Canada.
Cliff Pirch added more star power to the field in Sunday’s final round. He also put a stout sack on the scale Saturday before busting a huge bass on a topwater lure for the live internet audience Sunday morning.
To say this tournament was entertaining would be an understatement. With insightful commentary on Live, it was also very educational.
And guys like Livesay and Walters are only strangers until they make an appearance such as they did this past week with hours of live coverage on Bassmaster.com and stage presence before thousands, along with the television coverage to come.
“They’re just guys you haven’t heard of - yet,” said Menendez, noting the strong talent level on this tour.
On the Elite Series a young guy can build his brand fast and Menendez is certain that will happen as we get to know more of these pros this coming week at Georgia’s Lake Lanier. Practice has already begun.
Keep an eye on Bassmaster.com’s leaderboard this week. It will be well worth watching.
The entire Bassmaster organization should heed Clunn’s reminder on stage after winning, yet another, blue trophy in Palatka, Florida – “Never accept that all your best moments are behind you.”
Patterson & Douglas Win Guntersville Rat-L-Trap Open with over 29 pounds!
Rat-L-Trap Classic Results
MOUNT PARAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WINS 2019 BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING LAKE SEMINOLE OPEN
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 11, 2019) – The Mount Paran Christian School duo of Lee Rose Koza and Carter Koza, both of Marietta, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Seminole Open.
A field of 42 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin. The tournament was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau In FLW and TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams on Lake Seminole that advanced to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Mount Paran Christian School, Kennesaw, Ga. – Lee Rose Koza and Carter Koza, both of Marietta, Ga., five bass, 23-2
2nd: Marianna High School, Marianna, Fla. – Bowynn Brown, Walnut Grove, Miss., and Trey Stevens, Marianna, Fla., five bass, 18-2
3rd: CrossPointe Christian Academy, Williamson, Ga. – Addison Stahl, Griffin, Ga., and Levi Garrett, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 15-11
4th: Double Trouble Bass Team – Jackson Conley, Bainbridge, Ga., and Brunson Fain, Donalsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-5
Rounding out the top 10 were:
5th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Hunter Davis and Gabe Dunaway, both of Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 13-13
6th: Shelby County High School, Columbiana, Ala. – Ethan King, Wilsonville, Ala., and Tyler Cain, Bessemer, Ala., four bass, 13-6
7th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Gunner Thomas and Brody Thomas, both of Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 13-1
8th: Lake Norman High School, Mooresville, N.C. – Alexander Coggins and Jake Monti, both of Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 13-0
9th: Brookwood High School, Snellville, Ga. – Ben Sanders, Thomasville, Ga., and Levi Singletary, Cairo, Ga., five bass, 12-8
10th: Lawton Chiles High School, Tallahassee, Fla. – Ben Kuhn and Cole Merritt, both of Tallahassee, Fla., five bass, 12-8
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2019 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Lake Seminole Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship on a body of water that has yet to be revealed. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2019 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2018 World Finals more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE OPENER ON LAKE SEMINOLE
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 11, 2019) – The University of Montevallo duo of Justin Barnes of Monroeville, Alabama, and Adam Carroll of Carrollton, Georgia, won the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Seminole Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the Falcon’s bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We put a lot of time in practicing for this tournament, and I truly believe that’s why we did so well,” said Carrollton, a sophomore majoring in marketing. “We spent two weekends here, plus the whole week before the tournament on the water checking the grass and we were able to find a couple of really good places. We spent our day rotating through three specific spots, just holes and cuts off the grass in Spring Creek.”
The duo estimated that they caught at least 30 fish throughout the day, all between 3 and 5 pounds. All of their fish came on vibrating jigs, with either a Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper (clear) or a Big Bite Baits Swimming Craw (black and blue) as a trailer.
“The fish were really grouped up in the hydrilla,” said Barnes, a junior also majoring in marketing. “We were both using 7’1” FX Xtreme Anglers Series medium-heavy rods, and that was crucial. It had the perfect amount of tip to feel the bite but was still able to rip them out of the grass. We caught 30 keepers – all good ones – and we never lost one fish, all day long.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2020 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: University of Montevallo – Justin Barnes, Monroeville, Ala., and Adam Carroll, Carrollton, Ga., five bass, 23-1, $2,000
2nd: Shelton State Community College – Will Delaney, Duncanville, Ala., and Hunter Porter, Tuscaloosa, Ala., five bass, 21-5, $1,000
3rd: Florida State University – Garret Sanders, Woodstock, Ga., and Owen Kuhn, Tallahassee, Fla., five bass, 20-8, $500
4th: Snead State Community College – John-Dalton Miller, Albertville, Ala., and Jackson Gillaspie, Boaz, Ala., four bass, 19-13, $500
5th: Bethel University – Garrett Enders, Mifflinburg, Pa., and Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., five bass, 19-11, $900
6th: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Longwood, Fla., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., five bass, 19-2, $200
7th: University of Montevallo – Kade Holcomb and Kopeland Rosser, Helena, Ala., five bass, 19-0
8th: Mississippi State University – Boone Faulkner, New Albany, Miss., and Nikolas Beckstein, Vancleave, Miss., five bass, 18-13
9th: University of North Alabama – Hunter McCarty, Dora, Ala., and Sloan Pennington, Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 18-8
10th: Brewton-Parker College – Noah Ziadie, Covington, Ga., and Reese Kingston, Villa Rica, Ga., five bass, 18-6, $200
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournament for Southeastern Conference anglers and the first YETI FLW College Fishing event of 2019. The next event for FLW College Fishing anglers will be the Southern Conference opener, Feb. 22 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Zavalla, Texas.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. 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. The top 10 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 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. The Potomac River and Marbury, Maryland, will play host to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship, June 4-6, 2019.
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.
EASLEY’S ANDERS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION OPENER ON LAKE KEOWEE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Hiawassee’s McClure Wins Co-angler Division
SENECA, S.C. (Feb. 11, 2019) – Boater Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River division event on Lake Keowee presented by Navionics. Anders earned $4,164 for his efforts.
“I caught the majority of my fish in the mid-lake area, feeding on shad,” said Anders, who also had a tournament win as a co-angler at the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier last season. ”I’ve fished Keowee as much as anybody, and this year the water never got as cold as it usually does. So the fish weren’t deep, they were already in more of a prespawn mode. Feeding on shad instead of the crawfish like normal.”
Anders said that most of his fish came on an EverGreen JT 95 topwater bait in his mid-lake areas, but he also caught a couple of key fish skipping docks in 40 feet-of-water with a bait fish-colored Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. along with a late-day keeper on a drop-shot rig.
“I only caught around 10 keepers, and I really struggled the last 3 to 4 hours of the tournament,” Ander said. “I caught my last one late in the day drop-shotting a 6-inch, straight-tail Roboworm, 35-feet-deep, and was able to cull up 4 ounces. I ended up winning by 3 ounces, so that fish was the difference maker.
“The key for me was not fishing history, and sticking to the pattern that I figured out in practice,” Anders went on to say. “They were not anywhere that I normally catch them on this time of year. I’m also fishing well and still rolling from the momentum of my co-angler win at the FLW Tour event last March at Lake Lanier. I’ve got a great support group around me and I’m in a really great place in my life. I can’t wait to get back out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 14-11, $4,164
2nd: Shane Peck, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $1,857
3rd: Jerry Morgan, Inman, S.C., five bass, 14-2, $1,172
4th: Ronnie Wald, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 14-1, $820
5th: Vince Smith, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $703
6th: Edwin Pabon, Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $644
7th: Michael Mengeling, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $586
8th: Todd Goade, Suwanee, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $798
9th: Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $498
10th: Mark Gibson, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-7, $410
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Anders’ big fish of the day was a 6-pound, 3-ounce largemouth bass, which also was the tournament’s biggest bass of the day and earned Anders the Boater Big Bass award of $450.
Nathan McClure of Hiawassee, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,957 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Nathan McClure, Hiawassee, Ga., five bass, 12-7, $1,957
2nd: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-8, $879
3rd: Charles Ellington, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 11-7, $585
4th: James South, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $430
4th: Donnie Davis, Greer, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $430
6th: Vern Schmucker, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 9-14, $322
7th: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., five bass, 9-3, $293
8th: Tucker Souther, Brevard, N.C., four bass, 9-0, $264
9th: Joseph Thomasson, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 8-14, $234
10th: Westley Denny, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 8-8, $205
Nathaniel Moore of Fairview, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $225.
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. 10-12 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30-June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. 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, and YouTube.
Mason and Walker Weigh over 33-pound Limit to Win new Triton boat in ABA Team Series on Guntersville
Saturday, February 9, 2019 the Bass Pro Shops Team Tour operated by American Bass Anglers held its first tournament of the regular season that launched from Goosepond Bait and Tackle on Guntersville Lake located in Scottsboro, Alabama. Ninety-three teams went to battle in cold weather conditions to try and win the 2019 Triton 17TX powered by a 60HP Mercury four-stroke with Garmin Echo-map plus 93SV valued at 20K. With a 5-pound lead over 2nd place Jimmy Mason and Lance Walker took the victory weighing in 5 fish for a total weight of 33.82-pounds. The team also earned a check for $900 for taking 1st place in the High Stakes Option Pot.
“We fished in shallow river bars and were using Lipless Crankbait, Booyah Wind Knocker, as well as, Bandit Racket to catch our bass. We also fished in shallow grass and weeds. We stayed within 8 miles of the launch dock and fished back to Goosepond and covered a lot of water and had a fun day,” said Mason.
Second place team Tony Harvey and Donny Beck brought 5-fish to the scales weighing 28.82-pounds. They earned a check for $2875.00 for their catch. They also earned a check for $550.00 from the Big Stakes Optional Pot.
“Our day started with heading to some flats and us using crankbaits and jigs fishing in shallow water around 5 to 8 feet deep. We had a good day and it was a lot of fun,” said Harvey.
Coming in 3rd place was the team of Patrick Anderson and Randall Allen bringing 5-fish to the scales weighing 28.49-pounds. They earned a check for $1900.00 for their efforts. They also caught a monster big fish weighing 9.71lbs and won the big fish pot of $810.00. They also placed third in the High Stakes Optional Pot and took home $350.00.
“We fished in 6-8 feet of water using a crankbait and spinnerbait. We stayed in grassy water and moved around a bit here and there,” said Anderson.
Finishing 4th was the team of Kent Keys and Davey Campbell weighing in 5-fish at 26.88-lbs. Earning a check for $1300.00 for their efforts. Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Derek Remitz and Casey Martin weighing in 5-fish for 25.47-lbs. They earned a check for $1100.00 plus a $200.00 check for the High-Stakes Option Pot.
The next Alabama Bass Pro Shops Team Tour Tournament is on Neely Henry Lake going out of Coosa Landing on March 9th.
For more information on this event call/text Tournament Manager: Shelby McElyea- (256)230-5633 Email: [email protected]
About American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Matthew Wieteha Wins $5500 in ABA Open Win on Lake Okeechobee
ATHENS, Ala. – Matthew Wieteha of Miami, FL won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series Florida South tournament, held February 9th on the Lake Okeechobee. Running out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, FL Matthew caught five bass weighing 29.40-pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Wieteha took home a check for $5500 for his win.
“I was fishing on the south end of the lake throwing a Gambler black/blue swim jig with a Gambler burner craw on the back. I lost five or six fish that would’ve pushed me over the 30-pound mark. The fish seemed to be staging to spawn and they were aggressive so I was burning the swim jig as fast as I could,” Wieteha said.
Finishing second for the boaters by a slim 0.12-pound margin, Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, FL landed a five-bass tournament limit going 29.28-pounds including a big bass that weighed 9.48-pounds.
“I caught my fish flipping a jig today. I fished about twelve places. I was fishing the west side of the shoal and worked my way back up the lake. I lost my first bite this morning and it was an 8-pounder and I lost a couple 6-pounders late in the day. I caught that big bass around 12:30 pm,” Medlock said.
Dave Sheffield of Davie, FL took third for the boaters with five bass going 28.58-pounds.
“I caught my fish today on the south end of the lake also. I was pitching to the reeds with a lightweight setup. It was a phenomenal day of fishing,” Sheffield said.
Finishing fourth, Curtis Lewis of West Palm Beach, FL landed a five-bass limit for 27.80-pounds. William Troyer of Sarasota, FL rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 25.29-pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Benjamin Layner of St. Petersburg, FL won with threebass going 20.38-pounds that included a 7.47-pound kicker. He pocketed a check for $1850 for his win.
“This was my first-time fishing Lake Okeechobee. I had a great boater, Chris Shirling, he put me on the fish today. I was throwing a black/blue swim jig with a Bitter’s bait Jitter-craw trailer. I was swimming it on top of the water burning it fast and they were nailing it. I had a great time and I look forward to future events,” Layner said.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Richard “Jamey” Nash of Chiefland, FL brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 16.79-pounds.
“I caught my fish early on a moving bait. I was culling by 8:00 am and had a 5-pounder in the boat. But as the sun got up, the bite seemed to shut off for me. After that, I began dead-sticking a Bitter’s senko style bait the rest of the day and that led to bigger and better fish,” Nash said.
Tomas Gomez of Kissimmee, FL placed third among the co-anglers with three bass going 15.52-pounds.
“I started off fishing a skinny dipper but that didn’t work for me so changed up to my go-to bait and caught fish slow rolling a watermelon-red Bitter’s speed worm over hydrilla. I had my limit by limit by 10:30 am and then I caught my bigger fish after 1:00 pm,” Gomez said.
The co-angler big bass award went to Semori Novembre of Belle Glade, FL brought to the scales a big bass that weighed 8.46-pounds.
“This is my first tournament ever. I caught that big bass on a Zoom 10” U-tail worm around 12:30 pm. It was my biggest bass ever,” Novembre said
In fourth place among the co-anglers, Lonny Mead of Orlando, FL brought in three bass for 15.43-pounds. Brian Reeves of Sebring, FL finished in fifth place with three bass for 15.22-pounds.
Slated for March 23rd, the next tournament will be held on Lake Okeechobee out of Roland Martin Marina and Resort in Clewiston, FL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2020 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Hartwell in April 2020.
For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com
About American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Chapman & Cummins Battle Freezing Temps, Win Bass Champs Lake Travis Event with over 17 pounds for $20K Payday!
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | KENNETH CUMMINS PAIGE , TX |
JIMMY CHAPMAN HUTTO , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.89 |
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| 2 |  |
DANIEL BARNES BELTON , TX |
ADRIAN BARNES BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.71 |
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| 3 |  |
TIM RENEAU RICHLAND SPINGS , TX |
JUDY RENEAU RICHLAND SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.52 |
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| 4 | |
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BRANDON DAY BROWNWOOD , TX |
CADE WILSON EARLY , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.22 |
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| 5 | |
 |
MIKE RICHARDSON THORNDALE , TX |
ZACH BROWN GEORGETOWN , TX |
5 | 8.47 | 16.06 |
|
|
| 6 | RANDY HIBLER MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDALL CHRISTIAN TOW , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.96 |
|
|||
| 7 | |
TONY FERDINANDO SPICEWOOD , TX |
SHANE LOGAN BUDA , TX |
4 | 7.56 | 15.06 |
|
||
| 8 | TERRY STEVENS HUTTO , TX |
JASON HARPER MONTGOMERY , TX |
5 | 7.50 | 14.31 |
|
|||
| 9 | |
MIKE CONES DEL RIO , TX |
RANDY DIXON BORGER , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.24 |
|
||
| 10 | |
LANCE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
BLAKE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.75 |
|
||
| 11 | DAMON ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
DYLAN ROSS LEXINGTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.71 |
|
|||
| 12 | MICHAEL WERSIG LEANDER , TX |
EMILY WERSIG LEANDER , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.29 |
|
|||
| 13 | TERRY ADAIR ALVIN , TX |
CHAD ADAIR ALVIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.22 |
|
|||
| 14 | CHRIS WOEHL CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHRIS CLEMENTS ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.08 |
|
|||
| 15 | |
WILLIAM BLAINE SAN ANGELO , TX |
DUSTIN WALTON SWEETWATER , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.58 |
|
||
| 16 | |
BILLY FORD BELTON , TX |
WILLIAM LYNCH BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.98 |
|
||
| 17 | |
CRIS TATUM BELTON , TX |
JUSTIN TATUM BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.81 |
|
||
| 18 | |
CHARLES PURSELL AUSTIN , TX |
MATTHEW PURYEAR AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.80 |
|
||
| 19 | ANTHONY SKOUBY CIBOLO , TX |
JASON WILLIAMS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.51 |
|
|||
| 20 | |
DAVID SHUSTER GEORGETOWN , TX |
CHARLES GERHART SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.42 |
|
||
| 21 | |
SHAWN MARKGRAF BURNET , TX |
TRENT BLAKE BURNET , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.29 |
|
||
| 22 | ANDREW WHITEHEAD PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
MICKEY SANDERS SPICEWOOD , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.18 |
|
|||
| 23 | MICHAEL BRISENO ELGIN , TX |
LUCAS LARSON HUTTO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.16 |
|
|||
| 24 | |
|
ADAM MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
ROGER SOTO BROWNWOOD , TX |
3 | 0 | 10.97 |
|
|
| 25 | SCOTT SMITH HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
PRESTON DANNA HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.87 |
|
|||
| 26 | JOHN KAPALDO KYLE , TX |
JACOB KAPALDO KYLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.79 |
|
|||
| 27 | JUSTIN WOJCIK BULVERDE , TX |
ADAM AMICK BOERNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.66 |
|
|||
| 28 | |
|
TODD IVINS BOERNE , TX |
BILLY MCCRARY II TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.44 |
|
|
| 29 | ROBERT BROWN ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.26 |
|
||||
| 29 | ANTHONY GARCIA ROUND ROCK , TX |
ERIC GARCIA STANLEY , NM |
4 | 0 | 10.26 |
|
|||
| 31 | MICHAEL ROBERTS LEANDER , TX |
DAVID BARNARD LOMETA , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.98 |
|
|||
| 32 | |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
PAT WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.91 |
|
||
| 33 | JOSH LASSETER BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
DON KING BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.62 |
|
|||
| 34 | DUSTIN GRICE VALLEY MILLS , TX |
JOHNNY GRICE EARLY , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.33 |
|
|||
| 35 | |
LEE BENTON BURNET , TX |
MIKE HASTINGS MEADOWLAKES , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.32 |
|
||
| 36 | |
MATT HILL JONESTOWN , TX |
BARRY MOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.07 |
|
||
| 37 | |
ROY STEGER BELTON , TX |
CHET SUTTON SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.99 |
|
||
| 38 | CHRISTOPHER SABINA SAN ANTONIO , TX |
KYLE MUSSATO HIGHLANDS RANCH , CO |
5 | 0 | 8.91 |
|
|||
| 39 | MIKE STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
BRADY STANFORD MIDLAND , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.87 |
|
|||
| 40 | |
RONNY MAYNARD GEORGETOWN , TX |
JOHN HALLEY KILLEEN , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.84 |
|
||
| 41 | |
RONALD GOERDEL HUNTSVILLE , TX |
JOHN GILBERT JR LEANDER , TX |
3 | 6.05 | 8.78 |
|
||
| 42 | TOM GUIDRY NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
JR BRIANT KINGSLAND , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.76 |
|
|||
| 43 | |
LEONARD PHILIPP BASTROP , TX |
HUNTER ARTHUR BASTROP , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.62 |
|
||
| 44 | CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
TREY GROCE DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.60 |
|
|||
| 45 | |
JEFFERY HUNTER SALADO , TX |
KENNETH WITEK STOCKDALE , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.52 |
|
||
| 46 | TRAVIS GOLMON GEORGETOWN , TX |
JAYSON KISSELBURG JARRELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.30 |
|
|||
| 47 | TRAVIS DAUGHERTY BURNET , TX |
TRAVIS COCKERHAM BARTLETT , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.20 |
|
|||
| 47 | JUSTYN PARRISH AUSTIN , TX |
GARRIT AFMAN NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.20 |
|
|||
| 49 | GLEN DERKS II LIBERTY HILL , TX |
BRYAN SIMPSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.16 |
|
|||
| 50 | BILL GUZMAN AUSTIN , TX |
TIM STEWART AUSTIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.14 |
|
|||
| 51 | |
TYLER TORWICK AUSTIN , TX |
BRYAN SCOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.99 |
|
||
| 52 | |
JAMES SCOGIN AUSTIN , TX |
ROLAND LOERA AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.92 |
|
||
| 53 | |
RAY TOMASITS LEANDER , TX |
CARY LAUDADIO AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.85 |
|
||
| 54 | |
|
RANDY GROUNDS HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
LEE BEUERSHAUSEN MARBLE FALLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.75 |
|
|
| 55 | SCOTT MEADS KILLEEN , TX |
TOM GRIDLEY WIMBERLEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.73 |
|
|||
| 56 | |
MICHAEL WALDROP AUSTIN , TX |
JARROD SANDERS AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.70 |
|
||
| 57 | |
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
BRAD DRAKE IRVING , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.52 |
|
||
| 58 | |
DEAN ALEXANDER JONESTOWN , TX |
THOMAS MARTENS JONESTOWN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.48 |
|
||
| 59 | |
WILL DAVENPORT ROUND ROCK , TX |
JACOB LAMBERT ROUND ROCK , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.34 |
|
||
| 60 | |
GARY WEIMER LEANDER , TX |
JEREMIAH WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.07 |
|
||
| 60 | |
|
WESTON BROWN HOUSTON , TX |
DAVID DOONAN CALDWELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.07 |
|
|
| 62 | GERARD RUMSEY AUSTIN , TX |
EDWARD RUMSEY BURNET , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.82 |
|
|||
| 63 | |
ROGER SARAIBA LEANDER , TX |
LOUIE BRUNO PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 6.77 |
|
||
| 64 | |
BLAKE ARAPIS BURNET , TX |
CHARLES WILSON JR BRIGGS , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.71 |
|
||
| 65 | |
RONNY ANTHONY SALADO , TX |
JARAD GOHLKE GATESVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.64 |
|
||
| 65 | TIMOTHY SMEAL FORT WORTH , TX |
DAVID NELSON SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 6.64 |
|
|||
| 67 | GARRETT KOSLAN AUSTIN , TX |
ERIC CRUMLEY LEANDER , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.42 |
|
|||
| 68 | |
WILLIAM BRUNSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
DANIEL EMBLEM KILLEEN , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.37 |
|
||
| 69 | |
|
STERLING MARTIN BEEVILLE , TX |
COURTNEY BEHREND COMFORT , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.29 |
|
|
| 70 | |
CODY GREANEY MANCHACA , TX |
ROBERT ROARK THE WOODLANDS , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.06 |
|
||
| 71 | |
|
CHANS MARTIN FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
CHASE MEIER COMFORT , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.76 |
|
|
| 72 | |
JAMES BEAUCHAMP SUNRISE BEACH , TX |
BRENNAN FERTIG BAY CITY , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.57 |
|
||
| 73 | MICHAEL HETTICK CORPUS CHRISTI , TX |
KAPPY ALLEN ROBSTOWN , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.52 |
|
|||
| 74 | |
JAMES CANTWELL KINGSLAND , TX |
TOM CANTWELL LAGRANGE , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.64 |
|
||
| 75 | MIKE PICKWELL DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
JOE COLE AUSTIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.55 |
|
|||
| 76 | |
ROBERT MIKES SHINER , TX |
MARKUS ELDER NEW WAVERLY , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.43 |
|
||
| 77 | GARY WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
GREG WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.26 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
THOMAS WEIMER ROUND ROCK , TX |
BRANDON JONES ROUND ROCK , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.16 |
|
||
| 79 | |
JUSTIN MADDING ROUND ROCK , TX |
ANIBAL GUZMAN HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.04 |
|
||
| 80 | JEREMY ANZVALDA NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
JASON RANFT NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.93 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
KYLE WIEDENFELD BOERNE , TX |
KADEN WIEDENFELD BOERNE , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.91 |
|
||
| 82 | JOEY KIRKLAND SAN ANTONIO , TX |
LUPE CONTRERAS JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.82 |
|
|||
| 83 | |
FRANK CHANDLER ROUND ROCK , TX |
ISAIAH CHANDLER ROUND ROCK , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.76 |
|
||
| 84 | TROY LOWERY BROWNWOOD , TX |
TOMMY MORENO SAN SABA , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.85 |
|
|||
| 85 | |
PATRICK ANDERSON BUDA , TX |
DOUG HAMILTON LAKEWAY , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.50 |
|
||
| 86 | |
ANTHONY GOODSON DRIFTWOOD , TX |
MICAH KIRKHART MARTINDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
PHILLIP MASSOLETTI BURNET , TX |
CHARLES MEREDITH DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DARRELL WUENSCHE THRALL , TX |
SAM MORROW AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JAKE KENNAMER AUSTIN , TX |
CARSON CONKLIN BUDA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JOE BILL HALE SPICEWOOD , TX |
DUSTY HALE SPICEWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
MIKE GROUNDS MARBLE FALLS , TX |
BRAD DOBBS GRAHAM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | MIKE HARMAN BASTROP , TX |
BRIAN HUGHES TAYLOR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | MARK RIBERA | JESSE RIVERA AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DONNIE ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
KENNY CLIFTON BASTROP , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
SEAN EVANS KILLEEN , TX |
RODNEY THOMPSON HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JASON BUCHANAN BURNET , TX |
TERRY KIRCUS BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JAMES DISLER LEANDER , TX |
DAVID DISLER CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
DAVID OVERCASH WEST , TX |
ROGER FRIELDS WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
STEVE WILSON FREDERICKSBURG , TX |
DONNIE HOHMANN HARPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
|
DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX |
FORREST WILSON SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 86 | |
ADAM CLARK DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
RICK CLARK TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | TRAVIS GERGELY SEGUIN , TX |
BLAINE MURNAHAN NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
STEVEN KIRKWOOD HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
CLAYTON HELDT VICTORIA , TX |
CHAD KALLINA LAGO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
BUDDY BOONE SAN ANTONIO , TX |
RALPH CELEDON ALAMO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
JOHNNY HOMANN KYLE , TX |
JAY HESS LOCKHART , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JOHN WALSH LEANDER , TX |
JEFF JENKINS LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
DAVID RUTHERFORD ARTESIA , NM |
CURTIS PENNINGTON ARTESIA , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | SHAWN TAYLOR ABILENE , TX |
JEREMY EASTERWOOD ABILENE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DAVID WILSON AUSTIN , TX |
JAMES WILSON SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | ROBERT PRESCOTT SEQUIN , TX |
DEVIN GIBSON GONZALES , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | KYLE MAREK LAKE HILLS , TX |
DERRICK CORSO MCKINNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
RYAN FAIN SPRING BRANCH , TX |
GEORGE DELOACH BOERNE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
GARRETT SHEPPERD GEORGETOWN , TX |
GREGORY SHEPPERD GEORGETOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | RANDY ROE AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 86 | |
JACK MEREDITH BELTON , TX |
STEVEN BREAZEALE AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
CHARLES HICE BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | JOHN DAVILA CEDAR PARK , TX |
CAMERON OATES LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
HEATH HARDAWAY KINGSLAND , TX |
WILLIAM HAMMES KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | CODY BARCHENGER TAYLOR , TX |
WYATT FRANKENS CORRIGAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | ROBERT BUTLER AUSTIN , TX |
HANK GRAVES AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
STEVEN MAPLES JR SEGUIN , TX |
RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
RUSSELL WHITE BASTROP , TX |
BRIAN CRAWFORD BRIARCLIFF , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
RONALD SISK RIO VISTA , TX |
KENNETH FULLER JR RIO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | JAMES HESTER SALADO , TX |
NEAL CHILDERS CYPRESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | HERMAN GEORGE BELTON , TX |
TIM HERNING TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | STEVE MAGNELIA AUSTIN , TX |
MICHAEL TENNANT PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | BRANDON BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
JOE BRAY HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | DEAN BUJNOCH HUTTO , TX |
BROCK BUJNOCH HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | BRIAN HARMS ROUND ROCK , TX |
TRAVIS GARNER ROUND ROCK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
GERALD MUELLER JR PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
GENE FUESSEL AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
WILLIAM DANKERT SALADO , TX |
TYLER DANKERT SALADO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | BLAYNE THOMPSON CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHARLES BROOKE JONESTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | MICHAEL GLYNN BOERNE , TX |
MATTHEW HATHAWAY SAN MARCOS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
BRIAN MATER AUSTIN , TX |
PHILLIP WARREN AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | RICKY PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
RHETT PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
|
WILLIAM FESLER LAMPASAS , TX |
DAVID LAINE HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 86 | |
GARRETT GOETTEE TOMBALL , TX |
HUGH KELLER HOUSTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DONNIE ONEAL PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
MAELSTROM KIEWIET AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 86 | |
DEREK CONE CEDAR PARK , TX |
TOM WILKINSON LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pirch picks up Toyota Bonus Bucks at St. Johns Elite
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Arizona’s Clifford Pirch got tired of seeing his pro angling buddies Josh Bertrand and Roy Hawk cashing Bonus Bucks checks from Toyota while he was towing with another brand.
“I was running a diesel, while Josh and Roy were cashing-in on the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program. So I went and bought a Tundra, and now I’m getting paid too,” says Pirch. “And I’ve never once regretted getting rid of the diesel because the towing power of this Tundra is awesome, and it’s a super comfortable ride too.”
Pirch earned the bonus by showcasing his angling talents at the famed St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite Series event, especially on Day 3, when he brought a monster limit to the scales that weighed 34 pounds.
“About half the fish I weighed-in this week were spawners that fell for a Big Bite Baits finesse wacky worm, and the other half chased a vibrating blade jig,” says Pirch, who is nearly as passionate about hunting elk antler sheds in Arizona each spring as he is bass fishing.
Hunting elk antler sheds will keep Pirch busy during what little time he’s home in March and April, but for now he’s happy to be picking up a bonus from Toyota as he rolls out of Florida.
You don’t have to be a full time pro like Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Clifford Pirch or John Crews to be eligible to win Toyota Bonus Bucks, you just have to drive a 2015 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up Free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the dozens of tournaments supported by the program.
To learn more, please visit www.toyotafishing.com, or call (918) 742-6424 and ask for Kendell or Jarrett and they will help you get signed-up.
GEORGIA’S GROSS WINS FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Chickamauga’s Buddy Gross Milks Key Area on Lake Toho to Earn Second Career FLW Tour Victory, $100,000
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2019) – Pro Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces, to the scale Sunday to win the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Gross’ four-day total of 20 bass weighing 85-12 earned him the victory by a 4-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, and the $100,000 first-place prize.
“I’m ecstatic. It has been an awesome, awesome journey. To beat the competition that we have – it’s unbelievable,” said Gross, who earned his second career FLW Tour victory. “I came into this event just wanting to cash a check. When I made the top 30, I just wanted stay in the top 10. All I wanted to do was finish strong.
“I got the majority of my weight early today – I’m guessing I had 18 or 19 pounds by 9 (a.m.) and after that it was a grind,” continued Gross. “I worked a long time between bites, but I upgraded two more times – maybe three – at my spot. I can’t believe this place that I caught these fish at held up – I really believe the Lord just blessed me.”
The spot Gross is referring to was on the main span of Lake Toho, just north of the lock at the lake’s southern end. It was his most productive area throughout the event, producing 19 of his 20 fish. He described it as a “pocket” in the grass line that was 30 feet wide and 50 feet in, but that didn’t break through to the other side.
“It was special because it had two ditches with clumps in the middle, and the fish were sitting in the clumps,” said Gross. “There were 20-foot gaps between each clump, and they’d set up in them [the clumps]. The first day I caught them, it was in the ditch, but after that, everything was on the clumps.”
Though Gross described the area as having two ditches, he said the “ditches” weren’t any deeper than the surrounding area. They were just open lanes with no grass. The entire spot was about 7 feet deep.
Gross primarily used a 5- or 6-inch, natural-light-colored Scottsboro Tackle Co. Swimbait on an 8/0-sized Owner Beast Flashy Swimmer and a ½-ounce white custom swimjig with a 4-inch Scottsboro Tackle swimbait trailer of the same color. The same swimjig with a black-and-blue skirt and a green-pumpkin Zoom Z-Craw trailer also came into play. For line, he used 50-pound-test braid on a Daiwa Tatula SV reel. He fished the swimbait on a 7-foot, 3-inch Fitzgerald Rods All Purpose Series extra-heavy rod, but switched to a heavy-action rod of the same length and series for the swim jig.
The top 10 pros on Lake Toho finished:
1st: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 20 bass, 85-12, $102,700
2nd: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 20 bass, 81-2, $30,600
3rd: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 20 bass, 78-7, $25,000
4th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 20 bass, 76-14, $20,000
5th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 20 bass, 72-8, $19,000
6th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 20 bass, 71-4, $18,000
7th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 20 bass, 66-0, $17,000
8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 20 bass, 65-10, $16,000
9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 19 bass, 64-7, $15,000
10th: Nitro pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 20 bass, 64-3, $14,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 157 pounds, 9 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Of the final 10 pros, nine caught five-bass limits.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats was more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament was hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Seminole presented by Costa, in Bainbridge, Georgia, March 7-10. The tournament will be hosted by the Bainbridge Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. 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.
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.
Clunn Repeats His Magic Winning Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla — After becoming the oldest angler ever to win a Bassmaster Elite Series event in 2016 on the St. Johns River, Rick Clunn provided what has become one of the most famous quotes in professional bass fishing history when he said, “Never accept that all of your best moments are in your past.”
On Sunday, he walked it like he talks it.
Clunn, who turned 72 in July, broke his own record for agelessness, winning the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 98 pounds, 14 ounces. His amazing week was punctuated on Championship Sunday with a tournament-best limit of five bass that weighed 34-14.
It was the 16th career victory for Clunn, whose $100,000 first-place paycheck put him over $2.5 million in career earnings with B.A.S.S.
“I think this just reinforces what I said after I won here in 2016,” Clunn said. “A long time ago, I stopped paying attention to timelines. The terrible twos, the ugly teens, the midlife crisis, retirement time — I don’t pay any attention to any of that.
“If you listen to everybody else, you’ll get premature notions about who you really are.”
This week, there was no doubt about it. He was “Rick Clunn: Legend.”
The Ava, Mo., angler started modestly with a limit of 17-5 on Day 1. But he inched his way up the standings with 23-11 on Day 2 and then caught 23-0 on Day 3 to make Sunday’s Top 10 cut in eighth place with a three-day total of 64-0.
He joked after Saturday’s semifinal weigh-in that he might need a 10-pounder and a 12-pounder on Sunday to have any chance of winning. While he didn’t quite make those marks, he came close by weighing in two fish over 9 pounds, including a 9-14 that ranked as the biggest bass of the day.
His three key baits all week were a big lipless crankbait from Luck-E-Strike called a Hail Mary, a 3/4-ounce Luck-E-Strike Trickster Spinnerbait with a shellcracker-colored skirt and a Texas-rigged gatortail worm.
“I thought the bream pattern was important for the spinnerbait this week,” Clunn said. “The bass are bedding here, and I know how much the bass really don’t like the bream around their beds.”
The spinnerbait bite improved steadily throughout the week, thanks to a cold front that brought wind and cloud cover to the region. After catching bass on the deeper ends of boat docks in practice, Clunn said the fish had moved so shallow they were under the walkways of the docks by the weekend — and that made for a perfect spinnerbait situation.
In the event that he missed a strike on the spinnerbait, he would follow up quickly with the worm. That was the key to landing his biggest bass Sunday.
“That’s what won it for me today,” he said. “Early in the day, they were eating that spinnerbait really well. I caught a 6 1/2 on it and another one about 4. But then in the middle of the day, I missed three fish on it — and I could tell the third one was a really nice fish.
“I went back with the worm, and it was the 9-14.”
Even with all that he’s accomplished, Clunn admitted the two giant bass on Sunday got his blood pumping.
“I swung every fish into the boat today except those two 9s,” he said. “When you have to sit there and think about all of the possibilities and it takes forever to get them in the boat…it gets your heart moving.”
The two anglers closest in the standings to Clunn were first-year Canadian pro Chris Johnston with 95-2 and veteran Kentucky pro Mark Menendez with 95-1. Johnston said it was an honor to share the stage with Clunn.
“To lose to somebody that you watched fishing for the past 20 years — just to be on the same stage with him — it’s a privilege,” Johnston said. “If I was gonna see anyone else win, I would want it would be Rick. He earned it. He deserves it. He put his time in.
“I can’t complain about second place at my first event.”
Clunn said the question of when he’ll finally give up fishing is “a dirty question.” He’s looking forward to next week’s Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier in Georgia and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
“A lot of stuff off the water is old to me,” Clunn said. “But when I go on the water, it’s brand new, just like it was when I started. I love it just as much as I ever have.
“It’s an incredible thing to go out every single day and know that you’ve gotta figure them out. This amazing study of natural rhythms and how all things are connected — I can’t see myself ever getting tired of that.”
During a tournament when giant fish were weighed in all four days, the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week was caught during Thursday’s opening round. The honor went to Virginia pro John Crews for the 11-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Rookie pro and former college fishing champion Patrick Walters of South Carolina was fourth with 91-14, and Crews was fifth with 89-11.
The Elite anglers hit the St. Johns River fishery at its peak. The 75 anglers caught 158 five-bass limits and weighed in 893 bass totaling 2,927 pounds, 8 ounces of bass. With an average weight of 3 1/4 pounds and the largest weigh-in crowds in the history of St. Johns Bassmaster tournaments, the event more than lived up to the theme of the 2019 Elite Series: “Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10
St. Johns River, Palatka FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 20 98-14 100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 23-00 Day 4: 5 34-14
2. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 20 95-02 99 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 28-13 Day 4: 5 19-05
3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 20 95-01 98 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 23-07 Day 4: 5 25-12
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 91-14 97 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 32-15 Day 4: 5 21-09
5. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 20 89-11 96 $16,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-14 Day 4: 5 31-01
6. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 88-10 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 21-15 Day 4: 5 20-09
7. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 20 88-01 94 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 34-09 Day 4: 5 19-08
8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 85-06 93 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 27-13 Day 4: 5 16-09
9. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 20 80-12 92 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 Day 3: 5 30-04 Day 4: 5 14-09
10. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 17 69-00 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 24-10 Day 4: 2 05-05
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
John Crews Jr Salem, VA 11-02 $1,500.00
CHICKAMAUGA’S GROSS OUT FRONT AT FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Georgia Pro Drops 19-Pound Limit on the Scale to Grab Lead Heading into Championship Sunday
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2019) – After an exciting day of movement atop the leaderboard, FLW Tour pro Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, took the lead Saturday after the final bass had been weighed at the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces. Gross’ three-day cumulative catch of 15 bass weighing 62 pounds even paces the final 10 pros as they head into Championship Sunday at the competition that features the world’s finest bass anglers casting for a top award of up to $125,000.
Right behind Gross (15 bass, 62-0) is hard-charging local angler Darrell Davis of Dover, Florida. Davis started the day in 13thplace but moved into second after weighing a huge 25-pound, 12-ounce limit this afternoon – the largest of the day – bringing his three-day total to 15 bass weighing 60-15. Josh Douglas of Isle, Minnesota, (15 bass, 60-3) rounds out the top three, and was the only other pro to top the 60-pound mark after three days.
“I’ve got a good little spot – I think I’ve weighed in 14 of my 15 fish from it – but I’m really pushing it to its limits,” said Gross, who is seeking his second career FLW Tour win. “I keep looking for another spot, and I might have found one this afternoon. I caught one that culled – almost a 4-pounder – at the very last place I stopped on the way to weigh-in.”
Gross’ main area is an offshore stretch of hydrilla on Lake Toho. He said he’s been able to put a limit in the boat by 10 a.m.each day on the first two days of competition, but today it took until noon.
“The spot has both pre and postspawn bass. When the prespawners show up, they’re feeding, and when they feed I can see it and I can catch them – that’s my little flurry,” said Gross. “Tomorrow I’m going to catch what I can catch there and then start looking. I had some giant fish, but I still haven’t gotten a kicker. I haven’t had anything over 5½ [pounds] in three days and there’s a lot of stretches where I’ve caught some 7s, 8s and 9s in practice, so I’m going to have to move around a little more.”
Gross said he’s mostly relied on a swimbait and a pair of swimjigs, citing a natural light-colored Scottsboro Tackle swimbait, black and blue-colored swimjig with a green-pumpkin Zoom Z-Craw trailer and a white swimjig with the Scottsboro swimbait as a trailer. He’s also utilized a Nichols spinnerbait this week.
“The swimjig probably caught more weight than the swimbait today, but every other day it’s been the swimbait. I’m using a little underspin-type blade on the hook – an Owner Flashy Swimmer. It’s got a little extra flash and I think that’s what’s triggering the fish.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Toho are:
1st: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 62-0
2nd: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 15 bass, 60-15
3rd: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 15 bass, 60-3
4th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 57-8
5th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 57-7
6th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 57-3
7th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 54-12
8th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 54-3
9th: Nitro pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 15 bass, 53-1
10th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 51-6
Finishing 11th through 30th are:
11th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 50-5, $12,000
12th: Nitro pro Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 49-12, $12,000
13th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 48-14, $12,000
14th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 15 bass, 47-11, $12,000
15th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 15 bass, 47-10, $12,000
16th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 15 bass, 47-10, $11,500
17th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 14 bass, 46-15, $11,500
18th: Nitro pro David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 46-15, $11,500
19th: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,500
20th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,500
21st: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
22nd: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 15 bass, 43-14, $11,000
23rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 43-3, $10,500
24th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., 15 bass, 43-1, $10,500
25th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 42-9, $10,500
26th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 42-1, $10,500
27th: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 14 bass, 41-9, $10,500
28th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 41-0, $10,500
29th: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 40-6, $10,500
30th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 13 bass, 39-12, $10,500
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 146 bass weighing 401 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 30 pros Saturday. The catch included 27 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Now, 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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off for the final day of competition at 7 a.m. EST Sunday from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will also be held at the marina, beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-in Sunday FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. 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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
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.
Gigantic Catches Highlight Memorable Day At Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla. — The one word used most often by the anglers weighing in during today’s semifinal round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River was “special.”
“Magical” was also floated around. So was “awesome.”
They all fit, and yet somehow they didn’t do justice to a day that saw 14 limits of bass totaling 20 pounds or more brought to the scales. Of those catches, six topped the 25-pound mark and three eclipsed the almost-unattainable 30-pound benchmark.
Canadian Chris Johnston caught 28-13 and held on to the lead with a three-day total of 75-13. But after standing in a weigh-in line surrounded by giants, Johnston said he knows he still has work to do if he hopes to earn his first Elite Series win.
“I did the same thing I did the last three days, but you don’t normally catch 7- or 8-pounders unless you’re on the St. Johns River,” Johnston said. “Apparently, everyone caught them today. I was hoping to have a little bit of a cushion, but I’m gonna have to catch them again tomorrow.
“I think I’m gonna need probably at least another 23-pound bag tomorrow to win this.”
With at least 24-3, Johnston could break the 100-pound mark and earn one of the coveted “Century Belts” awarded by B.A.S.S. to anglers who reach triple digits. But for the moment, he has much more important things to worry about.
The bags weighed in by the anglers just behind him in the standings were astounding.
First-year pro Patrick Walters of South Carolina weighed in 32-15 and moved into second place with 70-5. Kentucky veteran Mark Menendez topped the 20-pound mark for the third straight day with 23-7 that kept him firmly positioned in third with 69-5, and Cory Johnston — the Canadian brother of the leader, Chris — weighed in 27-13 to land in fourth with 68-13.
But the most eye-popping bag of the day belonged to Arizona pro Clifford Pirch, who weighed in five bass that pushed the scales to 34-9. His three-day total of 68-9 has him in fifth place, and his steamrolling momentum has him in position to make a final-day charge toward his first Elite Series victory.
“These fish can turn on a dime down here,” Pirch said. “It’s crazy how one day a bank can have a bunch of little males on it. Then you get a little temperature change, and all of a sudden there’s giant females everywhere.
“It’s fun when you hit that window right.”
Pirch, who caught a 10-4 largemouth during Friday’s second round, knew he was in the right area early this morning because he could see big bass everywhere. But for a while, he couldn’t put them in the boat.
After losing what he estimated to be 25 or 30 pounds of bass, he took a breather and his luck began to change.
“I’ve lost a few fish in this tournament, and they were giant ones,” Pirch said. “Today, I lost four of them, and I think the smallest was about 6 pounds. The rest of them were 7, 8, 9 to…who know’s what?
“I sat down, cut my bait off and just made a whole different program. I got re-rigged and luckily the next five stayed on.”
Pirch’s giant bag made performances that would have been otherwise jaw-dropping seem almost commonplace — like the 23-pound bag weighed in by Rick Clunn to position the 72-year-old legend from Missouri in eighth place with 64-0.
But one angler who almost matched Pirch fish for fish was Walters — the 24-year-old South Carolina phenom who was grinning from ear to ear after weighing in 32-15.
“It was just one of those days when everything was going right,” Walters said. “I promise you my boat was even running a mile and a half faster than usual today. When I was running down the river and it finally hit 70 mph for the first time, I got a little emotional.
“I thought, ‘This is what dreams are made of.’ A year ago, I would have been watching Bassmaster LIVE. But now I’m living my dream and chasing these guys.”
Things started happening quickly for Walters — and very little went wrong all day.
“When you get down there and they start biting like they did this morning, it’ll just stick the hairs up on the back of your neck,” Walters said. “Something pulled the fish up late last night, and they were just sitting there waiting. It was the perfect storm.”
With that said, Walters and the other nine anglers who qualified for Championship Sunday seemed to agree that things could be tougher during the final round.
Menendez, who said the fishing has been surprisingly slow for him during a week when he’s averaged more than 23 pounds a day, cautioned that the water temperature had already dropped several degrees from earlier this week. He said it could fall several more degrees with the cooler temperatures forecast for the region tonight.
“I had a deeper bite going on earlier in the week, but it went away today,” Menendez said. “The water temperature is going to drop tonight, and that’ll slow it down some. But there’s just so many of those good ones here that you never know what might happen.”
Despite today’s remarkable results, the leader for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award remained intact. Virginia pro John Crews set that bar with an 11-2 largemouth on Day 1, and no one has eclipsed it yet.
Sunday’s takeoff will be at 7:30 a.m. ET from Riverfront Park — which was packed with a large and enthusiastic crowd of spectators today — and the final weigh-in will be held back at the park at 4:10 p.m. The winner will earn $100,000.
2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 75-13 100 Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 28-13 2. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 70-05 99 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 32-15 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 69-05 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 23-07 4. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 68-13 97 Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 27-13 5. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 68-09 96 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 34-09 6. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 68-01 95 Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 21-15 7. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 66-03 94 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 Day 3: 5 30-04 8. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 64-00 93 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 23-00 9. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 63-11 92 Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 24-10 10. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 58-10 91 Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 17-14 11. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 57-08 90 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 20-02 12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 57-03 89 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 22-15 13. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 14 56-11 88 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 10-10 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 26-01 14. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 14 55-13 87 $10,000.00 Day 1: 4 14-04 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 23-03 15. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 55-01 86 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 16-15 16. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 54-14 85 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 15-12 17. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 54-05 84 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 17-12 18. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 54-02 83 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 19-00 19. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 53-07 82 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 21-13 20. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 52-14 81 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 23-01 Day 3: 5 10-00 21. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 52-13 80 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 16-13 22. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 49-13 79 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 13-00 23. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 15 49-13 78 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 19-15 24. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 15 49-10 77 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 5 19-05 25. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 45-12 76 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 15-04 26. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 43-03 75 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 11-08 27. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 13 42-08 74 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 4 13-02 Day 3: 4 06-02 28. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 13 41-15 73 $7,500.00 Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 11-09 29. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 14 41-09 72 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 4 06-13 30. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 14 41-08 71 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 4 08-09 31. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 40-03 70 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 10-12 32. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 12 38-06 69 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 2 03-13 33. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 12 37-00 68 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 2 05-11 34. Rob Digh Denver, NC 13 36-15 67 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 3 06-06 35. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 11 34-14 66 $7,500.00 Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 1 01-01
COX HOLDS LEAD AFTER DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Florida Pro Leads Final 30 Pros into Day Three of FLW Tour at Lake Toho
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2019) – Pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, brought five bass to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces, to hold the lead after day two of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Cox’s two day total of 10 bass weighing 48-13 will give him a 3-pound, 9-ounce advantage over second place angler Aaron Britt of Yuba City, California, (45-4). The field of 170 anglers is now cut to just the top 30 as the world’s best bass fishing professionals continue their competition for the top award of up to $125,000.
Cox said he fished a lot of the same areas from Thursday, rotating in some new areas as well. He said the sight-fishing bite was tough once again and it forced him to move deeper to salvage the day.
“I looked at a lot of beds and nothing was happening – it was dead again,” said Cox, who looks to earn his 19th top-10 finish in FLW Tour competition. “There were four or five other guys that ran into big ones and I never ran into any. Yesterday, I got one before anyone else got any. There are only a handful of spots and everyone is rotating them.
“At about 1 (p.m.), I finally was like ‘man I need to put some fish in the boat’,” continued Cox. “I started fishing and caught two nice ones and a couple of other keepers to try and save the day.”
Cox’s two “nice ones” were a 5-pounder and one that was close to 4. He said he caught them on the Berkley Windup Worm – the same bait he relied on Thursday.
“This place has always had my number – I’ve never made the cut here,” said Cox. “I’ve won some one-day tournaments, but I’ve never done well in a multi-day event. The fish always seem to change.”
The Florida veteran said that for Saturday, he plans on doing something completely different.
“I’m going to go try something else where I think there might be some real big ones. I got a feeling about this one area. I’ll give it an hour, and if it happens, I’ll bust them big time. If it doesn’t, I’ll leave and try and do something else.”
The top 30 pros that made the cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Toho are:
1st: John Cox, Debary, Fla., 10 bass, 48-13
2nd: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 10 bass, 45-4
3rd: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 10 bass, 42-12
4th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 42-11
5th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., 10 bass, 42-4
6th: Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn., 10 bass, 42-3
7th: Nitro pro Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 10 bass, 40-10
8th: Power-Pole pro Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 10 bass, 39-5
9th: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 35-12
10th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 35-7
11th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-6
12th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 35-4
13th: Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 10 bass, 35-3
14th: J. Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 10 bass, 34-8
15th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Calif., 10 bass, 34-6
16th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 10 bass, 33-13
17th: Nitro pro David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 33-12
18th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., 10 bass, 33-6
19th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 32-11
20th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 32-7
21st: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 32-7
22nd: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 31-15
23rd: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 31-14
24th: Lowrance pro Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 31-9
25th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 31-2
26th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 10 bass, 30-13
27th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 30-3
28th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 30-2
29th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 30-1
30th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 29-13
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Horton caught the heaviest fish in the pro division Friday – a 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth – and earned the day’s Big Bass Award of $500.
Overall there were 794 bass weighing 1,902 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 165 pros Friday. The catch included 148 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now 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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the marina, beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. 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 the marina on Saturday from Noon-2 p.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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Saturday and Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
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.
Heavyweight Bass Remain Plentiful At Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
Courtesy of BASS
PALATKA, Fla. — During the weeks leading up to the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, brothers Chris and Cory Johnston insisted the Florida fishery reminded them a lot of the waters they grew up fishing back home in Canada.
Those who may have doubted them know better now.
Chris Johnston, who had fished a grand total of four B.A.S.S. events prior to this week, caught five bass during Friday’s round that weighed 25 pounds, 11 ounces and took the lead in the season-opening Elite event with a two-day total of 47-0.
Lee Livesay of Texas is second with 46-2, followed by Mark Menendez of Kentucky (45-14), Brandon Cobb of South Carolina (42-14) and Rick Clunn of Missouri (41-0).
Cory Johnston, who has teamed with his brother to dissect the fishery for months, caught 21-1 himself Friday and moved into sixth place at 41-0.
“I just hope I’m a couple of ounces ahead of him after tomorrow and then hopefully again on Sunday,” Chris said of his brother. “We always have a rivalry between us. We’re always trying to beat each other for bragging rights.
“I’ve got a little lead on him now, and hopefully I can carry it through the rest of the week.”
Chris said he’s been fishing for mixture of bedding bass that he can’t see and prespawn fish that are still working their way onto the beds. Like most of the field, he expects the weather to be a factor on Saturday, when the forecast calls for a shift from the sunny, clear conditions of the past two days to somewhat cooler temperatures and 10- to 20-mph winds.
“It’ll probably affect me, but I think everyone’s in the same boat,” Johnston said. “I went around looking today for three or four hours, marked a few fish and saw a couple of areas I like. If Plan A fails, I’ll go to Plan B.”
Livesay, who caught 19-12 on Day 1, got off to a fast start Friday, putting 12 pounds in his livewell in less than 15 minutes. Once that area started receiving pressure, he began checking out new fishing areas and put together a five-bass limit that weighed 26-6.
“I got on a little pattern and caught a big one in a spot,” he said. “Then I thought the same thing should work in another spot — and sure enough, I caught another big one.”
Then, as strange as it sounds, he basically started fishing where he didn’t expect to catch a bass.
“It’s gonna be so weird tomorrow with this weather coming in, and I didn’t want to burn any 2- or 3-pounders that might help me a lot,” he said. “So I just went to some water I’d never even looked at and caught a 5-pounder.”
Menendez, who caught 24-8 Thursday, added 21-6 Friday and held on to third place with 45-14. He scored early in the day with a 6-pounder that he wasn’t really expecting to catch.
“That’s a spot where I’ve always caught 2- to 4-pounders,” Menendez said. “So when you pull up there and catch a 6-pounder, you’re thinking, ‘Well, giddy-up, it’s gonna be a good day.’”
A slight shift in technique helped Menendez to his quick start, but then he went back to the same tactics he used on Day 1 — tactics he’s not quite ready to discuss.
“I had to change baits today, and the change gave me the bites early so I could slow down and fish really thorough,” Menendez said. “Then during the afternoon, I went back to what I caught them on Thursday and got into another one of those big ones, a 5-plus, and another one that was about 4 pounds.
“Those really help you.”
Fourth and fifth place represent the age diversity on this year’s Elite Series, with the 29-year-old Cobb leading the 72-year-old legend, Clunn, by less than 2 pounds. Cobb caught 23-1 Fridayto push his mark to 42-14, while the seemingly ageless Clunn caught 23-11 to lift his two-day total to 41-0. Clunn won his 15th Bassmaster title on these same waters when the Elite Series last stopped here in 2016.
Cory Johnston is tied statistically with Clunn for fifth place, but is credited for sixth place because Clunn has had the bigger single-day bag of the two and won the tie-breaker.
Cory said he’s not conceding anything to his brother — or anyone else.
“No one wants to be behind his brother,” he said. “The competition that we have amongst ourselves and our friends, that’s bigger than anything. So I just want to beat him.
“I’ll be out there trying to win.”
The tournament will resume Saturday with the Top 35 remaining anglers taking off from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:10 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Arizona pro Clifford Pirch wowed the weigh-in crowd with a 10-4 trophy largemouth, but Virginia angler John Crews still leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass with the 11-2 largemouth.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 47-00 100 Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 25-11 2. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 46-02 99 Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 26-06 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 45-14 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 21-06 4. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 42-14 97 Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 23-01 5. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 41-00 96 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 23-11 6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 41-00 95 Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 7. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 40-12 94 Day 1: 5 24-13 Day 2: 5 15-15 8. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 39-02 93 Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 20-10 9. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 39-01 92 Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 13-15 10. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 38-02 91 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 18-11 11. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 37-06 90 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 23-07 12. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 37-06 89 Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 13. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 36-13 88 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 22-00 14. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 36-09 87 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-06 15. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 9 36-06 86 Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 4 13-02 16. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 36-00 85 Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-06 17. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 35-15 84 Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 25-12 18. Drew Cook Midway, FL 10 35-02 83 Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 24-05 19. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 34-12 82 Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 20. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 10 34-09 81 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-07 21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 34-04 80 Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 22-05 22. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 34-00 79 Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-05 23. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 33-13 78 Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 24. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 32-15 77 Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 25. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 9 32-10 76 Day 1: 4 14-04 Day 2: 5 18-06 26. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 10 31-11 75 Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 27. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 31-10 74 Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 20-08 28. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 31-05 73 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 29. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 9 30-10 72 Day 1: 4 10-10 Day 2: 5 20-00 30. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 30-09 71 Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-06 31. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 30-08 70 Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 11-06 32. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 8 30-06 69 Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 5 22-09 33. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 10 30-05 68 Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 34. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 29-14 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 16-07 35. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 29-07 66 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-03 36. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 28-11 65 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 4 11-03 37. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 9 28-08 64 $5,000.00 Day 1: 4 11-13 Day 2: 5 16-11 38. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 28-08 63 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-15 39. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 28-07 62 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 14-13 40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 27-13 61 $5,000.00 Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 11-13 41. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 8 27-10 60 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 18-15 42. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 27-07 59 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 14-00 43. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 26-15 58 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 14-00 44. Frank Talley Temple, TX 9 26-10 57 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 18-00 45. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 9 26-07 56 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 5 14-08 46. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 26-06 55 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-03 47. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 26-04 54 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 18-04 48. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 26-00 53 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 18-08 49. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 25-02 52 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 08-05 50. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 24-03 51 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 15-06 51. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 10 24-02 50 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 13-03 52. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 23-15 49 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 11-03 53. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 8 23-11 48 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 17-06 54. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 23-01 47 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 11-10 55. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 9 22-05 46 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 09-12 56. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 22-04 45 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 4 08-12 57. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 10 22-04 44 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-08 58. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 21-15 43 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 13-14 59. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 21-12 42 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 10-04 60. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 21-10 41 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 10-04 61. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 7 20-14 40 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 5 14-09 62. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 20-12 39 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 08-12 63. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 19-07 38 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 09-15 64. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 18-15 37 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 07-13 Day 2: 3 11-02 65. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 7 17-01 36 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 5 12-08 66. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 9 16-06 35 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 09-05 Day 2: 5 07-01 67. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 8 15-15 34 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-15 68. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 8 15-10 33 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 3 04-05 69. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 7 14-14 32 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 2 02-04 70. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 8 13-14 31 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 08-02 71. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 7 12-01 30 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 02-04 Day 2: 5 09-13 72. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 4 11-08 29 $2,500.00 Day 1: 1 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-06 73. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 11-06 28 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 04-01 74. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 05-12 27 $2,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 05-12 75. David Fritts Lexington, NC 1 01-00 26 $2,500.00 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-00 -----------------------------------------------
Cooling Trend Could Be Good News For Bassmaster Elite At Lake Lanier
Courtesy of BASS
GWINNETT, Ga. — As much as David Fritts is enjoying the mild weather this week in Florida, he hopes it’s a little bit colder when he arrives in northern Georgia for next week’s Toyota Bassmaster Elite at Lake Lanier.
The second event on the 2019 Elite Series schedule is set for Feb. 14-17, with daily takeoffs at 6:45 a.m. ET from Laurel Park. Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday will be at 3:10 p.m. at Laurel Park and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Coolray Field.
Fritts has an excellent history on the 38,000-acre Chattahoochee River impoundment, but he’s done his best work there when it’s been chilly.
“We’re probably going at my favorite time of the year — when the water’s cold,” said Fritts, who has had a fourth-place B.A.S.S. finish and a sixth-place FLW Tour showing on Lanier during his storied career. “At least I hope it’s cold.
“The fish are naturally looking up anyway, and they like to come up and hit baits. So if the water temperature is right, and they’re at the right depth, it makes it a lot of fun on a lake that has as many fish as Lanier.”
Lanier was a common destination for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail during the 1980s and ‘90s. But next week’s visit will be B.A.S.S.’s first stop on the fishery since 2006 and only its second time visiting the lake since 1995.
Most of the past events on Lanier were held in November and December — when the weather was exactly to Fritts’ liking.
“I remember one time it was 20 degrees when we took off on the first morning,” said Fritts, who is known for designing and winning with deep-diving crankbaits. “When it was that cold, it just seemed to make the crankbait fishing better.”
While it’s not likely to be quite that cold next week, a cold front is in the forecast for the Gwinnett area that will place daytime highs in the mid-50s and nighttime lows in the low 40s. That could make for an excellent tournament, especially if both the spotted bass and the largemouth are biting.
“That’s another thing that makes Lanier a lot of fun,” Fritts said. “You’ve got largemouth and spots, and usually one of them will bite one day if the other one’s not.
Though he prefers to fish a crankbait, Fritts said there will likely be a number of ways to catch the big spotted bass that Lanier has become famous for.
“To catch those magnum spots, you’re gonna need what you always need — a jerkbait, a shaky head, a drop-shot rig and swimbaits,” he said. “The largemouth, if they come up, could make it a good crankbait tournament, too.”
Patrick Walters, a 24-year-old Elite Series rookie from Summerville, S.C., said he also thinks spots and largemouth will both come into play — with spots likely taking center stage.
“I don’t see anyone winning it with (a four-day total of) 20 largemouth,” Walters said. “You’re going to have to have a mix — and Lanier sets up well for that.
“The lake has a lot of fish, and there’ll be two bites going on at once. There will be a shallow bite and a deep bite. People will be able to fish deep brushpiles and structure if that’s their strong suit and some will be able to go shallow — and they’re gonna find spots and largemouth.”
A full field of 75 anglers will fish the first two days, with the Top 35 advancing to Saturday’s semifinal round. Then the Top 10 will fish on Championship Sunday with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line. In addition to the prize money available, anglers will be working to rack up Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, which determine 39 of the 53 berths in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Like most Elite Series events, the Lanier tournament will feature a full lineup of events and activities, all of which are free and open to the public. On Saturday and Sunday, Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota and Shakespeare will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga. Also sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the kid-friendly event offers a kids’ fishing pond, casting lessons and Georgia DNR’s popular wildlife experience with live animals.
Besides onshore excitement, Elite Series fans will be able to follow all of the action all four days on Bassmaster LIVE, which is streamed on Bassmaster.com and the ESPN App.
“I think it’s going to be a great tournament,” Fritts said. “I just hope it cools off a little bit. If it stays too warm, those fish will get up ankle deep, and it’ll be anybody’s ball game.”
Host sponsor for the event is the Gwinnett Sports Commission.
Fine Tune Finesse
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How Hi-Vis Braid Provides An Edge In Detecting Subtle Finesse Bites |
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A decade ago, anglers were especially wary of hi-vis braids, preferring camouflage lines to everything else. That’s changed significantly with the success of finesse presentations like the ubiquitous wacky rig, Neko rig, drop shotting, the Ned rig, and countless other fish-catching finesse approaches. For many, hi-vis braid has become an indispensable part of the finesse rig, a way to monitor bites by sight and feel that simply increases hooked and boated bass. One angler who’s made the conversion to hi-vis braid is Mark Zona, bass expert and TV fishing program host. “Here’s what’s funny to me. 10 to 15 years ago a lot of us laughed at hi-vis braid and said, ‘What on Earth do I need this for? I need camouflage!’ Well, that thinking has gone by the wayside with spinning reel finesse fishing applications. It’s critical to have a hi-vis braided line. There’s no stretch in braid, so number one, you have much better sensitivity for bites. Then you add the visual aspect with the lack of stretch and that high level of sensitivity and you’re just putting more odds in your corner to land more fish. From a novice all the way to a professional angler, we look for every edge we can get in bite detection. That’s what this whole game is. If you’re using a braid that’s hard to see or camouflaged with the water with a fluorocarbon leader and you’re struggling to see bites, what you’re doing is absolutely pointless. I now probably apply hi-vis braid and a fluorocarbon leader to 80% of my finesse applications, whether it’s a drop shot, shakey head, etc.,” says Zona. Especially in deeper water, bite detection when fishing finesse presentations becomes critical. Zona knows this well, spending much of his time in what he calls “crazy deep water”—20, 30, 40, 50, all the way down to 60 feet of water, working the bottom with finesse baits. “That’s how I shoot my shows. To me, a hi-vis line is imperative. Sure, when you’re fishing in two feet of water or less, you don’t need to detect your bite as much because it transmits way faster. But when you’re fishing in deeper water as I am—10 feet all the way down into the abyss or 40, 50, or 60 feet—you’re looking for every edge you can get. Now, when I’m fishing the majority of my finesse techniques – power shotting, Neko rigging, standard dropshots, small finesse baits—basically everything—that braided line becomes, even more important than my rod, really, for telegraphing bites.” |
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One of the techniques Zona utilizes frequently is called power shotting, which is basically a very heavy drop shot application with ½-ounce to ¾-ounce drop shot weights. “That’s one of my approaches in 20, 30, 40 feet of water. When my bait is down there on a six or eight-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon leader, I can literally tell you when a fish breathes on the bait with that hi-vis braid’s combo of no-stretch sensitivity and sight detection.” But the same applies for drop shotting in all depths, especially when fishing vertically. Even if you’re using a lighter 1/8- to ¼ ounce weight, the sensitivity and visual aspect of a line like Seaguar’s Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green and fluorocarbon leader just communicates bites faster than any other line combination can provide. Another deep water finesse application that benefits from hi-vis braid is Zona’s use of a Neko rig, essentially a weighted finesse or stick worm. Same goes when he’s fishing a standard Wacky rig. “One of the things I can tell you, a wacky rig or Neko rig is probably tied on in every single boat across the country, period. And that is one of many applications where Seaguar’s Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green has really made a difference. I shot a show recently where I got on a school of bass out deep where I was catching them on a Neko Rig and that line jumps on camera to where the viewer could watch at home and tell I just got a bite! It was that impressive,” says Zona. He continues: “What’s amazing is how well the high-visibility of the Seaguar Smackdown Hi-Vis Flash Green emits a bite; it’s staggering. When you get a bite, the color green line jumps like the green in a traffic light for ‘go’ and you just can’t miss it.” The Ned rig is another finesse presentation that benefits greatly from a line like Seaguar’s Hi-Vis Flash Green. It allows you to see when your bait is falling through the water column and you can watch when it stops and the bait hits the bottom. Then, as you put a little tension on the line, not only can you feel and see any subtle jerk or sideways motion you can now decipher bottom content. The combination of braid and fluorocarbon leader allows you to tell when that Ned rig bumps into rock or slides through weeds—which is pretty much impossible with an extruded line alone. That is the common aspect in fine-tuning any of your finesse fishing game—the use of a fluorocarbon leader, whether you’re power shotting, drop shotting, fishing a shaky head, wacky rig, Neko rig, Ned rig, small vertical baits like light jigging spoons, etc. A high-quality six to eight-pound fluorocarbon leader is perfect for most applications and you can even get away with 10 given how narrow and clear quality fluorocarbon is. Eight to 10-pound fluorocarbon also gives you a lot more abrasion resistance. |
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Whether you’re using a fluorocarbon like AbrazX or Tatsu it’s important you tie a good knot like a double-uni (aka uni-to-uni), cinch the knot tight and trim the tag ends closely to make movement through the end rod guide easier and necessitate longer casts, which are already 50% or so longer than using monofilament or fluorocarbon sans braid. The diameter is so narrow that there’s little resistance in the guides when you cast it, as well as how smoothly it winds off the spool. And with regards to tying line-to-leader knots like the double-uni, one trick that makes doing so much easier is wetting the end line of the braid, so it has some weight. In terms of leader length, the higher you’re marking the fish in the water column on your sonar, the longer the fluorocarbon leader should be because you want to keep the braid out of their visual range. If bass are one or two feet off the bottom, they’re going to move down and eat stuff off the bottom, but you should have the knot and braid tied to a length that exceeds where they’re sitting. 24-inches or longer is a good place to start. Back to the benefits of hi-vis braid, spooling your spinning reel with a high-visibility line like Seaguar’s Hi-Vis Flash Green also allows you to downsize the action of your rod, making it possible to use something with a little bit softer tip without losing any sensitivity. In fact, combine that rod sensitivity with what the line does and you can literally feel a fish breathe on your bait. The no-stretch characteristic of the hi-vis braid picks also up so much of the hookset that a high-quality rod like a St. Croix in the moderate to moderate fast action is a great match for finesse applications. This combination also delivers more visual information of what your bait is doing, with the line transmitting the wiggle, wobble, and other nuances of how your bait is performing under water, which is then telegraphed through the slightly softer spinning rod tip. Like Zona, more anglers are turning to the use of hi-vis braid to fine tune their finesse fishing game—and for good reason. The other thing to keep in mind is that it’s a switch that not only makes sense in the bass realm but finesse fishing for all manner of fish—panfish, trout, walleye, striped bass, and just about any other freshwater and saltwater species you can think of. The recommendation? Give it a shot this season—you’ll be glad you did. |
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Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Tyler Rivet full of fun, family, and loyalty
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Rookie Tyler Rivet of Southern Louisiana wore Donald Trump socks on his very first day as a Bassmaster Elite Series pro. But if you’re expecting to engage the 24-year-old in a political debate, forget about it. The dude doesn’t even watch television, let alone talk politics.
For Rivet, it’s all about having fun.
“My mom got me these socks because she knows I like to wear fun socks. I have socks with the American flag on them, socks with fishing lures on them, all kinds of random stuff just for fun. Plus, they’re good luck. But I need to get some Carhartt socks,” says Rivet.
And no, that wasn’t a shameless sponsor plug. Tyler Rivet made five consecutive Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championships while attending Nicholls State in Southern Louisiana, and the guy simply feels a heartfelt, classy, and admirable allegiance to the Detroit based brand of clothing for people who work hard and play hard.
“I don’t wear the Carhartt logo on my jersey because they pay me. I wear it because Carhartt is the whole reason we have college fishing, and without college fishing, I’d have never been able to live my dream of fishing in the Bassmaster Elites,” he says.
But don’t expect Rivet to start rooting for Darius Slay and the Detroit Lions. Nope, Rivet is 100% all in on the Saints. He loves Deuce McAllister, thinks Drew Brees is terribly underrated, and he’s still pissed about the blown call against the Rams in NFC Championship game. To the point he’s sporting a #Robbed decal on his Phoenix Boat this season.
“Yup, I’m still pretty salty over that missed call and our chance to go to the Super Bowl, and I ain’t taking that hashtag decal off all year. We’re having fun with it,” says Rivet.
And that’s the essence of Tyler Rivet. Work hard, play hard, hit the gym, and have fun with it. A mantra he comes by genetically as proven by the fact his family cheered loudest at the Day 1 weigh-in.
“My dad Ty, my mom Jodie, my stepdad, my grandpa and my great grandpa are all here to cheer me on. And because my mom and dad’s work schedules both allow them the time off, they’ll probably come to several Elite Series tournaments this year,” grins the lover of heavy metal bands Five Finger Death Punch and Ashes to New.
So maybe his very first day as a full time pro didn’t go as well as he had hoped. It’s okay. True to the Cajun way -- it’s nothing a cold beer, great food, a loving family, a few laughs, and a sense of knowing who you are and where your loyalties lie can’t supersede.
From head to toe, right down to the socks, count on two things from Tyler Rivet this season. He’ll fish hard. And he’ll have fun.
From BASS Nation Champ to BASS Elite Series Rookie
This week Jason catches up with BASS Nation Champ, now turned Elite Series Rookie, Californian Randy Pierson. Randy talks about his cross country travels and getting all his tackle together as he prepares for the Bassmaster Elites Series kick off on the St. Johns River.
Latuso Leads with 25 Pounds, Crews Lands Big Fish with 11 pounder! at Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
Courtesy of BASS
PALATKA, Fla. — After a tough practice, Robbie Latuso said he only had one area that he felt confident about heading into Thursday’s opening round of the Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.
But it turned out to be a good area — and it just kept getting better as the day went along.
The third-year Elite Series pro from Gonzales, La., caught a solid limit early and then steadily culled up until he had a five-bass limit that weighed 25 pounds, 2 ounces. The big bag, which was anchored by an 8-6 largemouth, was good enough for the Day 1 lead.
“I got to that spot and caught a bunch of fish that were all about 3 pounds,” Latuso said. “Then I finally caught a 3-10. Then I caught a 5-pounder. Then I caught the biggest one and another big fish — about a 5-pounder — toward the end of the day.
“So I really caught most of my big fish later.”
With three days left to fish, anglers are always stingy with details. But Latuso said he’s using a technique he’s very comfortable with — and he believes his one magic spot could actually be better for Friday’s second round.
“I think more fish are coming to that area,” he said. “So I’m just gonna go out there tomorrow and have fun again and try to get five more bites.”
Latuso’s 8-plus was impressive, but it wasn’t nearly the biggest bass caught on a day when the Florida fishery really showed its muscle. The Top 10 anglers in the standings all had more than 20 pounds, and the biggest bass of the day was an 11-2 behemoth caught by Virginia angler John Crews.
The giant fish — which Crews said broke his personal-best mark of 11-1 by an ounce — anchored a five-bass limit that weighed 24-13 and moved Crews into second place.
In a scene that would make even the most experienced anglers queasy, Crews landed the bass on a spinning rod with only 12-pound-test line.
“I had caught four, and I knew I had a pretty decent bag,” Crews said. “I knew if I could just catch one more keeper, I would be in good shape. So I actually just started fishing around and picked up that spinning rod.”
He knew the bass was big when he set the hook, but it was while before he knew exactly how big.
“It went all over the place, got hung up in a tree and came out,” Crews said. “But I didn’t get in a big hurry.
“When it jumped, I thought it was a 6- or 7-pounder. When it got close to the boat and jumped again, I thought it was an 8 or 9. Then when I lipped it, it just kept coming out of the water and I knew it was at least a 10.”
Crews referred to his day as a “typical Florida day” because along with the big fish, he also had one that weighed only about 14 ounces. He said he has no idea what Friday will hold, but he’s seen proof positive once again that a big bass can bite at any moment in this state.
Having just turned 40 last year, Crews has been with the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. Another Elite Series veteran, 54-year-old Mark Menendez from Paducah, Ky., fished his way into third place Thursday — and like the two anglers ahead of him, his bag was anchored by a giant.
Menendez weighed in five bass that tipped the scales at 24-8 with a 9-13 anchoring the bag.
“My day was real slow,” said Menendez, who has three career B.A.S.S. victories. “I lost my first two bites, and they were little peanuts.”
He was about to leave and make a long run, but instincts told him to explore the stretch he was on just a little further.
“I fished and fished and fished and kept thinking I needed to make that long run,” he said. “But then I stopped in a spot, made a pitch and caught the 9-13. I fished around a little longer and caught a solid 3 3/4.
“That’s when I decided I was going to be there a while — and before noon, I caught another 3-pounder and a 6-pounder, all on the same bait.”
When bass are moving onto the spawning beds, as they seem to be on the St. Johns this week, it’s hard to know exactly what will happen next. Warm weather could bring another big wave of bass to the shorelines overnight, making Friday’s round better. Or, the pressure from Thursday’s round could cause a downturn in the fishing.
But one thing is certain: Most of the 75-angler field left Riverfront Park Thursday with a solid understanding of the fishery’s potential.
“I really didn’t know what I could catch going into today,” said Brad Whatley, an Elite Series rookie from Bivins, Texas, who landed in fourth place Thursday with a catch of 23-4 that included two 8-pounders. “I think I’m in an area that has some fish coming in to spawn and some leaving the beds.
“To catch 23 pounds my first day on the job, I’ll take it all day long.”
The tournament will resume Friday with a full field of 75 anglers fishing once again. Takeoff will be from Riverfront Park at 7:30 a.m. ET, and weigh-in will be back at the park at 4:15 p.m.
After Friday’s competition, only the Top 35 will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
2019 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/7-2/10 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 25-02 100 Day 1: 5 25-02 2. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 24-13 99 Day 1: 5 24-13 3. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 24-08 98 Day 1: 5 24-08 4. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 23-04 97 Day 1: 5 23-04 5. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 22-08 96 Day 1: 5 22-08 6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 21-06 95 Day 1: 5 21-06 7. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 21-05 94 Day 1: 5 21-05 8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 21-01 93 Day 1: 5 21-01 9. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 20-10 92 Day 1: 5 20-10 10. Shane Lehew Catawba, NC 5 20-08 91 Day 1: 5 20-08 11. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 19-13 90 Day 1: 5 19-13 12. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 19-12 89 Day 1: 5 19-12 13. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 19-07 88 Day 1: 5 19-07 14. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 19-03 87 Day 1: 5 19-03 15. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 19-02 86 Day 1: 5 19-02 16. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 18-14 85 Day 1: 5 18-14 17. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 18-08 84 Day 1: 5 18-08 18. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 18-03 83 Day 1: 5 18-03 18. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 18-03 83 Day 1: 5 18-03 20. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 17-08 81 Day 1: 5 17-08 20. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 17-08 81 Day 1: 5 17-08 22. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 17-07 79 Day 1: 5 17-07 23. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 17-05 78 Day 1: 5 17-05 24. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 5 17-02 77 Day 1: 5 17-02 25. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 16-13 76 Day 1: 5 16-13 26. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 16-00 75 Day 1: 5 16-00 27. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 14-13 74 Day 1: 5 14-13 28. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 4 14-04 73 Day 1: 4 14-04 29. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 14-03 72 Day 1: 5 14-03 30. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 13-15 71 Day 1: 5 13-15 31. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-11 70 Day 1: 5 13-11 32. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 13-10 69 Day 1: 5 13-10 33. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 13-08 68 Day 1: 5 13-08 34. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 13-07 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 34. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 13-07 67 Day 1: 5 13-07 36. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 13-04 65 Day 1: 5 13-04 37. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 12-15 64 Day 1: 5 12-15 38. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 12-12 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 38. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 12-12 63 Day 1: 5 12-12 40. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 12-10 61 Day 1: 5 12-10 41. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 12-09 60 Day 1: 5 12-09 41. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 12-09 60 Day 1: 5 12-09 43. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 12-00 58 Day 1: 5 12-00 44. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 11-15 57 Day 1: 5 11-15 45. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 11-15 56 Day 1: 4 11-15 46. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 4 11-13 55 Day 1: 4 11-13 47. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-08 54 Day 1: 5 11-08 48. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 11-07 53 Day 1: 5 11-07 49. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 11-06 52 Day 1: 5 11-06 50. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 11-05 51 Day 1: 5 11-05 51. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 11-02 50 Day 1: 5 11-02 52. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 10-15 49 Day 1: 5 10-15 53. Drew Cook Midway, FL 5 10-13 48 Day 1: 5 10-13 54. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 4 10-10 47 Day 1: 4 10-10 55. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 10-03 46 Day 1: 5 10-03 56. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 10-00 45 Day 1: 5 10-00 57. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 09-08 44 Day 1: 5 09-08 58. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 09-05 43 Day 1: 4 09-05 59. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 08-13 42 Day 1: 5 08-13 60. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 3 08-11 41 Day 1: 3 08-11 61. Frank Talley Temple, TX 4 08-10 40 Day 1: 4 08-10 62. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 08-01 39 Day 1: 5 08-01 63. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 08-00 38 Day 1: 5 08-00 64. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 3 07-13 37 Day 1: 3 07-13 65. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 2 07-13 36 Day 1: 2 07-13 66. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 07-08 35 Day 1: 5 07-08 67. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 3 07-05 34 Day 1: 3 07-05 68. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 3 06-05 33 Day 1: 3 06-05 69. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 2 06-05 32 Day 1: 2 06-05 70. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 3 05-12 31 Day 1: 3 05-12 71. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 1 05-02 30 Day 1: 1 05-02 72. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 2 04-09 29 Day 1: 2 04-09 73. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 02-04 28 Day 1: 2 02-04 74. David Fritts Lexington, NC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 74. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00
COX CATCHES 31-POUND LIMIT, LEADS DAY ONE OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE TOHO PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Courtesy of FLW
Florida Pro Grabs Day One Lead with Largest Limit Ever Weighed at Lake Toho in FLW Tour Competition
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2019) – Pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, hauled in a massive five-bass limit weighing 31 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest limit ever weighed in FLW Tour competition at Lake Toho – to grab the lead after day one of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. Cox will bring a 6-pound, 10-ounce advantage over second-place pro John Voyles of Petersburg, Indiana, into Day Two of the four-day tournament thatfeatures 170 of the world’s most decorated bass-fishing professionals casting for a top award of up to $125,000 cash.
“When I got up this morning, I was just excited to go fishing,” said Cox, the 2016 FLW Cup Champion who has more than $1.1 million in career earnings. “The weather was warm – for once – and it was going to be sunny and not windy. It was an awesome day.
“I ran a ton of spots. I ran all around this lake [Toho] and then went down and ran around the other lakes and just kept spot-hopping,” continued Cox. “I caught one good one early and then it was steady – you’d get one here, get one there.”
Cox said he made roughly 30 stops throughout the day.
“I tried to do the sight-fishing thing, but there’s just no movement. There’s no fish moving,” said Cox. “There’s a few fish still there, but most of them left for some reason, so I just started fishing and caught two good ones.”
One of Cox’s two “good ones” was a 10-pound, 9-ouncer that he wrangled a bit deeper using a Berkley Windup Worm. It ended up being the third-largest bass ever weighed in FLW Tour competition at Lake Toho.
Overall, three of Cox’s fish came from beds, and two came from the Windup Worm. He said he culled three times as well.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow – probably run a lot of the same spots.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Toho are:
1st: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 31-9
2nd: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., five bass, 24-15
3rd: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 24-12
4th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., five bass, 21-11
5th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 21-10
6th: Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 21-7
7th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., five bass, 21-6
8th: Wade Strelic, Alpine, Cal., five bass, 21-4
9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., five bass, 21-2
10th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., five bass, 19-10
10th: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., five bass, 19-10
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Cox’s 10-pound, 9-ounce largemouth was the heaviest fish weighed in the pro division Thursday, and earned him the day’s Big Bass Award of $500.
Overall there were 815 bass weighing 2,032 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 169 pros Thursday. The catch included 154 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. 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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 9-10, will also be held at the marina, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to weigh-in each day FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. 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 the marina on Saturday, Feb. 9, from Noon-2 p.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 Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
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.
DICK’S Sporting Goods To Entitle The Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Of The Year Award
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — DICK’S Sporting Goods, the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer, has become the title sponsor of the coveted Bassmaster Rookie of the Year award for 2019.
Only first-time qualifiers for the Bassmaster Elite Series who are new to top-tier competitive bass fishing are eligible to receive the DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year award, which will be presented to the rookie who ranks highest in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race by the end of the season.
DICK’S will award a $500 prize to the points leader in the Rookie of the Year race at the conclusion of each of the nine regular-season Elite Series tournaments, including the season opener — the Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River — which gets under way Feb. 7 at Palatka, Fla.
At the end of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship tournament in September, the angler crowned Rookie of the Year will receive $10,000 from DICK’S.
The AOY Championship, to be held at a site to be announced later, also determines the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 39 of the 53 berths in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
“We’re excited that DICK’S has decided to encourage and reward some of the up-and-coming anglers on the Elite Series by sponsoring Rookie of the Year,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We have one of the strongest fields of rookie anglers ever to qualify for the Elite Series, including 12 standouts in college bass fishing. We expect the ROY race to be intense this year.
“DICK’S has been a presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic, our Classic Expo and many other events and programs over the years, and we appreciate their support for this prestigious award. I know the anglers, along with our fans and members, do, too.”
A total of 18 Elite anglers who qualified through the Bassmaster Opens Series or the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship are deemed rookies. Other newcomers from the Opens have built successful careers with other tournament organizations and now are fulfilling long-held dreams of competing in the Elite Series and, perhaps, qualifying for the ultimate stage in bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
Anglers earn AOY points based on their finishes at each of the 10 stops along the 2019 Elite Series circuit, including the AOY Championship. Points are allocated on the basis of one point per place, in descending order from first place, which is worth 75 points in a full-field event.
Jake Whitaker of Fairview, N.C., the 2018 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year, lists the award as one of the highest honors he’s ever received. An all-conference lineman on his high school’s state championship football team, Whitaker switched to bass fishing when he enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his teammate won the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship in 2014, and he was the 2015 College Classic exhibition tournament champion.
Whitaker said the ROY title has been great for his career and valuable in terms of sponsor support. More than that, however, his quest for the title spurred him to fish to the best of his abilities.
“The rookies who came in last year were really good fishermen. They had proved themselves in the Opens and on other circuits,” he said. “To be ranked the best among those guys was really cool.”
He said the competition for the title this year is just as stiff, adding, “I tell people all the time that there may be some new faces this year, but there’s a lot of guys everyone’s going to know about really soon.”
His rookie year behind him, Whitaker has set his sights even higher. From Rookie of the Year to Angler of the Year? It’s happened before, and Whitaker wants to make it happen again.
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year race will be covered in all of B.A.S.S.’s industry-leading media, including Bassmaster LIVE, Bassmaster.com, The Bassmasters TV show, Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines, and its extensive social media network. For more information and to follow the action from the St. Johns River live, visit Bassmaster.com.
The following Elite Series anglers will be competing for the 2019 DICK’S Sporting Goods Rookie of the Year title:
Quentin Cappo, Prairieville, La.
Gary Clouse, Winchester, Tenn.
Drew Cook*, Midway, Fla.
Rob Digh, Denver, N.C.
Greg DiPalma, Millville, N.J.
Dale Hightower, Mannford, Okla.
Harvey Horne, Bella Vista, Ark.
Derek Hudnall, Baton Route, La.
Mike Huff*, Corbin, Ky.
Lee Livesay, Longview, Texas
Ed Loughran III, Richmond, Va.
Luke Palmer, Coalgate, Okla.
Garrett Paquette*, Canton, Mich.
Randy Pierson, Oakdale, Calif.
Tyler Rivet*, Raceland, La.
Frank Talley, Temple, Texas
Patrick Walters*, Summerville, S.C.
Brad Whatley, Bivins, Texas
(*Former Bassmaster College Series angler)
Brock Mosley competing with his dad’s Devil’s Horse lure
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s only been a few years since Brock Mosley was competing in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series as a student at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, and cramming himself into a hotel room with Matt Lee, Jordan Lee, and Drew Benton to save on travel expenses.
Speed ahead seven or eight years, and the former standout baseball outfielder is now a full time 30-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series pro with $200,000 in prize winnings, and he’s kicking off the 2019 season with a lure as old as he is.
“It’s an old Devil’s Horse topwater prop bait I found in my dad’s tackle box several years ago, and when you come to Florida you better have one tied on,” says Mosley.
Fact is, if you could see the front decks of all 75 pros this morning, just about every one of them has a topwater prop bait tied on. Could be a Devil’s Horse like Mosley’s, a Bagley’s Bang O Lure, Boy Howdy, or another famous variety – but in Florida this sort of floating cigar shaped lure with spinning props on its ends is as much a staple as oranges, oysters, and palm trees.
“I can’t tell you why bass love them down here, nor can I tell you why you rarely see us throw them in other parts of the country. All I know is down here it’s magical,” says Mosley, winner of the 2011 Carhartt Bassmaster Regional on the Alabama River.
The lure is particularly effective during the spawn, and with a week of warm nights, it’s predicted that 20 to 50-percent of the bass weighed in today could come from spawning beds.
“Dad’s a wholesale car dealer that only fishes when I’m around, but when you see how well local sticks Terry Scroggins and Cliff Prince did on a topwater prop bait the last time we competed here on the St. Johns in 2016, I was real glad Dad had one in his tackle box that I could bring with me,” adds Mosley.
Mosley ties the lure to a 20-pound monofilament leader that’s connected to 50-pound braid as his main line. “Braid gives you a better hookset, but I don’t like tying the Devil’s Horse directly to braid, because sometimes braid will tear the hooks from the mouth of a big fish,” he explains.
Mosley has certainly come a long way from sharing hotel rooms with three other anglers, but here on the St. Johns River he remains directly grounded to his bass fishing roots in Collinsville, MS – mostly as a result of digging through his dad Danny’s old tackle box, and leaning on a lure this week that’s as old as he is.
Cliff Prince is hometown proud in Palatka
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
In the 1970s and 1980s the St. Johns River, home to this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series event, was an absolute bass fishing mecca, and the town of Palatka, Florida was very much its epicenter.
It was a place where big bass lived, and anglers traveled from all over America to fish for them. A place where Bassmaster Classic winning lures like Bobby Ditto’s GatorTail worm originated, and aspiring young teenage anglers like Cliff Prince and Terry “Big Show” Scroggins grew up to be pros.
Today, Palatka is still rich with pride. Fishing pride, hometown pride, and Made in America pride. If you have any doubt, grab a cup of coffee, and stop by Futch’s Marine and Power Depot. They’re the official sponsor of Elite Series pro, Cliff Prince, and they’re darn proud of it.
“Cliff is a hometown boy like us, he grew up on this river like us, and when I heard him tell his story of becoming a full time Bassmaster pro at our local Kiwanis Club meeting, I knew we wanted to be a part of his career,” says Futch’s owner Shawn Sadler.
Futch’s very quickly became part of Gravely Mowers’ Million Dollar Club for their incredible success selling the top-quality mowers that have been made in Wisconsin since 1916, and to further their success, they have invested in the Gravely brand as Cliff Prince’s title sponsor for 2019.
“I mean heck, at the end of the day, what small business wouldn’t be proud to have their name on an Elite Series angler’s boat and Tundra?” says Sadler.
“I feel like family here at Futch’s,” says Prince. “They’ve been my title sponsor for four years. I love the way they get engaged with the tournament when the Elite Series is here in Palatka. And heck, I’ve even been known to stop by here and borrow some ice out of their big ice machine when I’m headed out saltwater fishing,” smiles Prince.
Speaking of fishing, Prince thinks the gorgeous weather will bring on a batch of early spawners. “I think as many as 50-percent of the bass weighed-in the first two days will be caught from spawning beds, but when that cold front blows in Saturday it will put a serious end to a lot of that,” says the former Palatka Panther from the Class of ’89.
He’s also forecasting that 13-pounds per day will get an angler to Sunday’s final round, and he says because a large number of fish will likely push shallow to spawn, it will level the playing field, as the local deep water honey holes located on shell beds and such will be less of a factor.
A variety of lures will be used this week, but Prince won’t leave home without a Booyah One Knocker lipless bait, or a Bass Assassin Fat Job soft plastic stick bait – two lures bass are known for eating regularly on the St. Johns.
But as far as what the hometown folks love to eat around here, Prince says to try the fried shrimp at Bradley’s Steak and Seafood, or steaks and gator tail at Corky Bell’s.
Oh, and if you need a bag of ice or a new mower, stop by Futch’s and tell them Cliff Prince sent ya. You’re sure to be greeted with a grin and a whole lot of hometown pride.
The Jordan Lee / MLF Bass Pro Tour Show!
This week the boys are trying to catch up after watching too much MLF Live last week. They welcome in Carhartt Pro Jordan Lee, the winner of the inaugural Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Toho. The boys also welcome in Media member Rob Lever, SC Woods & Water writer Roger Metz, fishing fan Kenneth Grover and of course Intern David to give expert opinions on what they each thought of last weeks inaugural Bass Pro Tour event. Intern David sticks around for the Progressive Bass Wrap up and helps Jason with the Costa Countdown to blast off!
Hayabusa U.S.A. has signed agreements with BASS Elite Series Anglers, Bill Lowen, Shane Lineberger and Greg Dipalma.
Kurt Dove, General Manager of Hayabusa U.S.A., Inc, stated, “This is an exceptional time for the Hayabusa brand. Our arrival in the USA bass fishing scene, in the spring of 2017, was calculated. Every strategic move we have made since that time as been a blessing. It is with great excitement we announce these 3 outstanding anglers to the Hayabusa U.S.A. promotional staff alongside our other BASS Elite promotional anglers, Matt Herren, Clifford Pirch, Carl Jocumsen and Skylar Hamilton. We expect them all the have excellent success with our products and to share to bass fishing enthusiasts why these anglers believe in Hayabusa when everything is on the line.”
9-time Classic Qualifier Bill Lowen, stated “I have been using Hayabusa Fishing Hooks for several years and they are the real deal. I am simply not interested in tying on another hook. Hayabusa hooks have innovative engineering, technique specific designs, superior quality at a very reasonable price for every bass angler.”
Gustafson, Canterbury, and Arey make predictions at St. Johns Elite
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin
They come from three different regions of North America, and collectively they’ve won nearly $3 Million catching bass. Ontario, Canada’s Jeff Gustafson, Alabama’s Scott Canterbury, and North Carolina’s Matt Arey are three of pro angling’s really good guys, the kind of dudes you’d want to help raise your kids, and they graciously share what fans can expect on the eve of the first Bassmaster Elite Series event of the new season at the St. Johns River.
What’s the coolest thing you experienced during the off season?
“Gussy” – Getting engaged to my hott and sweet girlfriend Shelby Larson.
Canterbury – Hunting with my daughter Taylor, and going on a family cruise.
Arey – Watching my neighbors son-in-law kill a 6-year-old whitetail buck.
What excites you most about competing in the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series?
“Gussy” – Getting to chirp at emcee Dave Mercer
Canterbury – The chance to fish in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic
Arey – Competing against a field of 75 pros versus the 175 I’m used to.
What will be the biggest challenge in this event?
“Gussy”- Meeting the expectations myself and my friends have for me.
Canterbury – Intersecting the bass that are moving up to spawn.
Arey – Overcoming my poor history in Florida tournaments, and on tidal rivers.
How much weight will you need to catch on average each day to make the final day cut?
“Gussy” – 15 pounds
Canterbury – 16 pounds
Arey – 16 pounds
Name four lures fans can expect the pros to throw a lot this week.
“Gussy” – soft stick bait, topwater prop bait, a frog, and a Z Man Chatterbait
Canterbury – Bang O Lure Spintail, soft plastic stick worm, a swim jig, and something to cast at a spawn bed.
Arey – soft stick bait, topwater prop bait, lipless crankbait, Chatterbait
What percentage of the bass brought to weigh-in will be caught from a spawning bed anglers can visibly see?
“Gussy” – 10% - because the water is fairly dirty.
Canterbury – 30%
Arey – 40%
Todd Auten talks eel grass, early spawners, and wallpaper paste
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Alan McGuckin
At age 52, with a long history of competing at the pro level, including qualifying for the prestigious Bassmaster Classic on three occasions, Todd Auten has seen pretty much everything modern day tournament angling has to offer.
But after three days of practice, he’s still not sure if this week’s Bassmaster Elite on the St. Johns River will be won with a wave of early spawners, maybe out deep off a shell bed, or perhaps, somewhere in between.
What he is sure of is the aquatic vegetation known as eel grass that helped make this Northeastern Florida fishery famous is almost nowhere to be found after recent hurricanes and extensive periods of really high water wiped it out.
“Everything is setting up for a wave of early spawners to make their way to the bank,” says Auten. “In Florida, when a run of cold weather is followed by a week of nice warm nights like we’re having this week, the early spawners will make their move to the beds. But with the water being high, and a lack of eel grass, being able to see fish on beds is going to be pretty tough.”
The veteran pro from Lake Wylie, SC may be slightly perplexed by bass on the St. Johns right now, but there are two things in life he’s certain of. He knows bass fishing beats the heck out of hanging wallpaper for a living, and he’s clear on his choice of truck brands.
“Every now and then, my wife will put me to work hanging wallpaper. She’s been getting paid to hang wallpaper for 30 years, and she really enjoys it. But I’ll promise you it’s not nearly as fun as catching fish for a living,” grins Auten.
It’s also not as fun as getting paid a cash bonus for driving a Toyota. Auten was one of the very first anglers to sign-up for the now popular Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and he’s cashed more checks, and driven more Tundras than he can count.
“I think this truck I’m driving now is my third Tundra, but it might be my fourth. Heck, I’m not sure, I just know I love the vehicle,” smiles Auten.
He’s also smiling over recent changes to the Bassmaster Elite Series. “Lower entry fees, 75 anglers instead of 105, and a guaranteed paycheck, are all awesome reasons to be excited about 2019,” he proclaims.
“This should be an exciting week for fans, because there’s still a lot of big fish in this river, and you’ll see guys catching them in a variety of ways. Chatter Baits, lipless crankbaits, swim jigs, and pitchin’ a heavy ‘punch bait’ will all be in play. And guys who know where the deeper shell beds are will be crankin’ and dragging a Carolina Rig,” promises Auten.
He’s guessing 15 pounds per day will be good enough to make Sunday’s final cut round, and he absolutely positive this week on the St. Johns will be way better than playing with wallpaper paste.
B.A.S.S. Pros Trust their Boats to Gator Guards
Gator Guards Names 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Team
Farmington, IL February 5, 2019 - Gator Guards, the leading global innovator of boat protection products, announced their Bassmaster Elite Pro Anglers for the 2019 season.
Headlined by anglers who embody the values of our company on and off the water, we’re happy to host an exciting group this season that understand the need to grow our industry. “Not only are they great anglers, but they have a passion in common for sharing their knowledge with their followers and the next generation to help ensure the growth of the sport.” Says Gator Guards, Nick Barr.
In addition to a variety of regional and local team members across the country. Each of them will have a KeelShield® protecting their hulls and leading the way as their boats endure the rigors of the 2019 Bassmaster Elite season.
Gator Guards 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Team:
Hunter Shryock, a Phoenix Boats 21PHX pro from Newcomerstown, OH is a 2nd year Elite Series Pro and is not a stranger to high-stakes competition. Formerly a motocross professional. You can follow the trek through his sophomore season on the elite’s by subscribing to his exciting YouTube series - 496Films. Hunter knows that confidence and convenience with his equipment is key. “Gator Guards protection will allow me to keep focused on fishing and less worrying about damaging my boat.”
Matt Arey, running a Ranger 521L from Shelby, NC is no ordinary rookie on the Elite Series. He’s a former FLW Champion and veteran professional. You can catch Matt on Facebook via his popular live talk show with Bryan Thrift, called “Let’s Talk Fish”. Matt needs few words to explain his decision “Gator Guards provides American-made lifelong lasting products like the KeelShield to protect my investment through a rugged season.”
Brandon Card, a Bass Cat Lynx pro from Knoxville, TN competed for the University of Kentucky and is the first Bassmaster College Series angler to qualify for the Elite Series. Brandon is now a consistent veteran on the Elites and spends much of his time helping support outreach missions with his local church. He has trusted Gator Guards for his protection needs throughout his career. “The affordable price to protect my investment is the reason I made my first purchase, but the performance and lifelong durability are the reasons for a KeelShield on all my boats since.”
Skylar Hamilton, the young Xpress Boats Pro from Dandridge, TN was raised on Bassmaster open events and has quickly become a consistent competitor on the pro tour. Entering his 3rd season he’s primed to reach that upper echelon. A natural and gifted shallow water angler, he’ll be taking his Xpress into some slim places this season protected with his KeelShield.
Brett Preuett, A former BASS Collegiate Champion and Falcon Boats Pro from Monroe, LA is no stranger to the Elite Series. Qualifying through the Opens back in 2015, he is excited to make the jump back on the Elites to test his mettle against the best. He grew up on the backwaters of Louisiana, knowing that protecting your boat from stumps, debris, and rural boat ramps is key to keeping your equipment in good shape.
Chris Groh, a sophomore Phoenix Boats pro from Spring Grove, IL is looking to make that second year jump on the Elite Series after a solid rookie campaign. Known as the “Chain Rat” for his Northern Illinois fishing roots, the schedule lays out well for him this year to take advantage of similar fisheries. A career craftsman, he knows how important it is to take great care of your equipment throughout the year.
To find a local Gator Guards team member near you, just click Here to view our roster.
Cardinals baseball, bass boats, and Classic dreams fuel Clouse’s passion
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
The jacked up Tundra sporting a massive Phoenix Boats logo is impossible to miss as it rolls on to the Palatka City Boat Ramp early Tuesday morning for the final day of practice at the St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite. But only the most observant eye might spy a tiny St. Louis Cardinals sticker on the dew soaked windshield of the boat.
Out of the truck steps tall lanky former high school basketball player, Gary Clouse - known best by most bass anglers as the owner and founder of Phoenix Boats. However, make no mistake, Clouse is a Bassmaster Elite Series angler because of his proven ability to catch bass, not because he owns a popular boat company.
At age 59, Clouse is chasing a dream he’s had since age 14, back in the days when he’d listen to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon bring to life the stellar plays of Lou Brock and Joe Torre, not on television or a live web stream – but through the simplicity of a radio.
“I was raised in a pretty strict and religious home in Missouri, and like a lot of Americans, listening to Cardinal baseball on the radio provided good clean entertainment,” reflects Clouse.
However, Gary Clouse didn’t dream of growing up to be a Cardinal. Nope. Instead, for 47 years now, he’s dreamed of fishing in a Bassmaster Classic.
“That’s the whole reason I’m here. For a chance to fish in the Bassmaster Classic. It’s that simple. There’s only one Bassmater Classic. And I’ve never qualified for it. Fishing the Elite Series gives me that chance,” says Clouse with a laser-focused tone.
If he’s going to make a lifelong dream come true, a great first Elite Series event of the year in Northeast Florida is pretty essential this week, and with 14 rods and reels sprayed across the front deck on the final day of practice, Clouse is obviously still trying to figure things out.
“I’ve only been to the St. Johns one other time in my life. It had to be in the early 1980s for a Bassmaster Invitational or something. All I remember is wasting two hours trying to catch a giant bass from a spawning bed that I never did hook up with in that tournament,” reflects Clouse.
This week won’t be nearly as much about spawners, but instead, cranking shell bars in 10-feet of water with a Strike King 5XD, and tossing a Cotton Cordell Boy Howdy topwater prop bait around the shallows of the St. Johns.
“This Boy Howdy looks old, but it’s really not. I just scraped the gold paint off it, to make it look a little more natural and less obnoxious. I throw it on monofilament because fluorocarbon sinks, which obviously doesn’t work well with a topwater lure, and braided line is so stout you run the risk of tearing the hooks out of a big fish’s mouth,” he explains.
Fact is, Clouse is tied to a dream this season with the equivalent of 80-pound braided line. And while he’d love to spend a day hanging out with his favorite Cardinal of all time, Ozzie Smith – more than anything – Clouse wants to be a Bassmaster Classic Champion.
Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Introduce Expanded Pro Team on Bassmaster Elite Series
RACINE, Wis., Feb. 5, 2019 – The first Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. John’s River will see the debut of four new Humminbird® and Minn Kota® pro team members, as well as three new Elite anglers who are legacy members of the pro team.
New to the pro team are Chris Zaldain, Chad Pipkens, Harvey Horne and Dale Hightower. Zaldain and Pipkens are veterans on the Elite Series, with each earning an invitation for the 2012 and 2013 seasons respectively. Horne and Hightower have recently moved up the ranks through the Bassmaster Opens Series to qualify for the 2019 Elite Series.
New to the Elites, but not to the Humminbird and Minn Kota pro team, are Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Carl Jocumsen and Koby Krieger. They, along with the new pro team members, join Keith Combs, Seth Feider, Matt Herren and Bill Lowen to make up the Humminbird and Minn Kota pro team for the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“We’re excited about the additions to our pro team and the experience each brings to the group,” said Tim Price, Humminbird and Minn Kota Field Promotions Manager. “With Humminbird units, the Ultrex and Talons that are connected through our One-Boat Network™, this group of anglers will be a threat to win every event thanks to unmatched mapping, best-in-class sonar and imaging and unprecedented boat control.”
Each of these anglers will be running Humminbird electronics, a Minn Kota Ultrex™ trolling motor and Talon shallow water anchors. The competitive advantage comes with the new innovations Humminbird and Minn Kota are consistently bringing to the table. The Minn Kota Ultrex, a revolutionary trolling motor with power steering and now built-in MEGA Down Imaging+™, literally changed bass fishing forever upon its introduction. With features like Spot-Lock, and i-Pilot® Link™, anglers can stay on a precise spot, move in 5-foot increments with the push of a button, follow exact depth contours and much more. Ultrex basically controls boat positioning on its own, so anglers can focus on catching fish.
Anglers can also see fish more clearly with Humminbird’s exclusive and best-in-class imaging capabilities. New MEGA Imaging+™ technology is in the megahertz range with performance that’s three times greater than traditional 455 kHz frequencies, providing the clearest, sharpest imaging returns ever and unlocking more fish and structure. Through the One-Boat Network™, Humminbird and Minn Kota connectivity allows anglers to operate the trolling motor and deploy Talon shallow water anchors from their fish finder.
“Designed to work together, Humminbird, Minn Kota and Talon connectivity will allow these anglers the ability to concentrate on the presentation and the hookset while we take care of everything else. Our technologies will give these anglers an edge in competition and we look forward to seeing their performance on this year’s Elite Series,” Price says.
For more information visit www.humminbird.com or www.minnkotamotors.com.
So far, Pierson loves his new Tundra more than the St. Johns
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Three months ago, Californian Randy Pierson was a 47-year-old husband and father of two who had just endured a corporate pay cut, and was considering a job change, when the homemade hair jig he cast into fast moving current on Pickwick Lake, TN won him a B.A.S.S. Nation National Championship and an invitation to become a fulltime Elite Series angler.
He accepted the beyond his wildest dreams sort of invite, and this week, he finds himself a 40-hour drive from home trying to figure out the storied and massive, St. Johns River in Northeastern Florida. B.A.S.S. has brought an Elite Series event here three times in the last seven years, and well-known pros Alton Jones, Chris Lane and Rick Clunn hoisted the hardware. Randy Pierson had never been here in his life until this week.
So there was Pierson Monday evening at nearly dark, following two long days of practice, loading his Phoenix Boat to the back of a Toyota Tundra still sporting fresh new temporary paper license plate tags, and proclaiming with a grin, “I can tell you I love this new Toyota way more than I love the St. Johns River.”
“This is a massive body of water. I’m used to the California Delta, but that seems way smaller than this,” says Pierson.
And much like he’s never been to the St. Johns, until last week, he had never towed with a Toyota. “I’d been a Chevy man all my life, but I wanted to support Toyota because they support B.A.S.S., and it will give me more opportunities to promote my sponsors once I have time to get my graphic wrap on it,” says Pierson, who literally bought the truck two days before he packed it, and started the four day, 40 hour drive alone to his best buddy and traveling companion Steve Taylor’s house in Georgia.
“I’m blown away. From the towing power to the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, the big 38-gallon fuel tank, and just the overall comfort that doesn’t leave you feeling beat after driving all day, I’m serious, I love this truck,” proclaims Pierson. “Plus, I’m eligible to win Toyota Bonus Bucks.”
“Oh, and you know the other thing I love about it?” quizzed Pierson. “The color. It’s called “Cement.””
So while the former WON Bass Western Classic Champion and current B.A.S.S. Nation Champion may be brand new to the Elite Series, and still finds himself hunting for reasons to the love the St. Johns after two full days of practice – once thing’s for certain -- he’s already declared himself forever a Toyota man going forward.
And you can write that in stone. Or in Pierson’s case, cement.
LAKE SEMINOLE READIES FOR WEEKEND OF FLW YOUTH BASS-FISHING TOURNAMENTS
Courtesy of FLW
YETI FLW College Fishing tournament set for Friday, Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Open tournament to follow Saturday
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Jan. 29, 2019) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) is set to visit the Bainbridge area next week, Feb. 8-9, with the YETI FLW College Fishing event at Lake Seminole and the Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Open at Lake Seminole. The tournaments, hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, will showcase some of the top young anglers from across the region competing for cash and prizes and angling for their chance to advance to the FLW College Fishing National Championship and High School Fishing National Championship events.
“This is going to be a fun weekend of fishing,” said local angler Clint Brown of Bainbridge, who has a win and a third-place finish on Lake Seminole in FLW Series competition. “I predict that at least one team catches a limit over 25 pounds, and I’d be willing to bet that they’re going to need at least 20 (pounds) to be in the top 5. It’s fixing to get really good, and if the weather holds up, the kids are going to really catch them.”
Brown said that he expects the bass will still be in their prespawn patterns, but suggested that the anglers target the likely staging areas.
“The fish are ready to start spawning, but we’ve had some cold weather and the rivers are all pretty muddy,” Brown said. “My best advice would be to fish nearby to bedding areas. It’s a wide range, but any deep water – 10 feet or less – close to bedding areas. They’re going to be biting lipless crankbaits and vibrating jigs. I’d be throwing a Buddha Baits Swagger Jig around deeper hydrilla – black and blue or shad colors. Something that can get a reaction bite from them.
“The key will be figuring out how to catch the suspended bass,” Brown went on to say. “The winning fish like to suspend around the grass, but they can be very tough to bite. You can throw at them 8, 10 casts in a row and they won’t move. The key is going to be finding the right bait to get those fish to fire. If a team can find the right school, they can fill the boat real quick.”
The college anglers will kick off competition on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 a.m. EST at the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin, located at 100 Boat Basin Circle in Bainbridge. The weigh-in will be held at the boat basin Friday at 3 p.m. The high school anglers will then compete on Saturday, launching at 7:30 a.m. from the boat basin and weighing in at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free to attend and open to the public, and will be streamed live online at FLWFishing.com.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. 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. The top 10 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 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. The Potomac River and Marbury, Maryland, will play host to the 2019 FLW College Fishing National Championship, June 4-6, 2019.
The Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Open tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school clubs. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship on Pickwick Lake in June. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow YETI FLW College Fishing and the Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Opens at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bassmaster Elite Series Anglers Are Looking For Giant Bass In Season Opener On St. Johns River
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 31, 2019 |
PALATKA, Fla. — The St. Johns River has been a familiar destination for the Bassmaster Elite Series since the circuit first visited there in 2011.
But this year’s Elite Series visit will be different than all the rest.
Really, really different.
The 2019 Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is scheduled for Feb. 7-10 with daily takeoffs at 7:30 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp and weigh-ins at 4:10 p.m. each day at Palatka Riverfront Park.
It will be the season opener for the new-look Elite Series, which now features a smaller field of 75 anglers — down from more than 110 in years past — and a new payout scale that assures every competitor in the field will leave with a check.
The anglers will also find a new-look fishery, since much of the eelgrass the St. Johns River has long been famous for was decimated by Hurricane Irma last summer and has yet to return.
“To say that I’m excited for this tournament would be an understatement,” said Cliff Prince, a Palatka, Fla., resident and an eight-year Elite Series veteran. “Not only am I starting the season on my home water, but this is also a whole new ballgame, a whole new Elite Series. B.A.S.S. has given us an opportunity to really showcase what we can do — and I can’t wait!”
With that said, Prince knows the wealth of knowledge he’s acquired from living on the fishery may not help as much as it has in year’s past when he finished sixth, 56th and 16th in three previous Elite Series events on the river.
The hurricane changed things in ways that might force many anglers with experience on the fishery to start from scratch.
“In 2016, there was a lot more grass up and down the river from one end of it to the other,” Prince said. “When that storm came through last year, it just dumped so much rain. What grass didn’t get torn up by the storm got shaded out by the high water.
“This river was as high as I’ve seen it in my lifetime, and it stayed that way for a long time. Our tides are really just now getting back to normal.”
During past Elite Series events on the St. Johns, anglers who couldn’t find a solid pattern elsewhere could almost always rely on the tremendous number of bass that spawn in Lake George. But even that once-dependable area will require a different approach.
“Lake George is just not in good shape,” said Bernie Schultz, a Gainesville, Fla., angler who has fished the Elite Series since its inception in 2006. “There’s plenty of dollar weed — those little, small lily pads that grow in about 2 feet of water. But that won’t filter the water like it needs to.
“Eelgrass is a great filter. That’s why bass go to it —good cover, good filtration, lots of oxygen and it’s an ideal place to spawn.”
The number of bass that are spawning could play a major role in how much weight it takes to win the event’s $100,000 first-place prize.
Temperatures in the region have been colder than normal for the past 10 days. But a warming trend is predicted for this weekend, and several warm days could raise the water temperatures enough to send a wave of fish to the spawning areas.
“When the water temperature reaches the high 50s, there will be some fish go to the bank,” Prince said. “So there will be some fish caught sight fishing, I’m sure. In Florida, in February, you can’t afford not to at least look for them.”
With the absence of eelgrass, anglers will likely turn to dollar pads, wood, reeds, lily pads and even boat docks. Despite all the changes, Prince said he expects the usual tactics to play — topwater lures, bladed jigs, swim jigs, lipless baits, swimbaits and even standard Texas-rigged worms.
One thing he doesn’t expect, however, is the signature five-bass limits of big bass that have anchored the four-day weights of past winners.
“In 2016, Rick Clunn had a 31-pound bag and then three more good, solid days that helped him win,” Prince said. “That’s usually the way it works here. But if you look at the results from tournaments around here since the grass has disappeared, we just haven’t been having those 30-pound days.
“If you have a 25- to 27-pound bag and then back it up with a 20-pound bag and a couple of 15-pound bags, that’s gonna be strong.”
The St. Johns tournament, like all Elite Series events, is a free, family-friendly celebration of bass fishing, with activities for all ages.
The Elite Series Expo at Palatka City Ramp will be open Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. ET. Fans will have a chance to take a demo ride in a Nitro, Skeeter or Triton boat, look over the newest Toyotas, develop fishing skills in the Berkley/Abu Garcia Experience trailer, and win prizes and check out new products from leading companies in the fishing industry.
Fans can meet the Elites at Angler Alley on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., and on Championship Sunday, they can join the Elite LIVE Watch Party and hang out with anglers and other special guests as they watch the final hours of Bassmaster LIVE. Elite angler clinics will be held onstage from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, which is also Military and First Responder Appreciation Day.
FLW Pros Trust their Boats to Gator Guards
Latimer, Scanlon, Niggemeyer, Hunter to protect their hulls with KeelShield
Farmington, IL February 1, 2019 - Gator Guards, the leading global innovator of boat protection products, announced their FLW Pro Anglers for the 2019 season.
Headlined by anglers who embody the values of our company on and off the water, we’re happy to welcome back FLW Tour anglers Brian Latimer and Casey Scanlon, while bringing on James Niggemeyer and John Hunter to round out the team. “Not only are they great anglers, but they have a passion in common for sharing their knowledge with their followers and the next generation to help ensure the growth of the sport”. Says Gator Guards, Nick Barr.
In addition to a variety of regional and local team members across the country. Each of them will have a KeelShield protecting their hulls and leading the way as their boats endure the rigors of the tournament season.
Brian Latimer, running a Falcon Boats F205 from Belton, SC is a rising star on the FLW Tour and social media as his down to earth approach with fishing and fans allows him to share his daily experienceson the road and connect with anglers who wish they were out there with him.
Latimer insists protecting what is valuable to him on tour. “The Gator Guards KeelShield is my first line of defense to protect my boat from damage.”
Casey Scanlon, a Nitro Boats & Bass Pro Shops pro from Lake Ozark, MO is one of the most successful up and coming anglers from the Midwest. Recently switching from BASS to the FLW Tour, he found much success and continues to build on a solid resume on and off the water within the midwest fishing community. Scanlon understands that protecting your boat is a no-brainer investment. “If you own a fiberglass boat, a Gator Guards KeelShield is a must. A smart and simple investment to protect your hull.”
James Niggemeyer, a veteran Cabela’s & Ranger pro from Van City, TX has found a new home on the FLW Tour and has continued to excel across the country. “I take pride in keeping my boat in great shape for the next owner and Gator Guards provides durable and lasting products like the KeelShield to protect my investment through a rugged season.”
John Hunter, a Falcon Boats Pro from Kentucky has climbed the ranks from co-angler to the front of the boat quickly, starting his second year on the FLW Tour this season after qualifying for his first Forrest Wood Cup back in 2015. “I’m always looking for ways keep my boat in great shape throughout the season, and nothing does that better than Gator Guards”.
To find a local Gator Guards team member near you, just click Hereto view our roster.
About Gator Guards:
Gator Guards™, a family business from Farmington, IL is celebrating its 25th anniversary protecting all types of watercraft with easy solutions for the everyday boater. With their innovative, durable product line they have become the trusted protection supplier of over 30 boat builders including Triton, Nitro, and Skeeter Boats.
Carroll Wins ABA Alabama South Open Series Event on Lake Eufaula with over 23 pounds!
ATHENS, Ala. – Kenny Carroll of Opelika, AL won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series Alabama South Division tournament, held January 26th on the Lake Eufaula. Running out of Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, AL Kenny caught five bass weighing 23.45-pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Carroll took home a check for $5500 for his win.
“I was fishing the mid-lake area out on the river and caught all my fish in one place on one stump in 12ft of water. My co-angler caught a 4-pounder there also. All our fish came around mid-morning. It was a good day,” Carroll said.
In second for the boaters, Mitchell Jennings of Auburn, AL landed a five-bass tournament limit going 20.36-pounds.
“I caught my fish all over the lake today. I was fishing shallow swimming a jig, throwing a chatter-bait, flipping, and caught some on a square-bill crankbait,” Jennings said.
Alan Glasgow of Ashville, AL took third for the boaters with five bass going 20.05-pounds.
“I also caught my fish today mid-lake above the bridges. I also caught my fish flipping, chatter-bait, and on a crankbait,” Glasgow said.
The big bass award for the boaters went to Rodger Beaver Jr. of Dawson, GA for a big bass that weighed 7.50-pounds
“I caught that big bass on a jig in 10ft of water,” Beaver said.
Finishing fourth, Josh Stracner of Vandiver, AL landed a five-bass limit for 18.35-pounds. Ryan Horton of Palmetto, GA rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 18.08-pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Hulan Mattox of Alexander City, AL won with three bass going 11.95-pounds. He pocketed a check for $1200 for his win.
“I caught my fish today on a wormy-bug 1/8oz jig in 6ft of water. It’s a homemade bait that I make. We were fishing the south end of the lake targeting docks,” Mattox said.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Donnie Dawson of Brunswick, GA brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 11.22-pounds.
“I caught my fish shallow on a rat-l-trap over some grass. I lost one around 5 pounds at the boat that would’ve helped me. I had a great boater today,” Dawson said. “
Michael Anderson of Newton, AL placed third among the co-anglers with three bass going 10.78-pounds.
“I was skipping a Berkley General under docks in 4ft or water. I caught my biggest fish, a 5.79-pounder, then a 3-pounder, and a smaller fish that I couldn’t cull. I caught all my fish in the first hour and only had three bites today. We were fishing the south end of the lake,” Anderson said.
The big bass award for the co-anglers went to Lamar Crowe of Andalusia, AL for a big bass that weighed 6.91-pounds.
“I caught that big bass on a Carolina-rig in 15ft of water around 11:00 am on the lower end of the lake targeting ledges,” Crowe said.
In fourth place among the co-anglers, Ryan Muccio of Headland, AL brought in three bass for 7.44-pounds. Bill Mogan of Mobile, AL finished in fifth place with two bass for 7.36-pounds.
Top 50 Boaters (FULL RESULTS)
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny M. Carroll | 5 | 0.00 | 6.89 | 23.45 | 250 | 5500 |
| 2 | Mitchell L. Jennings | 5 | 0.00 | 4.50 | 20.36 | 249 | 1200 |
| 3 | Allan Glasgow | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 20.05 | 248 | 850 |
| 4 | Josh Stracner | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 18.35 | 247 | 700 |
| 5 | Ryan Horton | 5 | 0.00 | 5.72 | 18.08 | 246 | 600 |
| 6 | David H. Lowery | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 18.00 | 245 | 575 |
| 7 | Jonathan Jon R. Adams | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 17.81 | 244 | 500 |
| 8 | Cole Phillips | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 17.58 | 243 | 475 |
| 9 | Rodger Beaver Jr | 5 | 0.00 | 7.50 | 17.18 | 242 | 1250 |
| 10 | Mark Succi | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.89 | 241 | 320 |
| 11 | DeAndrae L. Kimbrough | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.65 | 240 | 300 |
| 12 | Keith Bardolf | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.28 | 239 | 275 |
| 13 | Ethan Greene | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.72 | 238 | 250 |
| 14 | Jason W. Nixon | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.27 | 237 | 240 |
| 15 | Andy Norris | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.05 | 236 | 225 |
| 16 | Bo Washam | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.63 | 235 | 220 |
| 17 | Clayton T. Shoupe | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.36 | 234 | 200 |
| 18 | Charles J. Eubanks | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.27 | 233 | 0 |
| 19 | Michael M. Smith | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.04 | 232 | 0 |
| 20 | Bradford Brad Hambric | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 12.24 | 231 | 0 |
Slated for March 2nd, the next tournament will be held on Lay Lake out of Beeswax Creek Park in Columbiana, AL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2020 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Hartwell in April 2020.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Hunter Harwell Wins ABA Open Series North Carolina Opener
ATHENS, Ala. – Hunter Harwell of Hickory, North Carolina won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series North Carolina event held on Lake Norman on 2/1/19. Running out of the Pinnacle Wildlife access in Mooresville North Carolina, Harwell weighed in a five bass limit totaling 12.46-pounds. His limit was anchored by a bass weighing 3.18-pounds. Harwell took home a check for $2600.00 for the win.
“I made the last-minute decision to switch over from a co-angler to a boater and that was one of the best decisions I have made in a while. I caught my fish on a variety of baits. I caught some on a swimbait, crankbait, and a jerk bait. I had my fish before 11:00,” said Harwell.
In second for the boaters, Kelly Logan of Morganton, North Carolina weighed in a five bass limit weighing 11.01-pounds.
“I had 5 keepers today. I caught them on a crankbait very shallow in about 5 feet of water,” said Logan.
Taking third for the boaters, Michael Stephens of Gastonia, North Carolina, weighed in af ive bass limit weighing 10.34-pounds.
“I caught fish early on a shallow running crankbait and when that bite died, I moved out and caught some in the 40-foot range with a football head jig,” said Stephens.
In fourth place for the boaters, Scott Hamrick of Denver, North Carolina weighed in four bass weighing 10.21-pounds. Rounding out the top five, Michael Fox of Statesville, North Carolina weighed in five bass weighing 9.95-pounds.
The big bass honors for the boaters was caught by Michael Fox of Statesville, North Carolina for a bass weighing 3.40-pounds. Fox collected $500.00 for his bass.
In the Co-angler Division Shane Maultsby of Huntington, West Virginia won with three bass weighing 6.92-pounds with a 2.71-pound kicker fish. Maultsby pocketed $1300.00 for the win.
“I used a variety of baits today. The bite was really slow for me until around 2:00. I caught around 15 fish today,” said Maultsby.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Thomas McDermott of Madison, North Carolina weighed in a three bass limit weighing 6.60-pounds.
“At 7:37 I had already boated two keepers on a jerk bait,” said McDermott. “The bite just stopped after that. I didn’t catch my third keeper until 3:00.”
Taking third for the co-anglers, Chris Anderson of Mooresville, North Carolina weighed in three bass weighing 6.27-pounds.
“I caught 4 keepers today in deeper water on a jig,” said Anderson.
In fourth for the co-anglers Ronald Hearn of Mt. Holly North Carolina, weighed in two bass weighing 6.19-pounds. Rounding out the top five, Adam Gum of Princeton, West Virginia weighed in three bass weighing 6.13-pounds.
The big bass for the co-anglers was a 3.39-pounder weighed in by Adam Gum. He collected $265.00 for his bass.
Top 20 Boaters (FULL RESULTS)
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hunter C. Harwell | 5 | 0.00 | 3.18 | 12.46 | 250 | 2600 |
| 2 | Kelly W. Logan | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 11.01 | 249 | 1250 |
| 3 | Michael D. Stephens | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.34 | 248 | 950 |
| 4 | Scott Hamrick | 4 | 0.00 | 2.92 | 10.21 | 247 | 800 |
| 5 | Michael L. Fox | 5 | 0.00 | 3.40 | 9.95 | 246 | 1100 |
| 6 | Jake Frye | 5 | 0.00 | 2.83 | 9.60 | 245 | 500 |
| 7 | James Wall | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.38 | 244 | 450 |
| 8 | Randy A. Childers | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.22 | 243 | 375 |
| 9 | George V. Baucom | 5 | 0.00 | 2.15 | 9.17 | 242 | 263 |
| 9 | Matthew B. McBee | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.17 | 242 | 263 |
| 11 | Richard Rick J. Bradford | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.76 | 240 | 200 |
| 12 | Jeffrey Queen | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.26 | 239 | 0 |
| 13 | Paul G. Tsiolkas | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.63 | 238 | 0 |
| 14 | Parks Jones | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.57 | 237 | 0 |
| 14 | Patrick L. King | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.57 | 237 | 0 |
| 16 | James Jay S. Salloum | 5 | 0.00 | 2.55 | 7.52 | 235 | 0 |
| 17 | Jason Wilson | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.33 | 234 | 0 |
| 18 | Dan Funderburk | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.17 | 233 | 0 |
| 19 | Richard Scott Henley | 5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.07 | 232 | 0 |
| 20 | Jeff Hager | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.73 | 231 | 0 |
Slated for March, 9th the next event for the North Carolina Division will be held on Lake Wylie launching from South Point Wildlife Access.
About American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
Anderson & Burkhart Win Tennessee Team Trail Opener on Chickamauga with 31.46 Limit!
February 2nd, 2019 – Lake Chickamauga Tennessee Team Trail Results
| Place | Team | Fish | Wgt | Pen | Bonus | B/F | TotWgt | Pts |
| 1 | TRAVIS ANDERSON-CODY BURKHART | 5/5 | 31.46 | 9.60 | 31.46 | |||
| 2 | BRENT BUTLER-SETH DAVIS | 5/5 | 28.95 | 28.95 | ||||
| 3 | GARAN HORNER-CHAD HENSLEY | 3/3 | 24.55 | *12.91 | 24.55 | |||
| 4 | CORY VETTEN-KEVIN DRAKE | 5/5 | 22.63 | 22.63 | ||||
| 5 | KEVIN EDWARDS-STAN HACKWORTH | 3/3 | 21.47 | 11.47 | 21.47 | |||
| 6 | BILLY NORRIS-JOSH NORRIS | 5/5 | 21.25 | 21.25 | ||||
| 7 | PAUL SWEET-RUSS POPE | 5/5 | 20.72 | 20.72 | ||||
| 8 | DEWAYNE WILSON-CORY OWNBY | 5/5 | 18.44 | 7.08 | 18.44 | |||
| 9 | TOM HELTON-JEFF KNIGHT | 5/5 | 18.37 | 18.37 | ||||
| 10 | GRIFFIN HEFFINGTON-THAD SIMERLY | 5/5 | 18.36 | 18.36 | ||||
| 11 | TIM LEONARD-TOM LEONARD | 3/3 | 18.15 | 9.09 | 18.15 | |||
| 12 | ROBERT ROCHE-MIKE MILES | 5/5 | 17.57 | 17.57 | ||||
| 13 | *CALEB EAKENS->RYAN DALTON | 5/5 | 16.48 | 16.48 | ||||
| 14 | TROY JONES-DENTON JONES | 5/5 | 15.68 | 15.68 | ||||
| 15 | DYLAN BROWN-JACK BROWN II | 3/3 | 15.67 | 15.67 | ||||
| 16 | LYNN GREEN-SHANE ROLLER | 5/5 | 15.29 | 15.29 | ||||
| 17 | STEVEN HARRISON-WES LEMONS | 5/5 | 15.23 | 15.23 | ||||
| 18 | CARL POST-JEREMY HARRISON | 5/5 | 14.98 | 14.98 | ||||
| 19 | ANDREW BRACKETT-COLE SANDS | 5/5 | 14.83 | 14.83 | ||||
| 20 | TOMMY BROWN-SPENCER BROWN | 5/5 | 14.36 | 14.36 | ||||
| 21 | LEE LANDS-HARLEY DAVIS | 5/5 | 14.34 | 14.34 | ||||
| 22 | J.P. BIONDO-DARIN BLEDSOE | 2/2 | 14.16 | 10.95 | 14.16 | |||
| 23 | BRAD PADGETT-DANIEL PADGETT | 5/5 | 14.08 | 14.08 | ||||
| 24 | CHASE HENLEY-MICHAEL VANOSDALE | 5/5 | 13.87 | 13.87 | ||||
| 25 | JOHN FRENCH-STACEY NEWBERRY | 5/5 | 13.75 | 13.75 | ||||
| 26 | BRIAN YARBROUGH-WENDELL COOPER | 3/3 | 13.65 | 9.10 | 13.65 | |||
| 27 | DOUGLAS BUTZINE-JOSHUA TRENT | 5/5 | 13.62 | 6.84 | 13.62 | |||
| 28 | *RANDY MCKEE->JASON POTTER | 3/3 | 13.23 | 13.23 | ||||
| 29 | DAN LONG-JOE YOCUM | 4/4 | 13.16 | 13.16 | ||||
| 30 | RODNEY CRADDOCK-CHAD WADDELL | 2/2 | 12.63 | 9.52 | 12.63 | |||
| 31 | JOEL WHEELON-TIM WHEELON | 5/5 | 12.48 | 12.48 | ||||
| 32 | DEWEY SHEPHERD-FREDDIE SHEPHERD | 4/4 | 12.46 | 5.97 | 12.46 | |||
| 33 | ANTHONY REVIS-JAMES BURCHARD | 4/4 | 12.44 | 12.44 | ||||
| 34 | DON MCCURDY-NANCY MCCURDY | 5/5 | 12.12 | 12.12 | ||||
| 35 | KEVIN MCKAMEY-CHRIS BULLOCK | 5/5 | 12.10 | 12.10 | ||||
| 36 | JR HENARD-TRAVIS CARPENTER | 5/5 | 12.08 | 12.08 | ||||
| 37 | CASEY MAJNI-STEVEN HUNLEY | 5/5 | 12.03 | 12.03 | ||||
| 38 | CARL PRATER-JERRETT PIERCE | 4/4 | 11.40 | 11.40 | ||||
| 39 | JAMES GANN-THOMAS GANN | 3/3 | 11.35 | 11.35 | ||||
| 40 | NICK WELCH-VIC WELCH | 3/3 | 11.32 | 5.76 | 11.32 | |||
| 41 | KENDALE ROACH-KOLEMAN ROACH | 3/3 | 11.25 | 11.25 | ||||
| 42 | JAKE SWIDAN-LUKAS PHILLIPS | 4/4 | 11.04 | 11.04 | ||||
| 43 | RICKY ROBINSON-RICKY ROBINSON JR | 4/4 | 10.98 | 10.98 | ||||
| 44 | SCOTT WINCHESTER-KURT HOPE | 4/4 | 10.56 | 10.56 | ||||
| 45 | RANDY OLIVER-LARRY MINNICK | 5/5 | 10.48 | 10.48 | ||||
| 46 | ROGER ODELL-HUGH ODELL | 4/4 | 10.30 | 10.30 | ||||
| 47 | ZACK BATTS-DUSTIN WEAVER | 2/2 | 10.24 | 10.24 | ||||
| 48 | GAVIN AINSLIE-CHRIS PETERS | 3/3 | 10.20 | 10.20 | ||||
| 49 | CHARLIE LANE-TODD HEMBRE | 4/4 | 10.08 | 10.08 | ||||
| 50 | KEVIN TODD-MIKE LYKE | 4/4 | 9.68 | 9.68 | ||||
| 51 | RODNEY BEELER-MATTHEW BEELER | 3/3 | 9.63 | 9.63 | ||||
| 52 | JAMES BULLARD-JONATHAN BULLARD | 4/4 | 9.45 | 9.45 | ||||
| 53 | TAVIN NAPIER-JON DAILEY | 4/4 | 9.27 | 9.27 | ||||
| 54 | SETH JOLLEY-DON CARR | 3/3 | 9.24 | 9.24 | ||||
| 55 | JAKE LEE-DALTON PRICE | 3/3 | 9.06 | 9.06 | ||||
| 56 | JAMES HUTCHESON-SHAWN STRADER | 5/5 | 9.03 | 9.03 | ||||
| 57 | NICK TATE-EDWARD NEWELL | 3/3 | 8.80 | 8.80 | ||||
| 58 | TIM SMILEY-BOBBY CHAMBERS | 2/2 | 8.63 | 8.63 | ||||
| 59 | JAY ADAIR-JAMIE ROOP | 3/3 | 8.60 | 8.60 | ||||
| 59 | JAMES BAKER-COREY WILLIAMS | 3/3 | 8.60 | 8.60 | ||||
| 61 | TONY WILSON-KENT SMITH | 3/3 | 8.34 | 8.34 | ||||
| 62 | SAM WINTER-AUSTIN WINTER | 3/3 | 8.22 | 8.22 | ||||
| 63 | CODY DISON-KEITH DISON | 1/1 | 8.15 | 8.15 | 8.15 | |||
| 64 | ROBERT HELTON-ERIC EVANS | 3/3 | 8.10 | 8.10 | ||||
| 65 | JOHNNY DAKE-DUSTY FUGATE | 3/3 | 8.09 | 8.09 | ||||
| 66 | SPENCER PETERS-JUSTIN OWNBY | 3/3 | 8.03 | 8.03 | ||||
| 67 | CODY GREEN-TOM SPANGLER | 4/4 | 7.93 | 7.93 | ||||
| 68 | RONALD ELLIS-JOSEPH ELLIS | 3/3 | 7.92 | 7.92 | ||||
| 69 | PRESTON CRAIG-JOSH SHARP | 3/3 | 7.91 | 7.91 | ||||
| 70 | DALE PELFREY-JONATHON BOWLING | 4/4 | 7.84 | 7.84 | ||||
| 71 | TIM WACKER-NO PARTNER | 2/2 | 7.77 | 7.77 | ||||
| 72 | JASON UNDERWOOD-DONALD DUNCAN | 3/3 | 7.65 | 7.65 | ||||
| 73 | CHRIS HELLEBUYCK-ERIC TRUNICK | 5/5 | 7.42 | 7.42 | ||||
| 74 | MICHAEL PATTERSON-HOUSTON KRESS | 2/2 | 7.21 | 7.21 | ||||
| 74 | BRIAN SCATES-STANLEY MCLEMORE | 2/2 | 7.21 | 7.21 | ||||
| 76 | MARCUS JACKSON-JEFFREY MOORE | 3/3 | 6.95 | 6.95 | ||||
| 76 | TROY REDWINE-KOLBY REDWINE | 2/2 | 6.95 | 6.95 | ||||
| 78 | NIK LEEVER-COLBY PARTIN | 3/3 | 6.79 | 6.79 | ||||
| 79 | KENT LODARI-TROY BIGELOW | 3/3 | 6.78 | 6.78 | ||||
| 80 | ALLEN TADLOCK-BILL BOLLINGER | 3/3 | 6.68 | 6.68 | ||||
| 81 | JEREMY GRIFFITH-JOEY GRIFFITH | 2/2 | 6.62 | 6.62 | ||||
| 82 | BRAD EARLY-BRAD VINEYARD | 3/3 | 6.42 | 6.42 | ||||
| 83 | MIKE KINSER-RYAN KINSER | 2/2 | 6.39 | 6.39 | ||||
| 84 | HUNTER BAILEY-MICHAEL WOODS | 2/2 | 6.23 | 6.23 | ||||
| 85 | JOSEPH GOINS-BRIAN MILLER | 3/3 | 6.17 | 6.17 | ||||
| 86 | SHANE SLOAN-NO PARTNER | 2/2 | 5.89 | 5.89 | ||||
| 87 | DANNY CRASS-KENNY RIDINGS | 3/3 | 5.83 | 5.83 | ||||
| 88 | ZACH DUNCAN-BRANDON MALONE | 2/2 | 5.80 | 5.80 | ||||
| 89 | JACK DUNAWAY-RANDY HARRIS | 3/3 | 5.67 | 5.67 | ||||
| 90 | JOE SCEALF-BRANDON HARRIS | 3/3 | 5.64 | 5.64 | ||||
| 91 | RANDY BROWN-JAMES (2) GOODIN | 2/2 | 5.60 | 5.60 | ||||
| 92 | BRIAN BEELER-CHAD BEELER | 2/2 | 5.59 | 5.59 | ||||
| 93 | CHRIS CARDEN-JAMES MANLEY | 2/2 | 5.58 | 5.58 | ||||
| 94 | WILLIAM LEE-JAKE RENFRO | 1/1 | 5.52 | 5.52 | 5.52 | |||
| 95 | DEWAYNE FOUST-JONATHAN PHILLIPS | 3/3 | 5.50 | 5.50 | ||||
| 95 | RYAN INKELBARGER-JAKE GARDNER | 1/1 | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.50 | |||
| 97 | JOSH GARDNER-RYAN JOHNSON | 2/2 | 5.47 | 5.47 | ||||
| 97 | TEDDIE SCALF-DWYANE SCALF | 2/2 | 5.47 | 5.47 | ||||
| 97 | TIMOTHY TIPTON-RALPH THOMAS | 2/2 | 5.47 | 5.47 | ||||
| 100 | SHANE ENIX-STEPHEN YEARY | 2/2 | 5.36 | 5.36 | ||||
| 101 | KEN MOORE-JEFF ALLEN | 2/2 | 5.35 | 5.35 | ||||
| 102 | CHRIS BUSWELL-JASON MARTIN | 3/3 | 5.29 | 5.29 | ||||
| 103 | M. BRAD GRAVES-CODY GRAVES | 2/2 | 5.26 | 5.26 | ||||
| 104 | RYAN POPE-CHRISTIAN SMITH | 2/2 | 5.17 | 5.17 | ||||
| 105 | DAVE NORMAN-CURTIS NORMAN | 1/1 | 5.09 | 5.09 | 5.09 | |||
| 106 | DEREK-KY TURNER-JOHN MILES | 2/2 | 5.03 | 4.03 | 5.03 | |||
| 107 | DUSTIN FRANKLIN-ROB BOWERS | 1/1 | 5.01 | 5.01 | 5.01 | |||
| 108 | ALLEN SHELDON-DUSTIN MAYTON | 2/2 | 4.99 | 4.99 | ||||
| 109 | BO GOODIN-BILL DUNN | 2/2 | 4.94 | 4.94 | ||||
| 110 | RONNIE TAYLOR-TROY MELTON | 2/2 | 4.85 | 4.85 | ||||
| 111 | MICHAEL ROBERTS-GREG JOHNSON | 2/2 | 4.81 | 4.81 | ||||
| 111 | BRAD STAPLETON-KENNETH STAPLETON | 2/2 | 4.81 | 4.81 | ||||
| 113 | LARRY ROLEN-DONNIE STAMEY | 2/2 | 4.79 | 4.79 | ||||
| 114 | MIKE WALL-FREDERICK CASTO | 1/1 | 4.77 | 4.77 | 4.77 | |||
| 115 | MICHAEL FICKEY-JAMIE LAWSON | 1/1 | 4.68 | 4.68 | 4.68 | |||
| 116 | STEVE REDMOND-JIMMY CRUM | 2/2 | 4.59 | 4.59 | ||||
| 117 | GREGORY MOORE-TERRELL HENDREN | 2/2 | 4.41 | 4.41 | ||||
| 118 | DOUG PLEMONS-JAMES NUCKOLS | 2/2 | 4.38 | 4.38 | ||||
| 119 | MIKE PILKEY-PAUL PILKEY | 1/1 | 4.18 | 4.18 | 4.18 | |||
| 119 | GARY WHITMORE-DILLON MCKINNEY | 1/1 | 4.18 | 4.18 | 4.18 | |||
| 121 | RUSSELL MURPHY-MIKE LAWSON | 2/2 | 4.17 | 4.17 | ||||
| 122 | BOYD BRUMFIELD-COREY COOK | 3/3 | 4.16 | 4.16 | ||||
| 123 | RICHARD MOORE-ANDREW SMITH | 2/2 | 4.12 | 4.12 | ||||
| 124 | JASON PALMER-WAYMON COX | 2/2 | 4.00 | 4.00 | ||||
| 125 | STEPHEN LOVEDAY-DANIEL LOVEDAY | 2/2 | 3.79 | 3.79 | ||||
| 126 | WES CRAGER-SCOTT PITTMAN | 2/2 | 3.57 | 3.57 | ||||
| 127 | DEWAYNE ALLISON-THOMAS ALLMER | 1/1 | 3.32 | 3.32 | 3.32 | |||
| 128 | FRANK HODGE-RICK EVANS | 3/3 | 3.30 | 3.30 | ||||
| 129 | DEREK- TN TURNER-MICHAEL HEMBREE | 1/1 | 3.04 | 3.04 | 3.04 | |||
| 130 | DAVID MILLER-BILLY PERKINS JR | 1/1 | 2.80 | 2.80 | 2.80 | |||
| 131 | MIKE THOMPSON-JIMBO HARRIS | 2/2 | 2.75 | 2.75 | ||||
| 132 | >NO PARTNER-*DENNIS NAPIER | 1/1 | 2.54 | 2.54 | 2.54 | |||
| 133 | DAVID ALBRIGHT-TANNER HERNDON | 1/1 | 2.48 | 2.48 | 2.48 | |||
| 134 | MATT BURGESS-LARRY KELLEY | 1/1 | 2.26 | 2.26 | 2.26 | |||
| 135 | JORDAN BURDETTE-MICHAEL BURDETTE | 1/1 | 2.18 | 2.18 | 2.18 | |||
| 136 | MARK MADISON-JOHN ELY | 1/1 | 2.17 | 2.17 | 2.17 | |||
| 137 | BRIAN HARVEY-MARK MAULDIN | 1/1 | 2.16 | 2.16 | 2.16 | |||
| 138 | TIM HOSKINS-NO PARTNER | 1/1 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 2.13 | |||
| 139 | CHRIS TAYLOR-MIKE TAYLOR | 1/1 | 2.10 | 2.10 | 2.10 | |||
| 140 | CARL GUFFEY-NO PARTNER | 1/1 | 2.08 | 2.08 | 2.08 | |||
| 141 | ALAN PARKER-AARON PARKER | 1/1 | 2.02 | 2.02 | 2.02 | |||
| 142 | GREG MCDAVID-JEREMY SWANSON | 1/1 | 1.54 | 1.54 | 1.54 | |||
| 143 | BILLY BOYD-FOY ELKINS | 1/1 | 1.43 | 1.43 | 1.43 | |||
| 144 | JOHN AMOS-DOUG BENTON | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TIM BANDY-JEFF MCPHERSON | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | WADE BEST-DALE BEST | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | KYLE BLAIR-DAVE BRUMFIELD | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DERRICK BLAKE-GAVIN DANIELS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | CHRIS BROWN-CHUCK COONEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRAD BROWN-CRAIG SMITH | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRUCE BUSH-MELVIN JR PARTIN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DERRICK CLARK-LYNN KING | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | MICHAEL COLE-TONY MAYLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRIAN COOPER-JOSEPH BRAKEBILL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | WILBUR CURTIS-BRYANT AILOR | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TOMMY DEVANEY-SAM BALDWIN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DAVID ECON-MICHAEL D JENKINS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JIM EDMONDSON-JAMES DIAL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DILLON FALARDEAU-ROBERT MOORE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TYLER FARR-JOSH DAVIS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JASON FORSGREN-DAVID COLLINS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DARRYL FRITTS-ZACH BREAZEALE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JOHN GILLEY-J.T. GILLEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | PHILIP GORDON-JEREMY GORDON | 5/5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RICK GREEN-JASON YATES | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | CALEB GREGORY-JORDAN MCCULLA | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RYAN GRUBB-MARK GRUBB | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JAMES HEADRICK-BRADLEY HEADRICK | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JAMES HOLSENBACK-DOUGLAS CARPENTER | 5/5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RUFUS JOHNSON IV-CRAIG BREWER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ROGER JONES-DAVID KING | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | MATT KAGLEY-PHIL SKOFIELD | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | MICKEY LASH-LOGAN TAYLOR | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TIMOTHY LEE-JEFF RUSSELL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RYAN LETT-SCOTT HIGGINS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | GARY LIGHT-WILLIAM WYRICK | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TIM LONG-MIKE PAINE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRIAN LOYD-NO PARTNER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ANDY LUSK-SHAUN LUSK | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | LEA MASHBURN-JACOB MASHBURN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | MICHAEL MCGEE-ALEX MCGEE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | GREGORY MOORE-BEN COLLINS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TONY MORTON-JOSH CUPP | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRAD MUSGRAVE-RON MUSGRAVE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | KENNY NEEDHAM-ROB NOYES | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ANOTHONY NEWPORT-NOAH NEWPORT | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | *TODD NIDIFFER->BILLY WHEAT | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | WAYNE NORMAN-TIM PETREY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | KEITH PHILLIPS-ROGER PHILLIPS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DAVID PRESLEY-TOBY STEELE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TED RIDLEY-JAMES BENTLEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | KEVIN ROACH-KEITH CHADWELL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RYAN ROGERS-BILL GARNER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DAN RUNYAN-MICHAEL POWERS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JEFFREY RUSSELL-SAM MULLINS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | CODY SEEBER-CHRIS SEEBER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | EDDY SHIPLEY-DENNIS SHIPLEY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DONNIE SLIGER-CHAD GREEN | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | SCOTT SMITH-GREG DANNELS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ROBBIE SNOW-CLIFF ROWLAND | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | CODY SNYDER-AUSTIN SNYDER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | LYNN SPEARS-WILLIAM MONTGOMERY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DERRICK STAFFORD-CHRIS WILLIS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | LUKE TAYLOR-KEVIN TAYLOR | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JAMES TIPTON-LANCE GRIGSBY | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | WILL VANETTEN-SCOTT WALLACE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JACK WADE-ANDY VENABLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | DARRELL WAGES-JIM SPALDING | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ADAM WALDEN-ANDY POE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JEFF WALKER-LARRY GRIFFITH | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | BRENTON WARD-MALCOLM SHERBINE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | RONALD WHITTED-FELIX FUGATE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | WYATT WILSON-HEATH LEWIS | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | MIKE WOLFENBARGER-STEVE MIRACLE | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | ZACK WOLLARD-BEN NAILL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | TRAVIS WORMSLEY-JOHN CARROLL | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| 144 | JON WRIGHT-BEN PARKER | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Jordan Lee Grabs Inaugural MLF Bass Pro Tour Title
Courtesy of Major League Fishing, By Joel Shangle - February 3, 2019
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Is there any level of fishing competition that MLF pro Jordan Lee doesn’t excel at? So far in the Alabama pro’s career, it sure doesn’t seem like he has any limitations.
Lee won a national collegiate championship in 2013 at the age of 21, and put back-to-back Bassmaster Classic trophies on his mantle in Grant, Ala., in 2017 and 2018. At the age of 27, Lee owns the most prolific Top 10 success rate in the sport (he’s made the Top 10 in just over 35 percent of his tour-level tournaments).
And now a 43-pound piece of hardware that nobody else will ever be able to claim: the inaugural MLF Bass Pro Tour championship trophy.
After finding an area of clean water on the north end of Lake Garcia, Lee put together a flurry of 2- and 3-pounders in the third period winding a vibrating jig through the grass, adding over 32 pounds to SCORETRACKER in the period to distance himself from Edwin Evers and Jared Lintner.
Lee finished the day with 55-1 on 26 to Evers’ 44-3 and Lintner’s 33-9.
“(The third period) was an unbelievable period,” Lee said. “I fished my way into that last area and got bite after bite after bite – and caught good ones, too – and just found myself in a spot with clear water and a lot of fish. Fish were moving in to spawn, so there were bigger fish in there. Edwin was coming on strong right there at the end, it feels pretty darn good.”
Evers did his best to overtake Lee. The Oklahoma pro matched Lee fish-for-fish in the final 2 ½ hours of competition – Evers and Lee both caught 16 fish – but couldn’t match Lee’s quality. Only three of Evers’ fish in the period were over 2 pounds, while 11 of Lee’s were between 2-4 and 4-11.
“I had the bites today, I just wasn’t on the right fish,” Evers said. “It was that simple. I thought I’d find a few bigger ones, but I never could get on bigger ones consistently.”
Lintner looked like he might be the man to beat until Lee and Evers put the hammer down in the final period. The Southern California pro put back-to-back fish of 4-1 and 3-15 on SCORETRACKER late in Period 1 flipping a 3-inch hand-poured black/blue/silver-flake craw, and then took the lead just before the end of Period 2 with the Berkley Big Bass of the day, a 5-5.
His flipping bite faltered in the final period, though. Lintner landed six scorable fish in the final 2 ½ hours, all but one of them between 1-3 and 1-7.
The battle for fourth through seventh was the tightest grouping of the day. Anthony Gagliardi finished fourth with 24-5, trailed by Alton Jones, Jr., (23-3), Randy Howell (22-2) and Michael Neal (21-8). Jess Sprague (18-9), Dustin Connell (14-12) and Takahiro Omori (12-11) finished out the Championship Rounds standings.
Championship Round
| Rank | Angler | Total Weight | # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jordan Lee | 55 - 01 | 26 | 2 - 02 | 4 - 11 |
| 2nd | Edwin Evers | 44 - 03 | 28 | 1 - 09 | 3 - 09 |
| 3rd | Jared Lintner | 33 - 09 | 19 | 1 - 12 | 5 - 05 |
| 4th | Anthony Gagliardi | 24 - 05 | 15 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 12 |
| 5th | Alton Jones Jr | 23 - 03 | 13 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 04 |
| 6th | Randy Howell | 22 - 02 | 14 | 1 - 09 | 4 - 02 |
| 7th | Michael Neal | 21 - 08 | 11 | 1 - 15 | 3 - 14 |
| 8th | Jeff Sprague | 18 - 09 | 14 | 1 - 05 | 1 - 13 |
| 9th | Dustin Connell | 14 - 12 | 7 | 2 - 02 | 4 - 00 |
| 10th | Takahiro Omori | 12 - 11 | 9 | 1 - 07 | 3 - 09 |
Chad Crosby & Keith Britt win Carolina Bass Challenge on Santee Cooper with 34.18 lbs & 10.81 lb BF
Results For :Santee Cooper 02-02-2019
SANTEE COOPER 02-02-2019
FLW TOUR HEADS TO LAKE TOHO FOR FOUR-DAY EVENT PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Courtesy of FLW
Second Stop of 2019 Tour Season Brings Bass Fishing Action and Family Fun to Kissimmee Area
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2018) – The Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Tour, professional bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit, heads to Lake Toho, Feb. 7-10, for the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats. The event, hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission, will feature 170 of the world’s most decorated bass-fishing professionals casting for a top award of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division.
Now in its 24th season of competition, the FLW Tour has made the trek to Lake Toho five times in its history. When the circuit last visited in 2015, pro J.T. Kenney took top honors primarily working pad fields in Lake Toho and Lake Kissimmee with a black-and-blue stick worm. This year, the fishery is expected to host another productive week of bass fishing.
“If the weather slowly warms up it could be really good fishing. It’s possible to break 100 pounds [in four days] there,” said FLW Tour pro John Cox, a former FLW Cup champion with 12 career top-10 finishes in Florida – including one on Lake Toho. “I hear the water is still really high at Lake Toho, but the grass bite will probably be pretty good. There’s usually a couple of guys who figure out something in Kissimmee, Cypress and Hatchineha, too. There’s a lot of water to cover, and it’s always exciting when the Tour visits Florida.”
Cox predicted that the majority of the fish would be in the pre-spawn to spawn phase, but said that doesn’t necessarily mean close to the bank.
“There is not much spawning that happens inside the grass like in years past,” Cox said. “They used to scrape the lake and you’d have a nice clean bottom, but they haven’t scraped in a long time, so a lot of those fish actually spawn offshore now. There will be a lot of anglers out in the open-water hydrilla. Those bigger groups of fish are off the bank.”
Cox said that lipless crankbaits and Carolina rigs would be popular with anglers fishing off the bank, while Texas-rigged Yamamoto Senkos and Berkley Power Worms would likely see a lot of action shallow. The Florida veteran predicted it would take around 18 pounds a day – 72 pounds total – to win the tournament.
"We're thrilled to welcome the Fishing League Worldwide Tour to our destination," said John Poole, Executive Director of Kissimmee Sports Commission. "We pride ourselves on our area’s championship bass fishing lakes, which have been home to many marquee tournaments throughout the years. We appreciate the opportunity to host an event of this prestige and impact in the fishing industry, as well as raise awareness about the sport and the opportunities for anglers in the destination.”
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST each day from Big Toho Marina, located at 69 Lakeview Drive, in Kissimmee. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 7-8, will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Feb. 9-10, will also be held at the marina, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Toho presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Peter Thliveros to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
Prior to weigh-in each day FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Big Toho Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. 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 the marina on Saturday, Feb. 9, from Noon-2 p.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.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. 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 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 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.
NICK THLIVEROS WINS COSTA FLW SERIES ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
25-Year-Old Son of Bass-Fishing Legend Peter Thliveros Earns First Career Victory as a Boater, $54,000
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2019) – Florida boater Nick Thliveros of Saint Augustine, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces – enough to win the 2019 Costa FLW Series at Lake Okeechobee presented by Power-Pole. Thliveros, son of legendary bass angler Peter Thliveros, weighed in 15 bass over three days of competition totaling 46 pounds, 1 ounce, besting second-place angler Cody Nichols of Fayette, Alabama, by more than 4 pounds. For his victory, Thliveros earned the grand prize package worth $54,000.
“This feels amazing – one of those things that you lay in bed and dream about at night,” said Thliveros, who was fishing in his 11th career tournament as a boater in FLW competition. “I’ve won fishing as a co-angler before, but to win as a pro in an event that I fished alongside my father is really, really cool. He is an amazing mentor, a heck of a teacher, and I wouldn’t be here today without him.”
Thliveros’ limits weighing 15-14 on Thursday and 19-4 on Friday came from the same area of Lake Okeechobee – the Hendry Canal. He threw a crack-colored Lucky Craft RC 2.0 squarebill crankbait to catch all of his fish on the first two days of competition, an estimated 8 keepers on Thursday and 10 keepers on Friday.
“The key for me was the condition of the lake,” Thliveros said. “I went and found the most stable water that I could find, where the weather and low water wouldn’t affect the fish. That was in the rim ditches, catching fish that were trying to spawn.
“Today, the fish moved up and I couldn’t figure them out,” Thliveros continued. “I only had two little fish on the crankbait this morning, so I had to scrap that whole pattern around 10:45 (a.m.) and just went junk-fishing. I made my way to the back of the Monkey Box and was able to salvage 10 pounds and thankfully that was enough.”
Thliveros fished a black and blue Nichols jig with a blue bug-colored Strike King Rage Craw and a Texas-rigged black, blue and silver-colored Bitters Salty Sling with a 1/32-ounce tungsten Bullet Weight to catch his limit Saturday.
“The rest of the southeastern division events set up really well for me, so I’m excited to see how everything shakes out this season,” Thliveros went on to say. “This was definitely a great way to start the year.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Okeechobee finished:
1st: Nick Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 46-1, $54,000
2nd: Cody Nichols, Fayette, Ala., 15 bass, 42-0, $22,200
3rd: Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-0, $15,350
4th: Brett Preuett, Monroe, La., 14 bass, 39-9, $13,250
5th: Sandy Melvin, Boca Grande, Fla., 15 bass, 38-2, $12,250
6th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., 15 bass, 38-2, $9,625
7th: Lance Oligschlaeger, Gallatin, Tenn., 13 bass, 38-1, $8,300
8th: David Parsons, Dothan, Ala., 15 bass, 35-10, $7,300
9th: Billy Hall, Greenback, Tenn., 15 bass, 34-6, $6,300
10th: Val Osinski, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 15 bass, 32-4, $4,700
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Casey Warren of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, weighed a 7-pound, 14-ounce, bass Friday – the biggest of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Warren earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Andy Niles of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division, a Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard motor and $5,000 with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 40 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Okeechobee finished:
1nd: Andy Niles, Ocean Springs, Miss., 10 bass, 40-8, Ranger Z175 w/115-horsepower outboard + $5,000 Ranger Cup
2nd: Todd Scherr, Coral Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 32-11, $6,725
3rd: Rodney Tapp, North Augusta, S.C., 15 bass, 32-7, $5,350
4th: Kyle Gelles, Pingree, Idaho, 14 bass, 32-6, $4,350
5th: Darin Mitchell, Rutledge, Ga., 13 bass, 30-12, $3,650
6th: Don Lewis, Jacksonville, Fla., 12 bass, 27-14, $3,150
7th: James Hatch, Gainesville, Fla., 11 bass, 27-1, $2,650
8th: Josh Driver, Hiram, Ga., 14 bass, 24-8, $2,075
9th: Calvin Clatterbuck, Conway, S.C., 10 bass, 22-4, $1,630
10th: Bryan Ray, Lake Leelanau, Mich., 11 bass, 19-9, $1,390
Gelles caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces. For his catch, Gelles earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake Okeechobee presented by Power-Pole was hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort and the Hendry County Tourism Development Council. It was the first of three Southeastern Division tournaments of the 2019 regular season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will be the Western Division opener, held Feb. 28 - March 2 on Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.
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, and YouTube.
MLF Bass Pro Tour set for Championship Sunday on Garcia Reservoir
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Brett Hite's 9-13 from the Knockout Round. (Click to enlarge/download)
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Connell’s Clutch Catches Carry Him to Championship Round
Courtesy of Major League Fishing & Mason Prince - February 2, 2019
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – While drama was unfolding near the Elimination Line during Period 3 of the Knockout Round, MLF pro Dustin Connell climbed his way to the top of the SCORETRACKER. Now, he’s getting ready to compete in the first-ever Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Championship Round.
Connell finished the day with 14 bass for 49 pounds, 10 ounces, which is 6-12 ahead of Jeff Sprague, who finished second. But Connell wasn’t dominant from the start of the day. The Alabama native was in 36th place with only an hour left in the round and only had hauled in 11-9. He needed a miracle to make it to the Championship Round, and he got one.
“I started on Kissimmee today and wasn’t having any bites,” Connell recalled. “I only caught two there this morning so I left. Finally, at 2:30 I came back to that place I started, and they were there, dude.”
Connell made the decision to move to deeper water offshore, and he used the same bait and the same rod for the rest of his round: a 10-inch Googan Baits Mondo Worm on a Favorite 7:3 Heavy Rush rod. His crunch-time decision making made all the difference.
His run started with a 3-12 with only 59 minutes left in the round. Then, 16 minutes later, a 2-14. Connell then landed 6 bass in 11 minutes weighing a combined total of more than 22 pounds.
“I started fishing a shell bed, and you need sun for an area like that to work,” Connell explained. “Well, they got there and once they did it was on.”
MLF pro Dustin Connell stunned viewers by catching more than 38 pounds in the last hour of the Knockout Round. He caught this 9 pound, 4 ounce bass.
Finally, the monster bite made his day. With 17 minutes left in the round, Connell set the hook on a 9-4, securing his spot in the Championship Round.
“That’s the biggest bass I’ve ever caught in Florida,” Connell said. “When he came up I thought he was a 12-pounder because his mouth was so massive. It was unreal. I was kind of upset we had to leave.”
Connell hopes to carry his hot streak into the Championship Round and walk away with a $100,000 paycheck. However, to do so, he will have to beat out nine other anglers on Lake Garcia, a body of water he has never fished.
“I told myself during practice that I wasn’t going to go down there,” Connell explained. “I said if I make it to the Championship Round I’ll just fish by the seat of my pants. That’s what I’m best at anyway.”
The Top 10 anglers’ weights will reset as they begin Sunday’s Championship Round. Only one angler will walk away with the Stage One trophy and a $100,000 paycheck. Watch MLF NOW! starting at 10 a.m. EST on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app.
Day 5
| Rank | Angler | Total Weight | # Fish | Avg Weight | Largest Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dustin Connell | 49 - 10 | 14 | 3 - 09 | 9 - 04 |
| 2nd | Jeff Sprague | 42 - 14 | 24 | 1 - 13 | 4 - 08 |
| 3rd | Takahiro Omori | 40 - 09 | 16 | 2 - 09 | 7 - 00 |
| 4th | Randy Howell | 38 - 04 | 20 | 1 - 15 | 4 - 08 |
| 5th | Alton Jones Jr | 33 - 08 | 19 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 11 |
| 6th | Jordan Lee | 33 - 02 | 20 | 1 - 11 | 4 - 03 |
| 7th | Anthony Gagliardi | 32 - 01 | 18 | 1 - 12 | 5 - 00 |
| 8th | Edwin Evers | 31 - 09 | 20 | 1 - 09 | 2 - 15 |
| 9th | Jared Lintner | 31 - 00 | 17 | 1 - 13 | 2 - 10 |
| 10th | Michael Neal | 29 - 13 | 17 | 1 - 12 | 3 - 13 |
| 11th | Mike Iaconelli | 29 - 09 | 20 | 1 - 08 | 2 - 05 |
| 12th | Bobby Lane | 27 - 03 | 20 | 1 - 06 | 2 - 03 |
| 13th | Andy Montgomery | 24 - 08 | 12 | 2 - 01 | 5 - 01 |
| 14th | Dave Lefebre | 24 - 05 | 15 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 14 |
| 15th | Mark Daniels | 24 - 02 | 13 | 1 - 14 | 2 - 09 |
| 16th | Ott DeFoe | 22 - 14 | 16 | 1 - 07 | 2 - 03 |
| 17th | Greg Hackney | 22 - 11 | 14 | 1 - 10 | 3 - 01 |
| 18th | John Murray | 21 - 15 | 12 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 12 |
| 19th | Terry Scroggins | 21 - 07 | 10 | 2 - 02 | 6 - 05 |
| 20th | Ish Monroe | 20 - 13 | 8 | 2 - 10 | 5 - 14 |
| 21st | Brent Ehrler | 20 - 12 | 10 | 2 - 01 | 4 - 01 |
| 22nd | Gerald Spohrer | 19 - 15 | 11 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 07 |
| 23rd | Marty Robinson | 19 - 14 | 15 | 1 - 05 | 2 - 00 |
| 24th | Adrian Avena | 19 - 01 | 8 | 2 - 06 | 3 - 01 |
| 25th | Brett Hite | 18 - 06 | 6 | 3 - 01 | 9 - 12 |
| 26th | Chris Lane | 16 - 14 | 11 | 1 - 08 | 2 - 14 |
| 27th | Jacob Wheeler | 16 - 11 | 11 | 1 - 08 | 2 - 00 |
| 28th | Jason Christie | 16 - 00 | 6 | 2 - 11 | 3 - 15 |
| 29th | Randall Tharp | 15 - 04 | 8 | 1 - 15 | 3 - 00 |
| 30th | Jacob Powroznik | 15 - 00 | 8 | 1 - 14 | 4 - 10 |
| 31st | Fletcher Shryock | 14 - 15 | 7 | 2 - 02 | 3 - 01 |
| 32nd | Jonathon VanDam | 13 - 07 | 5 | 2 - 11 | 4 - 10 |
| 33rd | Mark Davis | 12 - 11 | 7 | 1 - 13 | 3 - 14 |
| 34th | Brandon Palaniuk | 12 - 07 | 8 | 1 - 09 | 2 - 06 |
| 35th | Alton Jones | 10 - 06 | 7 | 1 - 08 | 1 - 13 |
| 36th | Gerald Swindle | 10 - 05 | 5 | 2 - 01 | 4 - 08 |
| 37th | Aaron Martens | 9 - 02 | 4 | 2 - 04 | 4 - 11 |
| 38th | Brandon Coulter | 6 - 07 | 4 | 1 - 10 | 2 - 06 |
| 39th | Zack Birge | 5 - 03 | 4 | 1 - 05 | 1 - 09 |
| 40th | Kelly Jordon | 4 - 06 | 3 | 1 - 07 | 1 - 10 |
Elimination Round Survivors: 40 Anglers Advance to Saturday Knockout Round in Kissimmee
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Jacob Powroznik's 6-2 bass anchored his day's performance in the Elimination Round. He stayed in the Top 10 of the 40 anglers who advanced to the Knockouts
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Theliveros in control in Okeechobee Costa Event
February 1, 2019
by Kyle Wood / Courtesy of FLW
In his fourth year as a pro in the Costa FLW Series, Nick Thliveros is one day away from putting his hands on his first title trophy from the front of the boat. Thliveros caught 15 pounds, 14 ounces yesterday to open the tournament in second and bettered that with 19-4 today to put him in the lead by 4-7 in the Southeastern Division event presented by Power-Pole on Lake Okeechobee.
While many pros have been waiting out a kicker bite late in the day, Thliveros takes advantage early.
“The first keeper I caught yesterday was a 5-12,” says Thliveros. “My first fish today was a 6-pounder. I had six fish hooked today and landed five of them. I’m not getting many bites, but when I do get bit it’s a good one. These fish are big and fat and want to pull up [to spawn]. I’m just worried the lake is going to turn on, and I don’t know if what I’m doing could keep up if that happens.”
There are definitely signs the females want to spawn. Throughout weigh-in most of the big fish were clean with white bellies – a sign that they are new to the shallow water where they’ll spawn.
Having experience on Okeechobee has helped Thliveros to a degree, but he’s mostly focused on playing the hand that was dealt.
“With the lake in the condition it’s in and fishing a lot smaller I wanted to find a place with consistent water,” says the St. Augustine, Fla., pro. “I’m actually catching my fish in the same area I caught fish last year. I’m expanding and running new water in the area looking for specific stuff that fits the pattern. I can catch some fish off the same stretch, but I’m just expanding on what my previous knowledge of the area is.”
With a tight race among the top pros it’s fair that Thliveros is reluctant to give up too much about his pattern. Though, he is dialed enough to only need one rod tomorrow.
“I’ll have two rods on the deck tomorrow,” Thliveros says. “Well, I’ll have one in my hand and another on the deck that’s rigged with the exact same bait as a backup.
“I know there are fish pulling up. The weather is getting right,” he says. “I know what I should be looking for to catch those fish, and I do have a backup plan for tomorrow, but I really hope I don’t have to do it.”
Top 10 pros:
1. Nick Thliveros – St. Augustine, Fla. – 35-2 (10)
2. Lance Oligschlaeger – Gallatin, Tenn. – 30-11 (9)
3. Cody Nichols – Fayette, Ala. – 30-0 (10)
4. Brett Preuett – Monroe, La. – 27-6 (9)
5. David Parsons – Dothan, Ala. – 26-7 (10)
6. Sandy Melvin – Boca Grande, Fla. – 26-5 (10)
7. Bryan New – Belmont, N.C. – 24-14 (10)
8. Jason Abram – Piney Flats, Tenn. – 24-12 (10)
9. Val Osinski – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – 24-9 (10)
10. Billy Hall – Greenback, Tenn. – 24-5 (10)
Scherr consistent for co-angler lead
Like Thliveros, co-angler Todd Scherr of Coral Springs, Fla., is in position to earn his first win tomorrow.
Scherr caught 12-9 on day one and added another 12-8 today to bring his total to 25-1 and give him a 2-2 lead going into the final day.
“I live an hour from Okeechobee, so I fish it a fair amount,” says Scherr. “I haven’t fished it for fourth months before this, but I know what to do when you’re on this lake. From there, it’s a matter of who you draw.”
Lucky for him, pros and co-anglers are paired by standings on the final day, so Scherr will get to fish with Thliveros as they both chase a title.
Top 10 co-anglers:
1. Todd Scherr – Coral Springs, Fla. – 25-1 (10)
2. Kyle Gelles – Pingree, Idaho – 22-15 (9)
3. Don Lewis – Jacksonville, Fla. – 20-6 (7)
4. Andy Niles – Ocean Springs, Miss. – 18-9 (5)
5. James Hatch – Gainesville, Fla. – 18-2 (6)
6. Rodney Tapp – North Augusta, S.C. – 18-1 (10)
7. Darin Mitchell – Rutledge, Ga. – 18-0 (8)
8. Bryan Ray – Lake Leelanau, Mich. – 17-15 (10)
9. Calvin Clutterbuck – Conway, S.C. – 17-14 (8)
10. Josh Driver – Hiram, Ga. – 17-14 (10)
Toyota Bonus Bucks Pays College Anglers to Fish
Courtesy of Luke Stoner / Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s the dream of most college anglers who compete in tournaments to get paid to fish. Cash winnings at the college level help to offset travel, lodging, food, and tackle expenses for collegiate anglers who typically participate in tournaments on a tight budget. The Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series program makes that dream a reality.
The Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series program is simple and very similar to general Bonus Bucks. The main difference, you can drive any yearof Toyota tow vehicle and you’ll be eligible for the College program. For a full list of supported events, rules, FAQs, or to get registered for program click here - https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/college- but as a general overview:
- Drive a Toyota
- Use any owned or leased Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, or 4Runner to tow your boat to the tournament and you’re eligible for the program. (Vehicle can be in parent(s)’ or legal guardian’s name & there are no year restrictions on the College Series.)
- Register (for FREE)
- You can register online at: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/college/registrationor in person at any College B.A.S.S. or YETI FLW College Fishing tournaments.
- Fish
- All Carhartt College B.A.S.S., YETI FLW College Fishing, and select ACA Collegiate Bass Fishing Series tournaments are supported.
- Must finish within the top 50% of the field to be eligible for Highest Finisher payouts (minimum field size of no less than 30 boats).
- Redeem
- Submit an official contingency claim form within 30-days of the tournament. Upon verification and approval, you’ll be sent your contingency payment!
It’s that easy. If you tow with an eligible Toyota vehicle, fish in supported collegiate tournaments, and aren’t signed up for Bonus Bucks, you are missing out on a chance at free money! If you any comments or questions on the program you can contact Luke Stoner by email - [email protected], or by phone at (918) 742-6424.
Lane, Swindle Edge Passed Faircloth in Tense Elimination Round
Courtesy of MLF , By Mason Prince - Photo Credit Garrick Dixon
February 1, 2019
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – It was another nail-biter. For the second straight day, the final spot in the Elimination Round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One came down to the final minutes. Bobby Lane, Gerald Swindle and Todd Faircloth battled each other for the last 30 minutes, with Lane and Faircloth securing their spot in Saturday’s Knockout Round.
“It’s very disappointing and very frustrating,” Faircloth said after finishing below the Elimination Line by 1 pound, 8 ounces. “You always hurt for the first man out and I was that guy today. I just didn’t fish real clean. You can’t do that against this caliber of guys and expect to make it.”
With 30 minutes remaining in the round, Swindle landed a 2-13 that shot him just below Faircloth. Then, with 23 minutes until “lines out”, G-Man reeled in a 1-6 putting him just 11 ounces behind Faircloth for the final spot. His final strike, a 2-6 with only 7 minutes left in the round that pushed him ahead of Faircloth and Lane, securing the 19th spot. Swindle knew if he was going to make it, he was going to have to keep an eye out for Bobby Lane.
“It was stressful because you don’t want to be in Florida and have Bobby ahead of you or right behind you,” Swindle recapped. “The Lane brothers can catch them here and you know that they can make the last-minute decisions.”
The three-fish run that vaulted Swindle above the cutline was the difference, but his stress level was understandably high during that time.
“If you wanted good TV you got it today,” Swindle chuckled. “It sucks when you’re holding a fishing pole I tell you that much.”
As for Lane, with only 30 minutes remaining in the round he found himself 1-8 behind Faircloth for that final spot inside the Top 20.
“I knew I had to catch at least two more fish to even have a shot at getting in to the next round,” Lane explained.
He did exactly that. The Florida native reeled in a 1-2 with 19 minutes left to move within 6 ounces of Faircloth. The final blow: A 1-14 with only three minutes left on the clock.
“It’s the best feeling in the world because I love these bodies of water,” Lane explained while wrapping up his rods. “It’s unfortunate it was that close for me but tomorrow I open up a new book and go somewhere else. The worst I can do now is 40thplace.”
The 40-man field is set for Saturday’s Knockout Round. All weights are zeroed out as the anglers compete to make it inside the Top 10 and the right to move on to Sunday’s Championship Round. Catch the action on MLF NOW! streaming exclusively on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app starting at 10 a.m. EST.
