With Practice Done, a Few Anglers Share the Good & Bad
As the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup approaches and the official practice period draws to a close, one thing is certain – the pros are struggling to put together plans that will carry them through three days of competition during the slowest month of the year on a lake that has become stingy with its ample population of bass.
David Dudley has taken to social media to laugh at his feeble efforts. We’ve shared some of that with you on our AnglersChannel Instagram page.
Zack Birge seems less amused with his difficulty in locating fish. He says he found one little deal late today that may pan out during the tournament. That’s when you want to see results anyway – when it counts. And how many times have we heard a winner look back and talk about how poorly practice went for them?
Look out for Birge.
Jeff Sprague was upbeat. “I’m actually surprised about the weather. It’s a lot cooler here this year than it has been in previous years we have had the Cup, so I’m kind of wondering what that’s going to do to the fish, but that’s been the biggest factor so far.”
What’s Sprague’s target weight? “I think it’s going to take somewhere between 14 and 16 ½ pounds a day to win this tournament. It’s fishing a little better than it did last time we were here so I think we’re going to see a little bit heavier bags than we did in previous years.”
This year’s Cup is 3-day race, not a 4-day affair as in years past. How does this affect angler strategies?
Says Sprague, “I absolutely think it’s going to be a different strategy this year with the shorter time span of 3 days. In a 4-day tournament you can take a risk by holding out on your spots, but with 3 days, you just have to pull on everything that bites. It’s the Forrest Wood Cup. No one is going to be fishing safe.”
Sprague isn’t playing it safe with his answers either. He has already revealed a lure choice that he expects to be a big player for him this week. “Tattletail Worm by Gene Larew. For sure.”
A special thanks to The Pro Agency for help in compiling this report.
Soggy and Froggy at Lake Bemidji
Story & Photo from Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
As competition began Thursday morning at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, parents and girlfriends walked gently on wet sand where college anglers beached their bass boats prior to takeoff. Umbrellas went up. And puddles formed on the lawn surrounding sponsor exhibit tents at Paul Bunyan Park on the shores of Lake Bemidji.
After three tough days of practice, marked by light winds and mostly sunny skies, anglers grumbled about crowded fishing, an over abundance of northern pike, and the struggle to catch a 5-bass limit.
Change is good, so these best-of-the-best college anglers are welcoming the chilly 59-degree air, rain, and steady cool north wind.
Spencer Lambert, a junior majoring in agriculture business at the University of Louisiana Monroe. -- “I’m hoping the rain and clouds will make the topwater bite last a lot longer today. Our first day of practice was our best day of practice, but that area is really crowded, so we’re not going start there. Today is kind of a new day to try to figure things out.”
Hunter McKinley, a senior majoring in advertising at Murray State in Kentucky. –- “Yesterday was better with the cloud cover, so I’m really, really, hoping this change in weather is only going to make things better. As long as this north wind doesn’t blow too crazy, we might have a better day today.”
Luke Parlow, a junior majoring in economics at Missouri State. – “I’m kind of welcoming this rain and wind because our practice was so tough that I’m counting on this major weather change to hopefully makes things better.”
Tyler Rivet, a senior majoring in petroleum technology at Nicholls State in Louisiana. – “This rain and wind can’t hurt us because we never really figured things out in practice. But my three favorite lures are a frog, a frog, and a frog – and this is frog fishing kind of weather. If I ever make it to the Bassmaster Elite Series – it’ll be a frog that helps get me there.”
Rivet is right; frogs should feel at home on this soggy first day of competition. And hopefully the largemouth will be better energized by the wind and rainy skies too.
College Anglers Preview Lake Bemidji at Carhartt Bassmaster Championship
Story & Photo by Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Ryan McLaughlin and Justin St. Onge of Haywood Community College in North Carolina, along with Tyler Rivet and Cameron Naquin of Nicholls State in Louisiana, took time to offer their opinions on what to expect at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship that begins Thursday morning on Lake Bemidji in Northern Minnesota.
What will be the biggest challenge this week?
McLaughlin & St. Ogne: Trying to find a place to fish that’s not crowded with other anglers.
Rivet & Naquin: Dealing with fishing pressure from other college anglers in certain areas of the lake.
What’s your favorite thing about Bemidji?
McLaughlin & St. Ogne: The scenery and the diversity of fishable habitat.
Rivet & Naquin: The northern pike fishing is pretty awesome.
Name four lures you think will get used most by the tournament competitors?
McLaughlin & St. Ogne: A punch rig for thick vegetation, a frog, a spinnerbait, and a Senko.
Rivet & Naquin: A frog, a beaver-style punch bait, a topwater plug, and a jerkbait.
How much weight do you think it’ll take to make the Top 10 at the end of Thursday’s competition?
McLaughlin & St. Ogne: 13 ½ pounds
Rivet & Naquin: 12 ½ pounds
Carhartt Countdown to Blastoff - Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship
Alan McGuckin speaks with Cody Huff and Garrett Enders with Bethel University as they finish up practice for the College National Championship on Bemidiji Lake in Minnesota.
Heart trumps fiberglass and horsepower at Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship
Story & photo by Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Louie Dazzo doesn’t mind that the faded black mesh Carhartt hat he’s wearing at this week’s Bassmaster College Series National Championship shows a salty sweat ring -- or that his red boat is slower, and made of aluminum, instead of faster fiberglass.
“I’ve had this Carhartt hat for three years, I wear it almost everyday, and I always wear it when I’m fishing, I’m kinda superstitious about it,” grinned the communications major from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
And as for the red 17-foot aluminum Tracker boat with the 60-horse engine -- well, Louie loves it. As well he should. His grandma bought it for him when he turned 18, and its carried he and fishing partner Collin Crop, a hockey goalie and human resources manager, all the way to the biggest tournament in college bass fishing.
“I realize it’s one of the less fancy boats out here, but it was good enough for us to finish second at the Lake of the Ozarks regional, and I’ve got about eight Top 10 finishes in this boat,” says the good humored Dazzo, a native of Naperville, IL, who leaned on Spro Rock Crawler crankbaits, and a Vision 110 jerkbait at the regional competition.
Certainly, on a college kid’s budget, not all the vessels here on Lake Bimidji are fancy new fiberglass models. There are other aluminum boats like Louie’s, as well as fiberglass vessels that are twenty years old.
“I sort of see the versatility, toughness, and how high the front end of my boat sits out of the water as an advantage,” says Dazzo. “I can beat the heck out of it, run it up into a foot of water, and have a higher vantage point when looking for spawning beds, or smallmouth on shallow flats, than what I could in a bigger fiberglass boat.”
“It’s a great starter boat, that’s for sure, and ultimately, the success you have as a tournament angler is more about your ability to find and catch fish than what your boat is made of,” says Dazzo in humble fashion.
While most anglers complained of Lake Bemidji fishing super tough, and sporting a stronger than desired northern pike population, Dazzo and his hockey playing fishing partner had a solid practice day Tuesday.
"Our top end speed is only 30 mph with this little 60 horsepower engine, so it takes us one hour to get to our fish, but we caught a 12-pound limit yesterday, and one of those fish was a 3 ¾ pound largemouth,” says Dazzo.
With a red aluminum boat, and a heart made of passion, look for the guy in the sun-bleached black Carhartt hat to be one of the last anglers standing during Saturday’s final day of competition.
Alabama, Missouri State, and Tusculum College talk Carhartt Bassmaster National Championship
Story & Photo from Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships
Teams representing 61 colleges and universities are at Lake Bemidji in Northern Minnesota this week for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.
Lee Mattox, a chemical engineering major from the University of Alabama, Nick Hatfield a business major from Tusculum in East Tennessee, and Shane Parker a media major from Missouri State, are just three of the dozens of college anglers dreaming of a chance to qualify for the 2018 Bassmaster Classic in South Carolina through a win in Minnesota this week.
All three anglers were gracious enough to share their thoughts on college fishing, as well as the specifics of this week.
Ten years from now, what will you remember most about your time spent as a college bass fishing competitor?
Mattox, University of Alabama: All the friendships I’ve made.
Hatfield, Tusculum College: Getting to travel from Tusculum in East Tennessee to this championship in Minnesota.
Parker, Missouri State: A combination of great times on the water, as well as getting to know all the guys on the team, and learning from one another.
What’s your favorite bass fishery anywhere in America?
Mattox: Lake Champlain, throwing a drop shot for Smallmouth.
Hatfield: Lake Guntersville, throwing a crankbait in June.
Parker: Lake of the Ozarks, pitching a jig in early summer.
What’s your favorite thing about Lake Bemidji so far?
Mattox: It’s got an abundance of Northern Pike.
Hatfield: The pike fishing is really good.
Parker: It’s got aquatic vegetation, and we don’t get to fish much of that in Missouri.
So the pike fishing is great, but you can’t weigh those in. Will this tournament be won with Smallmouth of Largemouth Bass?
Mattox: Largemouth
Hatfield: Largemouth
Parker: Largemouth
Alone or with a teammate, College fishing is deep in camaraderie
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship begins as a team format, before funneling down to a one-on-one elimination bracket that sends one skilled angler to compete in bass fishing’s biggest event – the Bassmaster Classic.
While 61 different colleges and universities have sent their most qualified ‘sticks’ to beautiful Bemidji, Minnesota this week, where most will fish as a team, a handful of students are forced to fish alone for a variety of reasons.
Some of the solo anglers simply qualified by fishing alone all year during the regular season. And heck, one guy is expecting the birth of a child, providing ample reason to stay home.
Josh Worth is one of those who will take a page from Henry David Thoreau’s literary classic “Walden” as the 23-year-old Environmental Science major from Colorado Mesa University will lean heavily on self-reliance while competing without a team partner on Lake Bemidji.
“The main reason I’m fishing alone is because none of my partners could make it to the Wild Card event at Lay Lake. One had a wedding, and the other wasn’t eligible for that event, so I had to qualify for this tournament alone,” explains Worth.
“It really doesn’t bother me that I’m competing by myself because Lake Bemidji offers plenty of shallow water patterns to exploit for a guy fishing alone,” he says.
“Now, if it was mostly an offshore pattern, at a place like Kentucky Lake, I’d probably be at a big disadvantage, because two guys can keep a deep water school fired up way better than a guy fishing solo can,” adds the upbeat Worth.
Asked to choose two lures for the rest of his life, Worth rattled off a shallow water pitching jig from Pepper’s Custom Lures in a color called “Delta Magic”, as well as a topwater frog, to fast reflect his confidence in the shallow water scene.
At least his long drive to Bemidji wasn’t a solo trip. His wife Brandy accompanied him on the 1,200-mile trek that took 18 hours to this lake he’s never fished before.
Brandy will spend the week hanging out with family they have in the area, and enjoying the many natural attractions in the region, while Josh tries to crack the code on Bemidji’s bass.
“I have an uncle that lives near here, and when I’d come to visit he’d take me to his cabin at Lake of the Woods, but I’ve never fished Bemidji until yesterday,” he admits.
“Whether you’re here with a teammate or fishing alone, there’s still a ton of camaraderie among all the students that are a part of Carhartt College fishing,” says Worth.
“There’s not the dislike or rivalry that you might find in other sports. Everybody here shares a common respect for one another, because we all have the same passion – and that’s bass fishing.”
GORRELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL NORTHEAST DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
New Jersey’s Tracy Earns Co-angler Title
TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (Aug. 7, 2017) – Dale Gorrell of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Lake Champlain. Gorrell pocketed $6,852 for his catch.
Gorrell said he spent his day fishing a region of Lake Champlain known as The Narrows.
“I ran some patterns early in the day that I had found in practice, but couldn’t really get anything going,” said Gorrell, who earned his second-career victory in BFL competition. “I switched to a smaller lure in black and blue and really started catching them. The water was a bit muddier than it was in practice, so I think that was the key adjustment.”
Gorrell said he caught everything he brought to the weigh-in scale using a Black and Blue Flake-colored Z-Man Finesse T.R.D. on a Ned rig.
“I worked through a 200-yard stretch of backwater that had a cliff and a 10 to 12 foot hole,” said Gorrell. “There was also a grass flat between where I was fishing and the main-river channel. The bigger fish related to a couple trees that had fallen from the cliff into the water, while the smaller fish were up next to the cliff in chunk rock.”
Around 11 a.m., Gorrell said he caught the largest bass of the event – a 6-pound, 10-ouncer – as well as two 5-pounders on a single pass through the stretch.
“When the water is changing color, it was best to hit the brakes and slow down,” said Gorrell. “It’s hard to do sometimes, but it paid off for me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Dale Gorrell, Hatfield, Pa., five bass, 21-4, $4,852 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: John Paul Pelletier, Nassau, N.Y., five bass, 19-8, $1,921
3rd: Michael Grabo, Burnt Hills, N.Y., five bass, 19-2, $1,282
4th: Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., five bass, 18-13, $896
5th: Michael Marini, Slingerlands, N.Y., five bass, 17-13, $736
5th: Joe Labarbera, Montrose, Pa., five bass, 17-13, $736
7th: Tom Callahan, Moriah Center, N.Y., five bass, 17-9, $640
8th: Shaun Kucharski, Pittston, Pa., five bass, 17-7, $676
9th: Andrew Kartesz, Ludlow, Pa., five bass, 17-5, $480
9th: Anthony Lorefice, Johnson City, N.Y., five bass, 17-5, $480
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Gorrell’s 6-pound, 10-ounce bass also earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $510.
Ronald Tracy of Marlton, New Jersey, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,083.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Ronald Tracy, Marlton, N.J., five bass, 17-4, $2,083
2nd: Nelson Hares, Millville, N.J., five bass, 16-13, $942
3rd: David Sokolowski, Brewerton, N.Y., five bass, 15-14, $627
4th: Sal Messina, Wolcott, Conn., five bass, 15-8, $439
5th: Steve Cram, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 15-3, $377
6th: Travis Gilberti, La Grange, N.Y., five bass, 15-0, $345
7th: Mark Gebbia, Fair Lawn, N.J., five bass, 14-15, $314
8th: Jason Pierson, Gaithersburg, Md., five bass, 14-14, $282
9th: Neil Thomas, Scarborough, Maine, five bass, 14-8, $251
10th: Kenneth Martin Dixon, Newcastle, Del., five bass, 13-13, $459
10th: William Allie, Wynantskill, N.Y., five bass, 13-13, $209
Dixon caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $250.
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. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
TRESENRITER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MICHIGAN DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAKE ST. CLAIR PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Dearborn Height’s Sawyer Claims Co-angler Title
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Aug. 7, 2017) – Lance Tresenriter of Syracuse, Indiana, caught five bass weighing 23 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament on Lake St. Clair presented by Navionics. For his efforts, Tresenriter took home $5,505.
“I spent the majority of the day mid-lake in 16 to 18 feet of water,” said Tresenriter, who notched his first career-victory in FLW competition. “I probably drifted through a half-mile stretch five or six times. The stretch had a lot of grass and perch. If there was a bare spot, there weren’t any bites. The perch were key for me, though.”
Tresenriter said he used a Smoke Purple-colored LureCraft Original “D” Darter on a drop-shot rig, and a Yellow Perch-colored Rapala DT10 Crankbait to catch approximately 10 keepers at his first area.
“I eventually moved to the northern end of the lake to a stop in Anchor Bay,” said Tresenriter. “Again, there was a lot of grass, but not as many perch as far as I could tell. I used a Perch-colored (Rapala) DT6 Crankbait and made two good culls to finish out the day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Lance Tresenriter, Syracuse, Ind., five bass, 23-6, $3,505 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: John Devries, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 22-14, $1,753
3rd: Jeffrey Kindy, Wyandotte, Mich., five bass, 22-2, $993
3rd: Rob Campbell, Trafalgar, Ind., five bass, 22-2, $1,193
5th: Matthew Malmquist, White Lake, Mich., five bass, 21-13, $772
5th: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 21-13, $772
7th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 21-8, $584
8th: Dan Mittlestat, Woodhaven, Mich., five bass, 20-14, $526
9th: Jerry Arnett, Mexico, Ind., five bass, 20-11, $467
10th: Terry McWilliams, Greenfield, Ind., five bass, 20-3, $409
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jonathon Dewey of Port Huron, Michigan, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $440.
Justin Sawyer of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, caught five bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $1,973.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Justin Sawyer, Dearborn Heights, Mich., five bass, 20-11, $1,973
2nd: Alex Newman, Wapakoneta, Ohio, five bass, 20-7, $876
3rd: Vickie Maisch-Rumer, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 19-15, $685
4th: Mike Raber, Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-7, $409
5th: Curtis Hall II, Battle Creek, Mich., five bass, 18-8, $336
5th: Eric Polenz, Maybee, Mich., five bass, 18-8, $386
7th: J.J. Smith, Avon Lake, Ohio, five bass, 18-3, $292
8th: Olivia Sheely, Brooklyn, Mich., five bass, 18-2, $263
9th: Dewayne Eck, Angola, Ind., five bass, 18-0, $234
10th: Mark Saunders, Medina, Ohio, five bass, 17-12, $204
Sawyer also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $220.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the Barren River in Scottsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
BISSONETT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BUCKEYE DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON OHIO RIVER
MAYSVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2017) - Clint Bissonett of Beavercreek, Ohio, caught five bass weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River. For his efforts, Bissonett took home $3,918.
"I stayed within four or five miles of the takeoff ramp to catch my fish," said Bissonett, who earned his second career-win in BFL competition - both on the Ohio River. "I bounced between two or three creeks that had gotten me bites in practice, and ended up fishing each three or four times during the tournament. If I caught anything during a pass, I'd let the area replenish."
Bissonett said his initial catches were shallow, in less than 2 feet of water, and that his key bait was a Texas-rigged dark-colored Zoom Z-Craw.
"The biggest factor for me was keeping track of the water level," said Bissonett. "Each time I rotated through the creeks, I noticed that the water was getting higher. After it was up more than 8 inches, I knew I would be able to fish a new spot - a place that was normally too shallow for me to get to. I ran to the area at about 2:30 (p.m.) and caught two 2-pounders with only minutes left to fish."
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1^st: Clint Bissonett, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 8-4, $3,918
2^nd: Ron Hiles, Piketon, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $1,548
2rd: Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $1,848
4^th: Bob Robinson, Lebanon, Ohio, five bass, 6-13, $805
4^th: Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 6-13, $905
6^th: Keith Wheelock, Springboro, Ohio, five bass, 6-11, $682
7^th: David Spivey, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-10, $620
8^th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, five bass, 6-8, $558
9^th: Mike Pickett, Brandenburg, Ky., four bass, 6-7, $496
10^th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-5, $434
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
John Wayne Cole of Hamersville, Ohio, caught a bass weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces - the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the day's Boater Big Bass award of $485.
Jeremiah Sall of Wintersville, Ohio, caught four bass weighing 8 pounds even to win the Co-angler Division and $2,080.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1^st: Jeremiah Sall, Wintersville, Ohio, four bass, 8-0, $2,080
2^nd: Alfie Bricker, West Portsmouth, Ohio, five bass, 6-10, $1,120
3^rd: Kenny Mitchell, Franklin, Ohio, five bass, 6-6, $612
4^th: Brian Short, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 6-1, $479
5^th: Colton Lindsey, Raymond, Ohio, four bass, 5-10, $368
6^th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, three bass, 4-15, $337
7^th: Tyler Waller, Coal Grove, Ohio, three bass, 4-12, $307
8^th: Gary Hoffman, Stoutsville, Ohio, three bass, 4-9, $276
9^th: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 4-8, $245
10^th: Mark Wedan, Freetown, Ind., two bass, 4-4, $215
Sall also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division - a fish weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces - and earned the day's Co-angler Big Bass award of $240.
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. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the Barren River in Scottsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Questions Swirl as Cup Competition Nears, How will the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup be won?
Vance McCullough - Photo Courtesy of Jody White/FLW
The answer depends heavily upon which angler hoists the hardware after the final weigh in.
Lake Murray is a different animal from the one that smiled on Anthony Gagliardi in August of 2014 when he totaled 51 pounds, 2 ounces of bass by ripping a weighted Yamamoto D Shad around main lake points to win by an ounce over Scott Canterbury.
For one thing, there are more options in play this time around. Gagliardi himself noted how many more objects are in the water due to higher lake levels this year. “You can’t just go down the bank and burn it up. You’ll have to pick things apart more thoroughly.
“There’s also this weird grass growing out to about 15 feet. I’m not sure if the fish are using it – I imagine they are, but it’s kind of hard to get a lure through it cleanly. It’s soft and stringy.”
Michael Murphy, a top bass fishing guide on Murray with a fisheries biology background says the grass is called “fuzzy pond weed. Of course, it has a fancy Latin name, but we just call it fuzzy pond weed.”
Murphy says the fuzzy stuff could be a player this year. “The fish are definitely using it. Whether the guys can figure out how to fish it may be another story, but the fish are there.”
So the fuzzy pond weed is a wild card.
Also, upper reaches of the Saluda River are said to be filled with floating duck weed. Did anybody see that creek on Wheeler Lake last year where John Cox won the Cup? Yep. Covered in duck weed. He threw a frog. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t do it again. And threaten to repeat as Cup Champion.
From submerged pond weed to floating duck weed and all the extra targets inundated along the shores, Lake Murray offers a lot more places for fish to hide this year.
AND the pros have one less day to find them once competition begins. The 2017 Cup will be a Friday, Saturday, Sunday affair instead of the 4-day deal the pros are used to.
This does, however, give them one more day to practice.
Gagliardi reflects back to his win and believes the 15-pounds-per-day that he maintained for the first 3 days of that event will serve as a reasonable expectation to set the winning pace this year. “I would guess 45 pounds will put a guy right where he needs to be. The lake may fish differently but it is still in great shape. That said, it is August in the South and fishing will be tough.”
Keep an eye on AnglersChannel.com and our Instagram and Facebook pages for all the latest news from Columbia, SC as we cover the Forrest Wood Cup this week, August 11-13!
Morris Mops On Up On Final Day To Win Bassmaster Nortern Open at James River
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Gluszek Will Lead Northern Open Field Into Saturday’s Championship Round On The James River
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KVD Talks SKL Suppa Fry & KVD 4.0
Kevin VanDam talks about the new Strike King Supra Fry with Open Pour Technology and the new KVD 4.0 Squarebill.
Fukae Leads Tight Race At Bassmaster Open On James River
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America’s Top Amateur Anglers To Converge In Northern Minnesota For College Championship
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How Matt Lee Chooses Drop Shot Weights
Story & Photo By Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Former Carhartt Bassmaster College Bracket Champion Matt Lee racked up his very impressive third Top 12 finish of the Elite Series season at Lake Champlain. Lee’s fat limits were a blend of both smallmouth and largemouth, but his choice of lures centered on one primary technique – Drop Shotting.
As you might expect – the holder of an engineering degree from Auburn takes a slightly analytical approach to choosing weights for his drop shots, and it’s a strategy that makes great sense for getting snagged less, feeling more bites, and catching more bass.
“I use both tear drop and cylinder-shaped drop shot weights, but each is a tool best designed for a certain job, and the key is to know when to use each of the two styles,” says Lee.
Cylinders for weeds vs. Teardrops for rocks
“When you’re fishing thick vegetation like I faced a lot of on Champlain, you’ve got to use a skinny cylinder-shaped weight, or you’re going to constantly be snagged in weeds,” explains Lee. “If you try to drag teardrop-shaped weight through those weeds, it’s nearly impossible to keep it clean, and you’re going to get really frustrated.”
Conversely, Lee states that the rounder teardrop shaped weights tend to get through rocks a little better.
Tungsten vs. Lead
“The cylinder shaped weights I use in weeds are made of lead, and they’re much less expensive than tungsten, but when I’m fishing deeper where there’s no weed growth, and rocks typically come into play, I want the benefit of tungsten’s sensitivity to feel the rocks on the bottom – especially if I’m out there in 25 or 30-feet of water,” he explains.
How heavy?
Shape aside, anglers new to drop shotting often wonder how heavy their choice of weights should be, and Lee has a simple answer.
“Use the lightest weight you possibly can, and still be able feel your drop shot,” says Lee. “But as a rule of thumb, if you’re fishing less than 15-feet deep, try starting with a 1/4 –ounce weight, and if you’re fishing those deep zones like 25 or 30 feet, it’s probably best to use a 3/8-ounce in most situations.”
Rods, Reels, Line, Lure
Want to replicate Matt’s basic drop shot set-up? Try a 7’ 4” Quantum Tour KVD spinning rod, paired with a size 30 Quantum Speed Freak spinning reel that picks up an amazing 36” inches of line with every turn of the handle – which is especially helpful when fishing in deep water, or for catching up with torpedo-like Smallmouth when they bite. He spools up with 10-pound braid tied to an 8-pound leader made of Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon line.
As for lures, his favorite choice is Strike King Dream Shot rigged on a #1 size Owner circle hook. Lee says brown/purple is hard to beat for a worm color. And remember, teardrop weights made of tungsten for rocks, and lead cylinder-shaped weights for weeds. A mix of ¼ ounce and 3/8 ounce should cover most all your needs.
Jeff Hodges and John Michenfelder Win Cashion Rods PBC Jordan Lake Event with over 23 pounds!!
PBC CASHION FISHING RODS 'End of Year' TEAM BASS FISHING TRAIL RESULTS
Saturday July 29th, 2017 ~ Jordan Lake ~ Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp
Saturday was a great day at Jordan Lake! The weather was nice with air temps around 71 degrees in the am on up to
83 at the 2pm weighin. Water temps averaged about 80 degrees. Winds were what kept everything bearable and
cooler!! Very little breeze in the am and picking up to around 8 to 10 in the pm. The turnout was great with 50 teams
going for the top prize. There were a lot of bass weighed in today with many in the 4 to 7 lb. range. The bass looked
well fed and very healthy for this time of year! Jordan is still one of the best fisheries in the state!!
The team of Jeff Hodges and John Michenfelder won 1st Place, weighing in 5 bass at 23.50 lbs. and also won the 2nd
Place Big Fish Award (7.80 lbs.) and the 1st Place Tournament within a Tournament (TWT) for a total of $2,215 in
winnings. The team said most of their bass were caught off channel points in 10 to 15' or more of depth using
crankbaits & Carolina rigs.
Losing 1st place by only a 10th of a lb. was the veteran team of Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard with 5 fish weighing
23.40 lbs. & they also won 2nd Place TWT to pocket a total of $975. 3rd place team, Tony Woodard & Stewart
Adams, won $520 with 5 weighing 19.55 lbs. The big fish for the day weighed 7.86 lbs. and was caught by the 5th
Place Team of Rich Szczerbala & Todd Sumner bringing their total winnings for the day to $1,060 !!
137 fish were weighed in for a total of 427 pounds for an average of 3.12 lbs. each. Most of the larger fish were
caught on Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, Jig combos, slow rolling Spinnerbaits and Crankbaits in 10-15' of water off main
point dropoffs and creek channels.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail. The next Cashion Fishing
Rods 'End of Year' Tournament Trail Qualifier will be August 12th at Falls Lake. Go to this web page for the info on
the 'End of Year' Trail: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2017CashionEOYTrailMainPage.html
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Now here are the full results:
1st Place: John Michenfelder & Jeff Hodges of Durham & Apex...5 bass...23.50 lbs...$1,040
2nd Place: Mark Herndon & Jay Garrard of Bahama & Durham...5 bass...23.40 lbs...$600
3rd Place: Tony Woodard & Stewart Adams of Four Oaks...5 bass...19.55 lbs...$520
4th Place: Roy & Tommy Blackwood of Pittsboro & Efland...5 bass...18.43 lbs...$440
5th Place: Todd Sumner & Rich Szczerbala of Southern Pines & Apex...5 bass...18.40 lbs...$360
6th Place: Brian Fritts & Bo Adams of Raleigh & Pittsboro...5 bass...18.26 lbs...$280
7th Place: Chuck Napier & Aaron Johnson of Garner & Dunn...5 bass...17.50 lbs...$240
8th Place: Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...16.31 lbs...$200
9th Place: Jim Croce & Jeremy Pope of Cove City & Erwin...4 bass...16.00 lbs...$170
10th Place: Jason Godwin & Ronnie Williams of Kenly & Clayton...5 bass...15.50 lbs...$150
1st Place Big Fish..5th Place Team above...7.86 lbs...$700
2nd Place Big Fish..1st Place Team above...7.80 lbs...$300
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...23.50 lbs...$875
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above...23.40 lbs...$375
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Gallagher Claims Ohio ABA RAM Open Win on Indian Lake with over 11 pounds!
Darrell Gallagher of Maplewood, Ohio won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Ohio Division tournament held 07/29/2017. Running out of Moundwood State Park, Darrell weighed in a five-bass limit for 11.47 pounds. He anchored his catch with a bass that weighed 3.20 pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Gallagher took home a check for $5000.00.
“I Caught 7 fish today culling two times. I caught all of my fish off one log on a homemade jig.” Said Gallagher.
In second for the boaters, Mike Quinlin of Mooresville, Indiana weighed in a five-bass limit going 10.20 pounds. He anchored his limit with a bass that weighed in at 3.47 pounds. He collected $600.00 for the effort.
“I caught my first fish which was my biggest fish on a crankbait. I caught 7 keepers total and 2-3 short fish. Besides my first fish I caught the rest flipping wood and rocks.” Said Quinlin.
Richard Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio took third place with a five-bass limit weighing in at 9.91 pounds. He anchored his catch with a bass that weighed 3.49 pounds. Richard collected $475.00 for his catch. Also, for catching the largest bass for the boaters Richard took home an additional $400.00. Richard also had the largest bass of the tournament. He was awarded an ABU Garcia Revo Spinning reel valued at $160.00 for catching his bass using an ABU Garcia reel.
“I caught probably 6 fish today, I caught a couple on a spinnerbait, a couple on a frog and a couple on a worm.” Said Shaffer.
Finishing fourth, Jay Gillfillan from Ridgeway, Ohio weighed in four bass weighing 8.81 pounds and rounding out the top five Cody Seeger of Lewistown, Ohio weighed in four bass weighing 7.34 pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Tim Cukovecki from Dayton, Ohio won with two bass weighing 3.18 pounds. Cukovecki sealed his victory with a bass weighing 1.91 pounds.
Tim collected $600.00 for his catch. Also for catching the big bass for the co anglers Tim collected an additional $70.00.
“Besides the two keepers I weighed in, I caught a couple of short fish and I had a bigger fish come off at the boat. My fish came on plastics around rock and wood.” Said Cukovecki.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Bryan Hofstetter of Fort Jennings, Ohio weighed with one bass for 1.67 pounds. Hofstetter collected $300.00 for the effort.
“I missed a couple of fish today but the one I weighed in came off a spinnerbait mid-day,” said Hofstetter.
Taking third for the co anglers Dan Minor of Norwalk, Ohio weighed in one bass for 1.63 pounds. Minor collected $225.00 for the catch.
Finishing fourth was Chad Buzard of Delphos, Ohio who weighed in one bass for 1.54 pounds. Rounding out the top five was Paul Stamper of Urbana, Ohio who weighed in 1 bass for 1.05 pounds.
Slated for 09/02/2017 the next tournament for the Ohio Division will be the two-day regional on Lake Erie out of Erie PA. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2018 Ray Scott Championship, slated for the Red River in Shreveport-Bossier Louisiana in April 2018.
For more information on this tournament, call Jeff Randall, tournament manager, at 256-777-6152 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, seewww.ramopenseries.com .
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Ram Trucks, Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Carlisle Tires, GEICO, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Livingston Lures, Best Western Hotels, Maui Jim, Power Pole, LiT Coolers, Simms, Garmin, and Divide-It. American Bass Anglers, Inc. can be contacted at (256) 232-0406 or by visiting americanbassanglers.com
ALBERTSON WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL HOOSIER DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON PATOKA LAKE
Greendale’s Burns Takes Co-angler Title
BIRDSEYE, Ind. (July 31, 2017) – Eighteen-year-old Blake Albertson of Bloomington, Indiana, caught five bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Hoosier Division tournament on Patoka Lake. For his efforts, Albertson took home $6,126.
“This is only my fourth time fishing as a boater in the BFL, so to win is pretty crazy,” said Albertson, a former TBF/FLW High School Fishing angler that competed for Bloomington North/South High School. “It was just one of those days where everything went right.”
Albertson said he fished two areas to catch his limit – a main-lake point and the back of a cut in Lick Fork creek.
“I sat in 18 feet of water and threw into 12 feet on the point,” said Albertson. “There was one spot with a bunch of rock that was especially productive.”
Albertson said he caught four bass at the point – three on a Secret Lures J-Bend Tail Shaker Jig with a Motor Oil-colored Zoom Trick Worm, and one on a ½-ounce Secret Lures MVP Football Jig.
“The fourth was my largest of the day – a 5-pound, 7-ouncer,” said Albertson. “At 10 (a.m.) I caught my fifth in the cut out of some bushes and that’s what I brought in to the scale.”
Albertson’s fifth bass was caught using a Texas-rigged Green Pumpkin Magic-colored Yamamoto Senko.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Blake Albertson, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 20-11, $4,126 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Brian Funkhouser, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 17-0, $1,963
3rd: Ray Philhower, Milford, Ohio, four bass, 15-12, $1,309
4th: Phil Hunt, Connersville, Ind., five bass, 13-11, $916
5th: Lee Mills, Columbus, Ind., five bass, 13-8, $785
6th: George Brown, Camby, Ind., four bass, 12-11, $720
7th: Sean Gillenwater, Bloomington, Ind., four bass, 12-6, $754
8th: John Schroering, Dubois, Ind., four bass, 11-11, $589
9th: Bryce Kalen, Indianapolis, Ind., four bass, 11-7, $523
10th: John Melton, Corydon, Ind., four bass, 10-14, $458
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Andrew Cibak of Chesterton, Indiana, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $530.
Albert Burns of Greendale, Indiana, caught three bass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,051.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Albert Burns, Greendale, Ind., three bass, 12-11, $2,051
2nd: Jonathan Norris, Muncie, Ind., two bass, 9-15, $1,069
3rd: Andy Eaton, Washington, Ind., two bass, 9-13, $743
4th: Travis Edgar, North Webster, Ind., two bass, 7-10, $458
5th: Adrian Stafford, Bloomington, Ind., two bass, 7-7, $393
6th: Jeff Hale, New Castle, Ind., two bass, 6-1, $360
7th: Brad Ingram, Mesa, Ariz., two bass, 5-8, $327
8th: Michael Pelston, Seymour, Ind., two bass, 5-3, $478
8th: Dan Schlegel, Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 5-3, $278
10th: Cory Cook, Carrollton, Ky., two bass, 5-1, $267
10th: James McWhorter, Hamilton, Ohio, two bass, 5-1, $217
Norris caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $88.
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. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Wade Bourne, Shaw Grigsby, Bob Sealy, Louie Stout & Morris Sheehan to be inducted into Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
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BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2017 INDUCTEES
- ENSHRINEMENT DINNER SET FOR NOVEMBER 9
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - For Immediate Release – 7/27/2017 – While all 62 current Bass Fishing Hall of Fame members have waited for a place where others could honor them, the class of 2017 Hall inductees are being afforded a special benefit. The five new members – including Wade Bourne, Shaw Grigsby, Bob Sealy, Morris Sheehan and Louie Stout, will be enshrined at the Hall’s new permanent home within Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Mo. A special dinner and ceremony is planned for Thursday, November 9.
“This is a special milestone for the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. The goal since our founding in 2003 has always been to have a home to honor our inductees and their accomplishments in the sport of bass fishing,” said Donald Howell, BFHOF Board of Directors president. “We all look forward to sharing and celebrating a special night with Wade’s family, Shaw, Bob, Morris and Louie. And we are all anxious to showcase our past inductees in the Hall’s new home.”
A native of Clarksville, Tenn., Wade Bourne, who passed away in 2016, was a senior writer for Bassmaster for more than 40 years. A popular host of the In-Fisherman radio shows, he authored six books and more than 3,000 magazine articles in his career. His awards are too numerous to list here, but they include the Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award presented by the American Sportfishing Association and the Professional Outdoor Media Association, and induction into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Bourne also received Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Shaw Grigsby fished his first national tournament in 1977 — 40 years ago this year. A former motorcycle racer, he becoming a full-time pro angler on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail in 1984, and since then has won nine Bassmaster tournaments, qualified for the Bassmaster Classic 16 times, and competed in four FLW championships. Known for his sight fishing expertise, in his fishing career with B.A.S.S. Grigsby has 60 Top 10 finishes and has won more than $2 million. To many of his fans, Shaw is the 20-year-plus host of One More Cast with Shaw Grigsby, airing on the Sportsman Channel.
Combining his love of fishing and his efforts to promote tourism and economic growth around Lake Sam Rayburn, Bob Sealy convinced Ray Scott to bring a Bassmaster event to the lake. From there, he worked his way into creating the world’s largest amateur bass tournament — the Big Bass Splash. Open only to amateurs, the Big Bass Splash events today have spread across the nation. During the past 33 years, Sealy’s idea to bring some competitive fun to bass fishing has paid out over $30 million dollars and raised over $2.3 million dollars to support Ronald McDonald House Charities and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2015, he was into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
Retiring from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service, Morris Sheehan purchased the Military Bass Anglers Association and quickly changed the name to American Bass Anglers. Through his leadership and foresight, ABA has become the largest tournament trail for weekend anglers, with more than 1,000 bass tournaments held annually. Sheehan’s efforts have given beginning anglers a place to hone their skills and the opportunity to gain the experience for competition in higher-level events. More than 35,000 anglers compete in ABA tournaments. His contributions to the bass fishing industry have elevated him to a position of respect by all those he has touched.
Starting his writing career in daily newspapers, Louie Stout sold his first article to Bassmaster in the early 1980s. He has been a full-time freelance writer specializing in bass fishing since 1987, and has covered every Bassmaster Classic since 1979. The co-author of three successful books about bass fishing with seven-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam, Stout was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2013 was awarded the Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award. He continues his senior writer/boating role for Bassmaster Magazine, his long-time outdoor column in the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune, and even though newspaper ink flows through his veins, Stout keeps anglers and hunters informed and entertained with his MichianaOutdoorNews.com web site.
Bass anglers worldwide are invited to join the Hall’s Board of Directors to honor these men in Springfield, Mo., on November 9. In addition to the formal induction ceremonies, the BFHOF annual dinner also includes an exceptional silent auction featuring bucket-list fishing trips, premium rods and reels, hunting gear and special fishing-celebrity memorabilia. For information on the induction dinner – visit BassFishingHOF.com or the BFHOF Facebook page for more details, or call 888/690-2277. For more information on the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium, visit www.wondersofwildlife.org.
About The Hall of Fame -- The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a 16 person volunteer Board, dedicated to all anglers, manufacturers, tackle and marine dealers, media and other related companies who further the sport of bass fishing. Just announced in July 2017, the Hall will soon have a permanent home for exhibits and collections honoring bass fishing’s legends as part of Johnny Morris’ (a 2002 BFHOF inductee) Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo., opening on September 21, 2017. Support the BFHOF by becoming a member. Visit BassFishingHOF.com for more details, or 888.690.2277 for more information.
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BECKER WINS COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON 1000 ISLANDS
Finleyville Angler Tops 174-Boater Field, Takes Home $44,200
CLAYTON, N.Y. (July 29, 2017) – Boater Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Northern Division tournament on 1000 Islands presented by Evinrude. Becker’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 66 pounds, 4 ounces, was enough to earn the win and $44,200.
“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now,” said Becker, who earned his first career-victory in FLW competition. “I was just hoping to cash a check, so this is unbelievable.”
Becker said he spent the three-day tournament picking apart two primary stretches of water on Lake Ontario, near Galloo Island. He said he relied on one lure– a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on a drop-shot rig.
“Of the fish I weighed in this week, each of my areas produced about half of them,” said Becker. “Both locations were 25- to 30-feet deep and had rocky bottoms. Each had a drop that reached 50 to 60 feet of water, but the first spot was steep while the second sloped off more gradually.”
Becker said that each area had a 50- by 50-yard sweet spot that produced more notable catches. Every bass he weighed in was a smallmouth.
“After catching about 50 keepers on days one and two I only caught around 15 to 20 today, but they were a lot bigger,” said Becker. “The key for me was being able to see the fish on my Lowrance electronics during practice. Not every area that had rocks on the bottom had fish out there.”
The top 10 pros on 1000 Islands finished:
1st: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 66-4, $44,200
2nd: Joseph Fonzi, Gasport, N.Y., 15 bass, 65-11, $17,600
3rd: Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 65-9, $13,000
4th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 64-14, $11,000
5th: Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 15 bass, 63-8, $10,300
6th: Power-Pole pro Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, 62-4, $8,500
7th: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., 15 bass, 61-14, $7,400
8th: Chris O’Brien, Rochester, N.Y., 15 bass, 61-0, $6,400
9th: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., 14 bass, 53-5, $5,400
10th: Cal Climpson, Sharon, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 49-2, $4,200
A complete list of results will be posted at FLWFishing.com.
Aaron Stone of Rome, New York, caught a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass Friday – the heaviest of the tournament in the Pro Division. For his catch, Stone earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $300.
Gary Haraguchi of Redding, California, won the Co-angler Division and a new Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor, along with a $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus. Haraguchi earned his win with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on 1000 Islands finished:
1st: Gary Haraguchi, Redding, Calif., 15 bass, 53-2, $27,700 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Mark Goetsch, Gibralter, Mich., 15 bass, 52-13, $5,500
3rd: Mark Babcock, Warwick, N.Y., 15 bass, 49-12, $4,400
4th: Andy Dick, Wilmington, Del., 13 bass, 44-1, $3,700
5th: Bill Valberg, London, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 43-3, $3,200
6th: Mike Merill, Brockville, Ontario, Canada, 14 bass, 40-3, $2,750
7th: Andrew Owens, Dividing Creek, N.J., 12 bass, 38-11, $2,200
8th: Justin Hicks, Roanoke, Va., 13 bass, 32-15, $1,850
9th: Ed Bunnett, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 31-4, $1,540
10th: Corey Burton, Canton, Ohio, 11 bass, 28-14, $1,290
Brett Scullion of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces that earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $200.
The Costa FLW Series Northern Division event on 1000 Islands presented by Evinrude was hosted by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. It was the second Northern Division tournament of the 2017 season. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will also be a Northern Division tournament, held Aug. 24-26 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Martens Monster Catch Vaults Him to Champlain Win!
Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., won the 2017 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels held out of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Sunday, with a three-day total weight of 58 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 30, 2017
Martens Masses Monster Catch And Climbs 19 Spots To Clinch Bassmaster Elite At Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Nobody thought it was possible, Aaron Martens least of all. But on the final day of competition at the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Martens massed a 23-pound, 5-ounce sack of bass and stunned the crowd, and the field, who all thought such a feat was impossible. He edged second-place finisher Seth Feider of Bloomington, Minn., by a little less than a pound.
“I'm still in shock,” Martens said, surrounded by reporters behind the stage, trophy at rest beside him on a chair. “I can’t believe I won. It still hasn’t set in yet.”
Martens, originally from California but now a resident of Leeds, Ala., wasn’t sure how much his limit weighed — it’s difficult to judge weight at a tournament where winners can be decided by ounces. But his bag included a 6-2 largemouth that was second only to Seth Feider’s 6-4 bass, which won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 for the tournament.
“I didn't know how much I actually had,” Martens said. “The only time all day when I thought I had a shot to win was when I saw 23-5 on the scales. The BASSTrakk (unofficial leaderboard) said I had 20-11. I thought I maybe had 22. But I just didn’t know. I overestimated BASSTrakk the first day, so maybe I got a little gun-shy and underestimated today. I’m still really in shock.”
For Martens, each B.A.S.S. win is a redemption of sorts. He’s widely regarded as one of the best anglers to compete in the modern era of bass fishing, and this marks only his ninth B.A.S.S. win across almost two decades of competition. Alongside those nine wins sit 13 gut-wrenching second-place finishes — four of which were at the Bassmaster Classic and seven were at Elite events.
Martens’ last win came at the 2015 Bassmaster Elite at Chesapeake Bay.
Martens also set a unique B.A.S.S. mark today: He climbed 19 spots on the final day to win an Elite event — a feat made possible because this weather-shortened event spanned three days, instead of four, and the Top 51 anglers fished the final day, instead of the traditional Top 12.
His winning pattern involved drop shotting a 4-inch Roboworm in Aaron’s magic red color on massive weed flats. The largemouth and smallmouth were mixed together and he caught quality fish of both species, although it was the largemouth that ultimately propelled him to victory.
He fished predominantly deep (20 to 30 feet) the first two days, but moved shallow today into 12 to 21 feet. He made a critical tackle change and switched to a 6'11" medium-heavy rod that allowed him to move hooked fish through the grass and to the boat. He noted that areas with several different weed types were best.
Brandon Palaniuk of Hayden, Idaho, retained his lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with one event remaining in the season. He was awarded $1,000 for leading at the end of the event.
“I don’t think about the race — I just think about catching them the next day,” Palaniuk said. “Every guy wants to win an Angler of the Year title, but I know for me, mentally, I fish a lot better not knowing where I am in the race. It’s not like I don’t care. It’s more like a racecar driver — if you’re worried about the guy behind you, you’re looking back and slowing down. I’m not going to do that. I’m going full speed ahead.”
Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., won the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award of $500 for leading the tournament on Saturday’s second day of competition.
Palaniuk was also awarded the Toyota Bonus Bucks Award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., received $2,000.
Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.
The Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh hosted the event.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota, Power-Pole, Shell Rotella, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Shimano, Advance Auto Parts, Livingston Lures, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, T-H Marine
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 Bassmaster Elite at Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels 7/27-7/30
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 58-12 110 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 23-05
2. Seth Feider Isle, MN 15 57-14 109 $26,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 20-06
3. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 15 57-05 108 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 20-07
4. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 15 56-10 107 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 18-02
5. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 56-09 106 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 19-06
6. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 55-08 105 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 18-01
7. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 55-07 104 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 18-12
8. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 15 55-00 103 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 17-11
9. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 54-14 102 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 19-03
10. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 54-14 101 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 18-10
11. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 54-04 100 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 17-05
12. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 15 54-04 99 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 16-13
13. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 54-03 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 17-07
14. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 53-15 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 17-13
15. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 15 53-14 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 17-00
16. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 53-10 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 16-05
17. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 53-10 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 16-03
18. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 53-09 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 18-04
19. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 53-09 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 19-00
20. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 53-08 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 19-01
21. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 53-00 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 17-12
22. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 15 52-14 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 18-07
23. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 52-09 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 18-08
24. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 15 52-02 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 17-06
25. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 52-01 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 16-09
26. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 15 51-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 15-09
27. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 15 51-04 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 19-04
28. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 15 51-03 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 16-04
29. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 50-15 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 17-05
30. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 50-14 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 16-14
31. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 15 50-13 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 17-04
32. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 50-11 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 15-08
33. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 50-08 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 15-12
34. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 50-03 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 16-02
35. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 49-08 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 15-10
36. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 15 49-08 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 14-13
37. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 49-00 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 14-08
38. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 48-05 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 15-02
39. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 15 48-01 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 15-00
40. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 48-00 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 15-08
41. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 15 47-15 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 14-15
42. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 47-14 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 14-15
43. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 15 47-11 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 12-10
44. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 47-05 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 14-06
45. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 47-01 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 13-01
46. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 47-00 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 14-01
47. Gary Klein Mingus, TX 15 46-15 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 13-10
48. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 46-12 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 14-09
49. Fred Roumbanis London, AR 15 46-06 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 14-00
50. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 15 45-15 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 11-15
51. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 42-15 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 10-13
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Seth Feider Isle, MN 06-04 $1,500.00
Jacob Wheeler Catches 20-12 And Vaults To Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Champlain
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Todd Faircloth Takes First Day Lead At Bassmaster Elite At Lake Champlain
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Bowling, Wonder Woman, and Dog Naps Occupy Elite Series Pros
The manner in which pros chose to occupy an unplanned day off, when Thursday’s competition at the Bassmaster Elite Series on Lake Champlain was cancelled due to high wind, was as wide-ranging as the waves that stirred the massive lake on the New York-Vermont border.
“I could have listed a lotta things I’d have rather done than go bowling, but when my fiancé, Abby said she wanted to go bowling, we rounded up Jesse Wiggins, David Mullins and their girlfriends and hit the lanes,” grinned former Carhartt College fishing champion Matt Lee, who has already notched two Top 12 cuts this season.
The group of six bowlers was actually more like a half-dozen All State athletes. Matt Lee was a State Champion second baseman. His fiancé, Abby was a 2-time State Champion basketball player. Jesse Wiggins was an All State Alabama small school football player. And David Mullins competed as a college golfer.
“I was within seven pins of beating Mullins yesterday, and couldn’t pull off the win,” says Lee. “Mullins is just good at everything, a straight-up athlete, who even puts spin on every ball he bowled yesterday.”
While the six co-ed bowlers from Alabama and Tennessee made memories together – highly likeable pro Shaw Grigsby found himself alone in a movie theater.
“Are you ready for this- you’ll never guess what movie I watched?” quizzed Grigsby beneath his signature mustache covered smile. “I went to see ‘Wonder Woman’ – and it actually wasn’t too bad.”
As for Lee and Grigsby’s Quantum teammate Gerald Swindle, well, he didn’t do much of anything. “Hey … when B.A.S.S. told me the competition day was cancelled – and that I could have the day off – I took them seriously – I took two naps – first with the big dog, Myric – then with the little dog, Bama – before finally taking Lulu to eat at the local brewing company.”
Cory Johnston Leads FLW Costa Event at 1,000 Islands
July 27, 2017
Cory Johnston was the first man to weigh in, and he set the bar high on day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Evinrude on the 1000 Islands. Leading off with 23 pounds, 7 ounces of smallmouths plucked from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, the FLW Tour pro leads by 9 ounces over fellow Tour pro Kurt Mitchell.
Top five patterns from day one
“It went a little better than I thought it would,” says Johnston of his effort on day one. “I wasn’t sure how big my deep fish were. I knew there were 4-pounders, but it turns out there were some 5-pounders mixed in.”
Johnston is as local as they come, and between he and his brother, Chris, the pair has hundreds of days on the water at the 1000 Islands. Because of that, the leader from Cavan, Ontario, had plenty of options.
“I started in the river and then made it out to the lake and caught most of my fish there,” says Cory, who hasn’t decided on a plan for Friday yet. “The wind is supposed to switch directions, and I have a lot of stuff that should be sheltered. But I might just go back to where I caught them today. I’m going to have to see what the wind does in the morning.”
Cory says he fished both shallow and deep, and landed 10 or 12 solid fish. He did lose a key 5-pounder late in the day. Fishing a deep spot in the river, the big smallmouth broke his line after surfacing near the boat.
Top 10 pros
1. Cory Johnston – Cavan, Ont. – 23-7 (5)
2. Kurt Mitchell – Milford, Del. – 22-14 (5)
3. Joseph Fonzi – Gasport, N.Y. – 22-8 (5)
4. Cal Climpson – Sharon, Ont. – 22-6 (5)
5. Jason Putman – Cicero, N.Y. – 21-11 (5)
6. Jason Bacon – Nutting Lake, Mass. – 21-6 (5)
7. Matt Becker – Finleyville, Penn. – 21-4 (5)
8. Ryan Smith – Galloway, N.J. – 21-1 (5)
9. Dylan Hays – Sheridan, Ark. – 21-0 (5)
10. Dean Meckes – Clayton, N.Y. – 20-14 (5)
Babcock paces co-anglers
Mark Babcock of Warwick, N.Y., got off to a great start with 20-12 on day one to lead the co-angler side. He’s nearly 4 pounds ahead of Joshua Mossey, who is in second with 17-1.
“It started off pretty slow, but when the sun came out they started biting,” says Babcock. “My boater had us on a real nice rock pile, and it was just basic smallmouth stuff – drop-shots and tubes.”
Fishing with Lee Black, Babcock had the hot hand, and says he caught about 15 bass in all.
Carhartt Countdown to Blast Off - Powroznik makes predictions about his beloved Lake Champlain
Story by Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorship
Quantum pro Jacob Powroznik loves Lake Champlain. In fact, even though he seems to succeed on nearly every lake in the country, he lists Champlain as his favorite, and on the eve of the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament presented by Dick Cepek Wheels & Tires, he was kind enough to share his thoughts on the massive body of water on the New York/Vermont border.
You’ve got a long and successful history on Lake Champlain, what is so special about this place to you?
The fact that this lake offers both smallmouth and largemouth, and there’s lots of each to be caught here.
Speaking of which, will this tournament be won with largemouth or smallmouth?
I’ll predict it will be won with a mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth, but keep in mind, it only takes one really good largemouth a day to make a huge difference here.
Name three lures fans can expect to see the Elite Series pros use the most this week.
Drop shot, chatterbait, and a jerkbait.
How much weight will a pro have to average the first three days to make the final day’s Top 12 cut?
I’ll say 16 ½ pounds per day.
Have you seen “Champ” – America’s Loch Ness Monster that is rumored to live in Lake Champlain?
Nope – but I haven’t looked that deep yet.
Carhartt Countdown To Blast Off with Classic Champ Jordan Lee on Lake Champlain
Current Bassmaster Classic Champion Jordan Lee graciously took time in the super-refreshing 52-degree morning air on the final day of practice to preview the Bassmaster Elite at Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.
Much of the first two days of practice were exceptionally cool and rainy, what’s been your biggest challenge so far?
I’d say catching anything bigger than 3-pounds has been the biggest challenge so far. I’m catching lots of fish, and a fairly equal mix of smallmouth and largemouth, but just no real big ones. The smallies I’m catching are averaging a little bigger than the largemouth.
What do you like the most so far about Lake Champlain?
This lake is just so full of fish, so you get to set the hook a bunch.
Last week, the Bassmaster Elite Series was held two hours west of Lake Champlain on the St. Lawrence River. It was a slugfest, with hundreds of 5-fish limits full of fat Smallmouth. How will this week on Lake Champlain compare to last week on the St. Lawrence River?
I don’t think the weights will be as high here, because the average smallmouth just isn’t as fat here as what they were on the St. Lawrence River. Those fish on the St. Lawrence have millions of gobies to eat and get really fat on, and that’s not the case here at Champlain.
Here at Champlain, talk always turns to how many competitors will make the long run south to the Ticonderoga area of this massive lake in search of fat largemouth. What percentage of the field do you estimate will make that roughly 80 mile run
I’d say about 20-percent. It’s like 80 miles from Plattsburgh down to that area, and there are just so many variables involved that can turn negative when you run that far, starting with massive waves, if the wind blows there.
Name five lures the fans can expect to see the Elite Series throw a lot of this week.
Drop Shot, jerkbaits, soft plastic punch baits like a Strike King Rodent on a heavy Texas rig, dragging a tube for smallmouth, and a swim jig.
TOP-5 ICAST STANDOUTS
Annual Industry Debut Offered Several Notable Items
By David A. Brown
“Kid in a candy store” does not even come close to describing the ICAST experience. No doubt, when the International Consortium of Allied Sporting Trades visited Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center this past week, the fishing world saw the debut of tackle, tools, gear and gadgets galore. Add in apparel, electronics and a few other odds and ends and it looked like Christmas morning for anyone fond of bending a rod.
Now, we weren’t allowed to take it all home, but we can look forward to this wave of innovation to hit the market in the coming months. We simply can’t cover everything in a Top-5 format, so no disrespect or disregard to the many other interesting introductions. That being said, here’s a rundown of the quintet that caught my eye.
13 FISHING CONCEPT Z REEL
Typically, reel companies boast the number and quality of a baitcaster’s ball bearings, but Florida-based 13 Fishing’s proud of the fact that their new Concept Z reel has none. As product engineer Matt Baldwin explains, the reel uses a high-tech CZB polymer bearings offers two major advantages: First, user won’t suffer performance loss over time — a common vexation of ball bearing reels.
The other advantage is exceptional castability, even with lighter baits. Tie on a topwater, crankbait or spinnerbait and the Concept Z will launch the lure considerable distances. But don’t swap the baitcaster for a spinning reel w
hen you need to throw a light worm — the Concept Z is built to offer the same accuracy and strength, even with smaller baits.
Like your other 13 Fishing reels, but intrigued by the no-ball bearings formula? Well, 13 Fishing will soon offer CZB polymer bearings to retrofit all of its existing baitcasters.
Available in right-hand models with 6.6:1, 7.3:1 and 8.1:1 and left-hand models with 7.3:1 gear ratios. ($200) http://www.13fishing.com/
COLUMBIA OMNISHADE SUN DEFLECTOR
Known for designing apparel that delivers performance with stylish flair, Columbia has elevated the concept of solar protection with its new line of OmniShade Sun Deflector shirts. Lightweight materials that won’t leave you feeling bulky on the bow are bolstered with spots of titanium dioxide, which act as little mirrors to deflect sunlight and leave you feeling cool and protected.
The line includes a hooded model that’ll serve well those sight-fishing efforts when blocking peripheral glare tops your priorities. ($70) http://www.columbia.com/home
FLAMBEAU “IKE” QUOTIENT UTILITY BOXES
Leave it to one of the sport’s most competitive anglers to come up with a way to combat tackle tray spacing issues. Each Flambeau Ike Quotient utility box comes with a customizable set of small internal boxes, which replace traditional storage tray dividers. This allows anglers to mix and match sizes and spacing to create the storage layout that best suits their needs. Remove the boxes and you have bulk storage for pliers, line spools, extra-large lures and bags of soft plastics.
A nice touch, the lids remained propped open at 100-degrees to keep the contents easily accessible and maximize your time. Each tray is built with Flambeau’s Zerust technology, which emits an odorless, harmless vapor, forming a protective layer around metal for long-lasting corrosion protection. Available in three sizes. ($10.34-$26.99) https://www.flambeauoutdoors.com/fishing/divider-systems/IKE-Quotient-IQ-Series
RAYMARINE AXIOM
Powered by a quad-core processor and running Raymarine’s proprietary Lighthouse software the Axiom and Axiom Pro (touchscreen) multifunction units combines downvision, sidevision, conventional sonar and RealVision 3D sonar into a single, wide-spectrum CHIRP transducer.
Bolstered with gyro-stabilization, RealVision 3D Sonar provides incredibly detailed views of bottom structure and key objects from laydowns to ledges to rock piles. The GPS Lock mode tracks the boat’s course over ground and speed over ground and creates an ultra-realistic, high-definition image that updates with every pass.
The ability to look at objects from various points of view proves invaluable in planning precise presentations. Standard wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity allows users to repeat and control the Axiom display on wireless devices. With a clean, customizable interface, Axiom displays feature high-definition, In-Plane Switching (IPS) display technology, maximizing viewing angles and reducing blackouts when wearing polarized glasses.
Available in 7-, 9- and 12-inch models starting at $649. http://www.raymarine.com/multifunction-displays/axiom/.
STORM ARASHI COVER POP
You sling a topwater bait under a dock, an overhanging tree, maybe a low bridge, or over a rock pile and within a few seconds it’s out of the strike zone. That’s typically how it goes for walkers, poppers, frogs and buzzbaits; all of which require forward motion to effect their fish-tempting ruse. Now, Storm’s new Arashi Cover Pop solves this dilemma with a bait that’ll create maximum disturbance, while remaining right in front of the fish.
An aft-weighted design gives the bait a tail-down posture, while a large, concave face with a higher-than-normal line tie means every downward rod snap makes the bait bloop the surface and then tilt back to its resting position.
I actually saw this one in prototype form last fall during a photo shoot with Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jacob Wheeler, who showed me how the Cover Pop allowed him to steadily work the cool shade beneath a tree limb with an enticing presentation. Mimicking a struggling prey, this 3 1/8-inch bait comes in nine colors. ($7.99) http://www.rapala.com/storm/hard-baits/arashi-series.
Of course, new products are only as good as they’re user, so no matter which new items you decide to try, enjoy your time on the water and pay close attention to the patterns of design and performance to establish cohesive patterns that you can replicate.
JACOBI WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION EVENT ON JAMES RIVER
Newport News’ Riveras Takes Co-angler Title
HENRICO, Va. (July 24, 2017) – Ben Jacobi of North Chesterfield, Virginia, brought five bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces, to the scale Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the James River. For his win, Jacobi earned $3,426.
Jacobi said he started out the tournament fishing small feeder creeks near the mouth of the Chickahominy River.
“The water was lower than normal,” said Jacobi, who earned his first career-victory in FLW competition. “Around 7:15 (a.m.), I caught my second-largest bass on a ¼-ounce buzzbait.”
After his catch, Jacobi said he returned to the main river to fish wood and rock. He said he flipped a Texas-rigged green pumpkin-colored soft-plastic and was able to put a 5½ -pounder in the boat.
“I used the same bait the rest of the day and ran the tide back up to the takeoff ramp,” said Jacobi. “I worked through rock, wood and laydowns and had one nice cull in the last hour of competition that likely gave me the win.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ben Jacobi, North Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 16-10, $3,426
2nd: Brian LaClair, Denton, Md., five bass, 15-11, $1,713
3rd: Andy Francis, Chester, Va., five bass, 15-1, $1,341
4th: Cavin Young, Prince George, Va., five bass, 14-4, $899
5th: Michael Martinez, Lanexa, Va., five bass, 13-14, $1,115
6th: Chris Dillow, Waynesboro, Va., five bass, 13-7, $928
7th: Keith Estes, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 13-5, $571
8th: Stephen Miller, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 12-15, $514
9th: Curtis Talbott, Forest, Va., five bass, 12-11, $457
10th: Jason Holder, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 12-2, $400
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Martinez weighed an 8-pound, 6-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $430.
Victor Riveras of Newport News, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,913 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Victor Riveras, Newport News, Va., five bass, 12-8, $1,913
2nd: Joshua Wright, Toano, Va., four bass, 9-5, $763
2nd: Jeff Lederman, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 9-5, $713
4th: Matt McCluskey, Ashburn, Va., three bass, 9-4, $400
5th: Danny Crickenberger, Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 8-15, $343
6th: John Poos, Manassas, Va., five bass, 8-14, $314
7th: Jerry Comperatore, Tarentum, Pa., four bass, 8-13, $271
7th: Al Berkley, Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 8-13, $271
9th: Corey Chatham, Ruther Glen, Va., five bass, 8-1, $228
10th: Matthew Harney, Manassas, Va., three bass, 7-15, $415
Harney caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $215.
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. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
ADRIAN COLLEGE WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING TOURNAMENT AT LAKE CHAUTAUQUA
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (July 24, 2017) – The Adrian College duo of Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham, both of Gallipolis, Ohio, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Northern Conference tournament at Lake Chautauqua presented by Bass Pro Shops Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the Adrian bass club $2,000 and the team will now advance to compete at the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We were fishing on the north end of the lake,” said Graham, a sophomore, double majoring in environmental studies and geology. “We found a stretch of bank with no docks with a long rocky flat. About 40 yards off of the bank the rock would meet the grass, and we just worked the grassline all day long.”
“It was really one of the only green grassy areas that we were able to find,” said Martin, a senior majoring in business administration. “The lake has been sprayed recently, and there was quite a bit of brown, dead grass. But the fish were in the green stuff.”
“Jarrett was throwing a (Rebel) Pop-R off of the front all day and I was throwing a fluke off of the back,” Graham said. “We doubled up at least seven times.”
The duo estimated they caught around 20 keepers throughout the day – around 13 smallmouth and seven largemouth. Their five-bass limit that they brought to the weigh-in scale consisted of two smallmouth and three largemouth.
“I think the key for us was the cloud cover,” Martin said. “If it would have been sunny, the fish would have been hiding in the shade. But, the way the clouds were, the bass were in the mood to eat all day and were extremely active.”
“I think the Pop-R was the key,” Graham added. “We have a lot of confidence in that bait and it produced the two biggest fish of the day for us.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Adrian College – Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham, both of Gallipolis, Ohio, five bass, 16-3, $2,400
2nd: Lake Superior State University – Jake Dorony, South Lyon, Mich., and Hunter Scharphorn, Grand Haven, Mich., five bass, 15-6, $1,000
3rd: Adrian College – Nicholas Czajka, Brighton, Mich., and Jack Hippe III, Davison, Mich., five bass, 15-3, $700
4th: Youngstown State University – Jonathan Creed, Niles, Ohio, and Mike Soots, McDonald, Ohio, five bass, 14-13, $500
5th: James Madison University – Blake Miles, Chesterfield, Va., and Jack Goodwyn, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 14-12, $500
6th: Michigan State University – Tyler Andrews, Charlotte, Mich., and Danny Sprague, Hastings, Mich., five bass, 14-8
7th: Pennsylvania State University – Derek Horner, Port Matilda, Pa., and Maurice Hudson, Broomall, Pa., five bass, 14-4
8th: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania – Joe Tini, Archibald, Pa., and Corey Bechtel, Allentown, Pa., five bass, 14-1
9th: Pennsylvania State University – Chris Trianosky, Phoenixville, Pa., and Lou Mocniak, Washington, Pa., five bass, 13-14
10th: West Virginia University – Michael Shughart, Shippensburg, Pa., and Branden Newcome, Ellamore, W.Va., five bass, 13-4
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
This YETI FLW College Fishing Northern Conference event at Lake Chautauqua was the second regular-season qualifying tournament for Northern Conference anglers in 2017. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event will be the Northern Conference regular-season finale, scheduled for Sept. 9 on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments, along with an additional qualifier for every 10 teams over 100 that compete, along with the top 20 teams from the annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
Mosley does differently for Elite Series Runner-up finish
Brock Mosley made a statement this week. He beat 107 Elite Series pros on the St Lawrence River with 82 ponds, 3 ounces of smallmouth bass.
Unfortunately for the 2nd year Elite Series angler from Mississippi, there were 108 other competitors, including Kevin VanDam who weighed-in 90 pounds, 3 ounces to claim his 24th career victory.
Still, it was a great week for Mosley.
“When you average better than 20 pounds a day and you still get beat by 8 pounds there’s not much you can hang your head about.
“I’ll be real honest, I thought I did just enough to hang onto 5th or 6th place. I didn’t have any idea those guys were struggling as bad as they were.”
Mosley’s performance looked different from the rest of the field, and so does his rod locker.
Mosley uses Spiralite Rods. I looked at their stuff during the recent ICAST show. I was drawn to them because of the guide design. The guides wrap around the blank instead of running straight up it. I questioned Mosley about this design feature ‘every rod builder I’ve ever talked with has stressed the importance of finding the spine of the blank and placing all guides right along it, so what’s up with these guides that spiral around the blank?’.
“This technology has been used in saltwater,” explained Mosley, “so it will hold up to the bass we catch.”
Charley Almassey of Spiralite further explains, “Only the 3 Transition guides are off the spine neareast the reel seat which happens to also be the strongest section of the blank making it a mute point. All of the Running guides in the top 3rd of the rod where tensile strength is most critical are perfectly aligned along the spine.”
Makes sense to me now!
And it makes even more sense when backed-up by the performance a of a young pro who almost took down the giantest giant in our sport!
“I used a couple of the Defiant Series and a couple of the Maverick Series rods by Spiralite this week,” said Mosley. “They are spinning rods.”
With those spinning rods Mosley further departed from his peers by tossing a Ned rig (1/5 oz.) with a 4-inch Senko until the final day when winds forced him to switch to a dropshot with a Net Baits Contour Worm. “The wind was blowing so hard I couldn’t keep contact with the bottom with the Ned rig.”
Mosley had an actual pattern going and he ran new water with it each day. “I caught three 4-pounders today on a spot I hadn’t fished all week.
“I was catching them on the shoals in a certain depth, 18-to23 or 24 feet – not much deeper than 25. So I used my Garmin electronics depth-shading feature to outline that contour and I just ran all over the river looking for this certain color that I put on my electronics and, usually, I would catch a fish at each one of them.”
The bites came slow, but they were quality fish. “I wasn’t getting many bites. I would sit there and fish it for 15-to-20 minutes if not longer to get them to bite but usually if I got a bite it was a good one.”
Again, Mosley was mostly alone in his efforts, even among the deep water crowd. “Most of the guys who were fishing deep were fishing faster current areas. I was fishing more slack water.”
Going his own way worked well for Brock Mosley. As you read this he is practicing for the next Elite Series event on Lake Champlain where he hopes to keep the momentum going.
“I’ve been to Champlain several times and I’ve had a little success there. I’ve got a Top 10 there before and I would love to get another Top 10 but to do it against this group of guys is not easy to do.”
DIEDRICH WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL ILLINI DIVISION EVENT ON OHIO RIVER
Bonnie’s Brookman Earns Co-angler Title
GOLCONDA, Ill. (July 24, 2017) – Chad Diedrich of Nashville, Illinois, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces. Diedrich earned $6,116 for his efforts.
“I decided to lock to the Cumberland River because I was having a hard time getting a bite on the Ohio River,” said Diedrich, who notched his first career-win in FLW competition. “I stopped at a bank about a mile from the Barkley Lake tailwaters and caught the first fish I weighed on a (Watermelon Red Flake-colored) Wave Worm Tiki Stick.”
As he worked his way closer to the Barkley Lake dam, Diedrich said he fished near the bank, where slackwater met the current.
“Other anglers seemed to be focused on the current breaks created by rocks out deep, but I couldn’t get that to work for me,” said Diedrich. “I put the bait in the slackwater. I popped it two or three times, let it sit and then popped it again so it could enter the current. I let it flow for a bit and then reeled in. I’d get as close as 100 yards to the dam before drifting back and starting all over again.”
Diedrich said he fished the Cumberland River until 12:45 p.m. before making his way back to the takeoff ramp. With 40 minutes left in his day, Diedrich said he used a spinnerbait to catch a 3-pounder near a laydown.
“The final 3-pounder likely put me over the top,” said Diedrich. “I don’t think I would’ve edged second place without that fish. “
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chad Diedrich, Nashville, Ill., five bass, 15-9, $4,116 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 13-6, $2,020
3rd: Leroy McDuffie, McLeansboro, Ill., five bass, 10-9, $1,614
4th: Mike Barnes, Mackinaw, Ill., five bass, 10-4, $850
5th: Shane Haslett, Beecher City, Ill., four bass, 10-0, $728
6th: Travis Boley, Weldon, Ill., four bass, 9-12, $668
7th: William Walker, Mulkeytown, Ill., five bass, 9-11, $607
8th: Brandon Broadway, Golconda, Ill., four bass, 9-4, $546
9th: Shawn Panick, New Lenox, Ill., four bass, 9-3, $485
10th: Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., four bass, 9-2, $425
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Diedrich also caught a fish weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $475.
Adam Brookman of Bonnie, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $1,977 Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 9 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Adam Brookman, Bonnie, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $1,977
2nd: William Richno, Raymond, Ill., five bass, 8-13, $888
3rd: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., five bass, 8-3, $642
4th: Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., five bass, 8-2, $415
5th: Eric Thrasher, Decatur, Ill., five bass, 8-1, $355
6th: Ernie Richards, Dixon, Ill., three bass, 7-3, $326
7th: Edward Helf, Alto Pass, Ill., three bass, 6-7, $296
8th: Dale Renth, Mascoutah, Ill., three bass, 6-5, $267
9th: Jeff Kirby, Philo, Ill., two bass, 6-0, $237
10th: Obadiah Holsapple, Greenup, Ill., five bass, 5-11, $207
Carl Lingle of Dongola, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds even – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $227.
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. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
GANN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL GREAT LAKES DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Ettrick’s Anderson Earns Co-angler Title
LA CROSSE, Wis. (July 24, 2017) – Brandon Gann of Sparta, Wisconsin, caught three bass weighing 10 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River. For his win, Gann pocketed $5,401.
“I primarily fished backwaters off of the main-river channel – basically anywhere that I could find clean water,” said Gann, who logged his third career-win on the Mississippi River in BFL competition. “We had some severe weather roll through and it dirtied everything up, so I had to start from scratch. It was almost like pre-fishing the entire region again.”
Gann said he spent the event fishing Pool No. 8, and that his most productive bait was a Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog 65.
“I rotated between four or five different areas and worked the frog through lily pads mixed with duckweed,” said Gann. “It was tough out there – I think I only caught four keepers the entire day.”
One of Gann’s keepers – a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass – ended up being the largest of the event.
“I caught the big bass on the Bronzeye frog around 1 p.m., and it was definitely what won it for me,” said Gann. “I was very fortunate to get that bite.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 10-14, $5,401
2nd: Todd Hancock, Rothschild, Wis., three bass, 10-13, $2,670
3rd: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., three bass, 10-7, $1,514
4th: Bob Bungard, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 10-0, $1,060
5th: Fernando Lobato, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 9-15, $908
6th: Jason Skutt, Menomonie, Wis., three bass, 9-14, $833
7th: Tom Howland, Riceville, Iowa, three bass, 9-11, $757
8th: Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 9-9, $681
9th: Brent Schroeder, Caledonia, Minn., three bass, 9-5, $537
9th: Kyle Meyer, Blaine, Minn., three bass, 9-5, $537
9th: William Schultz, Viroqua, Wis., three bass, 9-5, $537
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Gann’s 5-pound, 9-ounce catch also earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $660.
Kevin Anderson of Ettrick, Wisconsin, caught three bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-Angler Division and $2,435.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Kevin Anderson, Ettrick, Wis., three bass, 10-4, $2,435
2nd: Donald Roscovius, Tomah, Wis., three bass, 9-11, $1,235
3rd: Steve Ubersox, Cherry Valley, Ill., three bass, 9-6, $757
4th: Nick Gifford, Cameron, Wis., three bass, 9-2, $530
5th: Tong Lor, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 8-13, $454
6th: Craig Fanning, Elwood, Ill., three bass, 8-10, $416
7th: Bill Gabel, Willowbrook, Ill., three bass, 8-8, $378
8th: Richard Conrad, Burnsville, Minn., three bass, 8-2, $341
9th: Tim Czesak, Bloomingdale, Ill., three bass, 8-0, $334
9th: Cody Hackett, Stoddard, Wis., three bass, 8-0, $334
Nicholas Leno of Chicago, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $165.
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. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the Barren River in Scottsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
T-H MARINE SPONSORS TITO'S REDFISH SERIES
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KVD Breaks Down his 24th BASS Win on the St Lawrence River
Special thanks to Alan McGuckin and Dynamic Sponsorships for this video.
KVD wins his 24th BASS Tournament! Goes wire-to-wire on St. Lawrence
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., won the 2017 Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing held out of Waddington, N.Y., Sunday, with a four-day total weight of 90 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2017
Kevin VanDam Finishes Strong To Win St. Lawrence River Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — By noon Sunday, Kevin VanDam was already working his way back to toward Whittaker Park, where the weigh-in would be held about three hours later.
He knew it was over — and so did most everyone else.
After leading the first three days, VanDam caught five bass today that weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces to punctuate a dominant victory in the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing. His four-day total of 90-3 is one of the highest ever recorded by an Elite Series angler weighing in only smallmouth bass.
The closest angler to KVD was Mississippi pro Brock Mosley, who finished 8 pounds back with 82-3.
“I fished my very first B.A.S.S. tournament here on the St. Lawrence River in 1987,” said VanDam, who earned his B.A.S.S.-record 24th victory. “Someone told me today that this is my 300th tournament with B.A.S.S., and I had no idea. So, all of that makes this really special.”
VanDam earned $100,000 for first place and $1,500 more for landing the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week — a monster 6-5 smallmouth that bit early Sunday morning. He also won the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award of $500 for leading Friday’s second day of competition and the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible with a client-approved product on his boat.
The cash prizes pushed his career earnings with B.A.S.S. to more than $6.2 million.
“I’ve had a couple of chances to win already this year, and I kind of let those slip away,” VanDam said. “It is hard to win one of these blue trophies — and it’s something I never, ever take for granted. This one means as much as any tournament I’ve ever won.”
Regarded as one of the top smallmouth anglers in the history of the sport, VanDam put on an incredible show all four days of the event, rotating among a variety of lures.
During the early stages of the tournament, his primary technique was drop shotting with a chartreuse Strike King Dream Shot in strong current.
“I was fishing it just as fast as I could,” VanDam said. “I’d bomb it out there, let it hit the bottom, shake it once and one would just load up on it. That’s how I caught that 24 pounds the first day.
“But I had to mix it up every day.”
As the week progressed, VanDam also used several different jerkbaits and swimbaits and a wacky-rigged Strike King Ocho. He said a new wacky-rig hook that was unveiled by Mustad during the ICAST trade show in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month played a big role in his success.
On Sunday, he used an unspecified “spybait” when the winds were blowing and it was hard to fish a bait on the bottom.
“Smallmouth are very aggressive by nature, but you have to give them what they want for what mood they’re in,” said VanDam, who also recorded victories in B.A.S.S. events on the St. Lawrence River in 1995 and 1999. “Sometimes they’ll chase something 20 yards and eat it, and other times they’re just really timid.
“That spybait allowed me to show them something a little different, and I was able to make that pay off today.”
With the victory, VanDam moved into third place in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Idaho pro Brandon Palaniuk took the lead with 621 points and received a $1,000 contingency award from Toyota as the current leader. He is followed in the AOY standings by South Carolina pro Casey Ashley with 613 and VanDam with 604.
Palaniuk was awarded the Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Jonathon VanDam, received $2,000.
The Village of Waddington hosted the event.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota, Power-Pole, Shell Rotella
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 HUK Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence presented by Go RVing 7/20-7/23
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 90-03 110 $103,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 22-10 Day 4: 5 23-12
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 82-03 109 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 20-01 Day 4: 5 20-02
3. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 20 82-00 108 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 22-04 Day 4: 5 18-13
4. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 20 80-14 107 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 21-08 Day 4: 5 17-13
5. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 80-14 106 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 21-08 Day 4: 5 16-14
6. James Elam Tulsa, OK 20 78-14 105 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 20-11 Day 4: 5 18-06
7. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 20 78-12 104 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 23-06 Day 4: 5 18-09
8. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 20 77-13 103 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 5 15-12
9. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 20 77-09 102 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 18-10 Day 4: 5 16-13
10. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 20 76-08 101 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 23-06 Day 4: 5 14-14
11. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 20 75-13 100 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 21-09 Day 4: 5 15-14
12. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 20 70-09 99 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 19-09 Day 4: 5 09-08
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 06-05 $1,500.00
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KVD, JVD 1st and 2nd Heading into Elite Championship Sunday on St. Lawrence
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., holds the lead for the third day of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing, bringing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to the scales on Saturday for a three-day total weight of 66-7.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2017
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — It’s been every pro fisherman’s nightmare for more than 25 years.
Superstar Kevin VanDam — a Michigan native and arguably the best smallmouth angler in the history of the sport — is hammering the smallies with no sign of slowing down.
And now, the remaining anglers in the field have just one more day to overtake him and keep him from recording his 24th career B.A.S.S. victory wire-to-wire style at the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing.
VanDam added five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday and maintained the lead he’s held from the start with a three-day total of 66-7.
“Today was really calm,” he said. “The wind changed 180 degrees and blew the exact opposite direction from what it did (Friday). That really slowed things down, and it’s a lot easier to position your boat when it’s like that.
“You saw what the weights were like today. If it’s like that tomorrow, it’s going to be a shootout.”
Saturday’s semifinal round saw 13 bags of 20 pounds or more brought to the scales, including the 21-8 limit weighed in by VanDam’s nephew, Jonathon VanDam. The younger VanDam moved into second place with a three-day mark of 64-0.
“It’s been a great week so far for me,” JVD said. “I definitely needed a tournament like this for the points.
“All you can ask for is to put yourself into position to win, and I’ve definitely got a shot.”
Idaho angler Brandon Palaniuk had another strong day with 22-4 and rose from ninth place into third with 63-3. It would be a remarkable feat for Palaniuk to record a victory, considering he was in 72nd place on Day 1.
After those early struggles, Palaniuk said he believed he would need at least a 24-pound average for the remaining three days to have a chance for a win.
“I caught 25 Friday and 22 today, so I’m off that 24-pound average by about a pound,” Palaniuk said. “That probably means I need 25 or 26 to have a shot.
“That kind of bag is out there — and I’ve got to have them because all of these guys are going to catch 20 pounds again tomorrow.”
Brent Ehrler, a veteran California pro with more than $2 million in career earnings, caught 21-8 Saturday and jumped into fourth place with 63-1. Ehrler has two second-place finishes since joining the Elite Series in 2015, but he’s still seeking his first win.
After leading two events into the final round this year only to fall short, he said he feels strong about the position he’s in going into Championship Sunday.
“I like being back just a little bit instead of leading, but it’s a tough hill to climb,” Ehrler said. “I didn’t necessarily lay off of them today. But at one point, I stopped fishing a couple of spots and kind of defended them. I started looking around a little bit instead of pounding on them.
“The fish are there — and if everything is right, I think I can catch them.”
VanDam and Palaniuk are also locked in a battle with South Carolina pro Casey Ashley for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Palaniuk leads with 621 points, followed by Ashley with 616 and KVD with 604.
The tournament will conclude Sunday, with the Top 12 remaining anglers leaving Whittaker Park at 6:15 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.
The event is hosted by the Village of Waddington.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Shell Rotella, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota, Power-Pole
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts, Academy Sports + Outdoors
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 HUK Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence presented by Go RVing 7/20-7/23
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 66-07 110 $500.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 22-10
2. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 64-00 109
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 21-08
3. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 15 63-03 108
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 22-04
4. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 15 63-01 107
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 21-08
5. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 62-01 106
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 19-05
6. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 62-01 105
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 20-01
7. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 61-10 104
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 23-06
8. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 61-01 103
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 19-09
9. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 60-12 102
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 18-10
10. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 60-08 101
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 20-11
11. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 60-03 100
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 23-06
12. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 59-15 99
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 21-09
13. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 15 59-12 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 23-12
14. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 59-01 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 19-05
15. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 58-11 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 19-02
16. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 15 58-08 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 19-12
17. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 15 57-15 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 21-11
18. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 57-03 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 21-11
19. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 56-09 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 18-00
20. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 56-09 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 19-00
21. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 15 56-04 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 16-01
22. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 56-03 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 20-15
23. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 15 55-08 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 16-14
24. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 15 55-00 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 16-01
25. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 54-15 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 17-11
26. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 54-15 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 19-12
27. John Murray Spring City, TN 15 54-15 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 16-15
28. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 54-15 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 17-08
29. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 54-14 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 18-10
30. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 54-09 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 18-13
31. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 54-07 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 16-08
32. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-03 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 16-15
33. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 54-02 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 17-13
34. Seth Feider Isle, MN 15 53-14 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 15-08
35. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 15 53-10 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 18-05
36. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 53-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 18-04
37. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 53-00 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 18-03
38. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 52-11 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 14-12
39. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 52-08 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 17-07
40. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 51-15 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 16-02
41. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 15 51-11 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 14-03
42. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 51-07 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 16-04
43. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 51-05 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 09-10
44. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 51-02 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 14-13
45. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 50-13 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 14-10
46. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 50-11 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 14-14
47. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 15 49-12 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 14-12
48. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 15 49-09 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 11-13
49. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 15 49-01 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 14-04
50. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 48-07 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 13-09
51. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 48-00 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 12-13
Kevin VanDam Maintains Slim Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series On The St. Lawrence River
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., maintains the lead on the second day of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing out of Waddington, N.Y., with a two-day total weight of 43 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 21, 2017
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — One the biggest names in professional bass fishing history managed to hold his ground at the top of the leaderboard during Friday’s Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing.
Kevin VanDam — a four-time winner of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic and seven-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year — caught five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 8 ounces and remained in the lead with a two-day total of 43-13.
The 23-time B.A.S.S. winner from Kalamazoo, Mich., said Friday’s weather conditions in upstate New York didn’t help the technique he’s using.
“When the wind is blowing the same direction as the current, it really speeds it up — and this afternoon it was really blowing,” he said. “That makes it a lot harder to get a good drift, to get that weight moving with your bait so it’s really natural to the fish.
“When it’s calm and the current is slow, it’s a lot easier to get them to bite.”
If that’s the case, Saturday’s weather forecast, which is calling for much lighter winds, favors VanDam — and he has little margin for error.
Another former Bassmaster Classic winner, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., is right on his heels. Ashley caught 21-14 Friday and jumped from sixth place into second with a two-day total of 42-12.
Unlike VanDam, who started slow and finished strong Friday, Ashley caught good fish immediately.
“I started off with a bang,” said Ashley, who won the 2015 Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell. “My first fish weighed about 4-12, and then I caught three big ones real quick.”
Then things cooled off, as Ashley said he was also affected by the wind.
“After I caught those first four, things got really slow,” he said. “But I could still see the fish in there.
“The wind shifted and was blowing more west than south. In that place where I’m fishing, they just seem to like a south wind.”
As VanDam and Ashley are battling for the tournament victory and its $100,000 first-place prize, they also occupy two of the top three spots in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Ashley is in the lead with 619 points, followed by Idaho pro Brandon Palaniuk (615) and VanDam (604).
Another developing storyline for the event is the battle between KVD and his nephew, Jonathon VanDam.
The younger VanDam caught 21-15 Friday and moved into third place with 42-8.
“It’s supercool when we’re both in the running,” KVD said. “We talk multiple times during practice just to see what the other is seeing and finding out. We fish, really, very differently. But the general things make a big difference when you’re smallmouth fishing.
“He’s got a lot of pressure on him right now to qualify for the Classic, but he’s also got a lot of confidence. That’s one thing that all VanDams have is a lot of confidence.”
Jonathon, who has missed the Classic the past three years, said the fishing has been slow for him — despite what the standings say.
“I think I’m around the right kind of fish, but it’s just really hard to get them to bite,” he said. “I’m just fishing shallow and only getting a handful of bites.
“I’m around some really big ones. All of the ones that I’ve weighed in so far haven’t even been close to what I’ve seen.”
Palaniuk made the biggest jump Friday with a 25-pound bag that pushed his two-day total to 40-15. He rose from 72nd place all the way to ninth.
“It’s all about the area here, getting around the right fish,” Palaniuk said. “Today, I went to an area that I found in practice, and they were there.
“I didn’t go there yesterday because I thought I could catch 22 to 25 doing something else.”
The field will now be trimmed to the Top 51 anglers for Saturday’s semifinal round. Takeoff will be at 6:15 a.m. ET from Whittaker Park, with the weigh-in scheduled back at the park for 3:15 p.m.
Only the Top 12 anglers will advance to Championship Sunday.
The event is hosted by the Village of Waddington.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Power-Pole, Shell Rotella, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 HUK Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing 7/20-7/23
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 43-13 110 $500.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 19-08
2. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 42-12 109
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-14
3. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 42-08 108
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-15
4. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 42-02 107
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-08
5. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 42-00 106
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 21-08
6. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 41-11 105
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 20-03
7. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 10 41-09 104
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-00
8. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 41-08 103
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-12
9. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 10 40-15 102
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-00
10. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 10 40-03 101
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 20-10
11. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 39-13 100
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 18-01
12. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 39-12 99
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 20-10
13. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 39-09 98
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 16-03
14. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 10 38-15 97
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 17-05
15. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 10 38-12 96
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-05
16. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 10 38-10 95
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 16-15
17. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 38-09 94
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 19-00
18. Seth Feider Isle, MN 10 38-06 93
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 15-11
19. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 10 38-06 92
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 18-00
20. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 38-04 91
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 19-08
21. John Murray Spring City, TN 10 38-00 90
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 19-02
22. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 37-15 89
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 20-09
23. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 37-15 88
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 17-07
24. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 10 37-12 87
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 18-13
25. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 10 37-09 86
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-04
26. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 10 37-08 85
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 15-04
27. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 37-07 84
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-06
28. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 37-04 83
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 21-10
29. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 37-04 82
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 20-00
30. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 36-13 81
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-13
31. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 36-05 80
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 15-13
32. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 36-05 79
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 18-11
33. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 10 36-04 78
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 16-03
34. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 10 36-04 77
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-07
35. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 36-03 76
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 16-07
36. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 10 36-00 75
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-12
37. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 35-13 74
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 14-11
38. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 35-13 73
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-15
39. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 35-12 72
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 19-07
40. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 35-08 71
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 18-01
41. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 35-05 70
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 15-10
42. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 35-04 69
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 21-10
43. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 35-03 68
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 20-12
44. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 35-03 67
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-09
45. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 35-03 66
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 16-14
46. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 35-01 65
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 17-11
47. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 35-00 64
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-06
48. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 10 35-00 63
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-00
49. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 34-14 62
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 19-15
50. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 10 34-13 61
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 15-10
51. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 34-13 60
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 15-14
52. Gary Klein Mingus, TX 10 34-12 59
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 15-09
53. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 34-08 58
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 13-15
54. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 34-03 57
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 18-00
55. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 33-14 56
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 13-03
56. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 33-11 55
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 18-10
57. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 33-08 54
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 16-03
58. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 33-07 53
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 18-02
59. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 33-03 52
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 16-04
60. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 33-01 51
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 16-14
61. David Williams Newton, NC 10 33-00 50
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-11
62. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 32-15 49
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 13-10
63. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 10 32-13 48
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 17-13
64. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 32-09 47
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 17-02
65. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 10 32-08 46
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 13-14
66. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 32-06 45
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 15-11
67. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 32-04 44
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 12-13
68. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 10 32-04 43
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 16-01
69. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 10 32-00 42
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 16-09
70. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 31-14 41
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 13-10
71. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 31-14 40
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 17-09
72. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 31-09 39
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 12-00
73. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 10 31-09 38
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 12-12
74. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 10 31-09 37
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 13-04
75. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 31-07 36
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 13-13
76. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 9 31-04 35
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 4 12-10
77. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 30-14 34
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 15-08
78. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 10 30-10 33
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 14-07
79. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 10 30-09 32
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-02
80. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 30-09 31
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 14-08
81. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 30-08 30
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 15-04
82. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 30-07 29
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-04
83. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, FL 10 30-07 28
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-00
84. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 10 29-12 27
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 13-08
85. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 29-09 26
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 15-03
86. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 29-07 25
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 15-04
87. Darrell Ocamica New Plymouth, ID 10 28-15 24
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 15-02
88. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 28-12 23
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 13-13
89. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 28-11 22
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 15-02
90. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 9 28-09 21
Day 1: 4 10-01 Day 2: 5 18-08
91. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 28-06 20
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 13-02
92. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 28-05 19
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 16-11
93. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 27-13 18
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 12-08
94. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 27-11 17
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 16-04
95. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 27-09 16
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 15-03
96. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 27-07 15
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-12
97. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 27-02 14
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 18-11
98. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 27-00 13
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 17-14
99. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 8 26-03 12
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 3 09-07
100. Fred Roumbanis London, AR 10 25-15 11
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 10-02
101. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 25-14 10
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 13-00
102. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 10 25-02 9
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-11
103. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 24-14 8
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 11-02
104. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 24-08 7
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 15-03
105. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 23-06 6
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 12-12
106. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 9 22-08 5
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 5 12-06
107. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 9 20-12 4
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 4 06-11
108. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 11-13 3
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 1 02-01
109. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 1 05-09 2
Day 1: 1 05-09 Day 2: 0 00-
Iaconelli’s Smallmouth Smorgasbord
Mike Iaconelli jumped out of his Toyota Tundra shaking his head in amazement at the weighty limits of smallmouth that were brought to the scales on the first day of competition at the Bassmaster Elite Series on the St. Lawrence River.
“They smashed ‘em yesterday!” exclaimed Iaconelli, as he removed the motor toter from his Yamaha in preparation for Day 2 launch.
Fact is, Iaconelli smashed them too. He brought 20 pounds to the scales, yet still, it was only good enough for 14th place.
"These fish have so much to eat, such an incredible forage base, they’ve just all grown up and gotten bigger over the years here,” says Iaconelli in reference to his 20 years of tournament fishing experience on the massive St. Lawrence that connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.
“In the 1990s it was all about largemouth fishing near Clayton and Alexandria Bay, and then, the gobies invaded Lake Ontario, and the smallmouth fishing got really good in the big lake. But these days this main river right here near Waddington is so healthy with a smorgasbord of forage to feast on that the smallmouth are just flourishing,” says Ike.
“When I caught fish in practice here earlier this week, they spit-up everything from gobies to smelt, plus tiny perch, crawfish and alewife. It’s crazy how much food they have to eat here,” explains the 2006 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year.
The leaderboard proves Ike’s theory correct. His Toyota teammate, Kevin VanDam busted a massive 24-pound limit anchored by a 6-pound beast of a bronzeback, and those who caught a typically very respectful 15-pound limit, found themselves all the way down in 80th place after the first day of competition.
So what lures does Iaconelli lean on most for mimicking the smallmouth-growing groceries of the St. Lawrence?
Tube Jigs – “Green pumpkin with black fleck, or watermelon with gold fleck are my two favorites, and they both resemble so many of the natural forage these fish feast on.”
Drop Shot – “I’m loving the brand new Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm that just came out at the ICAST show last week. Smallmouth are all about feeding by scent and sight, and not only does that bait look natural, but it’s packed with scent too.”
4” Swimbait – “It seems like the biggest smallmouth always bite a swimbait because it’s just a hair larger than the other lures they see a lot of. And while big smallies may not eat as often, when they do, it seems like they want a big meal.”
Iaconelli might not be the part-time chef that Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is, but he certainly knows what to feed a smallmouth, and here on the St. Lawrence River that includes a wide variety of ‘groceries’ and lots of them.
Kevin VanDam Takes Early Lead At Bassmaster Elite At The St. Lawrence River
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., took the lead on the first day of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing, bringing 24 pounds, 5 ounces to the scales on Thursday.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 20, 2017
Kevin VanDam Takes Early Lead At Bassmaster Elite At The St. Lawrence River
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — After one round of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence presented by Go RVing, a familiar storyline has emerged.
Kevin VanDam, the Michigan superstar who already holds two B.A.S.S. victories on the St. Lawrence River, caught five bass Thursday that weighed 24 pounds, 5 ounces to take the lead in his latest chance at a big win on the fishery that splits upstate New York and Canada.
“Back when we used to have a lot of tournaments up here, I always fished the lake (Ontario),” said VanDam, who won two events on the St. Lawrence in 1995 and 1999. “I never really fished the river back then. So, every time I come here I learn a little bit more about it.”
Lake Ontario is off limits this year as it has been for the last two Elite Series trips to the St. Lawrence River.
VanDam said it was hard to gauge his chances of winning the $100,000 first-place prize after just one day because the fishing is so sporadic. He doesn’t know how his pattern will play out over a four-day event.
“There’s not huge numbers of fish,” he said. “It’s not like I’m working through hundreds of fish to get the ones I’m bringing to the scales. You pull up into a spot and you might catch one or two, but that’s it.
“You certainly can’t script it to know that you’re going to catch the kind of size I was able to catch today.”
The river is at its highest level in a century, but the conditions certainly didn’t seem to hurt the fishing. The Top 83 competitors in the 109-angler field caught at least 15 pounds of bass, and it took 20-1 to make the Top 20.
“The one thing the high water has done is changed the current,” VanDam said. “There used to be places where I would fish closer to the bank and the current would just be ripping. But now with the water higher, it seems slower in some of those places.
“With all of this water, it just seems like it’s fast in some places and slower in others — it definitely has changed.”
VanDam’s catch was only slight better than that of Virginia angler Bill Lowen, who placed second with 23-6.
Lowen — a noted shallow-water angler — brought all smallmouth to the scales Thursday, including two 5-pounders.
“I actually thought I had two 6-pounders, but they were just real long with no bellies,” said Lowen, who has 17 Top 10 finishes with B.A.S.S., but no wins. “In the area I was fishing, I think they were feeding on perch, crawfish and all kinds of little minnows.”
Third place was occupied by Seth Feider — a noted smallmouth specialist, whose fortunes took a big upward swing when the Elite Series schedule moved north last year.
“I didn’t execute that well today,” said Feider, who caught 22-11. “I could have done a little better, maybe another pound or so. But I’ve definitely got a lot of spots going.
“I was pretty much done by 10 a.m. today, so I went looking — and because of that, I found another really good spot around 2 o’clock.”
With the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race headed down its final stretch, the names at the top of the list shifted Thursday. South Carolina angler Casey Ashley caught 21-14 — good for sixth place in the tournament — and overtook Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe as the AOY leader.
VanDam moved into second in the AOY standings, with Jason Christie, Edwin Evers, Jacob Wheeler and DeFoe following close behind.
VanDam also moved into the early lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of the week with a bass that weighed 6-1.
The tournament will resume Friday, with a 6:15 a.m. ET take off from Whittaker Park. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m.
At the end of Friday’s second round, the 109-angler field will be trimmed to the Top 51. After Saturday’s semifinal, only the Top 12 will advance to Championship Sunday.
The event is hosted by the Village of Waddington.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Minn Kota, Power-Pole, Shell Rotella, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Advance Auto Parts, Livingston Lures, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, T-H Marine, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 HUK Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence presented by Go RVing 7/20-7/23
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 24-05 110
Day 1: 5 24-05
2. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 23-06 109
Day 1: 5 23-06
3. Seth Feider Isle, MN 5 22-11 108
Day 1: 5 22-11
4. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 5 22-09 107
Day 1: 5 22-09
5. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 5 22-04 106
Day 1: 5 22-04
6. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 21-14 105
Day 1: 5 21-14
7. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 21-12 104
Day 1: 5 21-12
8. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 21-12 103
Day 1: 5 21-12
9. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 5 21-11 102
Day 1: 5 21-11
10. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 21-10 101
Day 1: 5 21-10
11. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 21-08 100
Day 1: 5 21-08
12. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 21-02 99
Day 1: 5 21-02
13. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 20-11 98
Day 1: 5 20-11
14. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 20-09 97
Day 1: 5 20-09
14. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 20-09 97
Day 1: 5 20-09
16. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 20-08 95
Day 1: 5 20-08
16. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 20-08 95
Day 1: 5 20-08
16. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 20-08 95
Day 1: 5 20-08
19. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 20-06 92
Day 1: 5 20-06
20. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 20-01 91
Day 1: 5 20-01
21. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 19-14 90
Day 1: 5 19-14
22. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 19-12 89
Day 1: 5 19-12
23. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 19-11 88
Day 1: 5 19-11
24. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 19-10 87
Day 1: 5 19-10
25. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 5 19-09 86
Day 1: 5 19-09
25. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 19-09 86
Day 1: 5 19-09
27. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 19-09 84
Day 1: 5 19-09
28. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 5 19-07 83
Day 1: 5 19-07
29. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 19-07 82
Day 1: 5 19-07
30. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 19-05 81
Day 1: 5 19-05
31. Gary Klein Mingus, TX 5 19-03 80
Day 1: 5 19-03
31. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 19-03 80
Day 1: 5 19-03
33. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 19-02 78
Day 1: 5 19-02
34. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 19-01 77
Day 1: 5 19-01
35. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 19-00 76
Day 1: 5 19-00
36. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 18-15 75
Day 1: 5 18-15
37. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 18-15 74
Day 1: 5 18-15
38. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 18-14 73
Day 1: 5 18-14
39. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 5 18-13 72
Day 1: 5 18-13
39. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 18-13 72
Day 1: 5 18-13
41. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 18-12 70
Day 1: 5 18-12
42. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 18-10 69
Day 1: 5 18-10
42. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 18-10 69
Day 1: 5 18-10
44. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 18-05 67
Day 1: 5 18-05
44. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 18-05 67
Day 1: 5 18-05
44. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 18-05 67
Day 1: 5 18-05
44. David Williams Newton, NC 5 18-05 67
Day 1: 5 18-05
48. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 18-04 63
Day 1: 5 18-04
49. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 18-03 62
Day 1: 5 18-03
50. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 5 18-00 61
Day 1: 5 18-00
51. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 17-10 60
Day 1: 5 17-10
51. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 17-10 60
Day 1: 5 17-10
53. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 17-07 58
Day 1: 5 17-07
54. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 17-06 57
Day 1: 5 17-06
54. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 17-06 57
Day 1: 5 17-06
56. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 17-05 55
Day 1: 5 17-05
57. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 17-04 54
Day 1: 5 17-04
57. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 17-04 54
Day 1: 5 17-04
59. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 16-15 52
Day 1: 5 16-15
60. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 16-12 51
Day 1: 5 16-12
61. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 16-11 50
Day 1: 5 16-11
62. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 16-10 49
Day 1: 5 16-10
62. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 16-10 49
Day 1: 5 16-10
64. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, FL 5 16-07 47
Day 1: 5 16-07
65. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 16-05 46
Day 1: 5 16-05
66. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 16-04 45
Day 1: 5 16-04
67. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 16-03 44
Day 1: 5 16-03
67. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 16-03 44
Day 1: 5 16-03
67. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 16-03 44
Day 1: 5 16-03
67. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 16-03 44
Day 1: 5 16-03
71. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 16-01 40
Day 1: 5 16-01
72. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 15-15 39
Day 1: 5 15-15
73. Fred Roumbanis London, AR 5 15-13 38
Day 1: 5 15-13
74. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 15-10 37
Day 1: 5 15-10
75. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 15-07 36
Day 1: 5 15-07
75. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 15-07 36
Day 1: 5 15-07
77. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 15-06 34
Day 1: 5 15-06
78. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 15-05 33
Day 1: 5 15-05
78. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 15-05 33
Day 1: 5 15-05
80. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 15-04 31
Day 1: 5 15-04
81. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 15-04 30
Day 1: 5 15-04
82. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 15-01 29
Day 1: 5 15-01
83. Alton Jones Jr. Lorena, TX 5 15-00 28
Day 1: 5 15-00
84. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 14-15 27
Day 1: 5 14-15
84. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 14-15 27
Day 1: 5 14-15
86. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 14-11 25
Day 1: 5 14-11
87. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 14-07 24
Day 1: 5 14-07
88. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 14-06 23
Day 1: 5 14-06
89. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 14-05 22
Day 1: 5 14-05
90. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 14-03 21
Day 1: 5 14-03
91. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 14-01 20
Day 1: 5 14-01
92. Darrell Ocamica New Plymouth, ID 5 13-13 19
Day 1: 5 13-13
93. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 13-12 18
Day 1: 5 13-12
94. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 13-10 17
Day 1: 5 13-10
95. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 13-09 16
Day 1: 5 13-09
96. Gerald Spohrer Gonzales, LA 5 13-07 15
Day 1: 5 13-07
97. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 12-14 14
Day 1: 5 12-14
98. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 12-07 13
Day 1: 5 12-07
99. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 12-06 12
Day 1: 5 12-06
100. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 11-10 11
Day 1: 5 11-10
101. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 11-07 10
Day 1: 5 11-07
102. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 10-10 9
Day 1: 5 10-10
103. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 4 10-02 8
Day 1: 4 10-02
104. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 4 10-01 7
Day 1: 4 10-01
105. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 3 09-12 6
Day 1: 3 09-12
106. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 09-05 5
Day 1: 5 09-05
107. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 09-02 4
Day 1: 5 09-02
108. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 08-07 3
Day 1: 5 08-07
109. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 1 05-09 2
Day 1: 1 05-09
Marina Fire on Lake Texoma Consumes 10-to-15 'Big' Boats
A big fire broke out on a Lake Texoma marina dock Wednesday morning destroying 10-to-15 boats, including some yachts. Several explosions were also reported at the disaster that occurred at Highport Marina.
The Dallas-Fort Worth CBS affiliate reports:
POTTSBORO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – A fire and several explosions broke out at a marina on Lake Texoma Wednesday morning.
The fire, and subsequent explosions, started on U Dock at the Highport Marina in Pottsboro. Flames and thick, black smoke could be seen for miles.
Officials don’t yet know how the fire started but flames spread from boat to boat. Witnesses said that a maintenance crew was working on a boat when it caught fire.
Texas Game Warden Capt. Steve Stapleton said there are 10 to 15 “large boats” on fire and every one of them will like burn into the water.
Stapleton said most of the boats are ‘high-end’ and some of them are yachts.
One woman who owns a detailing business in the area said, “I feel very helpless for sure… I feel very sorry for a lot of clients [and] boat owners for sure.”
The Grayson County Fire Marshal is in charge of the investigation.
Officials said that up to 15 boats and a dock were destroyed. Boat owners said that the damage could top one million dollars.
A post on the marina’s Facebook page said that no one was hurt in the incident.
Y'all Play Nice and Follow Us on Instagram
“Put your best foot forward.” It was solid advice when your grandma gave it to you. It holds true today. And you know it.
So why all the negativity on social media when someone highlights a big fish in the most desirable light and at the best camera angle to show off its size and beauty?
In a word: Insecurity.
As we at @AnglersChannel have been following our fishing friends on Instagram we’ve noticed some disheartening comments from some, apparently, bitter souls.
Post a pic of a big one and most folks will appreciate your accomplishment, leave words of encouragement, and celebrate with you.
BUT then the armchair bass pros will emerge from their sofas to remark that the fish isn’t that big. You pulled a trick or two to make it look big. In fact, it’s probably a 3-pounder, not a 7. Never mind that many of these know-it-alls haven’t caught even a 3-pounder in a while.
I guess we’re supposed to take our 7-pound bass, run off 50 yards away and snug it up tight to our chest so it looks like a tiny bluegill. That might make some of these wise-crackers feel less insecure about the size of their . . . bass.
Seriously, would you want your wife or girlfriend to go out someplace special with absolutely no makeup? Some are gorgeous enough to do so, but they will always look better with just a touch here or there, the right clothes for their body type, etc.
Your truck probably has a coat of paint on it right? Well, maybe that’s not the best example. But you get my point.
Hold that fish up and out proudly! Make it look as big as you can. It’s more fun for all of us that way – even if we are laughing along with you a little.
Put your best foot forward.
Or in this case, put your best fish forward. And ignore those petty, jealous, miserable souls in the peanut gallery.
And hey, be sure to tag @AnglersChannel in the pic so we can help you show it off. Yes, we’re among those who are happy to see big fish pics so share ‘em with us!
VanDam says look for more largemouth on the St. Lawrence
Much of the talk coming into the Bassmaster Elite on the St. Lawrence River centered on unusually high water on the massive seaway that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
However, Kevin VanDam says lofty water levels will only increase catches of largemouth from the 71-degree waters that create an aquatic buffet for up to 13 species of whales a couple hundred miles upriver from the Elite Series venue in Waddington, New York.
“Smallmouth definitely dominated and got the victory the last two times we competed here, but the high water we’re facing this week has sent far more largemouth shallow than what we’ve seen in the past,” says VanDam. “So largemouth will definitely play a bigger role in what guys will bring to the scales this year.”
Hence on the final day of practice, anglers must decide whether to focus on flippin’ and froggin’ for largemouth in the shallows, or draggin’ and droppin’ vertically for deeper water smallmouth on the main river.
As evidenced by the iconic soft plastic tube VanDam had tied to a Quantum Smoke spinning reel for dragging over deep water smallmouth, and in the other hand, a much contrasting swim jig for largemouth in the weedy shallows -- rest assured, the 7-time Bassmaster Toyota Angler of the Year will prepare for both.
MARTINKOVIC WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL BUCKEYE DIVISION EVENT ON OHIO RIVER
Lindsey Earns Co-angler Title
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (July 17, 2017) – Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday after catching five bass weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces. For his efforts, Martinkovic took home $6,640.
“I only fished about five miles from the takeoff ramp because the main river is flooded and there was a lot of debris,” said Martinkovic, who notched his fifth career-win in BFL competition – third on the Ohio River. “I picked apart flooded wood in less than 2 feet of water and caught 10 to 15 keepers.
“The majority of my fish were caught on a black (D&L Tackle) Advantage Jig with a black (Zoom) Super Chunk Jr. trailer,” continued Martinkovic. “I hit about 20 small areas with debris and logjams and did a lot of culling.”
Martinkovic said his personal history on the river was a crucial part of his success.
“It’s my home pool, so I know just about every piece of wood out there,” said Martinkovic. “When it’s muddy like that you have to put your head down and fish. There weren’t too many secrets out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 9-2, $4,640 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 7-7, $1,730
2nd: James Hailstones, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 7-7, $1,730
4th: Sean Wieda, Florence, Ky., five bass, 7-5, $970
5th: Ronald Nutter, Saint Louisville, Ohio, five bass, 7-2, $931
6th: Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 6-15, $762
7th: Mike Combs, Frenchburg, Ky., five bass, 6-14, $693
8th: Dave Fricke, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 6-11, $623
9th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-10, $554
10th: Craig Burwell, North Baltimore, Ohio, five bass, 6-7, $485
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Martinkovic’s limit included a 3-pound, 11-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $285.
Colton Lindsey of Raymond, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $2,178 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Colton Lindsey, Raymond, Ohio, four bass, 5-11, $2,178
2nd: Kenny Mitchell, Franklin, Ohio, five bass, 5-7, $1,039
3rd: Gary Hoffman, Stoutsville, Ohio, three bass, 5-6, $691
4th: Jeffrey Yost, Zanesfield, Ohio, three bass, 4-15, $770
5th: Lawrence Clontz, Middletown, Ohio, four bass, 4-5, $416
6th: Brett Warrick, Westerville, Ohio, four bass, 4-2, $431
7th: Bill Cordle, London, Ohio, two bass, 3-14, $346
8th: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, two bass, 3-13, $312
9th: Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, two bass, 3-8, $277
10th: Herbert Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-5, $242
Yost caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 3 ounces – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.
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. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the Barren River in Scottsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
