NORTH PORT’S KEYSO WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL GATOR DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Perry’s Wiles Grabs Co-angler Title
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (March 19, 2018) – Boater Mikey Keyso Jr. of North Port, Florida, caught a five-bass limit Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 12 ounces, to take top honors at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee. For his efforts, Keyso earned $7,663.
Keyso spent his day fishing south of the Monkey Box targeting postspawn bass in dollarweed pads. He said he rotated between two areas, and used a Texas-rigged Junebug-colored Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper with 3/8- and ¼-ounce weights to catch his fish.
“There was a new moon and most people focused on spawning bass,” said Keyso, who earned his second career win on Lake Okeechobee in BFL competition. “A wave of bluegill were also spawning, so I Power-Poled down and just slow-rolled my bait through the pads.”
The Florida angler said he used a Fitzgerald Fishing Bryan Thrift Series Frog Rod with 50-pound-test braid line, and estimated that he caught 45 keepers throughout the tournament.
“The water had to be a little dirty. The big ones committed to the bait in dirty water,” said Keyso. “And when they committed, they just destroyed it. It was a fun bite.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mikey Keyso Jr., North Port, Fla., five bass, 24-12, $5,663 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Matthew Jerdan, Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 22-13, $2,232
3rd: Jesus Villegas, Virginia Gardens, Fla., five bass, 20-10, $1,489
4th: Chris Crow, Lake Placid, Fla., five bass, 19-14, $1,041
5th: Mark Blevins, Palatka, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,633
6th: Nathan Thomas, Weirsdale, Fla., five bass, 18-15, $818
7th: Fred Chivington Jr., Welaka, Fla., five bass, 18-13, $744
8th: Greg Harp, Vero Beach, Fla., five bass, 17-11, $669
9th: Kyle Giella, Parrish, Fla., five bass, 17-5, $595
10th: George Kapiton, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 16-12, $521
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Blevins weighed a 7-pound, 14-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $640.
Michael Wiles of Perry, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,432 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Michael Wiles, Perry, Fla., five bass, 19-13, $2,432
2nd: Justin Brown, Frostproof, Fla., five bass, 17-7, $1,166
3rd: Delfin Pernas, Miami, Fla., five bass, 16-8, $743
4th: Jeffrey Shaffer, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 15-14, $521
5th: Junior Iriban, Lantana, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $446
6th: Tom Jessup, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 14-8, $409
7th: Shannon Bryson, Merritt Island, Fla., five bass, 14-5, $372
8th: Bruce Greer, Lake Worth, Fla., five bass, 14-2, $335
9th: Timothy Hibbs, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $298
10th: Jackie Barber, Cocoa, Fla., two bass, 13-9, $580
Barber caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $320.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division event on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourist Development Council.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 11-13 BFL Regional Championship on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
VANEGMOND WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL BULLDOG DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OCONEE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Marietta’s Slupczynski Claims Co-angler Title
BUCKHEAD, Ga. (March 19, 2018) – Boater Tim Vanegmond of Gay, Georgia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces, to take top honors at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division tournament on Lake Oconee presented by Navionics. Vanegmond earned $4,806 for his win.
“I caught everything flipping a green-pumpkin-colored (Reaction Innovations) Sweet Beaver and (Strike King) Structure Bug under docks,” said Vanegmond, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “I had to skip the bait all the way to the center, that’s the only way I could get a bite.”
Vanegmond said he spent his time fishing 15 docks, in sight of the takeoff ramp in Sugar Creek. He said once he figured out the fish weren’t on the dock’s edges, the bite improved dramatically.
“It took me about two hours to get my first bite, but after that I really started catching them,” said Vanegmond. “I probably had 18 fish throughout the rest of the day including my biggest at 4½ pounds.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tim Vanegmond, Gay, Ga., five bass, 18-11, $4,806
2nd: Terry Adams, Mansfield, Ga., five bass, 15-9, $2,403
3rd: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 14-4, $1,605
4th: Joe Jackson, Newnan, Ga., five bass, 13-6, $1,121
5th: Frank Kitchens III, Oxford, Ga., five bass, 13-0, $1,461
6th: Stacy Adams, Hazlehurst, Ga., five bass, 12-7, $981
7th: Mark Svendsen, Doraville, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $801
8th: Pat Fisher, Colbert, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $721
9th: David Pettis, Tifton, Ga., five bass, 11-10, $641
10th: Tony Couch, Buckhead, Ga., five bass, 11-9, $561
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Girard Jones of Macon, Georgia, weighed a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $725.
Adam Slupczynski of Marietta, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,403 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Adam Slupczynski, Marietta, Ga., four bass, 8-1, $2,403
2nd: Scott Sayasing, Grantville, Ga., two bass, 7-13, $1,563
3rd: Donald Peppers, Good Hope, Ga., four bass, 7-10, $806
4th: Thom Dickson, Cartersville, Ga., two bass, 7-8, $561
5th: Christopher Wilder, Macon, Ga., two bass, 7-1, $581
6th: Ariska Savior, Atlanta, Ga., three bass, 6-12, $441
7th: Steve Garrett, Bishop, Ga., three bass, 6-11, $400
8th: Frank Godwin Jr., Bainbridge, Ga., four bass, 6-9, $410
9th: James South, Dawsonville, Ga., two bass, 6-4, $300
9th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., four bass, 6-4, $300
Sayasing caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $362.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 11-13 BFL Regional Championship on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Record field at Bass Champs Mega Bass event – Garrett Hall wins by 4/100ths of a pound with an 11.38 pound Lunker!!!
| By: Patty Lenderman |
| Record field at Bass Champs Mega Bass event – Garrett Hall wins by 4/100ths of a pound! By Patty LendermanIt was a sight to be seen on Lake Fork March 17, 2018 as Bass Champs hosted their 10th annual Sportsman’s Auto Network Mega Bass tournament – the worlds’ richest one day hourly big bass event. Setting new records, over 1900 anglers from Canada and 23 states spanning from Ohio to Texas converged at Lake Fork Marina where three eleven pounders were weighed throughout the day, and over $100,000 was won in cash and prizes to top hourly winners. Garrett Hall of Kilgore, TX caught THE mega bass of the day to win the grand prize of a new Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha SHO and equipped with Lowrance and Power Pole.$20,000 was guaranteed to be up for grabs every hour of the day. The person weighing in the biggest bass of each hour won $15,000! You rarely see any bass weighed in between four and just over eight pounds. Those fish generally measure in the ‘slot’ and must be released immediately. Only bass under 16” or over 24” can be retained and brought in to weigh. When the scales opened, the race was on to see who would catch not only a “money fish” each hour, but who would go home with the additional grand prize of a fully rigged Skeeter boat. All but two hours of the day the top winners had caught bass over the slot limit, and overall weights were tight. The first double digit sow came in during the 9:00 hour caught by Owen Rowland at 11.34 lbs. His $15,000 check was secured, but he had a long wait until the scales closed to see if anyone else would catch a bigger bass, winning the boat. The next few hours only bass under the slot were weighed, and Owen’s hopes were high. It wasn’t until the 1:00 hour that yet another eleven pounder was brought in. It was another giant, and the weights were definitely going to be close. With all eyes on the scales, Garrett Hall of Kilgore, TX took his bass to the scales, and it locked in at 11.38 lbs, overtaking the top weight by 4/100ths of a pound!! It wasn’t over yet. There was still one hour to go. In that last hour, another giant was brought in by Bryan Toombs of Royse City, TX. At this point the crowd watching the scales was quite large, and everyone watched as this fat momba jomba was heaved to the stage. Tipping the scales at 11.13 lbs, a combination of cheers and awe’s came from the onlookers as the weigh in came to a final end. When it was all said and done, Garrett Hall received not only the $15,000 check for top bass of the hour, but a brand new fully rigged Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha SHO, equipped with Lowrance and Power Pole – all total his winnings were over $70,000! “My partner and I had gone north to shallow banks looking for fish,” Garrett began. “We managed to catch a few, but just started working our way southward.” They had some luck on a Space Monkey, square billed crank baits, and senko’s. “My partner tied on a white chatter bait, and he was having some pretty good luck with that, so I dug in my tackle box and tied one on too.” It wasn’t long before his partner got hung up and broke his bait off, so Garrett went to the front of the boat to run the trolling motor while he re-rigged. “He got his pole ready and asked if I wanted him to get back on the trolling motor, but I told him I was fine and just kept fishing.” Within three or four casts, Garrett got the bite. “As soon as I set the hook, I knew it was a good fish. It took a couple of cranks to get her turned my direction, and as soon as I did she turned and started peeling line.” After a battle of wills, he got her to the boat where his partner secured her in the net with the first attempt. “We took pictures, and guessed it was around 12 pounds. I tried to fish some more after that, but couldn’t. This is the biggest fish I have ever caught!” They decided to bring it in to weigh. “I heard on the radio that 11.34 was leading.” Putting his big catch on the scales, her weight tallied to 11.38 lbs, and it was announced that he was now leading the tournament. Chad Potts asked Garrett if that made him nervous. “YES - I figured he would have a good chance at winning an hour but I didn’t figure I would win the whole tournament! This is one fish I will never forget.” “We have such a great time hosting this event,” declared Chad Potts, President of Bass Champs. “Lake Fork holds such quality bass that makes these weigh ins that much more spectacular. We’d like to thank everyone for coming to fish this with us again this year, and especially those who come from such long distances. Congratulations to all of our winners, and we’ll look forward to seeing you again next year!” |
| Top 50 finishers listed below - to see results by hour click here | |||||
| Angler | City | State | Weight | Prize Amount | |
| GARETT HALL | Kilgore | TX | 11.38 |
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| GARETT HALL | Kilgore | TX | 11.38 |
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| OWEN ROWLAND | Bearden | AR | 11.34 |
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| BRYAN TOOMBS | Royse City | TX | 11.13 |
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| ERIC WORLEY | Fort Worth | TX | 9.65 |
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| ANTHONY JONES | Irving | TX | 8.40 |
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| ALAN SWARTS | Mt Vernon | TX | 2.55 |
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| RICHARD MICHAELS | Alba | TX | 2.50 |
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| JASON BOND | Shreveport | LA | 2.50 |
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| AUSTIN WILLIAMS | Kermit | TX | 10.51 |
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| PAUL DARNELL | Paris | TX | 2.68 |
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| JERRY GREEN | Glenwood | AR | 2.68 |
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| JUSTIN GARNETT | Corsicana | TX | 2.52 |
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| BRODY HANNA | Corsicana | TX | 2.46 |
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| KYLE SMIRL | Henrietta | TX | 2.41 |
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| JONATHON CARTER | New Orleans | LA | 6.56 |
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| JUSTIN SILLIVAN | Simms | TX | 2.59 |
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| JOHN LITTLE | Texarkana | AR | 2.46 |
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| GREG TAYLOR | Forney | TX | 2.45 |
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| TODD ANDERSON | Ovilla | TX | 2.40 |
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| DONALD THOMAS | Beebe | AR | 2.36 |
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| MARLIN HICKS | Lewisville | TX | 2.46 |
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| TERRY BOLEY | Trent | TX | 2.46 |
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| BOBBY CLEMENTS | Simms | TX | 2.76 |
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| TYLER HERRING | Emerson | AR | 2.58 |
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| SHAWN OMALLEY | Wylie | TX | 2.42 |
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| CODY HANNA | Richland | TX | 2.38 |
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| TERRY KEMP | Alba | TX | 2.35 |
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| PHILIP WASSON | Leland | MS | 2.33 |
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| SAM BOWNDS | Wichita Falls | TX | 2.67 |
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| TERRY NOYES | Winnsboro | TX | 2.41 |
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| JESSE RAWLS | Brownsboro | TX | 2.39 |
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| BILLY CARAWAY | North Richland Hills | TX | 2.34 |
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| DAVID WESTBROOK | Rowlett | TX | 2.32 |
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| RICHARD CRESSWELL | Wichita Falls | TX | 2.31 |
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| JOHN TALLEY | Quitman | TX | 2.57 |
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| JEFF NOBLE | Tyler | TX | 2.57 |
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| PEGGY CROSS | Keller | TX | 2.65 |
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| JOE CARATHERS | Queen City | TX | 2.38 |
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| ROGER WELLS | Waxahachie | TX | 2.37 |
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| LOUIE ADAMS III | Argyle | TX | 2.30 |
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| RICHARD SMITH | Oklahoma City | OK | 2.29 |
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| BRANDON BURTON | Canton | TX | 2.33 |
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| JEFFERY JONES | Cooper | TX | 2.33 |
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| RILEY GILL | Princeton | TX | 2.64 |
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| RALPH MUNK | Gladewater | TX | 2.56 |
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| MIKE CALLAHAN | Fort Worth | TX | 2.36 |
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| LEE BATSON | Heath | TX | 2.35 |
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| FRANCIS PELOWSKI | Red Oak | TX | 2.25 |
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| ROBERT TAYLOR | Caddo Mills | TX | 2.23 |
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Shane Logan and Tony Ferdinando top 197 teams on Travis with 27.32 pounds for TTZ Tournament Win & $10,000
| Pl | ANGLER 1 | ANGLER 2 | FISH | BIG BASS | WT | PRIZE |
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| 1 | TONY FERDINANDO | SHANE LOGAN | 5 | 6.85 | 27.32 | $10,000 |
| 2 | JAKE KENNAMER | BRADLEY BRISCOE | 5 | 8.25 | 23.68 | $5,000 + $1,970 Big Bass + $500 BIOBOR Bonus + Shimano Loyalty Program - Curado K (Bradley Briscoe) |
| 3 | BRIAN HARMS | TRAVIS GARNER | 5 | 6.61 | 22.46 | $3,500 |
| 4 | TIM MCNEAL | JAKE READ | 5 | 20.02 | $2,500 | |
| 5 | LANDON GLASS | MANDI GLASS | 5 | 19.75 | $1,750 | |
| 6 | GERARD RUMSEY | ERIC VASQUEZ | 5 | 18.87 | $1,500 | |
| 7 | CHARLES WHITED | BILL POLKINGHORN | 5 | 6.64 | 18.40 | $1,250 |
| 8 | GREG SHEPPERD | GARRETT SHEPPERD | 4 | 8.13 | 18.15 | $1,000 |
| 9 | BILLY MCCRARY II | KEITH HEINRICH | 5 | 7.42 | 17.15 | $900 |
| 10 | DALE READ | JIM SUNVISON | 5 | 16.46 | $800 | |
| 11 | RANDY HIBLER | RANDALL CHRISTIAN | 5 | 16.04 | $700 | |
| 12 | PRESTON DANNA | CJ OATES | 5 | 6.17 | 15.96 | $600 |
| 13 | THOMAS HOWE | PHILIP THOMPSON | 5 | 5.53 | 15.82 | $550 |
| 14 | BRUCE DAVIS | CHAD THIEL | 5 | 15.74 | $500 | |
| 15 | RONNIE MATHIS | DON SCHUETZE | 5 | 15.26 | $450 | |
| 16 | JARED SMITH | DUSTIN SMITH | 5 | 14.99 | $425 | |
| 17 | LEE BEUERSHAUSEN | RANDY GROUNDS | 5 | 14.78 | $400 | |
| 18 | TIM DIXON | LARRY HAYES | 5 | 14.62 | $375 | |
| 19 | DEAN GOLMON | JAYSON KISSELBURG | 5 | 14.55 | $350 | |
| 20 | NOEL LOWE | PHILLIP MASSOLETTI | 5 | 14.52 | $325 | |
| 21 | JUSTIN FISHER | BRYAN COTTER | 5 | 14.51 | ||
| 22 | TERRY HALL | LYNN PIERCE | 5 | 14.48 | ||
| 23 | BRANDON BRAY | JESSE FRY | 5 | 7.76 | 14.19 | |
| 24 | ZACHARY PICKLE | CLARK MANNAS | 5 | 13.87 | ||
| 25 | JAMES A. HENRY | MICHAEL ATKINS | 5 | 7.40 | 13.85 | |
| 26 | JAMIE SLAYDEN | BRANDON HOUSTON | 5 | 13.73 | ||
| 27 | CHRIS BAKER | ALAN GREEN | 5 | 13.36 | ||
| 28 | RAYMOND CALK | COREY SCHNAUTZ | 5 | 13.25 | ||
| 29 | GARRETT NELSON | JUSTIN POLLEI | 5 | 12.76 | ||
| 30 | GARRIT AFMAN | JUSTYN PARRISH | 5 | 12.54 | ||
| 31 | ROBERT MILLER | JACKY ROBERTS | 5 | 12.45 | ||
| 32 | DANIEL KURTZ | DANIEL WILLIS | 5 | 11.93 | ||
| 33 | DAVID BUECHE | JOHN WARD | 5 | 11.79 | ||
| 34 | DARREL ROUTON | JACK CULBREATH | 5 | 5.93 | 11.77 | |
| 35 | PHIL WARREN | BRIAN MATER | 5 | 11.75 | ||
| 36 | HUDSON CARLTON | FRED CATES | 5 | 11.66 | ||
| 37 | GARRETT KOSLAN | MARSHALL KOSLAN | 4 | 6.61 | 11.59 | |
| 38 | BOBBY AMIDON | MICHAEL ROBERTS | 5 | 11.44 | ||
| 39 | JASON BUCHANAN | TERRY KIRCUS | 5 | 11.35 | ||
| 40 | JAMES COTTINGHAM | TERRY ROBERTS | 5 | 11.32 | ||
| 41 | RONNY MAYNARD | ERIC CRUMLEY | 5 | 11.28 | ||
| 41 | MATT SCOTT | NICK LONCAR | 5 | 5.76 | 11.28 | |
| 43 | GARY JOHNSON | ANIBAL GUZMAN | 5 | 11.16 | ||
| 44 | BILLY FORD | WILLIAM LYNCH | 5 | 11.14 | ||
| 45 | DAMON ROSS | DONNIE ROSS | 5 | 11.12 | ||
| 46 | DANIEL BARNES | ADRIAN BARNES | 5 | 11.02 | ||
| 47 | CHRIS CONNER | KENNETH FAIRLY | 5 | 10.94 | ||
| 48 | DONNIE O'NEAL | KENNETH MCDONNEL | 5 | 10.87 | ||
| 49 | SCOTT SMITH | LANCE RAY | 5 | 10.84 | ||
| 50 | NATHEN LABAY | DONALD HUISENGA | 4 | 10.76 | ||
| 51 | HAROLD MOORE | ERIC BRIGMAN | 5 | 10.69 | ||
| 51 | TRENT BLAKE | BEAU REED | 5 | 10.69 | ||
| 53 | DARRELL WUENSCHE | JASON JONES | 5 | 10.68 | ||
| 54 | RAY TOMASITS | CARY LAUDADIO | 5 | 10.66 | Pre-Registration Winner. Two pairs of Costas | |
| 55 | NORM WILSON JR | NORM WILSON SR | 5 | 10.47 | ||
| 56 | CARSON CONKLIN | KEITH VERDICANNA | 5 | 10.44 | ||
| 56 | BLAIR COBBLE | TERRY COBBLE | 5 | 10.44 | ||
| 58 | JAMES WHITE | WAYNE ALBERTHAL | 5 | 10.40 | ||
| 59 | MATT HILL | BARRY MOTT | 5 | 10.33 | ||
| 60 | MICHAEL WALDROP | JARROD SANDERS | 5 | 10.29 | ||
| 61 | TREY GROCE | JOE BILL HALE | 5 | 10.27 | ||
| 62 | LANDRE WILSON | JIM WILSON | 5 | 10.25 | ||
| 63 | ANDREW OLIVER | DAVID STORER | 5 | 10.18 | ||
| 64 | CRAIG BULLOCK | DAVID BARATZ | 5 | 10.13 | ||
| 65 | DAVID LANDRY | EDDIE PELFREY | 4 | 10.02 | ||
| 66 | HUNTER ARTHUR | LEONARD PHILLIP | 5 | 9.93 | ||
| 67 | MATTHEW WHITTINGTON | DAVE MANGELSDORF | 5 | 9.87 | ||
| 68 | MIKE CEARLEY | DERON MUELLER JR | 5 | 9.67 | ||
| 69 | JOEY MARTIN | JACK IKONEN | 4 | 9.53 | ||
| 70 | BILL GUZMAN | TIM STEWART | 5 | 9.51 | ||
| 71 | DAVID DODSON | FRED MCWILLIAM | 5 | 9.38 | David Dodson-Shimano Loyalty Program-Curado K Reel | |
| 72 | CHUCK WARE | BOBBY WHITMIRE | 5 | 9.34 | ||
| 73 | SCOTT MEADS | TOM GRIDLEY | 5 | 9.32 | ||
| 74 | FELLER SMITH | HANK FRY | 4 | 9.29 | ||
| 75 | KEVIN THRESS | JUSTIN MAY | 5 | 9.28 | ||
| 76 | ANDER MEINE | JACOB LONG | 5 | 9.23 | ||
| 77 | JUSTIN HUMMEL | LEONARD DEBRASKA | 5 | 9.21 | ||
| 78 | JASON LARSON | JJ LARSON | 5 | 9.10 | ||
| 79 | PATRICK AMICK | WILSON AMICK | 5 | 9.09 | ||
| 80 | DAVID WENCIL | 5 | 9.08 | |||
| 81 | BRINTON HASKINS | JOHN ENCISO | 5 | 9.02 | ||
| 82 | CALEB WESTBROOK | WES JOHANNESSEN | 5 | 8.99 | ||
| 83 | LINO GUTIERREZ | RUBEN RIBERA | 4 | 8.86 | ||
| 84 | ADAM CLARK | JOSH LASSETER | 5 | 8.83 | ||
| 85 | MARK MITCHELL | WILL VAN DER HOVEN | 5 | 8.74 | ||
| 86 | COLT DIETZ | TODD IVINS | 5 | 8.67 | ||
| 87 | TONY THOMPSON | BENNETT COWAN | 5 | 8.65 | ||
| 88 | TOM WHITEHEAD | JAY JOHNSON | 3 | 8.61 | ||
| 89 | KYLE FORD | BOBBY RODRIGUEZ | 5 | 8.58 | ||
| 90 | SHAE SEALE | LARRY HOLYBEE | 5 | 8.45 | ||
| 90 | CHARLES YOUNG | RONNIE ANDREWS | 4 | 8.45 | ||
| 92 | JOHN MILLS | DAVID ACHILLES | 5 | 8.40 | ||
| 93 | GARY WEIMER | JEREMIAH WAFFORD | 5 | 8.09 | ||
| 94 | RICK HAMILTON | TONY MALDONADO | 5 | 7.97 | ||
| 95 | JAMES SCOGIN | ROLAND LOERA | 5 | 7.93 | ||
| 96 | STEVE HILL | CHARLES DORTCH | 4 | 7.66 | ||
| 97 | MICHAEL GLYNN | VICTOR MELLADO | 3 | 4.61 | 7.62 | |
| 98 | DAVID PEMBERTON | JEFF HAGER | 5 | 7.50 | ||
| 99 | BRUCE MARTIN | 4 | 7.37 | |||
| 100 | DAVID DELGADO | TRENT ERXLEBEN | 5 | 7.21 | ||
| 101 | RYAN BODE | ANDY WHITEHEAD | 5 | 7.15 | ||
| 102 | EDWARD HASHBARGER | ROWDI BIZZELL | 5 | 7.08 | ||
| 103 | CONNER ISELT | JOSH SOROKA | 5 | 7.06 | ||
| 104 | HUNTER OWENS | MASON BRYAN(Y) | 3 | 6.99 | ||
| 105 | JOEY KIRKLAND | LUPE CONTRERAS | 4 | 6.79 | ||
| 106 | DAVID HICKS | 5 | 6.16 | |||
| 107 | CHRIS WOEHL | CHRIS CLEMENTS | 4 | 5.98 | ||
| 108 | GROVER CHAMBLISS | JAMES MOORE | 4 | 5.84 | ||
| 109 | PHILLIP DOUBEK | ANDREW SWEET | 2 | 5.73 | ||
| 110 | ANTHONY GARCIA | ERIC GARCIA | 3 | 5.38 | ||
| 111 | CHRIS NORDSTROM | JEFF COURTNEY | 3 | 4.85 | ||
| 112 | MICHAEL MASTERS | ROBERT MASTERS | 2 | 4.75 | ||
| 113 | EDDIE HANSELER | SEAN HANSELER | 3 | 4.59 | ||
| 114 | JAKE MASSEY | MARTY MASSEY | 3 | 4.56 | ||
| 115 | ROBERT SCOTT | SHAWN VICKERS | 3 | 4.53 | ||
| 116 | JOSEPH MAUGHON | DAVION SPILLER(Y) | 4 | 4.31 | ||
| 117 | DUSTIN TRIMUAR | GARY SHARP | 3 | 4.04 | ||
| 118 | STEVE VAN MEETEREN | CINDY VAN MEETEREN | 2 | 3.90 | ||
| 119 | PRATT KRAMER | KATIE KRAMER | 2 | 3.81 | ||
| 120 | LORNE DORNAK | JIMMY LYNN | 2 | 3.78 | ||
| 121 | RORY HAECKER | DAVID PELATA | 2 | 3.29 | ||
| 122 | ROBERT BEARDMORE | ROBBIE BEARDMORE | 2 | 3.07 | ||
| 123 | BLAKE PAPST | JEFF PAPST | ||||
| 123 | CHAD LORENZEN | PEYTON SHIPMAN | ||||
| 123 | GERALD MUELLER | PAT MURPHY | ||||
| 123 | JAMES CANTWELL | RANDEL CANTWELL | ||||
| 123 | ERIC HAMEISTER | COREY JOHNSON | ||||
| 123 | MICKEY SANDERS | ROGER MEEK | ||||
| 123 | TOM PURSELL | KEITH BALKISSOON | ||||
| 123 | JAMES ROBERTS | DON GORDON | ||||
| 123 | ROBBIE THORSTEINSON | DAVID REID | ||||
| 123 | LARRY OWENS | ELMER OWENS | ||||
| 123 | CLIFTON WATTERS | DAVID SAPPINGTON | ||||
| 123 | SHANE SHERMAN | JAMES COMBS | ||||
| 123 | MIKE GROUNDS | KEN EVERETT | ||||
| 123 | BRENT SMITH | TAMMY SMITH | ||||
| 123 | PAUL REYNOLDS | BRIAN HOLMES | ||||
| 123 | GARY RAESZ | ANDY RIBERA | ||||
| 123 | MARK RIBERA | ANTHONY RIBERA | ||||
| 123 | ALLEN GASS | JASON STAFFORD | ||||
| 123 | RANDY ROE | TRACEY EDGAR | ||||
| 123 | MATT HUDSON | ALBERT HUDSON | ||||
| 123 | SEAN TROTTER | ALLEN SIEGL | ||||
| 123 | TYLER NUGENT | MICHAEL NUGENT | ||||
| 123 | SCOTT ROSS | MICHAEL FREEMAN | ||||
| 123 | ROBBY PAYNE | |||||
| 123 | STEPHEN MALINA | TRAVIS PROFFITT | ||||
| 123 | RONALD SISK | JOHNNY MATTHEWS | ||||
| 123 | DAN TAYLOR | ERIC FIDDLER | ||||
| 123 | JOSH COX | KEN BAILEY | ||||
| 123 | PETER RAYOS | JERRIS RAYOS | ||||
| 123 | ANDY TISCHLER | ADAM WYBORNY | ||||
| 123 | BRYAN RICHARDS | MAT KEVIL | ||||
| 123 | DEREK TAYLOR | JOHN-MICHAEL DUNAWAY | ||||
| 123 | DAVID MILLER | KEANU BRADY | ||||
| 123 | TOM LORDEN | ANDY ZAVALA | ||||
| 123 | JOHN KAPALDO | DONNIE WEBER | ||||
| 123 | RICHARD GIBSON | DANIEL GIBSON | ||||
| 123 | MICAH KIRKHART | DAN BECKMEYER | ||||
| 123 | BRYAN REECE | LACOUNTE MURRAY | ||||
| 123 | LUIS CLAVELL | MAVEN CLAVELL(Y) | ||||
| 123 | MARCUS SAMANIEGO | KELLY MAULDIN | ||||
| 123 | TRAVIS JARETT | CRUZ ISAAC | ||||
| 123 | TOM GUIDRY | JR BRIANT | ||||
| 123 | ANTHONY GOODSON | CHARLES MEREDITH | ||||
| 123 | PATRICK ANDERSON | |||||
| 123 | JOE LOOZE | DYLAN LOOZE | ||||
| 123 | TRAVIS COCKERHAM | ROGER CYR | ||||
| 123 | LOGAN CLARK | MIKE CLARK | ||||
| 123 | MARK BULLOCK | BRYAN GANO | ||||
| 123 | BRANDON KITCHENS | JEFFREY PIEL | ||||
| 123 | MARK BENNETT | CASEY BENNETT | ||||
| 123 | STEVE MAGNELIA | MIKE HASTINGS | ||||
| 123 | BRIAN VENDETTI JR | BRIAN VENDETTI SR | ||||
| 123 | MICHAEL KILE | |||||
| 123 | BRANDON DAY | CADE WILSON | ||||
| 123 | CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON | JARRID HOHENSEE | ||||
| 123 | ERIK SCHMIDT | BRANDON RASCHKE | ||||
| 123 | SAM MORROW | PAYMON HABIB | ||||
| 123 | JAMES VALCHAR | MICHAEL HARRIS(Y) | ||||
| 123 | DAVID FULLER | RUSSELL TRUITT | ||||
| 123 | BRENNAN FERTIG | PRESTON PHILLIPS | ||||
| 123 | CHUCK BROOKE | TYLER ELLIS | ||||
| 123 | WILL BERNHARD | BEAU KAISER | ||||
| 123 | JOE BRAY | CHARLES HICE | ||||
| 123 | KEN WILKINS | RICHIE LAND | ||||
| 123 | JOHNNY JOHNSON | COLE JOHNSON | ||||
| 123 | THEO SOLANO | ERIC SOLANO | ||||
| 123 | RANDAL FRISBIE | TYLER TORWICK | ||||
| 123 | DANIEL PARK | BASS HAMILTON | ||||
| 123 | TIM BRUDER | DEWAYNE MILLEGAN | ||||
| 123 | RALPH ANDERSON | PETE HUGHEY | ||||
| 123 | LEE EVANS | WADE MEHAFFEY | ||||
| 123 | CODY SMITH | CHUCK SMITH | ||||
| 123 | MARY POSTELL | JUSTIN POSTELL | ||||
| 123 | TONY ACEVEDO | RYAN WORMLEY | Costas Conservation Bonus - Two Pairs of Costa Sunglasses | |||
| 123 | SHAWN TAMEZ | CRAIG CORDOVA | Craig Cordova-Shimano Loyalty Program Winner-Curado K Reel |
Kansas State Dominates Bassmaster College Series Classic On Keowee Docks
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Diligence Rewards Floyd And Gibbons With Bassmaster High School Classic Win
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Lew’s Unveils their Lightest, Toughest Reel to Date
Some people spend their entire life chasing perfection. With the new Team Lew’s Pro-Ti SLP, they just might have caught it.
The 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell is hosting the top 52 anglers in the world. The buzz on the water is what areas will produce, what baits will be key and which angler will be able to put it all together for the $300,000 pay day and the lifelong title of Bassmaster Classic Champion. At the Bassmaster Classic Expo however, the buzz revolves around one thing – the new Team Lew’s Pro- Ti SLP baitcast reel.
Combining a one-piece aluminum frame and aluminum side plates with Titanium composition, this reel is the lightest, toughest reel ever produced by the legendary Lew’s brand to date. Hard aluminum alloy Speed Gears that have been cut on the finest Hamai CNC gear hobbing machine provide precision gear mesh that maximizes smoothness and durability. A premium 11 bearing system with double-shielded Stainless Steel ball bearings and a Zero Reverse one-way clutch bearing add to the smoothness and durability of this reel.
Not only is the new Pro-Ti SLP light and tough, but it’s also extremely user friendly to make the angler’s day on the water a success. The proprietary brake shoe geometry of the externally adjustable 6-pin, 27-position QuietCast Adjustable Centrifugal Braking System (ACB) means a quieter and smoother braking system. The exclusive and patented Speed Dial® line indicator means no more forgetting what type of line is spooled on each reel, and the patented Speed Keeper® hook keeper provides a convenient place to keep baits at the ready when not in use.
Lew’s will be unveiling the new Team Lew’s Pro-Ti SLP in Lew’s booth #3212 at the 2018 Bassmater Classic Expo at the TD Convention Center in Greenville, SC. Stop by the booth each day of the event for prizes, giveaway and to get a sneak peek at this new reel which will be available everywhere in Fall 2018.
The new Team Lew’s Pro-Ti SLP is offered in both left and right-handed models with a 7.5:1 gear ratio and will sell at an MSRP of $349.99.
Bassmaster Classic Draws Record Attendance To South Carolina’s Upstate
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Jordan Lee Becomes Third Angler To Score Back-to-Back Bassmaster Classic Victories
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Texas' Twin Buttes Reservoir Produces 13.40-Pound Share-Lunker Largemouth
AUSTIN – For the first time in more than 28 years, Twin Buttes Reservoir near San Angelo has produced a Toyota ShareLunkerlargemouth bass exceeding 13 pounds. Angler Austin Terry of San Angelo caught the 13.40 pound, 25 ¾ inch Legacy Class lunker on a Santone spinnerbait ½ ounce red river special in less than 4 feet of water at the lake March 14.
“The lake is fishing really good and there are a lot of big ones biting right now,” Terry said. “To catch a ShareLunker is pretty cool – especially for a lake where there was only 2 to 4 feet of water in there a few years ago. It’s hard to believe that there are fish that big in there.”
ShareLunker 574 is the fourth Legacy Class entry of the season and the first to come out of a lake other than Lake Fork.
“Lake Fork has been whipping everybody this year with Legacy Class entries,” said John Ingle, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Senior Fisheries Technician. “So we are pretty excited for a lake in our (San Angelo) district to produce the first 13 pound or larger ShareLunker entry outside of Lake Fork. We know these fish are out there but the anglers just have to catch them.”
The last time the reservoir produced a ShareLunker entry was in 1989, when angler David Zak caught ShareLunker 43 – a 13.00 pound, 20 inch bass. TPWD inland fisheries staff say although the fishing can be challenging in West Texas due to drought, double digit bass can be found in many area reservoirs.
“One of our struggles in West Texas is chronic drought,” said Lynn Wright, TPWD Inland Fisheries District Supervisor for San Angelo. “But despite the low water levels the bass populations are doing great out here, as evidenced by that ShareLunker. I think a lot of people are going to take notice and we may see an uptick in fishing pressure up here in West Texas.”
ShareLunker 574 was transported to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens where hatchery staff will monitor and care for her in preparation for spawning. Also in the “Lunker Bunker” are the three other Legacy Class entries of the season from Lake Fork: Toyota ShareLunker 573, a 13.06 largemouth bass caught by angler Alex Finch March 11; Toyota ShareLunker 572, a 13.00 pound largemouth bass caught by angler Michael Terrebonne March 8; and Toyota ShareLunker 571, a 15.48 pound largemouth bass caught by angler John LaBove March 2.
Texas anglers who catch a 13 pound or larger largemouth bass can loan the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program for spawning through March 31.
Every angler who loans a 13 pound or larger Legacy Class bass to the Toyota ShareLunker program during the spawning period Jan. 1 to March 31 will receive a Toyota ShareLunker Catch Kit containing branded merchandise and fishing tackle items, a 13lb+ Legacy decal, VIP access to awards programming at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest, a replica of their fish, and an entry into the year-end ShareLunker Prize Drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree and an annual fishing license. These anglers will also be entered into the Legacy Class Prize Drawing for a $5,000 shopping spree and an annual fishing license at the end of the spawning period March 31.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a longtime supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.
For updates on the Toyota ShareLunker program and to view photos of all of the 13-pound-plus largemouth bass caught this season, visit https://www.facebook.com/ShareLunkerprogram or https://texassharelunker.com/.
Jordan Lee Becomes a Bass Fishing Icon at Age 26
Jordan Lee has only won two professional bass fishing tournaments in his short 26 years on earth – but both of them are Bassmaster Classic wins – and in doing so, stakes his claim as one of the most iconic anglers in bass fishing history.
The younger of the Lee Brothers turned a mediocre practice into back-to-back Classic winning history. A feat achieved only by Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam in the prestigious event’s 48 year history.
“In my wildest dreams, I never thought winning the Classic was going to happen this week, and this just goes to prove you can’t really plan on winning,” says Lee, who holds a degree in marketing from Auburn.
“It really is overwhelming. I’ve never won a Bassmaster Open. I’ve never won an Elite Series. So I guess there’s just something about this tournament for me,” he pondered.
He never really got dialed into a pattern in practice, so he essentially “junk fished” his way to the $300,000 win with a mix of jerkbaiting while his boat sat in 35 feet of water, to skipping a soft plastic Strike King stick bait rigged Neko style around docks.
His primary rods and reels on the final day were a pair of 7’ 2” medium heavy Quantum Vapor spinning rods, paired to Quantum Smoke S3 and Inshore spinning reels.
“I didn’t have a game plan. I didn’t have one magical spot. I knew as warm as the weather was the docks were going to be a player, and today I saw tons of big bass suspending under every dock – it was just amazing to see that,” says Lee.
It’s also amazing to see a 26-year-old solidify himself as one of the greatest bass anglers in history, but that’s exactly what the former Carhartt Bassmaster College Series champ proved by becoming only the third man in 48 years to win back-to-back Bassmaster Classics.
Jordan Lee - Back to Back Classic Champ!!!
Story by Vance McCullough / Photos by Caden Brown
Jordan Lee is your 2018 Bassmaster Classic Champ! With a total weight of 47 pounds, 1 ounce, Lee rocketed from back in the pack with a 16-pound, 5-ounce final round effort to win a 2nd consecutive Classic title.
Today’s exploits were reminiscent of last year’s heroics on Lake Conroe, though Lee started today in 6th not 13th as was the case on Conroe. Still, he was six-and-a-half pounds behind Jason Christie who had maintained a stranglehold on the leaderboard for two days.
Once again, the leader left the door open and, again, Lee stepped right through.
For Christie it was another final day stumble on the sport’s biggest stage, his 3rd in recent years.
“We don’t get do-overs in our sport,” said Christie who lost some fish that would have helped him. He stands by his game plan and his effort. “If I had caught 11 pounds somebody would have caught 18 and won it. I did all I could do.”
Christie finished 3rd with 45-15.
Fishermen are an optimistic lot. Especially tournament anglers. Everybody waited for Lake Hartwell to gush forth big sacks of bass at some point this week. That day never came. Most of the top pros feel as though they had been bluffed when the cards were finally revealed.
Brent Ehrler finished 2nd, exactly 1 pound behind Lee. He split time between chasing elusive largemouth in the shallows and catching slightly more dependable spots in the depths. Had he just stuck with spots, he believes he would be the Classic Champion now.
“I wasted four hours yesterday trying to catch largemouth with the cloudy conditions,” said Ehrler. “I should have spent that time fishing for spots. But I thought, with the weight Christie had, that I needed to catch a big bag to win.”
Even Lee didn’t think he had a legitimate shot at winning today. “I just wanted to fish a good tournament and fish the way I want to fish. The way I was fishing this week, typically is not the winning pattern here this time of year.”
He skipped docks with a Strike King Ocho on a spinning rod during the final round. When heavy pre-spawn females staged beneath floating platforms today, Lee was in the right place at the right time to catch just what he needed to become a back-to-back Classic Champion.
The first two days were dominated by 3 Oklahomans, Christie, Edwin Evers, and James Elam, along with Micah Frazier of Georgia. They were all fishing a similar pattern – targeting shallow cover with bladed jigs.
Looking back at it, Frazier wonders if they fished shallow enough on the final day. Many feel the fish may have moved right past the staging cover and rushed to bedding areas that were, in some cases, inches deep.
Jacob Powroznik and John Cox both caught sight fish.
Powroznik wacky-rigged them from around docks.
Cox though, saw some swimming almost in the dirt. “I saw a 7-pounder about 20 feet from a bed, just looking at the male. I cast to her and her gills flared. I missed her and got nauseous. It was very late in the day. She would have helped.”
Cox reported seeing other bass over 4 pounds up shallow today as well.
In contrast, each of the pros on the ‘Oklahoma Plan’ thought he had to simply out-hustle the others instead of changing to finesse tactics under today’s bright, calm conditions. In essence, they psyched each other out. “If I had known the weights were as low as they were, I’d have fished differently,” admitted Frazier.
Lee not only switched tactics from the jerkbait he had been throwing to the Ocho, but he also ran to new water. “I went into a pocket I hadn’t fished all week and they were under every dock.”
While filming The Progressive Bass Wrap Up TV Show today, AnglersChannel.com was fortunate to ride Lake Hartwell with Forrest Wood Cup Champion, Brad Knight. Knight told us that the floating docks, specifically, the black plastic support floats upon which the platforms rest, would radiate solar heat and draw big female bass to stage beneath them. He showed us such a dock as we broke down the shallow cover options available to Classic competitors this week. You can see that on an upcoming episode.
Jordan Lee saw it for himself and slammed the door on the leaders.
The young pro has developed a serious reputation as a guy who can close the deal. And he is wise for his age. This week he didn’t need any gaudy weight. Just a consistent effort.
Congrats to Lee for another impressive showing!
Christie And Evers Still Top The Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard On Lake Hartwell
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Christie Leads Day 1 of Bassmaster Classic
March 16, 2018
Oklahoma Anglers Lead The Way After Bassmaster Classic’s First Round On Lake Hartwell
GREENVILLE, S.C. — After one day of fishing on Lake Hartwell, the leaderboard for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods has a familiar look.
Oklahoma angler Jason Christie leads the way, with Edwin Evers — a fellow Okie and Christie’s roommate on the Bassmaster Elite Series — sitting close behind in second.
Christie said a change in strategy near the mid-point of Day 1 helped him to his tournament-best weight of 20 pounds, 14 ounces.
“I’ve got two little deals going, and I did the first little deal for the first three or four hours,” said Christie, who claimed the GEICO Everyday Leader Award of $2,500. “But then it just kind of ran out.
“I changed it up and actually caught a 5-pounder — and that gave me a clue. So, I just ran with it and ended up culling everything I had.”
Christie said he caught fish all day, but patience was required for finding the type of big fish that helps an angler win the Classic.
“They’re all on the same kind of stuff, but you just don’t know where the big ones are going to come from,” he said. “You’ll catch a 2-pounder, a 2-pounder and then finally a 5-pounder.”
Evers, who brought in 19-9 Friday, got off to a fast start with a good early-morning bite that he said might have been due to bass feeding on blueback herring.
“I honestly don’t know what they were doing,” he said. “I got really lucky and found a place that had a bunch of fish in it. It was an early-morning deal. I caught them every cast.”
Like Christie, Evers caught his biggest fish — two largemouth that each weighed 4-10 — in the afternoon hours.
“Those fish came around 12:30 or 1 o’clock,” he said. “It made for a better day than I thought I was going to have. I thought I was going to catch 16 or 17 pounds and maybe get a couple of big bites to push that up — and that’s what happened.”
The last time these two anglers waged a close battle in a Classic was 2016 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in their home state. Back then, Christie led the first two days, only to see Evers overcome him with a giant catch on the final day.
With two days left to fish on Hartwell, there are several other anglers who are within excellent striking distance of the $300,000 first-place prize, including reigning Classic champion Jordan Lee of Alabama.
Lee, who raised the Classic trophy last year on Lake Conroe in Texas after struggling the first day, had a solid opening round on Hartwell, bringing in five bass that weighed 18-10.
“It was fun to come out and have a good start for a change, especially when you consider that I wasn’t really on anything in practice,” Lee said. “I fished a lot of boat docks today, and that’s what I really like to do. I didn’t get many bites, but I caught a few big ones.”
California angler Brent Ehrler is in fourth with 17-8, followed by Tennessee’s Ott DeFoe (16-8) and yet another Oklahoma pro, James Elam (16-7).
Alabama angler Mark Daniels Jr. took the lead in the race for Berkley Big Bass with a largemouth that weighed 6-11.
Lake Hartwell produced excellent numbers of fish, with only one of the 52 anglers in the field failing to land a five-bass limit. Only four anglers finished below the 10-pound mark, and it took 13-9 to get into 25th place.
The tournament will resume Saturday with Law Enforcement and First Responders Appreciation Day, with takeoff scheduled for 7:30 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing and Event Center in Anderson, S.C. Doors open for daily weigh-ins 3:15 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville.
The Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in the TD Convention Center. Just outside the Center is the Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota and Shakespeare, an interactive exhibit for youngsters from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All activities are free to the public.
For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
Note: The 2018 B.A.S.S. Media Guide is now available on Bassmastermedia.com.
2018 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods 3/16-3/18
Lake Hartwell, Greenville SC.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 20-14 0 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-14
2. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 19-09 0
Day 1: 5 19-09
3. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 18-10 0
Day 1: 5 18-10
4. Brent Ehrler Redlands, CA 5 17-08 0
Day 1: 5 17-08
5. Ott DeFoe Blaine, TN 5 16-08 0
Day 1: 5 16-08
6. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 16-07 0
Day 1: 5 16-07
7. Jacob Wheeler Harrison, TN 5 16-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-01
8. Mark Daniels Jr. Tuskegee, AL 5 15-14 0
Day 1: 5 15-14
9. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 15-13 0
Day 1: 5 15-13
10. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 15-12 0
Day 1: 5 15-12
11. Dustin Connell Clanton, AL 5 15-05 0
Day 1: 5 15-05
11. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 15-05 0
Day 1: 5 15-05
13. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 15-04 0
Day 1: 5 15-04
14. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 15-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-00
15. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 14-09 0
Day 1: 5 14-09
16. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 14-07 0
Day 1: 5 14-07
17. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 14-02 0
Day 1: 5 14-02
18. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 14-01 0
Day 1: 5 14-01
19. Ryan Butler Blue Eye, MO 5 14-00 0
Day 1: 5 14-00
19. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 14-00 0
Day 1: 5 14-00
21. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 13-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-13
22. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 13-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-12
23. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-11
24. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 13-10 0
Day 1: 5 13-10
25. Josh Bertrand San Tan Valley, AZ 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09
26. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 13-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-07
27. Brandon Palaniuk Hayden, ID 5 13-00 0
Day 1: 5 13-00
28. Mike McClelland Bentonville, AR 5 12-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-15
29. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 12-14 0
Day 1: 5 12-14
30. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 12-11 0
Day 1: 5 12-11
31. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 12-10 0
Day 1: 5 12-10
32. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 12-08 0
Day 1: 5 12-08
33. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 12-03 0
Day 1: 5 12-03
34. John Cox Debary, FL 5 12-02 0
Day 1: 5 12-02
34. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 12-02 0
Day 1: 5 12-02
36. Stanley Sypeck Jr Sugarloaf, PA 5 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 12-01
36. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 12-01
38. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 11-15 0
Day 1: 5 11-15
39. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 11-08 0
Day 1: 5 11-08
40. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-07 0
Day 1: 5 11-07
41. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 11-05 0
Day 1: 5 11-05
42. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 11-02 0
Day 1: 5 11-02
43. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
44. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
45. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 10-13 0
Day 1: 5 10-13
46. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 10-09 0
Day 1: 5 10-09
47. Luke Gritter Otsego, MI 5 10-05 0
Day 1: 5 10-05
48. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 10-02 0
Day 1: 5 10-02
49. Marty Giddens Cropwell, AL 5 09-08 0
Day 1: 5 09-08
50. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 08-02 0
Day 1: 5 08-02
51. Carl Svebek III Siloam Springs, AR 5 08-00 0
Day 1: 5 08-00
52. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
Sportsmans Warehouse South Carolina Special Report with Bryan Thrift
John Byrne & Sportsmans Warehouse Pro Bryan Thrift talk Classic Deals and New Stores, Check it out from the Bassmaster Classic Expo Floor!!!
How the Classic Will Be Won
“Three-quarters of this field has a jig tied on,” said Rick Morris as he sat in his boat just hours before blasting off in his 6th Bassmaster Classic here on Lake Hartwell.
Jigs are among the most versatile lures. That’s why they’ll get so much play here on Hartwell this week with so many patterns in play. Well, that, and the fact that they attract bites from big fish. Big fish will be key during a Classic that affords anglers numerous options, including the option to catch big numbers of spotted bass. But spots probably won’t cut it this week. Not if a guy wants to win. “It’s gonna take largemouth to win this tournament,” said Morris.
How an angler goes about catching those largemouth is the subject of much discussion right now. Even most of the pros haven’t decided . . . or just won’t say. That latter group is the dangerous bunch – the guys who have a little something figured out.
A couple of guys did slip up and mention a spinnerbait as a major player. And the way the conversations steered themselves in that direction gives me a lot of reason to believe there is some validity to it.
But, as usual before a tournament, if they told us the truth we wouldn’t know it.
So what about a slightly more honest subject – general areas that might produce a win. John Cox has a chance to set a Classic trophy next to his Forrest Wood Cup on the mantle. When he won the Cup Cox fished so far up a creek that his area wasn’t even colored blue on the Navionics chip.
Cox will likely do what he does best this week as he attempts to win his 2nd tourney on Hartwell in 13 months. Not sure when it sustained the damage, but his aluminum boat looks like it has been through a NASCAR race. On a short track. With lots of bumping and rubbing.
“My boat is like my hammer,” grinned Cox.
And that’s what I like best about the guy – he’s not afraid to be rough around the edges, a guy’s guy. A real guy. He’ll tell it like it is, let it be what it is. He should make things a little more interesting here this week.
“I have one (fish) picked out that I want to run to first thing in the morning and throw a Max Scent General (stickbait) on,” said Cox. Those are words the rest of the field doesn’t want to hear. When a noted sight fisherman says something like that it usually means he’s found the big bass of the whole tournament set up on a bed.
Of course, the problem with shallow patterns in the Classic is that a flotilla of spectators can inadvertently disturb the fish. Cox has considered that. “Well, first of all, I hope I’m lucky enough to have a crowd following me because that would mean I’m doing well, but yeah, on pretty much all of my spots I have some deep water nearby where they can watch without hurting anything too much.”
It’s not just spectators that influence competitors at the Classic. There are sponsor obligations and the ever-present media. Steve Kennedy admitted he was a bit spun-out by fielding questions and speaking in front of cameras by the time Classic Media Day wound down. “Stop laughing at me!” he admonished as I chuckled at his repeated attempts to record a sound bite for camera man, only to get it right . . . when the camera wasn’t rolling.
“Let’s talk about fishing!” he said as I approached. We did. You can see the interview on video tab of AnglersChannel.com later.
Denny Brauer once described the Classic to me as a “circus with a 52-man club tournament attached to it.” It can certainly feel that way. The ability to manage the distractions is another skill required to win the Classic. For this reason, veterans often hold an advantage over newcomers. This year will be no exception. “This is my 11th Classic,” said John Crews. “Just riding around waving at everybody has gotten old. I want to win.”
Bobby Lane is fishing his 10th Classic. Last time it was held on Hartwell he came in 2nd. He feels like this could be his time. So do I. There will be a shallow bite this week. After speaking with him, I believe Lane is ready to capitalize on it. “I practiced shallow, turned my attention to catching fish there. The water has come up several feet and when the water comes up, the fish go with it. It’s that simple.”
‘Simple’ is not the same thing as ‘easy’. Somebody is going to have to stay on the fish through 3 days of changing weather and madding crowds until we find out who our 2018 Bassmaster Classic Champ is. And how he’s going to get it done.
2 Lures Swindle will use in the Bassmaster Classic
Team Toyota’s Gerald Swindle is very aware that the Fish Head Spin lure has a legendary reputation on Lake Hartwell, but don’t count on him throwing it. Instead he’ll dance with the girls that got him to his impressive 17th Bassmaster Classic, and he feels good about it.
“I suck at throwing the Fish Head Spin, because any lure you gotta fish slower than I was at second grade math in 30 feet of water, is not a lure I need to be competing with during the biggest tournament in the world,” says Swindle.
“An NFL team doesn’t make it to the Super Bowl, and then change their whole offense the night before the game, and I’m not going to either,” illustrates the 2-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year.
Swindle’s also decided he’s not going into the lawn care business anytime soon either - mostly because he hates raking leaves – especially with his crankbait.
“The water levels rose very slowly here at Hartwell, so instead of flushing last fall’s leaves out, the bottom is just littered with them, and that’ll make a man cuss when every cast comes back with leaves on his hooks. So I’m throwing a Rapala DT 6 that runs 6-feet deep into 10 and 12 feet of water,” reasons Swindle.
That approach seems to be in direct conflict with crankbaiting basics that preach the importance of making bottom contact with your lure. But Swindle says Hartwell is different.
“I’ve been fishing Hartwell since long before I was a full time pro, and the strong presence of blueback herring here in recent years has changed the ballgame. Instead of bass looking on the bottom for crawfish, they’re always looking upward for schools of blueback herring near the surface. So winding that DT 6 through the middle of the water column makes perfect sense here,” he says.
Swindle will crank with 12-pound Sunline, tied to a 6.1:1 Quantum Smoke S3 reel, and a medium light 7’ 0” Quantum Smoke rod. “I don’t want a medium action rod, I want a medium light, because I want the rod to be super forgiving when they eat the crankbait,” he explains.
The vibrating blade bait or Chatterbait will also be a strong part of his Classic lineup. Mostly because he can fish it fast and cover water.
“I’m not on a school of fish where I can catch five keepers in a 30 yard stretch. So I need to cover three miles of shoreline that’s covered in dogfennel vegetation, and there’s not many lures that I can cover water faster with than a Chatterbait,” says Swindle.
Swindle’s hardware for Chatterbaits includes 16-pound line, the affordable 7’ 2” G Force rod he designed for Quantum, and a Smoke S3 6.1:1 reel that’s slow enough to help him keep the lure down in the water column just a bit.
There’s a huge number of fans who would love to see Swindle win his first Classic – and if he does, you can bet he’ll be running the same “offense” that’s led to a highly decorated career thus far.
Brandon Lester Gets Kinkee...... Baits
Innovative Spinnerbait Company Kinkee Baits Announces Partnership with Brandon Lester and Makes Its Debut at the Bassmaster Classic
CAPE CORAL, FL – March 14, 2018 – Kinkee Baits announced a partnership with professional angler Brandon Lester today. Kinkee Baits will unveil their lures for the first time at the Bassmaster Classic, where spinnerbaits are expected to play a role in a top-spot finish.
“I’d say every guy here has thrown a spinnerbait some this week.” Lester said. “It’s been a staple in the bass fishing world for a long time and really shines this time of year, especially during the pre-spawn. The awesome part about it is you can cover a ton of water, which makes it great for a tournament angler.”
Kinkee spinnerbaits are unique due to their revolutionary manufacturing process. This cutting-edge technology allows for an extremely thin wire on the blade arm. “The key deal with Kinkee Baits is the ultra-thin wire, it’s almost half the diameter of the thinnest wire on the market at .018. The only reason that’s possible is because of the unique wrapping process. We’ve developed an exclusive process to wrap four different pieces of wire and then transition down to the .018 wire that hold the blade. That’s the part of the bait that most impact vibration and flash,” said creator and President Rick Kovacs.
The thin wire and unique bait profile has some applications in the water that can be a serious game-changer, especially when one big bite can mean the difference between a check and going home empty-handed.
“Two main things attract fish to spinnerbaits, flash and vibration. The thin diameter wire on Kinkee spinnerbaits allows for maximum thump from the blade. This means it can call fish in from a greater distance and that I can throw willow blades in murky water that before would require a Colorado or Indiana blade. Giving fish a look they haven’t seen before in those conditions is a big deal.”
Getting fish to hammer a bait is just half the battle, getting them in the boat is what wins a tournament check.
“The thin wire allows the blade to easily give on the hookset, while keeping the fish from having any leverage,” Lester mentioned. “The exclusive Mustad Titan X hook delivers maximum penetration and keeps them pegged all the way to the livewell.”
Tournament anglers and bait manufacturers are always looking for the next piece of cutting edge technology to keep them one step ahead of the competition. This new partnership could help keep Brandon Lester and Kinkee Baits at the top of the leaderboard this season.
Byrne Previews the Classic and Sportsmans Warehouse Show Deals at the Expo!
AnglersChannel.com's John Byrne talks with Sportsmans Warehouse manager Craig Baird & CJ Freeman on the past weeks events and the upcoming wheels and deals at the Bassmasters Classic!
Bassmaster Classic Anglers Dealing With ‘Confused’ Bass This Week At Lake Hartwell
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Costa's Casey Ashley Reflects on his 2015 Classic Win on Lake Hartwell and His Thoughts on This Weekends Event.
Courtesy Costa Sunglasses:
Being on Hartwell, fishing waters that you know so well. That's probably one of the better chances you're gonna have." Casey Ashley reflects back on his 2015 win and shares his thoughts on the upcoming Bassmaster Classic on his home lake.
Williams & Williams weigh in 33.05 to win Carolinas Bass Challenge on Santee Cooper!
Patrick & Mark Williams brought in 5 bass weighing a whopping 33.05 lbs! They collected a $10,000.00 check for their efforts!
2nd went to Barry Holloman & Joey Bramlett with another big limit weighing in at 30.03 lbs! They also took home the 1st SKEETER BONUS worth $4,000.00! All together Barry & Joey took home $9,000.00!
Larry Parker & Glenn Altman took 3rd with 5 bass weighing 25.80 lbs! They claimed the 2nd SKEETER BONUS of $3,000.00 which pushed their total winnings to $6,500.00!
Alan Fletcher & Donald Hinson brought in 5 at 19.24 lbs good enough for 10th and the 2nd SKEETER BONUS which was $2,000.00! All total Donald & Alan took home $2,850.00!
4th SKEETER BONUS worth $1,000.00 went to Billy Bledsoe & Brian McDonald with 5 bass weighing 18.92 lbs! They received a total of $1,625.00!
The BF of the Santee event was weighed in by Kyle McElveen & Chris Edge. She was hawg at 9.62 lbs worth $1,000.00!
| Place | Team Name | # Fish | Weight | BF | Points | Winnings | BONUS | Winnings |
| 1 | Patrick Williams - Mark Williams | 5 | 33.05 | 8.47 | 310 | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 | |
| 2 | Barry Holloman - Joey Bramlett | 5 | 30.03 | 6.54 | 309 | $5,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $9,000.00 |
| 3 | Larry Parker - Glenn Altman | 5 | 25.80 | 7.34 | 308 | $3,500.00 | $3,000.00 | $6,500.00 |
| 4 | Perry Holloway - Danny Lowery | 5 | 24.13 | 7.86 | 307 | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | |
| 5 | Brian Scott - Brad Beatson | 5 | 21.54 | 7.61 | 306 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 | |
| 6 | Sean Anderson - George Berry | 5 | 20.82 | 0 | 305 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | |
| 7 | Lex Costas - Xan Costas | 5 | 20.39 | 0 | 304 | $1,300.00 | $1,300.00 | |
| 8 | Greg Rikard - Norm Attaway | 5 | 20.12 | 7.73 | 303 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 | |
| 9 | Chris Epting - Johnny Mayer | 5 | 19.63 | 0 | 302 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 10 | Alan Fletcher - Donald Hinson | 5 | 19.24 | 0 | 301 | $850.00 | $2,000.00 | $2,850.00 |
| 11 | Billy Bledsoe - Brian McDonald | 5 | 18.92 | 0 | 300 | $625.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,625.00 |
| 12 | Justin Marlowe - Jordan Marlowe | 5 | 18.90 | 0 | 299 | $575.00 | $575.00 | |
| 13 | Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers | 5 | 18.46 | 0 | 298 | $550.00 | $550.00 | |
| 14 | Michael Murphy - Kevin Sanders | 5 | 18.11 | 7 | 297 | $525.00 | $525.00 | |
| 15 | Scott Farmer - Samuel Freeman | 5 | 17.90 | 0 | 296 | $475.00 | $475.00 | |
| 16 | Thomas Hardwick - Tommy Williams | 5 | 17.66 | 0 | 295 | $450.00 | $450.00 | |
| 17 | Gary Michaud - Dustin Compton | 5 | 17.65 | 8.02 | 294 | $400.00 | $400.00 | |
| 18 | Daniel Howell | 5 | 17.64 | 0 | 293 | $350.00 | $350.00 | |
| 19 | Joseph Buddin - Tj Anderson | 5 | 17.37 | 0 | 292 | $325.00 | $325.00 | |
| 20 | Bobby Gill - John Allen | 5 | 17.00 | 0 | 291 | $300.00 | $300.00 | |
| 21 | Tripp Poplin - Marshall French | 4 | 16.76 | 0 | 290 | $290.00 | $290.00 | |
| 22 | Chad Cook - tony cook | 4 | 16.49 | 9.18 | 289 | $275.00 | $275.00 | |
| 23 | Derek Smithson - Chad Pennell | 5 | 16.41 | 0 | 288 | $260.00 | $260.00 | |
| 24 | Rodney Cromer - Roger Farr | 5 | 16.40 | 0 | 287 | $250.00 | $250.00 | |
| 25 | David Gilson - Jeremiah Jensen | 5 | 16.35 | 0 | 286 | $240.00 | $240.00 | |
| 26 | Todd Walters - Patrick Walters | 5 | 16.30 | 0 | 285 | $230.00 | $230.00 | |
| 27 | Cole Drummond - Danny Shanz | 5 | 16.08 | 0 | 284 | $220.00 | $220.00 | |
| 28 | Craig McFadden - Mike Watson | 4 | 16.02 | 0 | 283 | $210.00 | $210.00 | |
| 29 | Gary Elenbark - Curtis Williams | 5 | 15.35 | 0 | 282 | $200.00 | $200.00 | |
| 30 | Ronnie McCoy - Jason McCoy | 3 | 15.29 | 0 | 281 | |||
| 31 | Ron Brown - Bobby Brown | 5 | 15.17 | 0 | 280 | |||
| 32 | Nathan Dellinger - Bron Hemphill | 4 | 14.83 | 0 | 279 | |||
| T33 | todd brown - Keith Brown | 5 | 14.48 | 0 | 278 | |||
| T33 | Dennis Reedy - Jeffrey Thomas | 5 | 14.48 | 0 | 277 | |||
| 35 | Greg Walker - Gregory Parker | 5 | 14.47 | 0 | 276 | |||
| 36 | Max Terry - Emmett McCauley | 5 | 14.34 | 0 | 275 | |||
| 37 | Hugh McCutchen - Jamie Blackburn | 5 | 14.32 | 0 | 274 | |||
| 38 | Caanan Woriax - Allan Collins | 3 | 13.87 | 7.22 | 273 | |||
| 39 | Randall Miller - Mack Altman | 5 | 13.83 | 0 | 272 | |||
| 40 | Lonnie Jones - ben cox | 3 | 13.77 | 6.98 | 271 | |||
| 41 | Jason Broach - Charlie Tanner | 4 | 13.61 | 0 | 270 | |||
| 42 | rodger dennis - kevin cooper | 5 | 13.48 | 0 | 269 | |||
| 43 | Deron Donohoo - Davey Thomas | 5 | 13.33 | 0 | 268 | |||
| 44 | Joey Outlaw - Ray Dowey | 2 | 13.05 | 7.56 | 267 | |||
| 45 | Chuck Howard - Ken Ellis | 5 | 12.98 | 0 | 266 | |||
| 46 | Rick McLean - Andy Moore | 5 | 12.97 | 0 | 265 | |||
| 47 | joel hopkins - jason barrett | 5 | 12.96 | 0 | 264 | |||
| 48 | Bradley Formby - David Miller | 3 | 12.83 | 7.46 | 263 | |||
| 49 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 4 | 12.77 | 0 | 262 | |||
| 50 | Kyle McElveen - Chris Edge | 2 | 12.71 | 9.62 | 261 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 51 | Chad Crosby - Steve Crosby | 4 | 12.37 | 0 | 260 | |||
| 52 | Tim Chadwick | 5 | 12.32 | 0 | 259 | |||
| 53 | Cecil Wolfe - Eddie Cox | 5 | 12.27 | 0 | 258 | |||
| 54 | Lee Morris - Robert Ross | 5 | 12.08 | 0 | 257 | |||
| 55 | Nathan Burgess - Brent Riley | 3 | 12.07 | 7.34 | 256 | |||
| 56 | Richard Robinson lll - Greg Whittington | 4 | 11.58 | 0 | 255 | |||
| 57 | Toby Keisler - Bill Wilson | 4 | 11.54 | 0 | 254 | |||
| 58 | Sammie Grier - David Strickland | 5 | 11.31 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 59 | Mack Cook - Patrick Cook | 4 | 11.20 | 0 | 252 | |||
| 60 | Perry Banks - Corey Banks | 5 | 10.99 | 0 | 251 | |||
| 61 | Craig Chambers - Don Graham | 5 | 10.87 | 0 | 250 | |||
| 62 | Stan Gunter - Kevin Ashley | 5 | 10.79 | 0 | 249 | |||
| 63 | Johnathan Crossland - Chris Blanchette | 5 | 10.28 | 0 | 248 | |||
| 64 | johnny player - john gardenhire | 5 | 10.16 | 0 | 247 | |||
| T65 | Terry Thomas - David Kneece | 2 | 10.14 | 0 | 246 | |||
| T65 | Lyn Langston - Gage Langston | 2 | 10.14 | 8.30 | 245 | |||
| 67 | Matthew Goheen - Terry Goheen | 4 | 9.99 | 0 | 244 | |||
| 68 | Robbie Harrelson - Justin Barfield | 5 | 9.75 | 0 | 243 | |||
| 69 | john davis - Les Dulan | 3 | 9.55 | 0 | 242 | |||
| 70 | Jonathan Brindel - David Grooms | 4 | 9.48 | 0 | 241 | |||
| 71 | Thad Driggers - Thad Driggers IV | 3 | 9.02 | 0 | 240 | |||
| 72 | Steve Christie - Sammy Freeman | 4 | 8.48 | 0 | 239 | |||
| 73 | Brian Tyler - Frederick Clements | 3 | 8.19 | 0 | 238 | |||
| T74 | Steve Borton - Brian Bultman | 3 | 8.13 | 0 | 237 | |||
| T74 | James 007 Bond - gerald bennett | 3 | 8.13 | 0 | 236 | |||
| 76 | Hunter Spivey - Jess White | 2 | 7.76 | 0 | 235 | |||
| 77 | Wesley Bray - Tommy Purvis | 2 | 7.68 | 0 | 234 | |||
| 78 | James Clements - Steve Taylor | 1 | 7.51 | 7.51 | 233 | |||
| 79 | Wayne Frierson - Ronnie Mueller | 2 | 6.66 | 0 | 232 | |||
| 80 | Sean Skey - Tim Harmon | 3 | 6.65 | 0 | 231 | |||
| 81 | Travis Parrish - rodney tapp | 2 | 6.12 | 0 | 230 | |||
| 82 | Kiwon Anderson - Kipton Burba | 2 | 5.83 | 0 | 229 | |||
| 83 | Thomas King - Clayton King | 3 | 5.26 | 0 | 228 | |||
| 84 | Brent Brunson - Robert Allen | 1 | 5.04 | 0 | 227 | |||
| 85 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 2 | 3.36 | 0 | 226 | |||
| 86 | Darrell Shull - James Vining | 2 | 3.12 | 0 | 225 | |||
| 87 | Jesus Loaces - Tracy Mccready | 1 | 1.64 | 0 | 224 | |||
| 88 | Justin Stoltzfus - Matthew Benge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Pete Brantley - JL Arnett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Mike Phipps - Mark Richardson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jimmy Bass - Johnny Houser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | scott Ledford - david Quandt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Cory Barr - Terry Barr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Chase Stewart - Andrew Allen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brad Petway - TYLER JACKSON | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Bunn Tyson - Keith Shelton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | J.w. Smith - Ben Nye | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Todd Ledford - Andrew Starnes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jerry Montjoy - Robert Deloach | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Shane Cantley - Michael Richardson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Cameron Kaihara - Steve Wicker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | John Johnston - Mark Cercopely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Kenny Drew - Robert. ( Mitch) Drew | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Deron Heimerdinger - Ryan Bowles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Vinson Blanton - Randy Settle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Ryan Thompsom - Casey Warren | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Marty Quesada - guy dana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Larry Moss - Michelle McLain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Gary Avery - Mike Goodman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Clint Postell - Chris Morris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Juddie Revels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Chris McDuffie - Greg Creech | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Winkey Watford - scotty mixon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Bowman Gray - Thomas Elliott | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brandon Jeffcoat - Wendell Causey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Matt Mollohan - Cameron Baker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Shane Suddeth - Fred Moore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Sandy Oliver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Phillip Hedrick - jack vanderford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jamie Partee - Ken Keels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Al Odom - Barry Odom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | reggie bartell - Mark Seals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | BRANDON RILEY - Marc Deschenes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Tommy Sawyer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | LARRY AVINS - JOE AVINS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brandon Evans - craig Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | BRENT bartman - Ben Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | TONY GRAY - CHRIS GRAMLING | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Billy Dean Jacobs - Mark Cummings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Allen Eaker - Jason Eaker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jason Miles - Andy Rutledge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Burgess Jordan - Justin Cromer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | David Arnold - Billy Collins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Ryan Raley - Mike Raley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Kenny Brice - Kenny Fenters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Blake Morris - Tory McCallum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Daryl Watson - Ken McFarland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Sam Hopkins - Craig Matthews | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Trey Daniels - woody floyd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | brad schwartz - Bryan Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brad Nappier - Nathan Luke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jack Belt - Craig Jurgonski | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Anthony Amerson - Sam Lambert | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Clark Gibbs - Freddie Gibbs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Chris Marshall - Travis England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Wayne Marlow - Scott Peavy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Tripp Owings - Daniel Cook | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Phillip Mays - Rob Thames | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | John Gutierrez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Bo Chappell - Judy Chappell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | John Sturkie - Blake Strickland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | gary elsey - Melissa Boodle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | George Lauster - Bryan Tilly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Mike Byrd - Chris Moody | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Mark Abbott - Jimmy Wilder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | grady allen - Calvin Hewitt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Terry Morris - Kevin Rake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Alton Rockett - Robert Kale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Nick Gant - Mark Gallup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Cole Winn - Lee Sawyer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Tim Hilton - Jake Mullinax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | jason bateman - Steve Phillips | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Mike Boatright - Gary Angel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Greg Sigmon - Tracy pope | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Kevin Richbourg - Michael Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Larry Mckissick - Larry Boykin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Andrew Boykin - Chris Anderson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Les Westberry - Bill Holmes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Robert Clarke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Darrin Albertson - Terri Albertson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Austin Cromer - Jay Morris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Carlton Thompkins - Joel Barfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Rusty Bullard - Eric Martin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brad Schindledecker - Hagen Schindledecker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | J. Weinberg - Patrick Oliver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Brian McDade - Leroy New | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Bryan cook - Steve Harmon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | |||
| 88 | Jamie Glasscock - jim smoak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 |
KARNS HIGH SCHOOL WINS BASS PRO SHOPS FLW HIGH SCHOOL FISHING DOUGLAS LAKE OPEN
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (March 12, 2018) – The Karns High School duo of Josh Lee and Mason Cizek, both of Knoxville, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Douglas Lake Open tournament. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National championship, held June 26-30, on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
A field of 42 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Mountain Cove Marina in Sevierville. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams on Douglas Lake that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Karns High School, Knoxville, Tenn. – Josh Lee and Mason Cizek, both of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 17-13
2nd: Elizabethton High School, Elizabethton, Tenn. – Blaine Poiroux and Hunter McClaskey, both of Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-8
3rd: Sullivan East High School, Bluff City, Tenn. – Braden Perry and Justin Potts, both of Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 13-8
4th: Hazard High School, Hazard, Ky. – Kaden Hillman, Hazard, Ky., and Jacob Frazier, Cornettsville, Ky., five bass, 12-14
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
5th: Gilmer High School, Ellijay, Ga. – Caleb Waddell and Grant Ledford, both of Ellijay, Ga., five bass, 11-15
6th: Southwest Virginia Junior Anglers – Matthew Gobble, Abingdon, Va., and Reed Samuel, Bristol, Va., five bass, 11-14
7th: Lake Cumberland Bass Club – Austin Bray and Jackson Lockard, both of Somerset, Ky., five bass, 11-8
8th: Lake Cumberland Bass Club – Jackson Prather and Seth Bennett, both of Somerset, Ky., five bass, 11-4
9th: Cornerstone Christian Academy, Shelbyvile, Ky. – Doug Jesse, Shelbyville, Ky., and Jake Thornbury, Finchville, Ky., five bass, 10-3
10th: Lake Cumberland Bass Club. – Blake Stringer and Ragan Burton, both of Somerset, Ky., five bass, 10-2
Complete results from the event along with photos of the top five finishers can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Douglas Lake Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Illinois Fisherman Claims Victory In B.A.S.S. Nation Regional On Louisiana’s Toledo Bend Reservoir
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Powroznik and “The Paperboy” Preview the Bassmaster Classic
Photo & Story Courtesy of Alan McGuckin/Dynamic Sponsorships
Quantum pro Jacob Powroznik is a seasoned pro fishing in his fourth Bassmaster Classic, and he made a serious run at winning the Classic here on Lake Hartwell in 2015. Much the opposite, 19-year old Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Champ, Jacob “The Paperboy” Foutz is fishing his very first Classic.
Despite their contrasting levels of experience, both anglers graciously took a moment to discuss their stress levels, lures that will be used, lake conditions, and more.
Q: What’s your biggest concern or source of stress right now?
Powroznik: Trying to catch a 5-pounder, because a 5-pounder is a game changer here, and so far in practice I haven’t had my hands on one that big.
Foutz: The randomness of the bite. I’ve had bites in 6” of water, and I’ve had bites in 30-feet of water, but I’ve not seen a real defined pattern yet.
Q: What do you like best about Lake Hartwell?
Powroznik: It reminds me of Buggs Island Lake back home with all its red clay points and shoreline, and bass relate really well to that red clay at this time of year.
Foutz: It’s a really diverse fishery. You can fish deep near the dam, or run up the two rivers and fish shallow if you want.
Q: A lot of people say this Classic is anybody’s ballgame to win. Do you agree with that?
Powroznik: Yep, absolutely. Somebody is going to win this Classic that has absolutely no idea they’re going to win it right now.
Foutz: I agree with that. With water levels rising the fish have spread out more, and it’s a real possibility that somebody could stumble into the winning school of fish that may not be expecting to right now.
Q: What four lures can fans at home expect to see Bassmaster Classic competitors casting this week on Lake Hartwell?
Powroznik: Jerkbaits, Shaky Heads, a jig, and a crankbait that will run about 4-feet deep like a Livingston 2.0.
Foutz: Jig, Shaky Head, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits.
Q: How much weight will an angler have to average each day to leave this Classic with a Top 10 finish?
Powroznik: 13 pounds a day should get a Top 10 here.
Foutz: I’d say between 12 and 14 pounds a day.
AnglersChannel Insider Podcast Featuring Alabama Bass Trail Winners, Substitute Host, Robbie Floyd & Classic Qualifier Josh Bertrand!
On this weeks AnglersChannel Insider Podcast Chris is joined by Content Creator Jason Duran as Vance takes a break to Coach his JV Girls Flag Football Team.
Chris & Jason talk to Alabama Bass Trail Winners and 2nd place finishers in an absolute slugfest on Lake Guntersville.
The guys also talk to Classic Qualifier Josh Bertrand as he baby proofs his hotel room in Greenville for his 16 month old daughter Emma as well as the guys also talk with
BASS On the Water Analyst Robbie Floyd as we turn our attention to this weeks Bassmasters Classic on Lake Hartwell! Check it out!
6 Bassmaster Classic Questions with Casey Ashley
Story & Photo Courtesy of Alan McGuckin/Dynamic Sponsorships
The Basssmaster Classic returns to Casey Ashley’s home waters of Lake Hartwell this week where he won the 2015 Classic, and the easy-going country boy with a thousand dollar smile was kind enough to invite us into his home for a brief conversation just days before bass fishing’s biggest event.
Q: How are you doing this week before the Classic, as compared to where your head and heart were a few days before the 2015 Classic?
Casey: “Well, I’d like to tell you I’m more relaxed, but that really isn’t the case, because all the variables I didn’t want to happen like rising water, a lot of warm weather last month, and warmer water temperatures, have all happened, so the fish are kind of in an in-between state and it’s gonna be a grind.”
Q: Speaking of that 2015 Classic, it’s well-known that your dad, Danny made the winning lure. Your dad is also a really good angler. If we granted him a spot as a competitor in this year’s Classic, how do you think he’d perform against the best anglers in the world?
Casey: “He probably wouldn’t do too good (grinning), because the fish are in an in-between state versus schooled-up and on specific spots he knows well. Last month’s warm weather pulled the fish up shallow, then it got cold again, but the bass never fully returned to deep water.”
Q: Speaking of deeper water, in your best estimation what percentage of all the bass weighed-in this week will come from water deeper than 10-feet?
Casey: I’d guess about 65% will be caught from deeper than 10-feet of water.
Q: If you could sneak a peek into the rod lockers of all the 2018 Bassmaster Classic competitors, what four lures do you think you’d see the most?
Casey: Jerkbait, ½ ounce jig, Shaky Head, and a Shad Rap.
Q: What might surprise fans most about this Classic?
Casey: Probably the amount of change and fluctuation they’re going to see in the names on the leaderboard, because being consistent in this tournament for three straight days is going to be super challenging.
Q: You’re a music man. You said that country music group, Alabama’s song “Why Lady Why” had a big influence on your 2015 Bassmaster Classic win. Are there any songs that are influencing you this week?
Casey: “No, not really. I’m a big fan of Chris Stapleton. His song “Broken Halos” is a great one. But I love listening to a lot of country music songs that never even made it on the radio.”
MILLER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL OZARK DIVISION OPENER ON GRAND LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Missouri’s Fey Jr. Grabs Co-angler Title
GROVE, Okla. (March 12, 2018) – Boater Kevin Miller of Andover, Kansas, caught a 25-pound, 3-ounce, limit Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division season opener on Grand Lake presented by Navionics. For his efforts, Miller pocketed $4,796.
“I caught the majority of my limit targeting suspended fish with swimbaits around points,” said Miller, who earned his first career win with FLW. “I ran about 20 miles south, and used a White Pearl-colored (Zoom) Swimmin’ Super Fluke Jr. to catch four of the five fish I weighed in.”
Miller said the fish in his areas were anywhere from 10 to 15 feet down.
“I rotated through about six different points and really had figured them out by 10:30 (a.m.),” said Miller. “After that I was able to go back from point to point and pattern them, and completed my limit by 2:30 (p.m.)”
As he returned to the takeoff ramp, Miller stopped into a shallow cove and threw a vibrating jig in 3 feet of water. He said he had around five minutes left in competition when he caught a 6-pound, 8-ounce fish – his biggest of the day.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kevin Miller, Andover, Kan., five bass, 25-3, $4,796
2nd: Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 19-10, $2,598
3rd: Kyle Kitts, Joplin, Mo., five bass, 19-9, $2,310
4th: Rick Johnston, Webb City, Mo., five bass, 16-12, $1,419
5th: Tom Silber, Labadie, Mo., five bass, 15-15, $1,059
6th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 15-2, $879
7th: Eric Poindexter, Eufaula, Okla., five bass, 14-12, $799
8th: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., four bass, 14-3, $719
9th: Earl Malone, Wichita, Kan., five bass, 13-12, $639
10th: Brad Cook, Afton, Okla., four bass, 13-9, $560
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Kitts weighed an 8-pound, 12-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $715.
Michael Fey Jr. of Cuba, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $2,755 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Michael Fey Jr., Cuba, Mo., five bass, 13-8, $2,755
2nd: Joshua Dyrland, Imperial, Mo., three bass, 9-7, $1,199
3rd: Nate Atchley, Warrensburg, Mo., three bass, 9-4, $795
4th: Douglas Jersak, Springfield, Mo., three bass, 7-5, $560
5th: Jason Papek, De Soto, Mo., three bass, 7-3, $480
6th: Derek Henderson, Saint Louis, Mo., two bass, 7-1, $440
7th: John Tweedie, Bolivar, Mo., two bass, 6-9, $400
8th: Kit Lueg, Olathe, Kan., three bass, 6-8, $360
9th: Walter Hammond, Lees Summit, Mo., two bass, 5-6, $320
10th: Pat Vaughn, Lane, Kan., three bass, 5-5, $280
Fey also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $357.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
HUFF WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MUSIC CITY DIVISION OPENER ON DALE HOLLOW LAKE
Kentucky’s Morrison Wins Co-angler Title
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 12, 2018) – Boater Rod Huff of Monterey, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing a total of 19 pounds, 5 ounces, to take top honors at the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music Division season opener on Dale Hollow Lake. Huff earned $6,586 for his win.
“I basically fished the last deep water before spawning flats,” said Huff, who logged his first career win in FLW competition. “The water was stained, and I probably had 30 to 35 different stops – all mid-lake.”
Huff said he rotated between a variety of lures during the tournament, but caught his limit using a ½-ounce green-pumpkin-colored Zorro Baits Booza Bug Jig and a Zorro Baits Swim Jig with green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Craw trailers.
“The areas had rocks, and most of the fish were caught in 2 to 8 feet of water,” said Huff. “Sometimes I casted all the way to the bank and worked the lure back, and sometimes I made short casts.”
Huff said he caught seven keepers throughout the day, culling out two fish to complete his 19-pound limit.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Rod Huff, Monterey, Tenn., five bass, 19-5, $4,586 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 16-9, $1,693
3rd: Dylan Wright, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 16-1, $1,129
4th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-10, $790
5th: Bennie Mutter, Glasgow, Ky., five bass, 15-5, $649
5th: Aaron Bidarian, Lexington, Ky., five bass, 15-5, $649
7th: J.R. Stalcup, Albany, Ky., five bass, 14-11, $564
8th: Chris Holland, Winchester, Tenn., five bass, 14-10, $508
9th: Michael Kennedy, Monroe, Tenn., four bass, 14-7, $551
10th: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $395
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jason White of Sparta, Tennessee, weighed a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $425.
Mike Morrison of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,693 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mike Morrison, Prestonsburg, Ky., five bass, 12-12, $1,693
2nd: Brian Reed, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 12-4, $846
3rd: Bryan Brinson, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 12-0, $564
4th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., three bass, 11-14, $807
5th: Brandon Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., four bass, 10-15, $339
6th: Nathan Adams, House Springs, Mo., three bass, 8-5, $360
7th: William Woods, Bowling Green, Ky., three bass, 6-10, $282
8th: Devin Bargatze, Nashville, Tenn., two bass, 6-9, $240
8th: Donnie Rubel, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 6-9, $240
10th: Brandon Taylor, Russellville, Ky., two bass, 6-4, $198
Kelly caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5-pounds, 8-ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division event on Dale Hollow Lake was hosted by Star Point Marina.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
SMITH WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL BAMA DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON LAY LAKE
Jemison’s Ellison Wins Co-angler Title
COLUMBIANA, Ala. (March 12, 2018) – Boater Michael Smith of Andalusia, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces, to win Saturday’s T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bama Division event on Lay Lake. For his efforts, Smith earned $4,956.
Smith started his day fishing the mid-lake, catching a 5-pound largemouth on a bed. He said he used a Bruiser Flash-colored Missile Baits Baby D Bomb before moving to the lower end to target spotted bass.
“I hit around 30 areas, including some that had stumps or a hard bottom,” said Smith, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “I felt like the spots were spawning, but they were in deeper water – like 6 to 15 feet down. I wasn’t looking at them.”
Smith had a one-two punch for catching his fish – an Eco Pro Thunder Spin with a 3½-inch Fishalicious-colored Missile Baits Shockwave Swimbait, and a ¼-ounce Missile Baits Warlock Shakey Head jig with a finesse stickbait.
“When the wind was blowing or there was cloud cover, I used the Thunder Spin,” said Smith. “Both lures were on 12-pound-test fluorocarbon which I think was important. It was good, light line for the clearer water on the lower end.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Michael Smith, Andalusia, Ala., five bass, 17-14, $4,956
2nd: Ricky Smith, Ohatchee, Ala., five bass, 17-13, $1,878
3rd: Patrick Dobbins, Opelika, Ala., five bass, 16-14, $1,164
3rd: Joe Wikoff, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 16-14, $1,164
5th: Tim Ferguson, Pelham, Ala., five bass, 16-9, $720
5th: C.J. Knight Jr., Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 16-9, $720
7th: Alexander Wilson Sr., Elmore, Ala., five bass, 16-8, $626
8th: Larry Fransk Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., five bass, 16-4, $563
9th: Jimmy Butler Jr., Opelika, Ala., five bass, 16-3, $501
10th: David Parsons, Dothan, Ala., five bass, 16-1, $438
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Luke Plunkett of Pinson, Alabama, weighed a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $490.
Tanner Ellison of Jemison, Alabama, won the Co-angler Division and $1,878 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Tanner Ellison, Jemison, Ala., five bass, 17-6, $1,878
2nd: Gary Marlowe, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 16-13, $1,039
3rd: Larry Purdie, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 16-5, $677
4th: Hayden Teems, Leeds, Ala., five bass, 13-14, $438
5th: Michael Anderson, Newton, Ala., five bass, 13-11, $376
6th: Tyler Conn, Wetumpka, Ala., four bass, 13-9, $344
7th: Heath Martin, Fyffe, Ala., three bass, 13-8, $558
8th: Caleb Scott, Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 13-3, $282
9th: Chris Patterson, Morris, Ala., five bass, 13-2, $250
10th: Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 12-3, $219
Martin caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $245.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 11-13 BFL Regional Championship on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Strike King Sends 7 to the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell
Collierville, Tenn. (Mar. 12, 2018) – The GEICO Bassmaster Classic returns to Lake Hartwell in Greenville, SC this Friday marking the third Classic to be held there since 2008. The 52-angler field will be vying for the 48th title of “Bassmaster Classic Champion” when the scales settle at the TD Convention Center on Sunday evening. Of the 52 anglers competing for this prestigious title that is accompanied by a nice payday of $300,000, 7 of them are Strike King anglers.
Keith Combs of Huntington, TX is making his 7th appearance.
Mark Davis from Mt. Ida, AR is making his 2oth appearance and has 1 win.
Todd Faircloth hails from Jasper, TX and is competing in his 16th Classic.
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, LA will make his 15th Classic appearance.
Jordan Lee from Vinemont, AL is competing in his 4th Classic as last year’s Champion.
Matt Lee is also from Vinemont, AL and will be a 2nd time Classic qualifier.
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, MI is competing in his 27th Classic and boasts 4 wins.
Please make sure to stop by our booth (#3218) at the TD Convention Center and meet several of the Strike King pros and get great deals on Strike King apparel!
For more information on Strike King products, please visit www.strikeking.com or your preferred fishing tackle retailer.
Danny & Michael Bennett Conquers over 640 anglers at Bass Champs on Sam Rayburn with over 35 Pounds!!!!
| By: Patty Lenderman |
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Sam Rayburn didn’t disappoint Bass Champs East Region on March 10. The massive field of well over 600 contenders were ready to hit it hard, with anticipated rain in the forecast. Big bass were on the prowl, and avid anglers were on their heels. The weigh in began with a limit over thirty pounds, but in the end it turns out that was only the beginning. Four sacks of bass were registered at the scales in excess of thirty pounds, but in the end it was Danny & Michael Bennett who topped them all for the granddaddy payday. While the weather forecasters had given up to an 80% chance of rain for Saturday with temps in the mid to upper 70’s, everyone was happy to see that while the temperature forecast was correct the rain didn’t come. Sam Rayburn was a playground for 322 boats and the game was on, as big bass were found and caught in masses. The very first sack of bass weighed in set the mark high for the rest of the field. Kevin Wolford and Michael “Shane” Dorsey had pre-fished for the tournament, but having very little luck they decided to wing it for competition day. Landing on a spawning flat with ditches 8’-14’ deep, they started their creel with a 4 ½ pounder and had a limit within 30 minutes. “We were using Carolina rigs and jigs, culling by 7:30.” It was a long stretch of about 125 yards, and for the next few hours continued to catch solid bass, culling up their weight. “Our best cull was around 10am, Shane caught a 9.21# - his biggest ever - that we culled out a 4 ¾.” They had over 30 pounds in their livewells, and an hour later decided to come in and weigh. “It was going to be difficult to cull any of the fish we had at that point,” Kevin explained. “We could tell the fish were starting to get stressed, and decided to go ahead and roll the dice and weigh them in so they could get released.” Their limit set the bar at 33.57 pounds. The next four hours were long for them, waiting on the rest of the teams to bring in their catch. Once 3:00 came around, boats were coming to the scales in droves. Justin Morton and Randy Turner heaved their catch to the stage, taking over top weight with 33.64 pounds. They too enjoyed an early bite, flipping Stanley jigs in 4’-6’. “We had all of our fish by 9:30.” The crowd cheered as the close weights were tallied. A third sack was weighed, challenging the top weights by Kenneth Cates and Delia Degnan. First their biggest, hitting 9.70 lbs ultimately winning the Big Bass category. Putting their other four on the scales, they had 31.38 lbs that ended up winning 4th place. Finally, the biggest sack of them all were brought in by Danny & Michael Bennett. First they weighed their kicker at 8.96 pounds. Chad Potts got the crowd ready when he said the rest of their fish looked just like that one! Their total came to 35.23 pounds, winning the tournament by nearly a two pound margin. The team worked hard for their catch, using crank baits, jigs and Carolina rigs. “The first hour was the best for us. We didn’t hardly catch anything from 9-11am, then it picked back up. Mostly it was a crank bait bite, and we are worn out!” Their efforts paid off massively. First, they won the guaranteed 1st place purse of $20,000. They were fishing out of a qualified Skeeter boat winning another $5,000. Then they won the Lowrance, Power Pole and Sure Life bonuses, taking home nearly $26,000! Bass Champs paid the top 43 teams, with the last $600 check going to Paul Batman and Anthony Sharp having caught 16.72 lbs. Due to the number of entries, two $500 checks were awarded for the conservation bonus. “We offer the ZERO bonus to teams who elect to pre-release their catch in lieu of weighing them in if they don’t have enough weight to win a check in the regular line-up,” Potts explained. “Those teams are put into a drawing to have a chance to win $500.”
Full Results here |
Lee Brothers Prepare to Compete in Their First Bassmaster Classic Together
Story & Photo's Courtesy of Alan McGuckin/Dynamic Sponsorships
Seconds after Jordan Lee was crowned Bassmaster Classic Champion inside Houston’s Minute Maid Park, his slightly older professional bass angling brother Matt, rushed from the bleachers to the stage to provide a congratulatory bear hug.
Fair to say, the Lee Brothers can be as different as spinning reels and baitcasters. Matt has an engineer’s mind, Jordan majored in marketing. Matt analyzes everything, and Jordan just goes with the flow.
But ever since they were teens fishing around the protected cove of Lake Guntersville Yacht Club, they’ve fostered dreams of someday fishing in the Bassmaster Classic together.
And next week … they will. In fact, they’ll become only the fourth pair of brothers to fish a Classic together in the event’s prestigious 48-year history.
We caught up with them separately to test the waters of their thoughts leading into bass fishing’s biggest event on Lake Hartwell March 16 -18.
Q: If we’d have stopped you on Auburn’s famed Toomer’s Corner during your college days, and told you that in 2018 you’d be fishing in the Bassmaster Classic with your brother – what would you have said?
Matt: “I didn’t doubt that Jordan and I would get a chance to fish the Classic together, it was more a mater of how long we’d have to wait. Before I won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship, I figured I’d have to get a job and save enough money to fish professionally. But fortunately, I started fishing professionally right out of college. I’d like to see us finish first and second this year – but preferably I get the win – since Jordan won it last year.”
Jordan: “I would have said that’s what the plan is. Fishing is something we’re both really passionate about, and I think we both knew we would be together in the Classic at some point.”
Q: Without peeking in your brother’s rod locker, what two lures can you just about guarantee us he’s taking to Lake Hartwell?
Matt: Maybe a Jordan Lee Comeback Jig if he’s really optimistic, and a dropshot, as much as he’d rather not dropshot, he knows it’s deadly.
Jordan: I’ll bet he’s packing swimbaits and wacky worms – For Sure!
Q: What do you believe will be the biggest challenge at the Bassmaster Classic?
Matt: “Weather and changing conditions like rising or falling water. There’s a good chance somebody could really find the fish in practice, but conditions will change and they’ll struggle in the tournament, or vice versa, somebody may struggle in practice, but a major change in conditions could turn in their favor.”
Jordan: “Well, the Classic as a whole is a challenge. I know I’ll have to dig deep to block everything out and focus on the fishing. And since I’ve never fished a tournament on Hartwell, and it’s a pretty big lake, I’ll have to focus even more.”
Q: Do you foresee yourself using more Quantum spinning reels or baitcasting reels in this event?
Matt: “Probably spinning tackle just because I have the utmost confidence in its ability to get bites. I’m guessing I’ll lean heavily on a size 30 Quantum Smoke S3 spinning reel at Hartwell.”
Jordan: “It really depends on the water color. Hartwell is generally pretty clear, which leads to a lot of spinning tackle, but with all the recent rains it could be off colored, meaning I’ll use baitcasting more – so probably a mix of both spinning and baitcasting.”
Q: Jump ahead 30 years from now in your mind and tell us how you hope fishing fans will think of the Lee Brothers in the year 2048.
Matt: “I hope we’re both thought of as anglers who are respected and talented, and made a positive impact on fishing both on and off the water. Sure, I’d love to see us both have dominating careers in the years ahead, but there are a lot more important things in life that I want to accompany that – like being likeable and well-respected.”
Jordan: “I hope we’re thought of as brothers that had fun, and got the younger generation excited about fishing. I know fishing kept me out of trouble when I was younger, and to get high school anglers involved in our sport is what it’s all about for me. I get the most joy from young anglers telling me that my brother and I are the reason they got into bass fishing. That’s so rewarding!”
Donny Beck and Tony Harvey win 2018 Alabama Bass Trail Lake Guntersville Event with Over 30 Pounds!
First Stop of North Division see's 38 Teams with over 20 pounds!
by Dan O’Sullivan/ABT
March 10, 2018 – Guntersville, Ala. – Lake Guntersville is dead… That’s been the cry of anglers throughout the region for the past year and a half. If that was the case, then the Alabama Bass Trail’s Northern Division teams resurrected it.
The first stop of the 2018 ABT Northern Division proved that Guntersville appears to have a heartbeat again as the winning weight reached the 30-pound and 38 teams eclipsed 20 pounds; it took 19.87 pounds to get the last paycheck spot in 40th place. Seems Lake Guntersville has borrowed from Mark Twain and issued its own “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” statement.
The team that issued the loudest statement on Saturday was the Pickwick Lake local team of Donny Beck and Tony Harvey who crossed the stage three quarters of the way through the weigh-in and dropped 30.02 pounds of largemouth on the ABT scales at Guntersville State Park to claim the $10,000 winner’s prize. Included in their bag was an 8.56-pound jumbo that earned them the Mountain Dew Big Bass bonus of $500.
While that statement was the exclamation point of the day, it wa mic drop” moment as the second place team of Brett Coggins and Adam Christen weighed in immediately after them and put a scare into the leaders before their 28.81-pound limit was announced; they earned $5,000 for their spectacular day.
Beck and Harvey said they were thrilled with their day. “This is one of the biggest tournaments we’ve ever won, and we’re really excited,” they said. “We had a really good practice, and while we weren’t expecting this big of a weight, it’s great that it worked out this way; this is always a really tough field.”
The pair reported fishing 12-foot deep on the pinch points of bridges in North Sauty Creek with a 1/2-ounce black and blue Johnston Lures Arkie style jig with a matching Zoom Super Chunk. “We caught a few on a crankbait, but everything we weighed came on the jig,” they said. “We caught fish all day, but the one’s that we weighed all came before one o’clock.”
Coggins and Christen said they were excited about their day as well. “We had a great day, we did everything we could and got beat by a massive bag,” they said. “We practiced for a day and a half last week, and wouldn’t have expected things to turn out like this; what a day.” The reported targeting sparse grass next to shell beds, south of Siebold with 3/8-ounce Bad Gill colored Jakked Baits SKKatterbait bladed jigs with matching Zoom Swimming Super Fluke. They said they slow cranked it on the bottom.
The Top 10 Standings are below, for complete standings visit: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lg-results/
| PLACE | ANGLERS | WEIGHT | BIG FISH | WINNINGS |
| 1 | Donny Beck / Tony Harvey | 30.02 | 8.56 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Brett Coggins / Adam Christen | 28.81 | 6.79 | $5,000 |
| 3 | Lanny Guthrie / Lee Hurley | 28.02 | 7.44 | $4,000 |
| 4 | Bryan Douglas / Blake Douglas | 27.61 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | Hadley Coan / Scott Keeling | 27.49 | 7.16 | $2,000 |
| 6 | Kent Keys / David Campbell | 27.08 | 7.8 | $1,500 |
| 7 | Hank Miller / Andy Miller | 26.38 | 7.47 | $1,100 |
| 8 | Duane Edel / Brandon Edel | 26.22 | 8.38 | $1,100 |
| 9 | Chad Sykes / Walter Sykes | 25.32 | $1,100 | |
| 10 | Darien Craig / Houston Calvert | 25.12 | $1,100 |
HALLMAN LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS FLW TOUR ON LAKE LANIER PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Oklahoma Pro Catches 13-pound, 1-ounce Final Day Limit, Wins $100,000
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 11, 2018) – After weighing in a limit of spotted bass in each of the first three days of competition, pro Bradley Hallman of Norman, Oklahoma, weighed a five-bass limit of largemouth Sunday totaling 13 pounds, 1 ounce, to clinch his victory at the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats and win $100,000. Hallman led the event for four-straight days after weighing in a tournament-best 23-pound, 11-ounce limit of spotted bass Thursday on Day One, and won by a 2-pound, 10-ounce margin over fellow Oklahoman Zack Birge who finished with 65-10.
“It was a great, great week,” said Hallman, who earned his second career win on the FLW Tour. “I probably fished the best week that I have ever fished in my entire life. I say that because I had to catch these fish a different way each day.”
Hallman said that he caught his huge Day One limit of spotted bass fishing points with a Sexy Shiner-colored Megabass Vision 110+1 jerkbait and a sexy shad-colored Keitech 3.8-inch swimbait with a ½-ounce Buckeye Lures J-Will Swimbait Head. On Day Two, Hallman fished the points but only managed one keeper by 1 o’clock. He changed patterns and began targeting seawalls in marinas with the swimbait and managed to bring 18-7 to the scale.
Day Three, Hallman only caught one fish with the swimbait off of the seawalls, and no fish off of the points. He was forced to change patterns again, this time catching a limit inside marinas, under shallow docks and walkways, with a green-pumpkin Zoom Trick Worm on a ¼-ounce shaky-head rig.
“This morning I knew that I needed the sun to position those fish on the docks, and with the cloud cover I wasn’t going to have it,” Hallman said. “I had stopped a couple of times and fished the river near takeoff in my last 10 minutes before checking in each day and caught a couple with a spinnerbait. So, I made the decision this morning to fish the river all day.”
Hallman never caught a fish more than three miles from takeoff Sunday, hitting docks and patches of emergent dogfennel in the backs of pockets. He said that his key bait was a ½-ounce, double willow-bladed, chartreuse and white War Eagle spinnerbait.
“I’m really blessed and fortunate to win one Tour event, let alone two,” Hallman went on to say. “I’m real good at finishing 135th too, so I take the good with the bad and I’m just trying to enjoy this one for all I can.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Lanier finished:
1st: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., 20 bass, 68-4, $100,000
2nd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 65-10, $30,000
3rd: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 20 bass, 65-2, $25,000
4th: Jason Johnson, Dawsonville, Ga., 20 bass, 65-1, $20,000
5th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 20 bass, 63-2, $19,000
6th: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 62-10, $18,000
7th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 20 bass, 62-3, $17,000
8th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 61-12, $16,000
9th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 20 bass, 60-6, $15,000
10th: Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 19 bass, 57-11, $14,500
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 148 pounds, 9 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Nine of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 10 ounces, followed by Brad Wiley of Alto, Georgia, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 31-1, worth $7,550.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 18 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats was more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro division. The tournament was hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the FLW Tour at Lake Cumberland presented by General Tire, April 12-15 in Somerset, Kentucky, hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 368 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Guido Hibdon Passes Away
March 10, 2018
Story Courtesy of FLW
Hibdon earned a reputation as a top-notch bass angler on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, where he began guiding at the young age of 12. After turning pro in 1980, he went on to win the Bassmaster Classic in 1988 and B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in both 1990 and 1991. His FLW Tour career culminated with two wins and numerous top-10 tournament finishes. Known as the "Professor of Finesse," Hibdon was the patriarch of the acclaimed Hibdon fishing family, which includes his son, Dion, and grandsons, Payden and Lawson, who all competed on the FLW Tour.
HALLMAN STILL ON TOP AT FLW TOUR ON LAKE LANIER PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
Oklahoma Pro Leads Third-Straight Day, Brings 5-pound, 9-ounce Lead into Championship Sunday
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 10, 2018) – Oklahoma pro Bradley Hallman has one previous career win on the FLW Tour – a 2016 event on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, where he led the tournament for four straight days and won by a near 15-pound margin. Hallman is looking to match that feat this week on Lake Lanier, as he weighed another limit of spotted bass totaling 13 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to maintain his lead for the third straight day at the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats. The field is now cut to the final 10 pros for Championship Sunday in the four-day event that featured a field of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing for a top prize of up to $125,000.
Hallman’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 55-3 will give him a solid 5-pound, 9-ounce advantage over second-place pro and fellow Oklahoman Zack Birge, who has a three-day total of 15 bass for 49-10. Also trying to catch Hallman on Sunday will be Canadian pro Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Ontario (48-10), who sits in third after making his second straight top-10 cut on the FLW Tour after finishing second at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida two weeks ago, and local pro Jason Johnson of Dawsonville (48-9), who will start Sunday in 4th place after weighing Saturday’s largest limit of 17-10.
“Today was a day where nothing really bad happened, but I’m happy that I salvaged what I did,” said Hallman, who is fishing in his 20th career FLW Tour event. “Every day I’ve been doing something different and today I caught some off of docks. I only had 10 bites and I put six of them in the boat. The four that I lost were ones that I really could have used.”
Hallman said that he caught his fish Saturday throwing a spinnerbait, a swimbait and a shaky-head rig.
“I caught 18 pounds fishing marinas yesterday,” he said. “I only caught one today. It was hard to get them to bite without the sun – you need the sun to shine to put them in position. When it’s cloudy like it was today, they just roam.
“One way or another, I’m going back to the marinas tomorrow,” Hallman went on to say. “I know how difficult it is to win these Tour events and I need to have a really good day tomorrow. The key will be staying open minded, like I did today. I’ve really enjoyed myself this week – this place is phenomenal.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Lanier are:
1st: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., 15 bass, 55-3
2nd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 49-10
3rd: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 48-10
4th: Jason Johnson, Dawsonville, Ga., 15 bass, 48-9
5th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 47-10
6th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 15 bass, 47-5
7th: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 46-14
8th: Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 15 bass, 46-13
9th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 46-6
10th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 46-4
Finishing in 11h through 30th are:
11th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-7, $12,000
12th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 45-6, $12,000
13th: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, 15 bass, 45-4, $12,000
14th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 45-3, $12,000
15th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 44-12, $12,000
16th: David Nichol, Gainesville, Ga., 15 bass, 44-10, $12,000
17th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., 15 bass, 43-5, $12,000
18th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 42-12, $12,000
19th: James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 15 bass, 42-12, $12,000
20th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 41-12, $12,000
21st: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 15 bass, 41-9, $10,000
22nd: Jason Meninger, Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 41-8, $10,000
23rd: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 40-10, $10,000
24th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 15 bass, 40-8, $10,000
25th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 14 bass, 40-8, $10,000
26th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 40-8, $10,000
27th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 14 bass, 40-5, $10,000
28th: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 15 bass, 40-0, $10,000
29th: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., 15 bass, 39-12, $10,000
30th: Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., 15 bass, 39-10, $10,000
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 148 bass weighing 380 pounds, 3 ounces caught by pros Saturday, Of the final 30 pros, 28 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.
Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 10 ounces, followed by Brad Wiley of Alto, Georgia, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 31-1, worth $7,550.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 368 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros now continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats is more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro division. The tournament is hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
The final 10 anglers will take off Sunday at 7:45 a.m. DST Sunday morning (Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday) from Laurel Park, located at 3100 Old Cleveland Highway, in Gainesville. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at the park and will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-in Sunday, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Laurel Park from noon to 4 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 18 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
HALLMAN EXTENDS LEAD ON DAY TWO OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE LANIER PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
South Carolina’s Anders Wins Co-angler Title, $25K
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 9, 2018) – Oklahoma pro Bradley Hallman weighed another solid limit of spotted bass – 18 pounds, 7 ounces – to extend his lead after Day Two of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats. The field of 184 boats is now cut to 30, with Hallman bringing a 7-pound, 5-ounce lead into Day Three of the four-day event that features a field of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers competing for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“I feel very fortunate to catch what I did,” said Hallman, a four-year veteran of the Tour who has one previous Tour win. “Around 1 o’clock I only had one little fish. But, it was a nice afternoon for me. I pulled up on a couple of spots and they were there. I caught a 3- and a 4-pounder on back-to-back casts and that really helped me to get right.”
Hallman said that his fishing this week has been “high-risk, high-reward” and he estimated that he ran 35 spots this morning before he switched patterns.
“I’ve got a couple of different deals working and they are two totally different patterns,” Hallman said. “The way that I caught them yesterday is not how I caught them today. I’ve got a little secondary deal that I’m starting to figure out through the week. I only did it for 30 minutes yesterday and I caught a big one. This afternoon I went and did it for the last 3 hours and I caught them.”
Though Hallman didn’t want to reveal any details of his patterns, he did hint that he was throwing reaction baits and of the dozen rods that he had on his deck, 10 were baitcasters and two were spinning rods.
“This lake has been really good to me for two days in a row and it has been a lot of fun to fish here,” Hallman went on to say. “There doesn’t seem to be that many fish pushing, but if you hit the right spot at the right time you can load the boat real quick.”
The top 30 pros that made the first cut and will fish Saturday on Lake Lanier are:
1st: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., 10 bass, 42-2
2nd: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 34-13
3rd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 34-9
4th: Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn., 10 bass, 34-6
5th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 33-5
6th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 32-13
7th: Braxton Setzer, Montgomery, Ala., 10 bass, 32-7
8th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 10 bass, 32-6
9th: Carl Jocumsen, Queensland, Australia, 10 bass, 32-5
10th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 10 bass, 32-4
11th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-15
12th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 31-5
13th: Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., 10 bass, 31-3
14th: Jason Meninger, Saint Augustine, Fla., 10 bass, 31-2
15th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 31-2
16th: David Nichol, Gainesville, Ga., 10 bass, 31-2
17th: Jason Johnson, Dawsonville, Ga., 10 bass, 30-15
18th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 30-14
19th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 30-14
20th: Cody Meyer, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 30-8
21st: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 30-5
22nd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., 10 bass, 30-3
23rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 10 bass, 30-0
24th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., 10 bass, 30-0
25th: James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, 10 bass, 29-12
26th: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 29-7
27th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-6
28th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 10 bass, 29-6
29th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 29-3
30th: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., 10 bass, 29-2
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Felix earned Friday's $500 Simms Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth.
Pro Aaron Britt of Yuba City, California, was disqualified from the tournament after he was found to be in violation of FLW Tour Rule No. 6. The rule states that tournament waters will go off-limits to pros 13 days prior to the first practice day in all tournaments. During the off-limits period, practice and competition days, pros may not solicit and/or receive information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone except pros confirmed in the tournament and through publicly available sources.
Overall there were 830 bass weighing 2,048 pounds, 2 ounces, caught by 183 pros Friday. The catch included 139 five-bass limits.
Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 10 ounces, followed by Brad Wiley of Alto, Georgia, who finished in second place with 10 bass totaling 31-1, worth $7,550.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., 10 bass, 31-10, $20,000 + $5,000 Ranger Cup
2nd: Brad Wiley, Alto, Ga., 10 bass, 31-1, $7,550
3rd: Joe Eubanks, Marietta, Ga., 10 bass, 25-9, $5,000
4th: Stephen Crawley, Bush, La., 10 bass, 25-3, $4,000
5th: Joel Willert, Lakeville, Minn., 10 bass, 24-12, $3,000
6th: Mark Guhne, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-8, $2,500
7th: Greg Ravitsky, Ashburn, Va., eight bass, 24-0, $2,000
8th: Douglas Colson, Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 23-13, $1,800
9th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 23-7, $1,700
10th: Adam Beckum, Martinez, Ga., 10 bass, 23-6, $1,600
Jim Hippensteel of Rochester, Indiana, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division Friday with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Overall there were 460 bass weighing 1,055 pounds, 2 ounces, caught by 149 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 40 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 368 anglers competed in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concluded following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats is more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro division. The tournament is hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST, Saturday morning and at 7:45 a.m. DST Sunday morning (Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday) from Laurel Park, located at 3100 Old Cleveland Highway, in Gainesville. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the park and will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Laurel Park from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Laurel Park on Saturday, March 10 from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 18 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
TH Marine Introduces Weights for Conservation Cull System
TH Marine Introduces Weights for their Conservation Cull System. Designed to clip onto the manufactured rings on the cull clip, the weights will be used to help keep fish nose down where the more aerated and running water will be in your boats live well system.
Conservation Cull, the only Culling system you need in your boat.
Check them out here: Conservation Cull Weights
3 Things Classic Champ Jordan Lee is packed in his Bassmaster Classic Suitcase
Story Courtesy of Alan McGuckin/Dynamic Sponsorships
Photo Credit Kristen Agnew
Of the course of this past week, Bassmaster Classic Champion Jordan Lee packed his Toyota Tundra at home in Alabama for the six hour drive to the Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, SC in an attempt to win back-to-back world championships. Of course he focused on making sure he packed a strategic assortment of lures, spooled reels with fresh line, and has his boat equipment in top running order.
His fiancé Kristen focused on packing his clothes.
“I always ask Jordan what the upcoming weather forecast looks like for whatever tournament he’s heading to next, and then I start packing his clothes,” says Kristen. “And trust me, Jordan doesn’t wear Carhartt because he’s sponsored by them, it’s actually a brand he grew up with and was wearing long before Carhartt sponsored him.”
Carhartt is indeed a part of the Lee family lineage. Jordan’s dad Bruce is a hard working veterinarian, and spends many days working on large animals, as well as smaller pets, while wearing Carhartt, and the ‘work hard, wear Carhartt’ scene is simply one Jordan and his pro angler brother Matt grew up watching and emulating.
“Jordan actually still has Carhartt pants he wore in high school seven years ago, and to be honest, there’s rarely a day that Jordan isn’t wearing Carhartt. He pretty much lives in the brand,” grins Kristen.
It’s doubtful she’ll pack the old pants he’s had since high school as he readies to leave for bass fishing’s biggest event, but from must-have raingear to his beloved hoodies, here’s a look at three things you can count on Jordan carrying to South Carolina.
Carhartt Force Extremes Graphic Hoodie – The Classic Champ owns one of every color they make, two of some colors, and wears one pretty much everyday. He’s always cold, and he says this lightweight hoodie keeps him perfectly warm whether its 45 or 75 degrees outside.
Carhartt Force Extremes Shoreline Angler Raingear – Hopefully it’s not raining during Classic week in Greenville, SC, but if it’s wet Jordan’s got a suit he believes in to keep him warm and dry. Even if it’s 65 and sunny, he’ll wear the bibs to keep him dry when sitting on boat seats and carpet that are seemingly always wet with morning dew.
Carhartt Gilliam Jacket – The Classic Champ never leaves home without it - whether he’s towing his boat to the Classic, or simply taking Kristen out to dinner. Jordan always wears a Carhartt Gilliam jacket during cool weather months.
Jordan certainly won’t be the only pro angler at the Bassmaster Classic wearing Carhartt, but you can bet few packed more Carhartt for bass fishing’s biggest event than the reigning champ – after all, it’s a brand he grew up with, and recently wore to win a world championship.
Louisiana Claims Team Title In B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Bass Championship
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OKLAHOMA’S HALLMAN GRABS LEAD ON DAY ONE OF FLW TOUR AT LAKE LANIER PRESENTED BY RANGER BOATS
South Carolina’s Anders Leads Co-Anglers
Link to photo of pro leader Bradley Hallman
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 8, 2018) – Pro Bradley Hallman of Norman, Oklahoma, weighed a 23-pound, 11-ounce limit of spotted bass to take the lead on Day One of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats. Hallman will bring a 3-pound, 6-ounce lead into Day Two of the four day event that features a field of 184 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers competing for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“It was an incredible day,” said Hallman, who is fishing in his fourth season on the FLW Tour. “To catch five spots that weigh 23 pounds – that’s a dream come true. That’s a bag that I’ll never catch again for the rest of my life.”
Hallman said that he caught his fish “playing the herring game”, fishing at least 45 different places from Brown’s Bridge all the way down to the Buford Dam.
“I only caught 9 or 10 fish today – there were not that many bites,” Hallman said. “I’ve been doing this long enough that I’m starting to understand the blueback herring deal. I know they move a lot – one hour they’re out on the top of the point, the next hour they could be out on the end of the point, the next hour they’re gone. I’m just trying to stay open minded. I don’t have any secret spots or anything like that.”
Hallman said that he caught his big limit of spots on three different baits.
“I had quite a bit going today, I got bit anywhere from 5 feet out to 24 feet. It was just one of those days where I couldn’t do anything wrong and everything went right.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Lanier are:
1st: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., five bass, 23-11
2nd: Tim Cales, Sandstone, W. Va., five bass, 20-5
3rd: Jason Meninger, Saint Augustine, Fla., five bass, 19-5
4th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., five bass, 19-3
5th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., five bass, 18-13
6th: Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., five bass, 18-12
7th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 18-7
7th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 18-7
9th: Jason Johnson, Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 18-4
10th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 17-12
10th: Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-12
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Cales earned the day's $500 Simms Big Bass award in the pro division thanks to a 7-pound largemouth bass.
Overall there were 846 bass weighing 2,179 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 183 pros Thursday. The catch included 146 five-bass limits.
Pro Yusuke Miyazaki of Forney, Texas, was assessed a 2-pound penalty on Day One of the tournament after he was found to be in violation of FLW Tour Rule No. 9 on Tuesday during his practice period. The rule states that safe boating must be observed at all times, and the provisions of this rule apply during practice and from boat check until weigh-in each day of the tournament.
Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces, followed by Brad Wiley of Alto, Georgia, who weighed five bass totaling 15-9, good for second place.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Lake Lanier are:
1st: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 17-6
2nd: Brad Wiley, Alto, Ga., five bass, 15-9
3rd: Chad Smith, Minnetonka, Minn., five bass, 14-13
4th: Joe Eubanks, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 13-1
5th: Douglas Colson, Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 12-14
6th: Rex Jaeger, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 12-14
7th: Keith Bridges, Mission Viejo, Calif., five bass, 12-11
8th: James Littich, Davidson, N.C., five bass, 12-10
9th: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Shizuoka, Honshu, Japan, five bass, 12-8
10th: Reid Daniel, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 12-7
Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Overall there were 532 bass weighing 1,182 pounds caught by 165 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 51 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field of 368 anglers competes in the two-day opening round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats is more than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro division. The tournament is hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EST, Friday and Saturday morning and at 7:45 a.m. DST Sunday morning (Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday) from Laurel Park, located at 3100 Old Cleveland Highway, in Gainesville. Friday’s weigh-in, March 9, will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, March 10-11, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Laurel Park from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Laurel Park on Saturday, March 10 from 9-11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Lanier presented by Ranger Boats will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) April 18 from Noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Mayo and Glasgow Win ABA Team Tour Event on Neely Henry To Take Home New Triton Boat
| The team of Bill Mayo and Allan Glasgow won the second event of the Triton 100% Plus Team Tour in the Alabama division on March 4th at Neely Henry. Mayo and Glasgow brought in the winning limit weighing 21.41 pounds. For their victory they took home a brand-new Triton Boats 17TX with a Mercury 60 HP four stroke outboard motor with a Garmin Echomap Plus93SV valued at $20,000. | |
| Hunter Penney and Michael Penney finished second with 17.66 pounds to take home a check for $2250. “We burned the banks. That’s all we did all day long, all the way up and down the river. We caught our fish on crankbaits. “stated Penney. |
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| In third place was Chris Speck and Terry Ezzell. They brought in a 17.01-pound bag including a 5.56-pound kicker that earned them big bass of the tournament. Speck and Ezzell took home $1600 for third place along with $590 for big bass. “We had a long day. It was kind of one here and one there most of the day, we just got the right bites. Caught them all on spinnerbaits.,” said Speck. |
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Finishing fourth, Damien Willis and Tyler Kiker landed a five-bass limit for 16.92 pounds. Blake Hal and Andrew Hamilton rounded out the top five teams with five bass that weighed 16.62 pounds.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
AC Insider Podcast Featuring BASS Opens Winner Stephen Browning & Elite Rookie of the Year Dustin Connell
This Week on the AnglersChannel Insider, Chris & Vance Discuss past episodes and why they are moving to a weekly format.
They also talk with Stephen Browning, Winner of the Ross Barnett Bassmaster Open this past weekend and breakdown his winning pattern.
The guys welcome 2017 BASS Elite Series Rookie Dustin Connell on the show as he prepares to fish his first Bassmasters Classic and gets into his "Fatbag Mentality!"
All of this and more on this weeks AnglersChannel Insider Podcast!
Alabama Angler Grabs Early Lead In B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Bass Tournament On Toledo Bend
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DALLAS’ MARKS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL COWBOY DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Pusselo, Woodard Tie for Co-angler Title
BROOKELAND, Texas (March 5, 2018) – Boater Phil Marks of Dallas, Texas, caught five bass weighing 26 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Navionics. Marks earned $8,300 for his win.
“They were spawning in the bushes mid-lake and I caught them using a blue-colored (Strike King) Hack Attack jig with a blue (Strike King) Rage Craw trailer,” said Marks, who earned his third career win in FLW competition. “Some fish I could see and some I couldn’t, but they were definitely on beds.”
Marks said he caught around 20 bass throughout the day, and that they were more aggressive earlier in the morning.
“After 10 a.m. I had to make a lot of pitches in there to get them to bite,” said Marks. “I had to remind myself to be patient. I’d put down my Power-Poles and fish slow, which is tough for me because I like to power-fish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 26-1, $6,300 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Blake Schroeder, Whitehouse, Texas, five bass, 21-3, $3,200
3rd: Jamey Cole, Springhill, La., five bass, 19-14, $3,000
4th: Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 18-15, $1,500
5th: Cody Pitt, Many, La., five bass, 18-11, $1,200
6th: Randy Despino, Colfax, La., five bass, 18-8, $1,100
7th: Philip Crelia, Center, Texas, five bass, 17-11, $1,000
8th: Eric Faucett, Norman, Okla., five bass, 17-3, $900
9th: Todd Hughes, Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 17-0, $800
10th: Jason Ball, Lumberton, Texas, five bass, 16-15, $700
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Cole caught a bass weighing 9 pounds, 7 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1,000.
Bronsun Pusselo of Sulphur, Louisiana, and Tom Woodard of Rosepine, Louisiana, each brought bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces, to the scale Saturday to tie for the win in the Co-angler Division. Woodard took home $2,250 while Pusselo earned $2,750 after contingency bonuses.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bronsun Pusselo, Sulphur, La., three bass, 16-8, $2,750
1st: Tim Woodard, Rosepine, La., five bass, 16-8, $2,250
3rd: James Dutton, Hemphill, Texas, five bass, 16-3, $1,000
4th: Russell Lewis, Pineville, La., five bass, 15-6, $900
5th: Justin Shelton, Kemp, Texas, four bass, 15-4, $650
6th: Hunter Olden, Bourg, La., five bass, 14-14, $550
7th: Aaron Renda, Deville, La., five bass, 12-15, $500
8th: Ryan Latch, Lafayette, La., five bass, 12-11, $450
9th: Benjamin Shaw, Haughton, La., five bass, 11-15, $400
10th: Lindy Hadley, Sam Rayburn, Texas, five bass, 11-11, $350
Pusselo also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 10-pound, 13-ounce giant. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Navionics was hosted by the Jasper County Development District.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
HOUSTON’S NEWBERRY WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL COWBOY DIVISION TOURNAMENT ON SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR
Louisiana’s Faucheaux Wins Co-angler Title
BROOKELAND, Texas (March 5, 2018) – Boater Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces, to win Sunday’s rescheduled T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. For his finish, Newberry won $8,965.
“I started out fishing shallower ridges, but ended up catching staging females in drains,” said Newberry. “It took a little while to figure them out. Around 11 a.m. I worked through a drain that ran up the side of a point in deeper water. There was some scattered grass on the bottom, and I think there were females in there staging getting ready to move up to spawn.”
Newberry said the drain was around 100 feet wide and 12 feet down, and that he used a ¾-ounce red Rat-L-Trap and a Carolina-rigged lizard to catch his fish.
“I thoroughly fished the drain with both and caught 3 keepers,” said Newberry. “After that I ran to 10 or 12 different spots that looked similar to it, finding fish in over half of them. A lot of my day was about knowing where those additional drains were. I think a lot of people have a tendency to stay put if they start catching them, but I continued to move after those three bites.”
Newberry’s day was capped off with a 7-pounder at the last drain he visited, which he caught using the Rat-L-Trap.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 22-3, $6,965 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Joe Beebee, The Woodlands, Texas, five bass, 21-3, $2,983
3rd: Skeeter Fowler, Grand Saline, Texas, five bass, 20-7, $2,222
4th: Justin O`Brian Cooper, Pelican, La., five bass, 19-1, $1,345
5th: Victor Hawkins, Sugar Land, Texas, five bass, 18-15, $1,153
6th: Brandon Thrash, Downsville, La., five bass, 17-12, $1,057
7th: Bobby Vice, Groves, Texas, five bass, 17-10, $961
8th: Jeff Wooldridge, Chandler, Texas, five bass, 17-9, $865
9th: Keith Suire Jr, DeRidder, La., five bass, 17-7, $769
10th: Richard Ballard, Sulphur, La., five bass, 17-2, $673
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Scotty Villiness of Ponca, Arkansas, caught a bass weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $940.
Ben Faucheaux of Natchitoches, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,883 Sunday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Ben Faucheaux, Natchitoches, La., five bass, 17-15, $2,883
2nd: Ronnie Talbot, Mexia, Texas, five bass, 17-4, $1,441
3rd: Robert Royal, Vidor, Texas, five bass, 16-9, $1,430
4th: Jacob Brown, Center Point, La., five bass, 14-12, $673
5th: Christopher Chautin, Zwolle, La., five bass, 14-3, $577
6th: Carl Broussard, Logansport, La., five bass, 13-12, $504
6th: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 13-12, $604
8th: Jeffrey Grubbs, Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 13-6, $408
8th: Skye Ball, Lumberton, Texas, five bass, 13-6, $408
10th: Stetson Overton, Irving, Texas, five bass, 13-2, $306
10th: Tanner Mizell, Many, La., five bass, 13-2, $356
10th: Cedric Jackson, Sicily Island, La., five bass, 13-2, $356
Royal caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a 7-pound, 5-ounce fish. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $470.
Sunday’s rescheduled T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 25-27 BFL Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Choosing the Right Color Palette on Your Fish Finder with Keith Combs on HumminbirdTV
The latest HumminbirdTV Episode Features Keith Combs as he explains some of his favorite Humminbird color palettes and how you can find what works best for you so you can get the most out of your unit.
Country Music’s Bass Fishing Fiddle Player
Shawn Bailey has played fiddle on songs such as Mark Chesnutt’s “Blame it on Texas” and Easton Corbin’s “A Little More Country Than That” in front of 100,000 fans without ever a hint of stage fright, but the escapades he and his father endured in a rickety brown and white 15-foot bass boat as a teenager in North Texas nearly sunk any aspirations he had of ever going fishing again.
“There’s nothing more exciting than walking out on stage to 100,000 people at a place like Jamboree in the Hills in Ohio, but there’s nothing that’ll make you more anxious than the transom falling off your dad’s bass boat when you’re a young kid,” laughs Bailey.
From forgetting to put the drain plug in, to the boat’s outboard literally tearing loose from the transom, let’s just say the little brown boat left its mental mark on the Fort Worth native, but thank heavens, it wasn’t enough to sink his passion for bass fishing.
Bailey is currently touring with Easton Corbin, and just booked a guided trip with 8-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Chet Douthit on Okeechobee when they play an upcoming music festival there. And before a recent show in Tulsa, Bailey proved his prowess in cold 47-degree water on Lake Skiatook with a Shad Rap tied to a Quantum Smoke spinning reel.
However it’s Guntersville, Alabama later this spring that has him feeling most froggy. “Yep, I guess if everyday was Christmas, and I got to choose, I’d say let’s go to Guntersville around the spawn and pull topwater frogs over their heads in that vegetation,” says Bailey. “I’m not sure it gets much better than that.”
It also doesn’t get much better than making a living doing something you love – and sharing a peaceful little 40-acre farm southeast of Nashville complete with two ponds, two homes, and people you love.
Shawn lives in one of the homes on the small farm, and his parents live in the other. “After dad retired from driving a fire truck, he moved to the shores of Lake Fork, but consistently low water levels left his boat dock dry more than wet, and eventually he decided he and mom would join me near Nashville.”
Having family nearby to share life between 200 soul-draining days on a bus and concert stage is a giant blessing for the career musician who first fell in the love with the fiddle on a family vacation to Branson, Missouri. “I was like 7-years old when we went to that show in Branson, and I looked at my Mom and told her I wanted to play fiddle like the guy on stage,” grins Bailey.
“Mom and Dad fostered my dreams, and before you knew it, I was playing around North Texas, and later Branson, as a teenager with guys like Wyatt Beard, who has now played keys with Kenny Chesney for 20 years,” says Bailey.
Since those early days in Branson, Bailey has played with Mark Chesnutt, Big & Rich, Craig Campbell and currently Easton Corbin, but between hundreds of tour dates, he’s never far from following guys like Gerald Swindle on social media, or reading everything he can about bass fishing on the sport’s most popular websites.
And perhaps the best addition to the small farm Shawn shares with his parents and sister is not a tractor, but instead a new model Charger bass boat with no threats of the transom falling apart. Long gone is the little brown and white boat that caused so much anxiousness, and here to stay forever is a fiddle player’s genuine passion for bass fishing.
Photo Courtesy S.Wilson/Lunkerchasers, Alan McGuckin/Dynamic Sponsorships
VIRGINIA’S WHITT WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL PIEDMONT DIVISION OPENER ON KERR LAKE PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Wright Claims Co-angler Title
HENDERSON, N.C. (March 5, 2018) – Boater Zachary Whitt of Newport News, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division opener on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. Whitt took home $4,315 for his efforts.
Whitt said he fished for bass along a stretch of riprap in Nutbush Creek, primarily focusing on three sections with ledges 6 feet down.
“The ledges were right next to deep water – sometimes 20 to 25 feet down – and the bass were really keyed in on them,” said Whitt, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “It was the last major deep hole before the back of creek, and I figured I could target bass both heading up to spawn or heading back out with the approaching cold front.”
Whitt didn’t want to divulge specifics, but said he used a red crankbait and caught every fish he weighed in by 9 a.m.
“I borrowed a 16-foot boat with a 25-horsepower engine for this event, and I think ended up being a big factor for me,” said Whitt. “The smaller engine kept me close to takeoff. If I had used my own boat I wouldn’t have stayed as close to the ramp and definitely would have gone to other areas.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Zachary Whitt, Newport News, Va., five bass, 21-8, $4,315
2nd: David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 19-10, $2,767
3rd: Ray Griffin, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 16-14, $1,439
4th: Gary D'Angelo, Woodbine, Md., five bass, 16-7, $1,207
5th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 16-4, $963
6th: Andy Francis, Chester, Va., three bass, 14-15, $791
7th: Neil Eckberg, Cary, N.C., five bass, 14-10, $719
8th: Ralph Hollifield Jr., Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 14-8, $647
9th: Cameron Lineback, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 14-4, $575
10th: Bradley Staley, Pleasant Garden, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $503
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Wright caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $610.
Craig Wright of Rustburg, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,357 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Craig Wright, Rustburg, Va., five bass, 13-11, $2,357
2nd: Jamie Baynard, Clayton, N.C., five bass, 12-1, $1,079
3rd: Johnathan Hager, Roxboro, N.C., four bass, 10-13, $717
4th: Zachary Burton, Lynchburg, Va., four bass, 10-6, $503
5th: Matthew Haizel, Holly Springs, N.C., five bass, 10-5, $431
6th: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., three bass, 7-9, $428
6th: Brian Nappier, Huntersville, N.C., three bass, 7-9, $428
8th: Mark Ludwig, Chesterfield, Va., one bass, 6-14, $629
9th: Dylan McLeod, Spring Lake, N.C., three bass, 6-6, $288
10th: Joshua Kidd, Evington, Va., two bass, 6-4, $252
Ludwig caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – 6-pounds, 14-ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division event on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics was hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2018 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 BFL All-American will be held May 31-June 2 at Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
