Marks Wins Nc Division Bfl On Lake Wylie
DUNCAN’S MARKS WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE WYLIE
Swicegood wins co-angler title
LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (June 20, 2016) – Joseph Marks of Duncan, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Wylie. For his victory, Marks took home $6,056.
“I spent the day fishing the lower end of the lake, on the South Carolina side,” said Marks, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I rotated through five different brush piles and was able to piece together some decent catches.
“I started out throwing a drop-shot rig with a Morning Dawn-colored Roboworm in 14 to 18 feet of water,” Marks continued. “Before 9 a.m., I had a limit worth 12 pounds. Around 10:30 a.m., I switched to a green-pumpkin custom jig and caught another 15 keepers.”
Marks said preferred to position his baits inside the brush piles, even if it meant getting them hung up on the branches.
“I threw the jig and let it sit there on the bottom and the fish would pick it up,” said Marks. “It was hard to feel them bite and was very slow, but it worked. With the drop-shot, I used 5/16-ounce weights and went through about 40 of them from having to rip out of the brush. I had to let it fall inside, though, to get the reaction bite. It was a great day on the water.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Joseph Marks, Duncan, S.C., five bass, 16-3, $4,056 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Bernie Davis, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 14-7, $1,878
3rd: Stephen Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 14-1, $1,064
3rd: Jeff Queen, Catawba, N.C., five bass, 14-1, $1,064
5th: Kameron Harbin, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $751
6th: Jason Quinn, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $689
7th: Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 11-13, $626
8th: Joey Sabbagha Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 11-3, $563
9th: Steve Godfrey, Candler, N.C., five bass, 11-1, $469
9th: Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., five bass, 11-1, $469
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Travis Young of Gastonia, North Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $490.
Tommy Swicegood of Salisbury, North Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,123.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Tommy Swicegood, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $2,123
2nd: Dennis Langdon, Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., five bass, 11-3, $939
3rd: Erik Myers, Southmont, N.C., five bass, 10-7, $627
4th: Wayne Smelser, Rural Retreat, Va., five bass, 9-8, $438
5th: Doug File, Salisbury, N.C., four bass, 8-9, $376
6th: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., five bass, 8-8, $344
7th: Brandon Coalter, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 8-2, $313
8th: Aaron Digh, Denver, N.C., four bass, 7-15, $282
9th: Brian Transon, Sherrills Ford, N.C., four bass, 7-14, $250
10th: Michael Miller, Clemmons, N.C., four bass, 7-11, $219
Swicegood also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $245.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Alabama Bass Trail Top 3 Interviews And Angler Of Year Champs
Interviews from this weekends ABT North Division Finale of the top 3 teams and the AOY Points Champs.
Gerrein Wins Mountain Division Bfl On Barren River
VILLA HILLS’ GERREIN WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION EVENT ON BARREN RIVER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Vice wins co-angler title
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (June 20, 2016) – Chris Gerrein of Villa Hills, Kentucky, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division tournament on the Barren River presented by Navionics. For his victory, Gerrein took home $7,925.
Gerrein said he spent his day fishing one area – a channel swing in 6 to 8 feet of water near Browns Ford ramp.
“The area was the perfect scenario,” said Gerrein, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “It was no larger than my boat and had a little bit of grass and a bunch of rock. I kept casting into it and was able to put something together.
“I used a Strike King Pro Model 5XD Crankbait and racked up about 19 pounds by noon,” Gerrein continued. “I figured I had enough to win, but I wanted to keep hammering for the big ones.”
Gerrein said he switched to a Strike King KVD 8.0 Magnum Square-Billed Crankbait to finish out the event.
“On my third cast with the Magnum I caught a 7-pounder which turned out to be the biggest fish in the tournament,” said Gerrein. “I’d never used it before, but ended up culling everything I had. After all was said and done, I probably culled 15 times.
The Kentucky angler said his key to victory was finding the big gizzard shad that bass were feeding on.
“Everyone was flipping, but I was out there imitating the shad I found in practice,” said Gerrein. “That’s what pushed me to the top.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris Gerrein, Villa Hills, Ky., five bass, 23-2, $5,925 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 17-13, $2,157
3rd: Jason Cooper, Shelbyville, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $1,439
4th: Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $1,307
5th: Brett Graham, Cold Spring, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $863
6th: Barry Strunk, Science Hill, Ky., five bass, 12-14, $791
7th: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W. Va., five bass, 12-13, $719
8th: Michael Emberton, Tompkinsville, Ky., five bass, 12-7, $611
8th: Mark Pierce, Cadiz, Ky., four bass, 12-7, $611
10th Todd Yocum, Harrodsburg, Ky., five bass, 12-6, $503
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Gerrein also caught a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $610.
John Vice of Owingsville, Kentucky, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,462.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: John Vice, Owingsville, Ky., five bass, 17-10, $2,462
2nd: Dustin Jones, Stanford, Ky., five bass, 13-1, $1,079
3rd: Don Carmack, Middlesboro, Ky., three bass, 10-12, $717
4th: Tony Baber, Dayton, Ohio, five bass, 10-6, $503
5th: Jason Stigall, Tateville, Ky., five bass, 10-3, $431
6th: Mike Morrison, Prestonsburg, Ky., three bass, 9-10, $396
7th: Timothy Ernst, Mount Eden, Ky., four bass, 7-9, $360
8th: Justin Sensabaugh, Byrdstown, Tenn., three bass, 6-15, $324
9th: Roger Crain, Louisville, Ky., two bass, 6-14, $288
10th: Jordan Pyles, Somerset, Ky., three bass, 6-11, $252
Vice also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Dill Wins Illini Bfl On Lake Shelbyville
DIETERICH’S DILL WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE ILLINI DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE SHELBYVILLE PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
Peoples wins co-angler title
SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (June 20, 2016) – Donnie Dill of Dieterich, Illinois, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament on Lake Shelbyville presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Dill took home $6,385.
“My first productive area was a mid-lake point in 12 to 16 feet of water,” said Dill, who notched his third win in FLW competition. “I ran to several other points, but ended up only needing three to catch the majority of my fish. I had a decent limit of bass in the boat by 11 a.m.”
Dill said he rotated between three baits throughout the event – a Redbug-colored Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm, a green-pumpkin and brown-colored Custom Craft jig and a Yo-Zuri crankbait.
“I didn’t want the fish to get accustomed to seeing one particular bait, so I rotated between them fairly evenly,” said Dill. “The fish were there, I just had to work for them. I ended up catching nine keepers. It was a great event.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Donnie Dill, Dieterich, Ill., five bass, 15-3, $4,385 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: John Wright, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 14-7, $2,193
3rd: Paul LeSaulnier, Waterloo, Ill., four bass, 14-0, $2,083
4th: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 13-10, $1,023
5th: Garrett McDowell, Mattoon, Ill., four bass, 13-9, $877
6th: Arby Tevault, Elberfeld, Ind., five bass, 12-12, $804
7th: Edward Gettys, Paris, Tenn., five bass, 12-10, $1,031
8th: Brian Futch, Vienna, Ill., five bass, 12-3, $621
8th: Matt Jackson, Moweaqua, Ill., four bass, 12-3, $621
10th: Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 11-13, $512
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
LeSaulnier caught a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $620.
Benton Peoples of Bardstown, Kentucky, weighed in four bass totaling 11 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,193.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Benton Peoples, Bardstown, Ky., four bass, 11-3, $2,193
2nd: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., four bass, 11-1, $1,096
3rd: Jacob Bovara, Wadsworth, Ill., five bass, 10-13, $730
4th: Carl Lingle, Dongola, Ill., five bass, 10-9, $512
5th: Kirk Jansen, Teutopolis, Ill., five bass, 10-6, $439
6th: Mike Swetland, Tamaroa, Ill., five bass, 9-15, $402
7th: Michael Kirkland, Ava, Ill., four bass, 9-6, $365
8th: Ryan Spencer, Tolono, Ill., five bass, 9-4, $329
9th: Jeffrey Lee, Olney, Ill., five bass, 9-2, $292
10th: Jarred Metje, Woodlawn, Ill., four bass, 8-11, $256
Tom Dorothy of Bloomington, Illinois, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $310.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Sommer Wins Okie Division Bfl On Ft. Gibson!
NORMAN’S SOMMER WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE OKIE DIVISION EVENT ON FORT GIBSON LAKE
Williams wins co-angler title
WAGONER, Okla. (June 20, 2016) – Steve Sommer of Norman, Oklahoma, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Okie Division tournament of 2016 on Fort Gibson Lake. For his victory, Sommer took home $4,472.
“I started my day running 5 miles up the main river to a pair of humps,” said Sommer, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “At one end, it was 18 feet deep, while the other was at about 45 feet. I threw into where it all topped off at 6 feet.”
Sommer said he used a plum-colored Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm and caught his first limit-fish from the hump within 20 minutes.
“After that I left the area for two hours and caught a limit farther north on a watermelon-red-colored Zoom Brush Hog,” said Sommer. “At midday I came back and caught three more big ones off of the Zoom worm. I fished it slowly. They hit it right when it got up the ledge and onto the 6-foot mark.”
The Oklahoma angler said he ended up boating 10 keepers throughout the event.
“I really enjoyed my day out there,” said Sommer. “I’m looking forward to fishing the next event in our division – a two-day super tournament at Grand Lake.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Steve Sommer, Norman, Okla., five bass, 20-9, $4,472
2nd: Cameron Pappan, Winfield, Kan., five bass, 20-6, $2,236
3rd: Mark Johnson, Weleetka, Okla., five bass, 19-11, $1,492
4th: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 18-15, $1,043
5th: T.J. Martin, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 18-14, $894
6th: Ed Barton, Vian, Okla., five bass, 18-10, $820
7th: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 18-3, $745
8th: Joel Baker, Talala, Okla., five bass, 18-1, 633
8th: Crawford Brantley, Haysville, Kan., five bass, 18-1, $633
10th: Matt Garner, Seminole, Okla., five bass, 17-14, $522
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Chris Jones of Pocola, Oklahoma, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $650.
Benny Williams Jr. of Poteau, Oklahoma, weighed in five bass totaling 19 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,561.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Benny Williams Jr., Poteau, Okla., five bass, 19-2, $2,561
2nd: William Hudson, Norman, Okla., five bass, 16-6, $1,118
3rd: Ken Hagar, Colcord, Okla., five bass, 15-10, $633
3rd: Myron Means, Van Buren, Ark., five bass, 15-10, $633
5th: Chris Zins, Oklahoma City, Okla., four bass, 13-15, $428
5th: Dick Hindman, Sapulpa, Okla., five bass, 13-15, $428
7th: Cory Miller, Marlow, Okla., five bass, 13-14, $373
8th: Jeffrey Bullinger, Sapulpa, Okla., four bass, 13-0, $335
9th: Clint James, Colcord, Okla., five bass, 12-15, $298
10th: Jerry Powell, Winfield, Kan., three bass, 12-6, $261
Williams also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 7 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $325.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Smith Wins Costa Flw Series Northern Opener On The Potomac!
NEW YORK’S SMITH WINS COSTA FLW SERIES NORTHERN DIVISION OPENER ON POTOMAC RIVER PRESENTED BY PLANO
Link to photo of winner Casey Smith
MARBURY, Md. (June 18, 2016) – Casey Smith of Macedon, New York, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Northern Division opener on the Potomac River presented by Plano with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 51 pounds, 6 ounces. For his win, Smith took home $39,208.
“I feel absolutely phenomenal right now,” said Smith, who earned the win fishing in his first-ever Costa Series event. “I’ve wanted to step up to this level of competition for a long time now. A lot of work went into getting here.
“The key for me this week was the area I concentrated on,” Smith continued. “I found a ditch in the mouth of the Aquia Creek that connected a large grass flat to a deep hole. The fish were using the ditch as a highway and I was able to snatch them out of it. On Day One, I had four bass for 13 pounds by 8:15 a.m.
“The morning bite on Day Two was strong and I had 14 pounds fairly quickly,” said Smith. “In the afternoon I culled out everything in the incoming tide. We just sat there with the Power-Poles down and smashed them for six hours.”
Smith said he caught the majority of his fish throughout the event on a Bluegill Flash-colored Keitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbait as well as a couple of key fish on a green-pumpkin and purple-colored Gambler Southern Swim Jig.
“I dragged the Keitech through the grass as slow as I could,” said Smith. “When it got hung up, I knocked it with the reel. I didn’t yank it, but I give the crank a half-turn and popped it out of the grass. The bait would fall and after a couple of full cranks, they’d bite. It was a reaction bite, but it was very slow.”
Smith said he returned to the ditch on Day Three and hit a flurry around 9:15 a.m. to seal the deal.
“My biggest fish today came on a white ChatterBait,” said Smith. “Luckily I had the ditch to myself this week. We caught a lot of fish, and there’s definitely some more big ones left there.”
The top 10 pros on the Potomac River were:
1st: Casey Smith, Macedon, N.Y., 15 bass, 51-6, $39,208
2nd: Charlie Machek, Midlothian, Va., 15 bass, 49-11, $15,481
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 48-2, $11,763
4th: Aaron Hastings, Middletown, Md., 15 bass, 47-0, $9,802
5th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 45-12, $9,110
6th: Gregory Wilder, Millersville, Md., 15 bass, 45-5, $7,842
7th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 15 bass, 45-0, $6,861
8th: Joseph Wood, Westport, Mass., 15 bass, 43-8, $5,881
9th: Jeff Coble, Manson, N.C., 15 bass, 43-7, $4,901
10th: Bill Chapman, Salt Rock, W. Va., 14 bass, 37-8, $3,921
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Machek and Schmitt each caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces – the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division – that earned them each a Big Bass award of $288.
David Williams of Fredericksburg, Virginia, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower Mercury outboard motor. Williams earned his win with a three-day total catch of 15 bass weighing 44 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on the Potomac River were:
1st: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., 15 bass, 44-15, $27,000
2nd: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., 15 bass, 39-12, $5,101
3rd: Eric Correll, Birdsboro, Pa., 15 bass, 37-2, $3,927
4th: Derek Brown, Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 36-15, $3,436
5th: Brett Holmes, Hudson, N.Y., 14 bass, 36-13, $2,945
6th: Tyler Sheppard, Hermitage, Pa., 15 bass, 36-4, $2,455
7th: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 14 bass, 34-13, $1,964
8th: Kevin Hesson, Polk, Pa., 13 bass, 33-14, $1,718
9th: Brett Ewing, Waldorf, Md., 13 bass, 33-5, $1,473
10th: Rickey Farris, Forest, Va., 12 bass, 28-3, $1,227
Doug Jenkins of Saint Leonard, Maryland, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Thursday, a bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $192.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2016 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 3-5 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
The Costa FLW Series on the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. It was the first Northern Division tournament of 2016. The next Costa FLW Series tournament will also be a Northern Division event, held July 21-23, on 1000 Islands in Clayton, New York. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Shook And Tolbert Win Abt North Division Finale, Wiggins Brothers Claim Aoy Title!
Brian Shook and Randy Tolbert Jr. win Alabama Bass Trail Weiss Lake
Jesse and Jordan Wiggins Claim North Division AOY
Leesburg, Ala. June 18, 2016 – Known as the “Crappie Capital of Alabama,” Weiss Lake, in Leesburg and Centre, Ala. showcased itself as perhaps one of the true hidden bass fishing gems in the state when the Alabama Bass Trail wrapped up its 2016 Northern Division schedule Saturday.
The sprawling, 30,200 surface acre Coosa River impoundment produced impressive stringers for anglers seeking to crest the leaderboard, qualify for the 2016 ABT Championship, win the division’s AOY Title or qualify for the Bassmaster Team Championship.
The team that found its way to the pinnacle of the day, was the Weiss Lake local team of Brian Shook and Randy Tolbert Jr., who cross the border from Georgia to compete in the Alabama Bass Trail, and consider Weiss Lake their home waters. The pair produced an impressive 23.25-pound stringer to take the victory.
They said this day was on their minds for nearly a year. “When we saw this lake on the schedule, we got pretty excited about it,” they said. “We knew this was going to be a golden opportunity for us to have a chance at a win, and show what Weiss Lake is capable of; we couldn’t be happier with the result.”
The pair reported catching as many as 20 bass offshore on a pair of jigs; a Dr. Dave’s Bass Candy Black Angel Lures jig and a second, homemade version; both tipped with green pumpkin Strike King Rage Craws on offshore ledge spots. “It took a little while for things to really get going, but the fish really started biting at 10:30 this morning,” they said. “We caught our big one at 1:00, and culled a couple more times after; it was really one of those days you dream about.”
Their winning bag was anchored by a 7.31-pound largemouth that earned the Mountain Dew Big Bass of the tournament, which brought their total earnings for the event to $10,500.
The team of Logan Johnson and Jeremy Christian also found themselves focusing on Weiss Lakes offshore features. The pair targeted brushpiles that intersected with the channel edges. “We did a whole lot of scanning with our electronics and found fish in the brush,” they reported. “Once we did, we fished with Texas rigged plum colored Zoom Ole’ Monster worms, and caught fish throughout the day. This is our first tournament on the lake, so we’re thrilled with the result, and couldn’t be happier for Brian and Randy.” Their 21.80-pound limit earned them the $5,000 prize for second place.
The team of Bradley Jones and Andy Kilgore finished the event in third place, and took home $4,000 for their efforts.
The top 10 in the standings are below – the complete standings can be found at:http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wel-results/
| Place | Name | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Brian Shook/Randy Tolbert Jr | 23.25 | 7.31 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Logan Johnson/Jeremy Christian | 21.80 | 4.77 | $5,000 |
| 3 | Bradley Jones/Andy Kilgore | 21.14 | 5.76 | $4,000 |
| 4 | Damien Willis/Mark Steward | 19.79 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | Lanny Guthrie/Bobby Brown | 18.83 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | Jesse Wiggins/Jordan Wiggins | 18.66 | 4.20 | $1,000 |
| 7 | Jeff Cannon/Shawn Brock | 18.23 | $900 | |
| 8 | Dalton Bobo/Lonnie O’Neal | 18.00 | 5.04 | $800 |
| 9 | Barry Vest/Dustin McDaniel | 17.84 | $700 | |
| 10 | Eddie Jewell/Shane Jewell | 17.82 | 4.89 | $600 |
The team of Jesse and Jordan Wiggins produced an 18.66-pound limit at the Weiss Lake event; which earned them a sixth place finish; it was also enough to claim the title of 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division Anglers of the Year. They will lead the six Northern Division teams heading to the Bassmaster Team Championship at Kentucky Lake in November
That concludes the season for the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division. The next event for the division qualifiers will be the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Championship at Lake Eufaula October 7 – 8, 2016. For complete South Division standings, see them here – http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/north-division-standings/
The sponsors of the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail include; Bill Penney Toyota, Phoenix Bass Boats, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Wind Creek Hospitality – Wetumpka, Wind Creek Hospitality – Montgomery, Alabama Tourism Department, SCA Performance, Mt. Dew, Boat US, T-H Marine Supplies, AllState, TVA, Alabama Power, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Lew’s Fishing, Frogg Toggs, Crossed Industries, Alabama Foundation Specialist, Costa, YETI, Leer, E3 Apparel.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Sportsman's Warehouse Mid June Report-It's Called Transition Time!
Sportsman's Warehouse fishing manager Craig Baird joins us for an update on what to throw now that we are officially into a summertime pattern. Here are some definite go to baits for this time of year......
Vicious Adds Led's To Its Product Line
Vicious LEDs Are Bright Spot For Brand
Brand Continues Growth with New LED Technology.
PELL CITY, AL – LED lighting is one of the hottest topics in fishing. For some it’s the functionality created with lights, and for others, it’s purely about looking good doing what you do. Vicious is now offering a popular selection of light bars, work lights, spot lights and accessory lights geared to help anglers meet their needs.
The assortment of lights range from 7.5” to 50” light bars to smaller work lights and even the multi-color deck lighting that has become popular over the last 18-24 months. All Vicious LED lights feature the industry leading CREE LED technology and come with a 5-year unconditional warranty. Most of the lights are available in white only, with the exception of the small accessory lights which come in popular colors such as amber, blue, green, red and white. And coming in the fall of 2016 will be the new RGB accessory light that features over 30 modes and uses a remote control to change modes.
“Vicious is breathing new life into the brand by extending into categories that truly represent the brand. Not only do lights add function, but they offer some excitement to any boat, truck or ATV. It’s an undeniable match and one that we’re anxious to get rolling. We are starting with the most common light sizes and will look to expand the offering as the demand rises or new technology arrives,” explained Greg Meunier, Vicious VP of Sales & Marketing.
Vicious LED lights are available for immediate delivery through purchase at ViciousLEDLighting.com with retail prices ranging from $30 for accessory lights up to $436 for the 50” light bar. All Vicious LEDs come with a 5-year warranty.
About Vicious
Vicious is inspired by avid outdoorsman to deliver premium fishing line, LED lights, baits, eyewear, apparel and other quality products. Today's angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with an attitude. Vicious headquarters is located in Pell City, AL. For more information regarding Vicious or how to become part of the Vicious family of products, email Greg at [email protected], visit GetVicious.com or call 866-645-0024.
Follow-Up Coverage: Bassfest - Details Of Hackney's Win; Card's Big Climb On Texoma
To round-out our coverage of BASSFest, here's the official press release. Hackney gives a detailed breakdown of his pattern. He was seriously dialed-in on what it took to catch quality bass this week.
Brandon Card made an excellent adjustment on the final morning that led to the heaviest sack of the tournament and a big climb up the standings. It would have been a huge win for Card if Hackney hadn't won so many armwrestling matches with bush-bound bass. As Hackney shares, you often lose heavyweight fish in those conditions.
Gerald Swindle did lose too many key fish. He talks about that.
And despite leading two rounds of the tourney and launching with the lead on the final morning, Casey Ashley fell to 6th.
It was an exciting event that lived up to the hype. Read more about it here:
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., started the day in third place, but weighed in 17 pounds, 15 ounces on Championship Sunday to increase his four-day winning total to 66-2 at the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
With his win, Hackney earned the $100,000 first-place prize and a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic. Hackney’s final limit of bass helped him slip past Brandon Card of Caryville, Tenn., by a slim margin of 1-15.
Hackney, the 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, knew he needed to have a solid day to contend for the win. As a result, he fished his spots in reverse order because the larger fish were biting later in day.
“The way the fishing had been all week, there was a good bite early in the morning, then it slowed during the middle of the day and picked up again in the afternoons,” Hackney said. “I knew I had to catch a big bag of fish today to have a shot at winning.”
Hackney’s best locations were adjacent to the main river channel. He also caught a lot of fish on the inside turns of coves and the points that were created on the outside edges of those coves.
“Green, leafy bushes were key to finding bass,” he said. “The fish were holding tight to brushy cover, and it often took multiple flips to the same piece of structure to make one eat. When it was hot and sunny, it was a grind. But today with the cloud cover, I felt like the fishing was much better.”
Most of Hackney’s morning bass came on a 1-ounce Strike King Hack Attack jig with a black-and-blue trailer. He’d switch to a green pumpkin trailer during the afternoons.
“It was critical for me to raise and lower the jig vertically in the middle of the bushes,” he said. “Pulling bass out of that thick and nasty cover requires heavy tackle and durable line. I lost quite a few big fish that became tangled in the brush. Sometimes you have to wrestle them out of the cover, and you don’t always win.”
Card weighed the heaviest limit of the tournament on Championship Sunday with 21-2, which bumped his total weight to 64-3 for the week.
“I wasn’t on the pattern I caught my fish on this week until the final day of practice,” Card said. “I was actually targeting smallmouth on the lower end of the lake near the dam.
“With an hour of practice remaining, I drove up the lake and marked a bunch of great looking structure and returned to those spots during each day of the tournament. I’m sure glad I did.”
Card caught his fish flipping the flooded bushes with a jig and Texas rigged soft plastic during the first three days of the tournament. With the cloudy conditions Sunday, he knew there would be a quality topwater bite throughout the day.
“I caught most of my fish today on a buzzbait and a Yo-Zuri walking bait in a bone color pattern,” he said during Sunday’s final weigh-in. “My first stop of the morning, I caught two nice fish, which gave me the confidence to stick with the topwater pattern all day long. The fishing slowed down mid-morning, but the wind calmed down and I knew it was game on.”
Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., finished in third place with a four-day total of 60-6 after bringing in only 12-1 on the final day of competition.
“I had a great tournament, and I’ve got nothing to complain about,” Swindle said. “I caught a lot of great fish, but I missed some key bites today and lost several fish that cost me a better finish. But that’s tournament fishing and a big part of why I love this sport.”
Rounding out the Top 12 were Chad Morgenthaler (57-9), Ott DeFoe (56-11), Casey Ashley (56-8), Rick Clunn (56-3), Dean Rojas (56-2), Jordan Lee (54-10), Randall Tharp (54-2), Keith Poche (53-15) and Bradley Roy (53-4).
Hackney was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.
Gerald Swindle also earned the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.
Hackney also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for leading on the second day.
Card won the Toyota Bonus Bucks of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Chad Morgenthaler, received $2,000.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 was presented to Randall Tharp for weighing in the overall biggest bass of the event — a 7-6 bass caught on Friday.
Card also earned the A.R.E. Top Angler Award of $1,000 for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.
Dick Cepek Rolling Forward Award of $1,000 will be presented to the angler who makes the largest gain in Toyota Angler of the Year points from tournament to tournament.
Thomas And Faulkner Weigh 29.53 To Win Piedmont Bass Metal Mania Invitational On Falls Lake By Over 10 Pounds!
What a mighty fine day, weatherwise, for the inaugural Piedmont Bass Classics 'Metal Mania' Invitational at Falls Lake. The water level was about normal pool and water temps ranged from about 83 to 88. Winds were light and air temps went from 79 in the am to a hot 94 around 3pm. It was mighty hot in the afternoon, but our 23 teams toughed it out and brought in 73 bass for a total weight of 218 pounds for an average of 2.99 lbs. each. I'm very proud of our teams for taking such good care of their fish in this heat. It was kinda neat to see a full field of aluminum boats for blastoff. We will do it again next year for sure. Everyone participating loved it.
Ist Place team of Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner blew the field away weighing in 5 bass at 29.53 lbs to take 1st Place, 1st Place TWT and 2nd place Big Fish (6.97 lbs.) for a total of $1,476 and trophies!
The 2nd Place team was Kevin Cheatham & Johnny Wilder with 5 bass weighing 19.03 lbs. to take home a
total of $505. 3rd Place Team of Robyn Cook & Owen Penhollow also won the 2nd Place TWT for a grand total of
$560. Big Fish for the day (7.73 lbs.) was caught by the team of Charles Stewart & Tobey Lawson netting them
$294 for their efforts!Most bass were caught with jigs, plastics & crankbaits. Most were caught in 4' to 12' of water.
I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors. Our next tournament will be the 2016
Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Championship, Saturday June 18th at Jordan Lake out
of Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp for qualified teams only. Spectators are more than welcome to attend. Info on
this particular event can be found at: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2016PBCSpringTeamTrailMain.html
Our Cashion Rods 'End of Year' Team Trail fires up July 9th at Kerr Lake out of Flemingtown Landing Wildlife
Ramp. Check this link for all the info on this trail:
http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2016EndOfYearMainPage.html
All the information on all our tournaments can be found at: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/Now here are the full results:
1st Place:...Samuel Thomas & Scott Faulkner of Lexington...5 bass...29.53 lbs...$965
2nd Place:...Kevin Cheatham & Johnny Wilder of Oxford & Butner...5 bass...19.03 lbs...$505
3rd Place:...Robyn Cook & Owen Penhollow of Raleigh & Durham...5 bass...18.62 lbs...$395
4th Place:...Stanton McDuffie & Chris Fesmire of Raleigh...5 bass...17.64 lbs...$275
5th Place:...Keith Deal & Ricky Kenworthy of Holly Springs & Cary...5 bass...14.82 lbs...$1601st Place Big Fish: Charles Stewart & Tobey Lawson of Oxford & Raleigh...7.73 lbs...$294
2nd Place Big Fish: 1st Place Team above...6.97 lbs...$1261st Place TWT: 1st Place Team above: 29.53 lbs...$385
2nd Place TWT: 3rd Place Team above: 18.62 lbs...$165
Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Lambert Wins Kentucky Lake Flw Event With Over 97 Pounds!!! Tops Hunter By Almost 8 Pounds!
LAMBERT WINS WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE
Tennessee River Ace catches Massive 29-pound Limit, Wins $125,000
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 12, 2016) – Pro Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 29 pounds even – the heaviest limit ever weighed at Kentucky Lake in FLW Tour competition – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine. Lambert’s four-day total weight of 20 bass for 97-2 gave him the victory by a 7-pound, 12-ounce margin over second place pro Brandon Hunter of Benton, Kentucky, in the tournament that featured 162 of the best professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for the top cash award of $125,000.
“Today was one of those days when everything just came together perfect,” said Lambert, the 2014 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year, now in his third season. “I culled two fish that were over 5 pounds today. That has never happened to me before. I’ve said for years, Kentucky Lake is the best ledge-fishing tournament lake in the country. This week has been magical.”
Lambert said that his key bait on the first two days of competition was a Castaic Heavy Metal Flutter Spoon, but he also caught a couple of largemouth on a V&M J-Mag Worm. He made what he called a tactical decision and switched to a 7-inch green shad-colored Castaic Jerky J Swimbait to catch most of his fish on the final two days of competition.
“On the last two days, there is no co-angler to help net our fish,” Lambert said. “That swimbait is a single hook, and the chances of losing a fish are way, way less than the chances of losing one on a spoon or a crankbait. That factored a lot into my decision to throw the swimbait the last two days.
“I really figured out a cadence – the right speed and the depth range to run it in,” Lambert continued. “But, if there was a key for me this week, it was my Garmin electronics.”
Lambert said that he had around 60 different schools of fish marked on a 75-mile run down the Tennessee River from Kentucky Dam, and that the schools got bigger as the tournament progressed.
“There is so many fish in this entire lake, you can fish everywhere. I knew from the way that the schools were getting bigger that the opportunity was there for me to absolutely crush them today, and it worked out.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament:
1st: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 20 bass, 97-2, $125,000
2nd: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 20 bass, 89-6, $30,000
3rd: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 20 bass, 80-4, $25,000
4th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 20 bass, 79-5, $20,000
5th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 78-1, $19,000
6th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 77-6, $18,000
7th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 20 bass, 76-13, $17,000
8th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 20 bass, 76-13, $16,500
9th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 20 bass, 76-6, $15,000
10th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-12, $14,000
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 50 bass weighing 212 pounds, 10 ounces caught by pros Sunday. All of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Kevin King of Blountville, Tennessee, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.
In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by General Tire.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Hackney Whacks 'em For Big Bassfest Win On Lake Texoma!
Meanwhile, Brandon Card had a career day with over 21 pounds - far and away the heaviest sack of the day - so Hackney had to bring his 'A' game to to take the blue trophy.
It was a classic battle as Card capitalized on the topwater action with a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil and Hackney countered with his Strike King jig. What a contest!
In the process, Hack maintains his command over the Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
Hackney had 17-15 today for a week-long total weight of 66-2.
Card had the day's big bass at 5-3 and a total weight of 64-3 - good enough for the runner-up spot.
Gerald Swindle hung near the top of the leaderboard all week and settled into 3rd when the last bass had been weighed. His total weight was 60-6.
Chad Morgenthaler quietly assumed 4th place with 57-9.
Ott DeFoe was 5th with 56-11.
Casey Ashley dropped to 6th with 3 fish that weighed a little over 4 pounds. His total was 56-8.
Rick Clunn continues to have a solid season. He finished in 7th with 56-3. Clunn looked comfortable tossing a spinnerbait today. If he qualifies for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe . . .
Hackney attacked the flooded bushes of Lake Texoma this week. photo by Steve Bowman/B.A.S.S.
Brandon Card made a charge on the strength of today's topwater bite. photos by Bassmaster Marshall Steven Caldwell
We'll share the official press release and final standings from B.A.S.S. when they become available.
Cody Stahl Along With Pro Partner J Todd Tucker Win Bassmaster High School
High School All-American Anglers Compete With Pros On McGee Creek Lake
DURANT, Okla. — Bassmaster Elite Series pros and the nation’s best high school anglers fished side-by-side Saturday in the second annual Bassmaster High School All-American event, as part of the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Chocotaw Casino and Resort.
The program was created to reward young anglers who have gone above and beyond — on the water in competition, as well as off the water in school, leadership and community service — and to let them learn from the nation’s best professional anglers.
The consensus at the conclusion of the fun-fishing derby on Oklahoma’s McGee Creek Lake was that the pros learned from the high school anglers, too.
“When I had the opportunity to participate in this event, it was a no-brainer,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Gary Klein. “This is what bass fishing is all about — it’s an opportunity for us to give back and share our experiences. I’ll fish every High School All-American event I can be a part of.”
The 12 high school anglers were paired by random draw with 12 pros who volunteered their time.
Cody Stahl, a Georgia angler representing CrossPointe Christian Academy, won the one-day event with his Elite Series partner, J Todd Tucker. The pair caught a total of 11 pounds, 7 ounces. Each team could only weigh two fish. One had to be caught by the All-American angler.
“On our first spot this morning, J Todd caught an 8-13, and that was so exciting,” Stahl said. “That really set the tone for the rest of the day.
“That catch gave me the confidence to stay out deep,” continued Stahl, who had spent several days practicing on McGee Creek before the derby. “Throughout the day, I only had a couple more bites, and at noon, we went to one more spot were I knew there were giants.”
Stahl hooked a large bass that ended up coming off before he could get it to the boat.
“I set the hook, and it was like setting the hook into a brick wall,” Stahl said. “That bass had to have been every bit of 12 pounds, and she came unbuttoned. It was heartbreaking, but J Todd kept me calm.”
Tucker said he had a great day spending time with the accomplished young angler.
“I thought I was going to have to do a lot of teaching, but I’m the one that learned so much,” Tucker said. “Cody had already been on the water for three days, and he was absolutely 100 percent dialed in on what the fish were doing and why they were doing it. I was amazed at the knowledge Cody has.”
All of the pros shared his sentiment, and many said they are excited about the future of professional fishing with aspiring pros being so skilled at such a young age.
“When I was growing up, someone always took the opportunity to take me hunting or fishing or teach me something new,” said Elite Series angler Bill Lowen, who fished with All-American angler Mason Moore of Waynesburg, Ky. “And, if I hadn’t had those experiences, I might not be standing here today. “
“The High School All-American program gives me hope for the future of our sport,” said Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet, who was partnered with High School All-American Bailey Fain. “These guys are chosen on multiple qualifications from academics to community service, and what they do outside of fishing is just as impressive.”
“This whole experience is a dream come true,” said Fain of Lenoir City, Tenn. “The ultimate goal for me is to be able to do what these guys do — fish for a living — and this is perfect way to realize that.”
Only 12 young anglers were selected from a pool of more than 200 nominees to be a part of the 2016 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team. The high school anglers traveled from all over the country to McGee Creek Lake from as far west as Arizona and Colorado and as far east as Massachusetts.
Read profiles of each of the Bassmaster High School All-American anglers at Bassmaster.com/High-School and look for more on them in the next issue of Bassmaster Magazine.
Ranger Boats Pro Jason Lambert Leads The Final 10 Into Championship Sunday On Kentucky Lake!
TENNESSEE’S LAMBERT TAKES LEAD AT WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE
Ledge-Fishing Shootout Sets Stage for Dramatic Championship Sunday
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 11, 2016) – The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine will come down to a nail-biting finish Sunday – six anglers known for their Tennessee River prowess competing alongside four of the most versatile fisherman in the country. The event that started with 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the country has now been trimmed to 10 as the anglers compete for the title of Kentucky Lake champion and the top prize of $125,000.
Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, who started the day in second place, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest limit of the tournament – to take the lead with a three-day total of 68-2.
Local pro Brandon Hunter of Benton, Kentucky, (66-10) sits in second, with Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, (63-2) in third. Day Two leader Terry Bolton of Paducah, Kentucky, (61-11) fell to fourth after bringing in a limit weighing 16-14, and Walmart pro Mark Rose of West Memphis, Arkansas, (58-8) rounds out the top five.
With just 6-7 separating Lambert from fourth place angler Terry Bolton, the tournament has turned into an old fashioned Kentucky Lake ledge-fishing shootout.
“Today was as good of a day that I could ask for,” said Lambert, who finished in second place when the FLW Tour last visited Kentucky Lake in 2014. “This lake is really turning on more every day. I got a good start early – I caught a five-pounder and a couple of fours, and it seemed that every stop that I made for the next couple of hours I was upgrading. I probably caught 30 to 40 fish today, the most fish that I’ve caught any day of this tournament. More fish are coming to the ledges and there is less fishing pressure now.”
Lambert said that he had started the tournament with 14 rods on the deck of his boat, but had narrowed it down to just eight today. When he broke off his drop-shot rig today, he said that he didn’t re-tie, opting to remove it from his arsenal.
“There are getting to be less and less rods on my front deck,” Lambert said. “I’m keyed in on three baits, and I’ve been cycling through them. I’ll hit them from different angles and change how I line things up, but I’m really dialed down to three.
“If we can get some wind or a breeze to get the water moving around a little bit, I think we can wreck them tomorrow,” Lambert continued. “The lake has really opened up now with only 10 of us fishing, so the opportunity of getting more places to fish and bouncing around are going to be a lot better.
“I’ve been coming up here fishing for a long time and had a lot of success on this lake,” Lambert went on to say. “I’ve had a couple of second place finishes, a couple of thirds and quite a few top-10s. But, I’ve never gotten the win. It’d be special to win $125,000 anywhere, but it would really be nice to win up here and I would love to pull it off tomorrow.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 15 bass, 68-2
2nd: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 66-10
3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 63-2
4th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 61-11
5th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 15 bass, 58-8
6th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-4
7th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 15 bass, 54-13
8th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 15 bass, 54-0
9th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 53-14
10th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-10
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 53-10, $12,000
12th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 51-11, $12,000
13th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 51-10, $12,000
14th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 14 bass, 51-1, $12,000
15th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-14, $12,000
16th: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., 15 bass, 48-10, $12,000
17th: Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, 15 bass, 48-0, $12,000
18th: Todd Hollowell, Fishers, Ind., 13 bass, 46-2, $12,000
19th: TH-Marine pro Luke Dunkin, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-12, $12,000
20th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 43-11, $12,000
Final results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 98 bass weighing 331 pounds even caught by pros Saturday. Nineteen of the final 20 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Kevin King of Blountville, Tennessee, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.
In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.
Anglers will take off for the final day of competition from Kentucky Dam State Park located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville at 6:30 a.m. CDT Sunday. Sunday’s final weigh-in will also be held at the State Park, beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Kentucky Dam State Park before the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Lawyer Goes Wire-To-Wire To Win Bfl All-American!
MISSOURI’S LAWYER LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON LAKE BARKLEY
Alabama’s Smith wins co-angler title
CADIZ, Ky. (June 11, 2016) – Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces to the scale Saturday to win the 2016 BFL All-American on Lake Barkley. Lawyer’s three-day cumulative weight of 15 bass totaling 50-12 gave him a 6-pound, 2-ounce edge over second-place finisher Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, in the internationally-televised event which hosted the nation’s top weekend anglers.
Ive fished many BFL events and have never won, so I guess if you’re going to come out on top, this is the event to do it at,” said Lawyer, who qualified for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing – with his win Saturday. “I’ve had so much support from friends and family this week. I’m happy for myself, but I’m also glad I could pull through for everyone that was counting on me. I’m just tickled to death right now.”
Lawyer said he needed one bait to catch his limit today – a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Mag Finesse Worm.
“I started out the morning on a bluff in the mouth of the Little River and caught my biggest fish – a 5-pounder – at 8 a.m.,” said Lawyer. “That catch really set the pace for the day. Within an hour or two I boated a keeper around the Highway 68 bridge off of a rocky point. I ran back to the Little River bluff at 11 a.m., and was able to nab two more keepers – a 3- and 4-pounder. At that point I started doing the math to figure out how much weight the other competitors would need to catch me.”
In addition to the Zoom Mag Finesse Worm, Lawyer said a Herring-colored Bandit Lures 200 Series Crankbait and a green-pumpkin-blue Zoom Brush Hog were also key baits this week.
“By 2 p.m., I still didn’t have a fifth keeper,” said Lawyer. “With 12 minutes left to fish, I returned to the bluff end and caught a 4-pounder. I think it was all of the boat traffic that got the area so active. The crawdads were stirred up and the fish were chasing them, and the wake from the boats were pushing the fish up onto the bank to where I could catch them. This was one of those tournaments where everything went my way. I’m going to enjoy this feeling for as long as I can.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 50-12, $100,000 + $20,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 44-10, $20,000
3rd: Clabion Johns, Covington, Ga., 15 bass, 43-3, $15,000 + $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
4th: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., 15 bass, 40-7, $14,000 + $7,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
5th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 15 bass, 40-5, $13,000
6th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 14 bass, 39-5, $12,000
7th: Mike Devere, Berea, Ky., 13 bass, 38-9, $11,000 + $4,500 Ranger Cup Bonus
8th: Nelson Walker, Manning, S.C., 14 bass, 38-1, $10,000 + $4,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
9th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., 14 bass, 36-2, $9,000 + $3,500 Ranger Cup Bonus
10th: Jim Eakin, Clarksville, Tenn., 11 bass, 28-10, $13,000 + $3,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Wesley Smith of Vinemont, Alabama, won the co-angler division and $50,000 with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 26 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Mike Allen of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in second place with eight bass weighing 25-4, worth $15,000.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Wesley Smith, Vinemont, Ala., 11 bass, 26-14, $50,000
2nd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., eight bass, 25-4, $15,000
3rd: Adam Wood, Guyton, Ga., nine bass, 24-3, $6,000
4th: Marvin Reese, Gwynn Oak, Md., 10 bass, 23-11, $5,000
5th: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., nine bass, 23-5, $4,500
6th: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., nine bass, 21-8, $4,000
7th: Randy Smith, Fayetteville, Ga., eight bass, 21-4, $3,500
8th: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, seven bass, 15-9, $3,000
9th: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., six bass, 14-8, $2,500
10th: Jamie Eynard, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-15, $2,000
Hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, the BFL All-American featured the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit and the TBF National Championship casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Coverage of the 2016 BFL All-American will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 5 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Rapala Pro Terry Bolton Moves To The Lead As The Top 20 Fish Saturday With Their Eyes On Championship Sunday!
PADUCAH’S BOLTON TAKES LEAD AT WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE
Nicholasville’s Horton Wins Co-angler Title, $25,000
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 10, 2016) – Terry Bolton of Paducah, Kentucky, brought a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale Friday to take the lead after Day Two of the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine. Bolton will bring a 2-pound advantage into day three of the four-day competition that features 162 of the top bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
In second place is Tennessee River-Ace Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, who weighed in a tournament-best five-bass limit totaling 24-4 Friday for a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass worth 42-13. The field is trimmed to the top 20 on Saturday, with only the top 10 anglers fishing on final day Sunday.
“I think I’ve finally gotten a little wiser than I used to be,” said Bolton, an 11-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier who has 30 previous top-10 finishes in FLW competition on Kentucky Lake. “Two years ago when the Tour came here, I finished in 90th place – the worst finish that I have ever had in a June event. I’ve always prided myself on Kentucky Lake, and that one hurt my feelings. Last summer I spent a lot of time out here trying to rethink the way I do things. I’m getting older, and my old school methods were not working as well as they once did.
“I’m really proud of what I caught today, because I’d rather be off fishing some other way in a place all to myself,” Bolton continued. “You can’t be that way anymore, you have to fish behind people now. That’s why Randy (Haynes) and Mark (Rose) are so good – they’re accustomed to fishing around people. It took me several years, but I’m trying to get over it. I even invited Bryan Thrift in this week – I’m being a friendly guy.”
Bolton said that he hit five or six different areas throughout the day Friday, cycling through five or six different lures.
“I’m catching them in 20 to 27 feet of water,” he said. “I’m looking for little clusters of fish. The schools are broke up right now from the fishing pressure and the lack of current and they really moved around a lot today.
“I think I’ve got a little bit figured out, but the way fishing is right now you just don’t know what you’re going to catch,” Bolton went on to say. “I’ve just got to keep moving and find the fish and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
The top 20 pros that made the Buck Knives Cut and will fish Saturday on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 44-13
2nd: Jason Lambert, Pickwick Dam, Tenn., 10 bass, 42-13
3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 42-6
4th: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 41-14
5th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 39-14
6th: Todd Hollowell, Fishers, Ind., 10 bass, 38-10
7th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-6
8th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 38-2
9th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 10 bass, 37-2
10th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 36-9
11th: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., 10 bass, 36-6
12th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 35-7
13th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-3
14th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-0
15th: Jayme Rampey, Indianapolis, Ind., 10 bass, 34-15
16th: Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, 10 bass, 34-14
17th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., nine bass, 34-8
18th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 34-5
19th: Luke Dunkin, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-15
20th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 10 bass, 33-9
Final results for the rest of the field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jones earned the Big Bass Award on the pro side Friday, weighing a 8-pound, 14-ounce largemouth to win the $500 prize.
Overall there were 653 bass weighing 1,990 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 154 pros Friday. The catch included 121 five-bass limits.
Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Kevin King of Blountville, Tennessee, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Mark Horton, Nicholasville, Ky., 10 bass, 33-8, $25,000
2nd: Kevin King, Blountville, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-6, $7,500
3rd: Nathan Harbison, Madera, Calif., 10 bass, 31-12, $5,000
4th: Maurice Cobb, Kuttawa, Ky., nine bass, 29-12, $4,000
5th: Joe McClary, Kirkwood, Mo., nine bass, 29-6, $3,000
6th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, eight bass, 29-2, $2,500
7th: Rex Jaeger, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-15, $2,000
8th: Stephen Crawley, Bush, La., 10 bass, 28-15, $1,800
9th: Logan Thomas, Calvert City, Ky., 10 bass, 28-9, $1,700
10th: Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-15, $1,600
Bronk McDaniel of Alexandria, Louisiana, caught Friday’s Big Bass in the co-angler division, a bass weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces to win the $250 prize.
Overall there were 473 bass weighing 1,183 pounds, 11 ounces caught by co-anglers Friday. The catch included 59 five-bass limits.
In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.
Anglers will take off from Kentucky Dam State Park located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day of competition. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Kentucky Dam State Park before the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Kentucky Dam State Park Saturday, June 11, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to area youth 18 years of age and younger and Special Olympics athletes. Event goodie bags will be awarded to the first 50 participants who sign up. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. All bait is donated by the DMF Bait Company.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Lawyer Extends Lead Heading Into Final Day Of The Bfl All- American
MISSOURI’S LAWYER EXTENDS LEAD AT BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON LAKE BARKLEY
Georgia’s Wood tops co-anglers
Link to photo of Day Two leader Jeremy Lawyer
CADIZ, Ky. (June 10, 2016) – Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, extended his lead on Day Two of the BFL All-American on Lake Barkley with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces, good for a two-day cumulative of 10 bass weighing 33-2. The tournament now heads into the final day of competition with the boater and co-angler fields being cut to the final 10 in the three-day event. Lawyer will enter the final day with a 4-pound, 5-ounce lead over second-place angler Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tennessee, who has a two-day catch of 10 bass totaling 28-13.
Hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, the BFL All-American features the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit and the TBF National Championship casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for the Forrest Wood CupAug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
“I can’t express how it feels to be going into the final day of this tournament leading the field,” said Lawyer, who finished second at the All-American last year. “I’m happy that I backed up what I caught yesterday with another five today. I’ve got my head in the right spot.
“I can’t put my finger on what made them bite,” Lawyer continued. “I only stopped at around 25 areas compared to the 50 I hit yesterday, and only made it half way to Dover (Tennessee). I thought it would pay off to fish slower, but I didn’t get any more bites.”
Lawyer said that his limit came from a wide variety of cover and structure.
“It’s still all about timing out there,” said Lawyer. “My first bite wasn’t until 10:30 a.m., but it turned out to be the biggest of the day – a 5-pounder. After that I ran around and hit some main-river stuff and caught a small keeper flipping shallow wood. There weren’t any other fish around it, though. I caught another keeper on a shallow crankbait before fishing stuff I thought the current would have an influence on, but it didn’t produce anything. Near the end of the day I nabbed my fifth keeper on a stretch that I stopped at by chance. I was lucky to have a limit.”
Looking ahead to the final day, the Missouri pro said he’s ready to give it his best effort.
“I’m going all in,” said Lawyer. “I’m going to throw all the cards in the middle and not leave any stone unturned. All I need is some more bites in the morning and I should be good. I’ll probably be using five rods and will do what I can do to get five bass in the boat by the end of the day.”
The top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Barkley are:
1st: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 33-2
2nd: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-13
3rd: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-9
4th: Clabion Johns, Covington, Ga., 10 bass, 27-10
5th: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 27-9
6th: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., 10 bass, 27-3
7th: Nelson Walker, Manning, S.C., 10 bass, 26-15
8th: Jim Eakin, Clarksville, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-14
9th: Mike Devere, Berea, Ky., nine bass, 26-13
9th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-13
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Adam Wood of Guyton, Georgia, leads the co-angler division with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 20 pounds even, followed by Mike Allen of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in second place with six bass weighing 18-6.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Adam Wood, Guyton, Ga., seven bass, 20-0
2nd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., six bass, 18-6
3rd: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., seven bass, 16-7
4th: Wesley Smith, Vinemont, Ala., seven bass, 16-5
4th: Randy Smith, Fayetteville, Ga., six bass, 16-5
6th: Marvin Reese, Gwynn Oak, Md., seven bass, 15-14
7th: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, six bass, 13-13
8th: Jamie Eynard, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-15
9th: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 12-3
10th: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., five bass, 11-14
Anglers will take off from the Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina located at 4200 State Park Road in Cadiz at 7 a.m. CDT Saturday morning. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held in conjunction with the FLW Tour weigh-in at Kentucky Dam Village State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Coverage of the 2016 BFL All-American will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 5 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About Fishing League Worldwide (FLW)
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Ashley Back On Top As Pros Take A Break At Bassfest On Lake Texoma
Long rods, heavy fluorocarbon line and lightly weighted lures dominate as anglers continue to pitch into thick bushes and other flooded cover.
Casey Ashley retook the lead today but Gerald Swindle is becoming a story in his own right as he attacks Greg Hackney's lead in the Angler of the Year race. Swindle downplayed the AOY race,"I try not to even look at the points at this time of the year. We've got a long way to go." He did say he is having a good week, making adjustments - and they all seem to be the right ones.
How strong is Hackney right now? Randall Tharp had this to say about him, "Hackney's not gonna slip up. That guy is making us work for it. This is my 3rd top 12 (this season) and I'm still 100 points behind him."
Kevin VanDam said "A guy like Greg Hackney can read those bushes and he knows where the fish should be. It's an art, just like sight fishing or anything else and I'm not a master at it." KVD hinted he'd be happy with a Top 20 finish because this event doesn't suit his strength. Even KVD is interested in watching what Hackney can do on the final day.
Water leve isl dropping, but fish are still in the bushes. Will that change while the pros have Saturday off to participate in BASSFest?
Hackney doesn't seem to think so. "I really like the day off. I'm gonna sleep in and come out here and enjoy BASSFest. I don't think (the day off) can hurt (his pattern)."
Despite the attention on Hackney, Ashley is actually in the lead again. He feels the fishing a bit of a hit-and-miss deal. "It's random. Any flip can be a 7-pounder." "Random, - that's the word I keep hearing," said tourney emcee Dave Mercer.
Rick Clunn, in 4th place, shared his thoughts on that subject, "It's not random at all." He had one of the best practices he's ever had. He dialed-in on the bite and is doing fine now. A lot of us are rooting for Clunn to make the Classic on Conroe this year. He has a great shot at it.
The official word from B.A.S.S.:
DURANT, Okla. — Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., bounced back to reclaim the lead today after bringing 17 pounds, 5 ounces to the scale during the semi-final round of GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
Ashley’s limit of bass bumped his three-day total to 51-15, which is more than 3 pounds ahead of Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., who now sits in second.
“The morning hours are very important to producing a solid limit,” Ashley said. “Once the sun gets high, the fish seem more reluctant to bite. It’s flat-out challenging to cull up during the afternoon.”
Even after three days of competition and several official practice days, the 2015 Bassmaster Classic champion said that he still isn’t locked in on a specific pattern, but the fishing remains good in his area.
“During most tournaments you can often predict when and where the fish will bite, but here it’s not that way at all. The fish are setting up in submerged bushes that are typically on dry land. When one does bite, it’s very random compared to how and where the last fish did.”
Ashley said that covering water and keeping his lure in the brush is the best way to find and catch active fish.
Swindle caught 16 pounds today pushing this total weight to 48-5, and he attributes his success to fishing ultra slow and giving the brush-hugging bass several opportunities to see and eat his presentation.
“I missed a lot of fish today. They were biting it, but not fully eating it, which makes it hard to get a good hookset,” Swindle said. “I personally believe that the receding water makes the bass uncomfortable, which results in half-hearted bites. I am catching good fish, though, and with a weather change in the forecast, I bet it gets even better on Sunday”
Each day of competition, Swindle has improved his placement in the daily standings. The only way to better today’s finish is to win on Sunday, and in order for that to happen, he thinks at least 19 pounds will be required.
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., weighed in a five-bass limit for 12-7 and fell two spots to third place today. He is currently 4 pounds, 13 ounces out of the lead.
“I didn’t get the big bites today, but to be honest I’m very happy with how things have gone so far,” Hackney said. “I came here to finish strong and improve on my Angler of the Year standings, and now I’ve got a shot at winning this thing.
“I’m glad we have a day off, which I believe will help me and the fishing. There is a pending weather system pushing through by the end of the weekend, and I think that will help what I’ve got going on.”
Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., caught a bass that weighed in at 7-6, which is the derby’s new Phoenix Boats Big Bass. If a bigger bass isn’t caught during Championship Sunday, Tharp will take home a $1,500 bonus.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Rick Clunn (44-0), Chad Morgenthaler (43-8), Brandon Card (43-1), Randall Tharp (42-9), Bradley Roy (42-3), Ott DeFoe (41-10) and Keith Poche (41-6).
Following today’s weigh-in, the field will be cut to the Top 12 anglers who will compete on Sunday for the $100,000 first-place prize and a berth to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
Takeoff will be held Sunday morning at Dam Site Park in Denison, Texas, at 6:15 a.m. CT, and weigh-in will take place at 3:45 p.m. at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Okla.
There will be no fishing on Saturday, as Bassmaster University will take place at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla., in the same location as daily weigh-ins. Gates open at 10 a.m., and it’s completely free to the public. Bassmaster fans will have opportunities to visit sponsor booths, attend pro seminars, ask their favorite anglers questions and even gather autographs.
Also on Saturday, the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team has been invited to participate in a special tournament Saturday on Lake McGee. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby with weigh-in at Choctaw Casino Resort beginning at 2:30 p.m.
2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort 6/8-6/12
Lake Texoma, Durant OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 51-15 110
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 17-05
2. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 48-05 109
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 16-00
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 48-03 108 $500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 12-07
4. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 15 44-00 107
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 14-10
5. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 14 43-08 106
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 4 11-02 Day 3: 5 13-00
6. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 15 43-01 105
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 16-09
7. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 15 42-09 104
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 16-01
8. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 42-03 103
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 13-08
9. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 41-10 102
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 11-05
10. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 41-06 101
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 12-07
11. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 15 41-04 100
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 14-12
12. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 40-12 99
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 12-06
13. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 15 40-12 98 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 14-04
14. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 15 40-11 97 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 13-05
15. David Walker Sevierville, TN 15 40-07 96 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-00 Day 3: 5 12-15
16. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 39-14 95 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 14-07
17. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 15 39-10 94 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 15-06
18. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 14 39-09 93 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 4 10-02 Day 3: 5 15-07
19. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 15 39-05 92 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-00 Day 3: 5 13-05
20. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 15 38-12 91 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 13-07
21. David Williams Newton, NC 15 38-00 90 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 15-00
22. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 37-13 89 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 5 12-07
23. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 37-12 88 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 08-12
24. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 14 37-08 87 $11,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 12-13
25. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 15 37-07 86 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 12-09
26. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 36-05 85 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 09-11 Day 3: 5 10-11
27. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 15 36-02 84 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 10-03
28. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 15 35-08 83 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 07-08 Day 3: 5 11-11
29. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 35-03 82 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 08-13
30. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 35-01 81 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 09-07
31. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 15 35-01 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-10 Day 3: 5 11-04
32. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 14 34-11 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 4 09-14
33. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 34-10 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-10 Day 3: 5 12-05
34. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 13 34-08 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 4 14-15 Day 3: 4 09-04
35. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 13 34-02 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 3 09-11 Day 3: 5 11-03
36. John Murray Spring City, TN 15 33-13 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 11-05
37. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 15 33-12 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 11-06
38. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 13 33-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 3 04-13
39. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 14 33-04 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-14 Day 3: 4 09-12
40. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 13 33-03 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 11-04 Day 3: 5 08-07
41. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 15 33-01 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 10-04
42. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 11 32-15 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 1 02-04
43. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 13 32-07 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 3 08-09 Day 3: 5 08-12
44. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 14 30-04 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 4 07-03
45. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 13 29-11 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 3 06-01
46. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 14 28-14 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 4 06-08
47. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 12 27-05 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 2 02-10
48. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 12 26-15 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 09-07 Day 3: 2 03-04
49. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 11 24-14 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 1 01-03
50. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 11 24-08 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 1 01-06
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 91 508 1176-04
2 79 490 1151-06
3 38 223 544-04
----------------------------------
208 1221 2871-14
Jimmy Holland & Richard Green Weigh In 5 Bass For 25.37 To Best 87 Teams In Piedmont Bass Classic Spring Qualifier On Falls Lake
87 teams arrived for the 2016 Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Final Qualifier #7 at Falls
Lake to compete or complete! Many had to fish this one to qualify for the Championship June 18th at Jordan.
The weather started out great with air temps about 72 degrees in the am on up to 92 in the pm. We got hit with a
big thunderstorm right after noon and another around 1:30pm. The rain did stop just in time for the 3 pm weighin.
Water temps averaged 82. Winds were quiet all day except during the storms. It's post spawn now for the most
part and bass will fall back to deeper water for the remainder of the hot weather. Anglers should still get a good
top water bite early am and towards dark however.Jimmy Holland & Richard Green beat the heat and the field weighing in 5 bass at 25.37 lbs. and along with
winning the TWT and with a check coming from Skeeter Boats Easy Money, their winnings should top out at
$4,200!!!William Small & Bryan Perry took 2nd place with 5 fish weighing 25.30 lbs. They also won 2nd Place TWT and
2nd Place Big Fish (7.52 lbs.) for a whopping total of $2,116. Jaimie Fajardo & Josh Hooks won 3rd place with 5
weighing 25.29 lbs. and took home $665. Only 8 100th's of a pound separated the top 3 teams! Now that's close.
1st Place Big Fish (8.64 lbs.) was caught by the 10th Place Team of Matt Harrison & Rock Goss. They collected
$1,452 for their efforts!256 fish were weighed in for a total of 834 pounds for an average of 3.36 lbs. each. Most of the fish were caught on
WLS shaky heads, T-rigs, wacky worms and crankbaits in 6 to 12 feet of water. Now is the time to learn how to
structure fish deep, if you don't know how to, so your summer bite will be more productive.I want to thank all the anglers that participated and all our sponsors that support this trail. Our next tournament is
Saturday June 11th, the Piedmont Bass Classics Metal Mania Invitational for gas powered aluminum (metal)
boats with 115hp or less motors at Falls Lake out of Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp. All the info can be found at this
link: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/2016MetalManiaMainPage.html
Following that will be the Piedmont Bass Classics $10,000 Spring Team Bass Trail Championship for qualified
teams only, Saturday June 18th at Jordan Lake.
All the information on our tournaments can be found http://piedmontbassclassics.com/Now here are the full results:
1st Place: ......Jimmy Holland & Richard Greene of Fayetteville & Laurinburd...5 bass...25.37 lbs...$1,450
2nd Place: ......William Small & Bryan Perry of Wake Forest & Roxboro...5 bass...25.30 lbs...$850
3rd Place: ......Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks of Fuquay Varina & Apex...5 bass...25.29 lbs...$665
4th Place: ......Max Newell & Tyler Faggart of Greensboro & Durham...5 bass...24.86 lbs...$605
5th Place: ......Robert Bristow & Alan Thomerson of Franklinton...5 bass...22.76 lbs...$533
6th Place: ......Dan Glosson & Phillip Eakes of Rougemont & Bahama...5 bass...21.98 lbs...$462
7th Place: ......Mike Dinterman & Vern Fleming of Oxford & Raleigh...5 bass...21.91 lbs...$397
8th Place: .......Ricky Petty & Billy Cobb of Gibsonville & Brown Summit...5 bass...21.57 lbs...$323
9th Place: .......Johnny Wilder & Mike Harris of Butner & Oxford...5 bass...21.07 lbs...$282
10th Place: ......Matt Harrison & Rock Goss of Franklinton & Creedmoor...5 bass...20.98 lbs...$248
11th Place: ......Todd Massey & Tim Parker of Chapel Hill & New Hill...5 bass...20.75 lbs...$212
12th Place: ......Danny & Matthew Nifong of Lexington & Raleigh...5 bass...20.16 lbs...$202
13th Place: ......Terry & Hunter Collins of Sanford...5 bass...19.08 lbs...$187
14th Place: ......Ben Cannon & Chad Craven of Apex & Willow Springs...5 bass...18.55 lbs...$143
15th Place: ......Tyler Kick & Allen White of Cary & Clayton...5 bass...18.48 lbs...$138
16th Place: ......David Hall & Dane Salinger of Raleigh & Wake Forest...5 bass...17.99 lbs...$134
17th Place: ......Geno McCree & Rodney Hilber of Durham & Hillsborough...5 bass...17.21 lbs...$1291st Place Big Fish..10th Place Team above...8.64 lbs...$1,204
2nd Place Big Fish..2nd Place Team above...7.52 lbs...$516
1st Place TWT..1st Place Team above...25.37 lbs...$1,750
2nd Place TWT..2nd Place Team above: 25.30 lbs...$750Tow Boats US Award: Jaime Fajardo of Fuquay Varina: $50Contact Information:
Phil McCarson...Tournament Director---922 Valetta Rd.---Durham, NC 27712
Home: 919-471-1571 Cell: 919-971-5042
email: [email protected] website: http://piedmontbassclassics.com/
Jeremy Lawyer Leads Day 1 Of The Bfl All-American By Over A Pound Heading Into Day 2
MISSOURI’S LAWYER TAKES DAY ONE LEAD AT BFL ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT ON LAKE BARKLEY
Mississippi’s Allen paces co-anglers
CADIZ, Ky. (June 9, 2016) – Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, took the early lead at the BFL All-American on Lake Barkley with a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces. Lawyer will begin Day Two of the three-day competition with a 1-pound, 2-ounce lead over second-place angler Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tennessee, who weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 4 ounces.
Hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, the BFL All-American features the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit and the TBF National Championship casting for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
“I really thought I was going to catch them out there in a couple of key areas, but it was a grind,” said Lawyer, who punched his ticket to the event via his fourth place finish at a BFL regional championship on Kentucky Lake last season. “We’re all rotating through a lot of different cover out there.”
Lawyer said he ran to nearly 50 different areas between the takeoff ramp and the Dover, Tennessee-region throughout the day, targeting fish that were setting up with the current.
“I had a limit by 10:30 a.m.,” said Lawyer. “Of the eight keepers I caught, two of the better ones came from back-to-back casts in an area that I stopped at on a whim. The rest came from different spots. It’s really going to be about timing this week. You’ve got to stop when there’s a fish there, you can’t sit in one place.”
Lawyer said he caught his bass by throwing and dragging multiple different reaction baits.
“I’ve got 10 rods on my deck, each rigged different,” said Lawyer. “Sometimes I get tired of throwing the same thing. I’m not afraid to pick up something new, it helps my confidence.”
Lawyer said he plans to follow a similar route tomorrow, with some new areas mixed in.
“I’m going to make that same milk run,” said Lawyer. “I caught a couple up shallow today, so I’m probably going to try and do that again, too. I’m not going to play it safe, that’s for sure. I’m going to go out there swinging.”
The top 10 boaters after Day One on Lake Barkley are:
1st: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 18-6
2nd: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 17-4
3rd: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., five bass, 15-14
4th: John Duvall, Madison, Ga., five bass, 15-13
5th: Andre Dickneite, Freeburg, Mo., five bass, 15-11
6th: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, five bass, 15-9
7th: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., five bass, 15-1
8th: Jim Eakin, Clarksville, Tenn., five bass, 14-6
9th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., five bass, 14-4
10th: Mike Devere, Berea, Ky., five bass, 14-2
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mike Allen of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Bill Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, in second place with five bass weighing 11-12.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., five bass, 16-5
2nd: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 11-12
3rd: Adam Wood, Guyton, Ga., four bass, 10-11
4th: Jesse Parks, Avondale, Ariz., four bass, 9-13
5th: Matt Webb, Newnan, Ga., three bass, 9-6
6th: Wesley Smith, Vinemont, Ala., four bass, 8-15
7th: Randy Smith, Fayetteville, Ga., three bass, 8-8
8th: March Glenn, Decatur, Ga., two bass, 7-10
9th: Steven Dowty, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 7-4
10th: Charles Knowles, Canton, Miss., two bass, 6-9
Anglers will take off from the Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina located at 4200 State Park Road in Cadiz at 7 a.m. CDT each morning. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held in conjunction with the FLW Tour weigh-in at Kentucky Dam Village State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Coverage of the 2016 BFL All-American will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Oct. 5 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For a full schedule of events, complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About Fishing League Worldwide (FLW)
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
Knight Lights Em' Up On Day 1 Of The Flw Tour Event On Kentucky Lake!
TENNESSEE’S KNIGHT LEADS DAY ONE OF WALMART FLW TOUR ON KENTUCKY LAKE PRESENTED BY MERCURY MARINE
Kentucky’s Horton Leads Co-Anglers
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 9, 2016) – After winning the Forrest Wood Cup last season, pro angler Brad Knight has been in a bit of a slump. In the four regular-season events held since, Knight has had an average finish of 79th place and cashed just one paycheck. This week at the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury Marine, Knight looks to be breaking out of that slump.
Knight, of Lancing, Tennessee, caught five largemouth that weighed 23 pounds, 6 ounces to take the lead on Day One, ahead of Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae of Palestine, Texas, (23-3) in second place and third-place angler Randy Haynes of Counce, Tennessee, (22-15) in the four-day event that features 162 of the top bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
“I was covering a lot of water today; not fishing a bunch of big schools, but catching a few here and there,” said Knight, who has two previous top-10 finishes on Kentucky Lake in FLW competition. “I had around 20 stops that I fished and I caught 25 to 30 keepers, cranking with a Strike King plug, working as hard as I can.
“I caught the big one in the last two hours of the day,” Knight said. “I hate to call it luck, so I’ll call it good fortune from working hard.”
Knight was in the first flight of boats to check in Thursday, and was hopeful that his long day of fishing when the flights flip on Friday would be similar.
“The places that have 40 to 50 bass on them will have five boats already on them, and that’s what I’m trying to avoid,” Knight said. “I hope I can go out there tomorrow and catch a quick limit and relax. I don’t really know when the bites are going to come, you just have to hope at the end of the day you’ll have five good ones.”
With upper-90-degree temperatures being forecast over the next few days, Knight is looking forward to the heat.
“When I’ve got sweat running down my back, dripping off of my elbows and my arms are hurting because I’m winding a plug as hard as I can go, I’m happy,” Knight said. ”This is the Tennessee River and I grew up fishing here. I’m pretty comfortable here.”
The top 10 pros after Day One on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., five bass, 23-6
2nd: Yamamoto Baits pro Shinichi Fukae, Palestine, Texas, five bass, 23-3
3rd: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., five bass, 22-15
4th: Brandon Hunter, Benton, Ky., five bass, 22-11
5th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., five bass, 22-10
6th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 22-6
7th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 22-5
7th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 22-5
9th: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 22-1
10th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 21-6
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Knight also weighed in an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth to win the Big Bass Award on the pro side Thursday and the $500 prize.
Overall there were 729 bass weighing 2,101 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 159 pros Thursday. The catch included 127 five-bass limits.
Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Kentucky, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 21 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Joe McClary of Kirkwood, Missouri, in second place with five bass weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers after Day One on Kentucky Lake are:
1st: Mark Horton, Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 21-5
2nd: Joe McClary, Kirkwood, Mo., five bass, 21-1
3rd: Spencer Howerton, Melbourne Beach, Fla., five bass, 19-14
4th: Jay Clary, Slaughters, Ky., five bass, 19-5
5th: Maurice Cobb, Kuttawa, Ky., five bass, 18-11
6th: Rex Jaeger, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 18-7
7th: Nick Loeffelman Jr., Valles Mines, Mo., five bass, 18-2
8th: Dave Lauer, McConnelsville, Ohio, five bass, 16-14
9th: Otto Hecht, Stafford, Va., five bass, 16-12
10th: Mark Myers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, five bass, 16-9
Horton also earned the Big Bass Award on the co-angler side Thursday with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces to win the $250 prize.
Overall there were 534 bass weighing 1,377 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 147 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 64 five-bass limits.
In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.
Anglers will take off from Kentucky Dam State Park located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville at 6:30 a.m. CDT each day of competition. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the State Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Expo Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Kentucky Dam State Park before the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Kentucky Dam State Park Saturday, June 11, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to area youth 18 years of age and younger and Special Olympics athletes. Event goodie bags will be awarded to the first 50 participants who sign up. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. All bait is donated by the DMF Bait Company.
Coverage of the Kentucky Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) Sept. 28 from 1 p.m.-2 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The Walmart FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake presented by Mercury Marine is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
# # #
Hackney Takes Over Bassfest On Lake Texoma
Gerald Swindle, Brandon Palaniuk and a cast of stars follow. And Rick Clunn is making noise yet again on this year's Elite Series campaign. He is currently in 7th place.
Brandon Coulter was the last man in the Top 50 cut with 22 pounds, 5 ounces over two days of fishing in chocolate milk.
Bradley Roy had the day's big bass at 7 pounds-even.
What follows is the official press release from B.A.S.S.:
DURANT, Okla. — “You live by the sword, you die by the sword.”
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., uttered those words immediately after he weighed in a 20-pound, 2-ounce limit to take the lead Thursday during the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
Hackney’s two-day combined weight of 35-12 bumped Wednesday’s leader Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., into second place by 1 pound, 2 ounces.
“Yesterday I fished a pattern that produced some solid fish, and today it was more of the same thing — they were just bigger,” Hackney said. “The bite has been pretty unpredictable, but I’ve been able to narrow it down to one bait. It’s risky business relying on one presentation, because it could pay off big and win me this tournament, or it could end up costing me.”
Hackney came into this event leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, and he said it was his objective to strengthen that lead by staying consistent on the water.
“I’m a long ways from winning Angler of the Year, but I knew that a good finish here would put me one step closer,” said Hackney, the 2014 Bassmaster Angler of the Year. “I’m not concerning myself with anything other than tomorrow. If I can stay on the pattern and put together another solid limit, then I’ll start thinking about winning the derby. Right now, I’m just thankful for another great day.”
While Hackney increased on his previous day’s weight, Ashley dropped a few pounds with 14-9 for a two-day total of 34-10.
“I caught the right fish early in the day, but things really slowed down during the afternoon, and opportunities to upgrade were hard to come by,” Ashley said.
“Not much has changed since yesterday, but the pattern I’m fishing is largely dependent upon bass that are hanging out in the flooded bushes. With the receding water, the bass might be beginning to move out, but I’m confident my pattern will still produce tomorrow — I guess we’ll see.”
Also making a strong case for the 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title is Gerald Swindle from Warrior, Ala. After today’s weigh-in, he is 30 points behind Hackney. Of course, that may change by the end of the tournament, but you can bet Swindle is focusing on a strong finish.
“I’ve made a asserted effort to slow down this year,” Swindle said after he brought 17-10 to the scale for a two-day total of 32-5.
“I drive slower, I fish slower aiming to be more thorough and catch every fish possible. I caught a lot more bass yesterday because I was moving faster and covering more water. But, my limit today was bigger and I fished slower. That just proves to me how important it is to make every cast count.”
Thursday’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass was caught by Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Ky., and weighed 7 pounds even. If nobody catches a bigger bass during BASSfest, Roy will receive a $1,500 bonus.
Hackney also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for being the second-day leader.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Brandon Palaniuk (30-11), Chad Morgenthaler (30-8), Ott DeFoe (30-5), Rick Clunn (29-6), Edwin Evers (29-0), Keith Poche (28-15) and Bradley Roy (28-11).
Following today’s weigh-in, the field will be cut to the Top 50 anglers for Friday’s semi-final round. Takeoff will be held at Dam Site Park in Denison, Texas, at 6:15 a.m. CT, while the weigh-in will take place at 3:45 p.m. at Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Okla.
There will be no fishing on Saturday, as Bassmaster University will take place at Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Okla., in the same location as daily weigh-ins.
Gates open at 10 a.m., and it’s completely free to the public. Bassmaster fans will have opportunities to visit sponsor booths, attend pro seminars, ask their favorite anglers questions and even gather autographs.
Also on Saturday, the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team has been invited to participate in a special tournament Saturday on Lake McGee. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby with weigh-in at Choctaw Casino Resort beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Bassmaster Elite Series competition will resume on Championship Sunday, as the remaining Top 12 anglers battle for the $100,000 grand prize and a berth to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort 6/8-6/12
Lake Texoma, Durant OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 35-12 110 $500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 20-02
2. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 34-10 109
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
3. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 32-05 108
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-10
4. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 30-11 107
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-08
5. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 9 30-08 106
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 4 11-02
6. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 30-05 105
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-00
7. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 29-06 104
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-06
8. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 29-00 103
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 10-08
9. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 28-15 102
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 12-15
10. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 28-11 101
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 18-12
11. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 28-09 100
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 17-00
12. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 28-06 99
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-08
13. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 27-08 98
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-00
14. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 10 27-06 97
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 12-11
15. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 10 26-08 96
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-08
16. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 10 26-08 95
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 11-15
17. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 26-08 94
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-02
18. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 10 26-08 93
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-02
19. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 26-06 92
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-02
20. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 26-00 91
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
21. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 25-15 90
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 10-08
22. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 25-10 89
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 16-05
23. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 25-10 88
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 09-11
24. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 25-07 87
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-04
25. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 25-06 86
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 09-13
26. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 25-05 85
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 11-08
27. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 9 25-04 84
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 4 14-15
28. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 24-14 83
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 15-15
29. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 10 24-13 82
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-03
30. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 8 24-12 81
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 11-04
31. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 9 24-11 80
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 5 14-08
32. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 24-11 79
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-01
33. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 24-04 78
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-03
34. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 9 24-02 77
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 4 10-02
35. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 23-13 76
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 07-08
36. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 23-13 75
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-10
37. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 8 23-11 74
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 3 08-09
38. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 23-11 73
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 09-07
39. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 10 23-11 72
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-01
40. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 10 23-10 71
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-04
41. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 10 23-08 70
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-14
42. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 10 23-02 69
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 14-03
43. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 23-01 68
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 12-11
44. David Williams Newton, NC 10 23-00 67
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 14-03
45. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 8 22-15 66
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 3 09-11
46. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 22-13 65
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 13-03
47. John Murray Spring City, TN 10 22-08 64
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 10-08
48. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 10 22-06 63
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-00
49. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 22-06 62
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 11-13
50. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 22-05 61
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-10
51. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 8 22-01 60
Day 1: 4 09-12 Day 2: 4 12-05
52. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 22-01 59
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 12-04
53. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 21-15 58
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 10-08
54. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 21-13 57
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 08-12
55. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 21-12 56
Day 1: 5 06-01 Day 2: 5 15-11
56. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 21-05 55
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 11-05
57. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 8 21-04 54
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 5 15-11
58. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 21-03 53
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 10-10
59. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 21-01 52
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 14-04
60. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 21-01 51
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 11-08
61. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 10 20-15 50
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 10-10
62. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 9 20-13 49
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 10-07
63. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 20-11 48
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 5 10-13
64. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 9 20-10 47
Day 1: 4 09-09 Day 2: 5 11-01
65. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 9 20-09 46
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 5 12-06
66. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 20-09 45
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 08-08
67. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 20-09 44
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 10-14
68. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 20-09 43
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 10-11
69. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 10 20-06 42
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 08-12
70. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 20-06 41
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 09-02
71. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 9 20-04 40
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 4 10-12
72. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 10 20-03 39
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 10-01
73. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 20-01 38
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 12-06
74. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 19-14 37
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 11-07
75. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 19-12 36
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-11
76. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 10 19-11 35
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 5 13-07
77. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 19-11 34
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 09-05
78. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 19-07 33
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 11-00
79. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 10 19-01 32
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 09-00
80. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 19-00 31
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 08-07
81. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 18-03 30
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 06-08
82. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 6 17-15 29
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 3 08-02
83. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 17-15 28
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 08-08
84. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 17-15 27
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 08-14
85. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 8 17-14 26
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 11-09
86. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 8 17-13 25
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 3 07-11
87. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 17-10 24
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-01
88. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 9 17-09 23
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 4 07-02
89. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 8 17-07 22
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 3 05-05
90. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 17-03 21
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 08-00
91. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 7 16-12 20
Day 1: 2 02-12 Day 2: 5 14-00
92. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 8 16-05 19
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 4 09-09
93. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 9 15-12 18
Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 4 08-13
94. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 9 15-07 17
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 4 07-02
95. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 7 15-01 16
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 2 04-11
96. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 14-04 15
Day 1: 4 12-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
97. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 8 13-15 14
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 3 04-10
98. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 7 13-05 13
Day 1: 4 05-07 Day 2: 3 07-14
99. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 9 13-02 12
Day 1: 5 06-14 Day 2: 4 06-04
100. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 9 13-01 11
Day 1: 5 07-10 Day 2: 4 05-07
101. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 7 12-15 10
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 2 02-08
102. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 6 12-15 9
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 4 07-15
103. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 7 11-12 8
Day 1: 2 02-14 Day 2: 5 08-14
104. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 7 11-05 7
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 2 02-08
105. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 9 10-10 6
Day 1: 5 04-09 Day 2: 4 06-01
106. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 08-13 5
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 4 07-00
107. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 4 08-09 4
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 1 02-07
108. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 5 06-03 3
Day 1: 2 03-01 Day 2: 3 03-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 91 508 1176-04
2 79 490 1151-06
----------------------------------
170 998 2327-10
Ashley Off To Hot Start As Muddy Waters Roll Through Lake Texoma At Bassfest
With Lake Texoma 9 feet above normal Elite pros have been posting pictures of places they plan to fish - you know, parking lots, picnic tables, typical flood condition stuff.
The water looks like coffee with a heavy dose of cream. The upside may be that more fans elect to enjoy the lakeside attractions associated with BASSFest instead of taking to the water as spectators because many area ramps are out of operation, including the one B.A.S.S. had planned to use - East Burns Run. Instead the 108 pros will launch each competition day from the Spillway Ramp near Denison Dam where fans are welcome but parking is limited.
On Saturday the anglers will participate in Bassmaster University and other activities before resuming competition in Sunday's final championship round.
As for Wednesday's opener, Casey Ashley shined brightest. Check out the official story and standings:
DURANT, Okla. — Flooded shorelines and muddy water didn’t stop some Bassmaster Elite Series pros from finding big bass during the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort at Lake Texoma.
After a very difficult and unproductive practice, Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., “just went fishing,” and put together the day’s heaviest five-fish limit of bass that weighed 20 pounds, 1 ounce. His lead eclipsed Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill., who is in second place by only 11 ounces with a total of 19-6.
Ashley’s limit included the tournament’s current Phoenix Boats Big Bass that tipped the scales at 6-15. If the 2015 Classic champion can hold the big-fish lead for the duration of BASSfest, he’ll earn a $1,500 bonus.
“I had no idea I was going to catch them that good today,” Ashley said. “The first bite of the day was my big one, and when you start things out with that kind of momentum, it really helps you to settle in and make good decisions for the rest of the day.”
The South Carolinian is unsure if he can replicate today’s success on Thursday, but he’s sure going to try.
“All I can do is just put the trolling motor down, keep my head down and go,” he said. “I’ve found that there really isn’t a good way to predict where the bites will come from. Covering water quickly and making accurate casts seems to be the key to finding the big fish, and I’m going to do my best to make it happen again tomorrow. “
Unlike Ashley’s unproductive practice, Morgenthaler located his fish earlier in the week.
“I started my day on what I felt was my best spot, but it didn’t turn out that way. I relocated to another spot that I found during practice and caught a limit pretty quickly. Being able to make some key upgrades as the day went on really helped me put together a solid limit,” Morgenthaler said.
He said that he caught a lot of fish today, and will be starting Thursday off with “comfortable confidence.”
He thinks the receding water should improve his pattern, but the lake is changing by the hour and he knows that he’ll have to adapt quickly to stay on the bass.
As of 5 p.m. CT, Texoma was measured at 625.48 feet (above sea level) with normal full pool measuring at 619 feet. The reservoir’s current release rate is 41,900 cubic feet per second, which has created quite a riffle below the dam. That means the lake level will be steadily decreasing. Those who adapt the quickest will likely finish the strongest.
Local favorite and 2016 Bassmaster Classic champion Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., will begin Thursday’s second round of competition in third place after weighing in 18-8.
“Today was a grind. It looks good on paper, but I only had five bites all day long,” Evers said. “Practice was crucial to how and where I fished today, but with the water going down I’ll have to adjust throughout the day — and I think I can do that. ”
The full field of 108 anglers will resume competition on Thursday, vying for a Top 50 spot, which is where the field will be cut for Friday’s semi-final round. Takeoff will be held at Dam Site Park in Denison, Texas, at 6:15 a.m. CT, while the weigh-in will take place at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Okla.
There will be no fishing on Saturday, as Bassmaster University will take place at Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Okla., the same location as daily weigh-ins. Gates open at 10 a.m., and it’s completely free to the public. Bassmaster fans will have opportunities to visit sponsor booths, attend seminars, ask their favorite pros questions and even gather autographs.
Competition will crescendo on Championship Sunday, as the remaining Top 12 anglers battle for the $100,000 grand prize and a berth to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino and Resort 6/8-6/12
Lake Texoma, Durant OK.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 20-01 110
Day 1: 5 20-01
2. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 19-06 109
Day 1: 5 19-06
3. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 18-08 108
Day 1: 5 18-08
4. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 18-05 107
Day 1: 5 18-05
5. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 18-03 106
Day 1: 5 18-03
6. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 16-08 105
Day 1: 5 16-08
7. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 16-05 104
Day 1: 5 16-05
8. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 16-00 103
Day 1: 5 16-00
8. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 16-00 103
Day 1: 5 16-00
10. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 15-15 101
Day 1: 5 15-15
11. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 15-10 100
Day 1: 5 15-10
12. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 15-09 99
Day 1: 5 15-09
13. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 15-07 98
Day 1: 5 15-07
14. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 15-02 97
Day 1: 5 15-02
15. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 14-11 96
Day 1: 5 14-11
15. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 5 14-11 96
Day 1: 5 14-11
17. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 14-09 94
Day 1: 5 14-09
18. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 14-06 93
Day 1: 5 14-06
19. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 14-04 92
Day 1: 5 14-04
20. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 14-00 91
Day 1: 5 14-00
20. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 14-00 91
Day 1: 5 14-00
20. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 14-00 91
Day 1: 5 14-00
23. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 13-13 88
Day 1: 5 13-13
24. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-10 87
Day 1: 5 13-10
25. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 13-08 86
Day 1: 5 13-08
26. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 13-04 85
Day 1: 5 13-04
27. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 13-03 84
Day 1: 5 13-03
27. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 13-03 84
Day 1: 5 13-03
29. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 13-01 82
Day 1: 5 13-01
30. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 12-14 81
Day 1: 5 12-14
31. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 12-10 80
Day 1: 5 12-10
32. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 12-06 79
Day 1: 5 12-06
32. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 12-06 79
Day 1: 5 12-06
34. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 12-04 77
Day 1: 5 12-04
35. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 5 12-02 76
Day 1: 5 12-02
36. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 12-01 75
Day 1: 5 12-01
37. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 12-00 74
Day 1: 5 12-00
38. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 4 12-00 73
Day 1: 4 12-00
39. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 11-11 72
Day 1: 5 11-11
39. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 11-11 72
Day 1: 5 11-11
41. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 11-10 70
Day 1: 5 11-10
41. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 5 11-10 70
Day 1: 5 11-10
43. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 5 11-10 68
Day 1: 5 11-10
44. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-09 67
Day 1: 5 11-09
45. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 11-07 66
Day 1: 5 11-07
46. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 11-06 65
Day 1: 5 11-06
47. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 11-04 64
Day 1: 5 11-04
48. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 11-01 63
Day 1: 5 11-01
49. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 10-09 62
Day 1: 5 10-09
49. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 10-09 62
Day 1: 5 10-09
49. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 10-09 62
Day 1: 5 10-09
49. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 10-09 62
Day 1: 5 10-09
53. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 10-07 58
Day 1: 5 10-07
53. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 10-07 58
Day 1: 5 10-07
55. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 10-06 56
Day 1: 5 10-06
55. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 10-06 56
Day 1: 5 10-06
57. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 10-06 54
Day 1: 5 10-06
58. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 5 10-06 53
Day 1: 5 10-06
59. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 5 10-05 52
Day 1: 5 10-05
59. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 10-05 52
Day 1: 5 10-05
61. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 4 10-03 50
Day 1: 4 10-03
62. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 10-02 49
Day 1: 5 10-02
62. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 10-02 49
Day 1: 5 10-02
64. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 10-01 47
Day 1: 5 10-01
65. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 10-00 46
Day 1: 5 10-00
66. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 09-15 45
Day 1: 5 09-15
67. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 09-14 44
Day 1: 5 09-14
68. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 4 09-14 43
Day 1: 4 09-14
69. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 09-13 42
Day 1: 5 09-13
70. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 3 09-13 41
Day 1: 3 09-13
71. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 4 09-12 40
Day 1: 4 09-12
72. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 09-11 39
Day 1: 5 09-11
73. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 09-10 38
Day 1: 5 09-10
74. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 09-09 37
Day 1: 5 09-09
75. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 4 09-09 36
Day 1: 4 09-09
76. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 09-08 35
Day 1: 5 09-08
77. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 09-07 34
Day 1: 5 09-07
78. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 09-05 33
Day 1: 5 09-05
78. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 09-05 33
Day 1: 5 09-05
80. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 09-03 31
Day 1: 5 09-03
81. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 09-01 30
Day 1: 5 09-01
81. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 09-01 30
Day 1: 5 09-01
83. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 08-15 28
Day 1: 5 08-15
84. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 5 08-15 27
Day 1: 5 08-15
85. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 08-13 26
Day 1: 5 08-13
85. David Williams Newton, NC 5 08-13 26
Day 1: 5 08-13
87. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 08-07 24
Day 1: 5 08-07
88. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 08-07 23
Day 1: 5 08-07
89. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 08-05 22
Day 1: 5 08-05
90. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 4 08-03 21
Day 1: 4 08-03
91. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 07-11 20
Day 1: 5 07-11
92. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 07-10 19
Day 1: 5 07-10
93. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 5 06-15 18
Day 1: 5 06-15
94. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 06-14 17
Day 1: 5 06-14
95. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 06-13 16
Day 1: 5 06-13
96. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 4 06-12 15
Day 1: 4 06-12
97. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 3 06-05 14
Day 1: 3 06-05
98. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 06-04 13
Day 1: 5 06-04
99. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 3 06-02 12
Day 1: 3 06-02
100. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 06-01 11
Day 1: 5 06-01
101. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 3 05-09 10
Day 1: 3 05-09
102. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 4 05-07 9
Day 1: 4 05-07
103. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 2 05-00 8
Day 1: 2 05-00
104. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 04-09 7
Day 1: 5 04-09
105. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 2 03-01 6
Day 1: 2 03-01
106. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 2 02-14 5
Day 1: 2 02-14
107. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 2 02-12 4
Day 1: 2 02-12
108. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 1 01-13 3
Day 1: 1 01-13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 91 508 1176-04
----------------------------------
91 508 1176-04
Grimm Wins Bfl Volunteer Division Event By Over 2 Pounds On Cherokee Lake!
CHURCH HILL’S GRIMM WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE VOLUNTEER DIVISION EVENT ON CHEROKEE LAKE
Ball wins co-angler title
MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (June 6, 2016) – Brant Grimm of Church Hill, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division tournament of 2016 on Cherokee Lake. For his victory, Grimm took home $6,159.
“I spent my day on the Holston River fishing shallow bars and flats where the bass were pulling up to feed on shad,” said Grimm, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “I only had six bites all day, but I caught a 6-pounder within my first 20 casts. That fish really anchored my limit.”
Grimm said he needed only one 50-yard stretch to catch his winning bass.
“After the 6-pounder, all of my bites were about an hour apart,” said Grimm. “On my final cast I was able to make a small cull, which helped, but it was really that early big bass that sealed the deal for me.”
Grimm said he used one bait during the tournament – a shad-colored swimbait from Foolin’ Bass Custom Baits.
“They poured it to my exact size and color specifications and it really made a difference,” said Grimm. “It was a pretty straightforward day out there. Everything came together and it worked out.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brant Grimm, Church Hill, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $4,159 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Michael Cantrell, Philadelphia, Tenn., five bass, 15-9, $1,840
3rd: Jimmy Taylor, Clinton, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $1,225
4th: Bill Humbard, New Market, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $859
5th: Archie Wilson Jr., Corryton, Tenn., five bass, 14-10, $736
6th: Hermilo Salgado, Artemus, Ky., five bass, 14-2, $675
7th: Ken Vicchio, Bluff City, Tenn., four bass, 13-10, $913
8th: Burton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 13-5, $552
9th: Derrick Snavely, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $491
10th: Tim Smiley, White Pine, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $407
10th: Shawn Strader, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $407
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Grimm also caught a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $480.
Ty Ball of Rogersville, Tennessee, weighed in five bass totaling 11 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,757.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Ty Ball, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 11-2, $1,757
2nd: Henry Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., four bass, 10-3, $879
3rd: Kibbee McCoy, Morristown, Tenn., three bass, 9-12, $585
4th: Matt Brown, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 9-8, $410
5th: Wes Ratcliff, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 9-5, $351
6th: Jimmy Crum, Afton, Tenn., four bass, 8-5, $322
7th: Kenneth Lodwick, Dandridge, Tenn., four bass, 8-4, $293
8th: Bill Freshour, Strawplains, Tenn., four bass, 7-14, $264
9th: Gary Johns, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., three bass, 7-12, $234
10th: James Morrow, Murphy, N.C., three bass, 7-9, $205
Jeff Boone of Mount Washington, Kentucky, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $225.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Howard Wins Bfl South Carolina Division Event On Lake Wateree By 9 Ounces!
ELLOREE’S HOWARD WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SOUTH CAROLINA DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE WATEREE
Hunt wins co-angler title
CAMDEN, S.C. (June 6, 2016) – Chuck Howard of Elloree, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Wateree. For his victory, Howard took home $5,718.
Howard said he started out his day running a swimjig through mid-lake grass. He said he fished a long stretch, dialing in on specific spots he knew fish were congregating.
“I swam a black and blue-colored Dirty Jigs Swim Jig through the grass and caught a limit before 9 a.m.,” said Howard, who earned his second win in BFL competition. “After the sun came up and the air got hot, I started pitching a worm around docks.”
The South Carolina angler said he hit more than 50 docks using a Junebug-colored Zoom Trick Worm.
“I probably brought in 10 keepers over the course of the day,” said Howard. “They all came in less than 3 feet of water. I ended up weighing in three on the Trick Worm and two on the swimjig.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chuck Howard, Elloree, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $3,718 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., five bass, 17-2, $1,709
3rd: Charles Story, Evans, Ga., five bass, 16-13, $1,138
4th: Steve Phillips, Lugoff, S.C., five bass, 16-5, $798
5th: James Buchanan, Monroe, N.C., five bass, 15-11, $684
6th: Wendell Causey Jr., Irmo, S.C., five bass, 15-9, $627
7th: Tom Rubbo, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 15-6, $570
8th: Brett Collins, Ridgeway, S.C., five bass, 14-4, $513
9th: Dustin Henson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 13-10, $456
10th: Steve Thornhill, Pineville, S.C., five bass, 13-3, $399
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Joey Sabbagha of Prosperity, South Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $420.
David Hunt of Camden, South Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,709.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Hunt, Camden, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $1,709
2nd: Ronald Harrell, Mitchell, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $1,065
3rd: Ezell Mullinax Jr., Gaffney, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $570
4th: Ron Figueroa, Appling, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $399
5th: Adam Fincher, Roebuck, S.C., four bass, 10-11, $342
6th: Jonathan Stokes, Camden, S.C., four bass, 10-4, $313
7th: Jack Daniel Hoy, Hollywood, S.C., four bass, 10-3, $285
8th: Michael Thomas, York, S.C., four bass, 10-1, $256
9th: Mitchell Pare, Guyton, Ga., four bass, 9-12, $228
10th: Shawn Bailey, Starr, S.C., four bass, 9-4, $199
Harrell caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $210.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Smith Wins Bfl Mississippi Event On Ross Barnett With Over 20 Pounds!
PETAL’S SMITH WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION EVENT ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
White wins co-angler title
FLOWOOD, Miss. (June 6, 2016) – Timmy Smith of Petal, Mississippi, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Smith took home $5,103.
Smith said he began his day fishing an assortment of brush piles on a hump near the dam. He said he positioned his boat in approximately 15 feet of water while he casted into 7-foot ranges.
“It was one of those areas where you can sit all day and not catch anything, or you can get some good, quality bites fairly quickly,” said Smith, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “In three hours, I caught three good-sized fish – two on a Carolina-rigged, Plum Apple-colored Zoom Ol’ Monster Worm and one on a custom green-pumpkin-colored jig rigged with a green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Craw.”
Smith said he followed a similar pattern throughout the day at nearby humps, ledges and points. He said he rotated between the two baits and boated an additional 12 keepers.
“We hopped around to about four or five more areas to finish out the day,” said Smith. “We caught a lot in terms of numbers, but only those first three had some size to them. I still had a great time out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Timmy Smith, Petal, Miss., five bass, 20-4, $5,103
2nd: Larry Rochelle, Canton, Miss., five bass, 19-8, $2,232
3rd: Ed Dunnaway, Flowood, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $1,489
4th: Casey O'Donnell, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 16-0, $1,041
5th: Shannon Denson, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-12, $893
6th: Bradley Burns, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-5, $818
7th: Teddy Cranford, Seminary, Miss., five bass, 14-11, $744
8th: Ray King, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 14-5, $669
9th: Brandon Wilcher, Canton, Miss., five bass, 14-1, $595
10th: Mike Norsworthy, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 13-14, $521
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Smith also caught a 7-pound, 9-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $640.
Tim White of West Point, Mississippi, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,232.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Tim White, West Point, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $2,232
2nd: Cody Martin, Killen, Ala., five bass, 15-10, $1,116
3rd: Bobby McDill, Raleigh, Miss., five bass, 12-4, $1,063
4th: Jordan Fowlkes, Collierville, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $521
5th: Anthony Thomas, Jackson, Miss., five bass, 11-0, $446
6th: Bernard Crump, Jackson, Miss., three bass, 10-1, $409
7th: Alan Dutton, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 10-0, $372
8th: Jesse Steadham, Byram, Miss., four bass, 9-12, $335
9th: Mitchell Bond, Collins, Miss., five bass, 9-9, $298
10th: Curtis Powell, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 9-2, $260
McDill caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $320.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Brown Wins Bfl Shenandoah Division Event On James River!
CHARLOTTESVILLE’S BROWN WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SHENANDOAH DIVISION EVENT ON JAMES RIVER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Williams wins co-angler title
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (June 6, 2016) – Derek Brown of Charlottesville, Virginia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the James and Chickahominy rivers presented by Navionics. For his victory, Brown took home $4,729.
“I spent the majority of the tournament in Herring Creek,” said Brown, who earned his second win in FLW competition. “I trolled along a 50-yard stretch all day, back and forth.”
Brown said he mainly targeted bass near lily pads and wood, catching most of his fish from the latter.
“In the morning I used a black and white-colored Lobina Lures Rico topwater bait with the incoming tide,” said Brown. “When the tide changed around 10 a.m., the bite changed. After that I began locating bass with the Rico and catching them on a shaky-head rig with a junebug-colored Zoom Trick Worm.
“I caught seven keepers and ended up with three of my limit-fish on the Rico and two on the Trick Worm,” said Brown. “It was a great day of fishing.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Derek Brown, Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 18-4, $4,729
2nd: David Keisel, Chesapeake, Va., five bass, 15-11, $2,364
3rd: Brian Stack, Nanjemoy, Md., five bass, 15-5, $1,576
4th: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., five bass, 15-3, $1,024
5th: Brett Meyn, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 15-3, $1,729
6th: Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 14-5, $867
7th: Ed Loughran, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 14-2, $788
8th: Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., five bass, 13-12, $709
9th: Richard Owen, Chester, Va., five bass, 13-10, $631
10th: Kelly Pratt, Williamsburg, Va., five bass, 13-9, $524
10th: Shawn Hammack, Gasburg, Va., five bass, 13-9, $524
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Meyn caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $705.
David Williams of Fredericksburg, Virginia, weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,364.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 13-7, $2,364
2nd: Austin Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., five bass, 12-3, $1,182
3rd: Braxton Moore, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 12-0, $788
4th: Ryan Johnson, Elkridge, Md., five bass, 11-13, $552
5th: Dean Gibbs, Richmond, Va., five bass, 11-11, $473
6th: Mike Gardner, South Hill, Va., five bass, 11-4, $433
7th: Tevinn Rollins, Newport News, Va., five bass, 10-12, $394
8th: Gary Peters, Surveyor, W. Va., five bass, 10-6, $355
9th: Randy Ruffin, Norfolk, Va., five bass, 10-3, $315
10th: Zachary Whitt, Newport News, Va., five bass, 9-14, $276
Jim Petrous of Stafford, Virginia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $352.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Flw & Ranger Pro Mark Rose Wins Bass Southern Open Angler Of The Year!
FLIPPIN, Ark. (June 8, 2016) - Ranger Boats Pro Mark Rose won the Bassmaster Southern Open Angler of the Year title. The angler's 579 points accrued from competing in the three Southern Open events gave him the title and qualifies Rose for the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Rose started strong at the first Southern Open event on Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida. His third-place finish put him in a good position in the Angler of the Year standings. Rose's followed up with a 15th-place finish on Smith Lake in Alabama and ended the Southern Open trial with a sixth-place finish on Douglas Lake in Tennessee.
In addition to fishing the Bassmaster Southern Open, Rose is competing in the Bassmaster Northern Opens, FLW Tour and MLF. The invitation to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series opens the door for Rose to broaden his territory and open up new possibilities.
"I like to have my feet in a little bit of everything," said Rose. "I really like fishing all three trails."
Rose has had a long-standing relationship with Ranger Boats. Since his college years and throughout his 17-year professional career, Rose has always driven a Ranger boat.
"I had always heard about the prestige of Ranger Boats," said Rose. "So, when my father bought me my first boat, we actually went to Flippin. I have never made a cast out of another glass boat."
Rose cites dependability as one of the most important qualities of Ranger Boats.
"Confidence build success in my book," said Rose. "I've got so much confidence in the reliability of a Ranger boat. Never in 17 years of fishing has my Ranger let me down. When you are fishing for angler of the year and championships, reliability is huge."
Polaris Jumps On Board With Flw
FLW REVS UP SPONSORSHIP TEAM WITH POLARIS
MINNEAPOLIS (June 6, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today a sponsorship agreement with Polaris Industries Inc., a leading powersports manufacturer. The partnership will offer the Minnesota-based brand the opportunity to directly connect with the millions of outdoor and fishing fanatics that FLW reaches through their tournaments and promotional platforms.
Per the agreement, Polaris will receive exposure across multiple FLW media platforms including its website, social media outlets, FLW Bass Fishing magazine, and the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show. "FLW" is broadcast in high-definition (HD) to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. In addition to traditional media platforms, the global powersports brand will receive prominent display across all 235 FLW-sanctioned tournaments.
“FLW members, anglers and fans are known as being extremely brand loyal, outdoor-focused consumers and we are excited that Polaris has joined our sponsorship lineup to tap into their buying power. We look forward to building a mutually beneficial partnership,” said FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake.
For millions of people around the world, Polaris has become synonymous with adventure and passion, for both work and play. For more than 60 years, Polaris has been manufacturing high-quality, breakthrough products—whether it’s launching the snowmobile industry, reinventing off-road categories year after year, developing the first purpose-built military vehicles or introducing a radical 3-wheel moto-roadster. For more information about Polaris and their products, visit http://www.polaris.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Periscope: @FLWFishing.
About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader with annual 2015 sales of $4.7 billion. Polaris fuels the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts with our RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; our SPORTSMAN® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Victory® and Indian Motorcycle® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories sold under multiple recognizable brands, and has a growing presence in adjacent markets globally with products including military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. www.polaris.com
Big Bass Earns Power-Pole Award At Boat Us Collegiate Fishing Championship
Big Bass Earns
Power-Pole Award at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's is known for its big payouts, and when the event is held on a big bass factory such as Pickwick Lake, this event is also known for its big bags of fish. University of Dubuque's Austin Brimeyer was able to cash in on both aspects as he brought in the biggest bass of the event to the scales on Day 2.
Weighing in at 9.06lbs, Brimeyer's Pickwick Lake giant won him a wealth of prizes, including a brand new Power Pole Sportsman's Series.
"I set the hook and actually hit my partner with the rod, so I ran to the back of the boat to try and regain some line tension and then he jumped and I yelled 'it's a giant!' right before he made one last dive under the boat and my partner netted him," said Brimeyer. "I knew that the big bass prize was a Power Pole and right when we caught it, we knew we had a good chance of breaking the Day 1 Big Bass lead and win it."
"College bass fishing holds the next generation of Professional bass anglers," said Curt Hill, Advertising Manager of Power-Pole. "We support the on many tours and do our part to keep them excited about the sport. At this time in their life they will be making the decision to make fishing their new found career path. With the support we gave a Power-Pole Pro 2 eight foot for the overall big bass of the 2016 Boat US Collegiate Championship. I could just see the excitement in Austin Brimeyer when he weighed in a 9 pound 4 ounce bass. Congratulations to him and a great tournament."
Brimeyer added that "It's awesome to win a Power Pole for catching one fish. Now I'm thinking about buying another one to match it. I've been saving for one, and now I won one, so I might as well go ahead with the second one!" exclaimed Brimeyer. "The prizes were awesome for the Big Bass award, and all throughout the week. We're looking forward to going to all of the events next year too. It definitely wouldn't be near as exciting without all the sponsors commitment to the anglers, so we really appreciate everything they do for us.
Along with his new Power Pole, Brimeyer won two Abu Garcia rod and reel combos and a pack of Arctic Ice.
To see the complete results from the 2016 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's, click here: Complete Results
For more information about the Cabela's Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, please visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com
Vicious Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
Vicious CELEBRATES 10-Year ANNIVersary
Innovation Will Be Key in Brand’s Future
PELL CITY, AL – Vicious was born at ICAST in 2006. The idea was to launch with branded fishing line and then grow the product offering over time through partnerships with industry products looking for a brand identity. Not that it hasn’t come with challenges, but the brand today is well represented in several industry categories and poised to take the next step in fulfilling this dream.
The brand has always benefited from a desirable name, logo and icon -- even outside the industry. This logo was destined to represent premium products and going forward, it will do just that. At ICAST 2016, Vicious will be represented on many products that are looking to re-define their respective categories from the unmatched lens technology in Vicious Vision to the patent-pending Bait Dye and the ground-breaking technology in our soon-to-be-released premium braid. From this point forward, if it says Vicious, you can believe it’s going to be a top-notch, quality product.
“I’ve worked with some big brands in my life, but I’ve never seen a brand that naturally attracts attention like Vicious. We are often stopped to get explanations on our icon, Vic. I’ll never forget when we were sitting in a meeting with executives from a large partner and one of them says, ‘Pardon my French, but your logo is badass!’ It’s not the first time we’ve heard it, but it certainly validated our belief in the brand’s potential,” exclaimed Greg Meunier, Vicious VP of Sales & Marketing.
Meunier added, “We feel it’s time for the Vicious brand to live up to this potential. We’re actively searching for partners and products that offer new technology or premium attributes and are looking forward to what this new brand direction can deliver.”
About Vicious
Vicious is inspired by avid outdoorsman to deliver premium fishing line, LED lights, baits, eyewear, apparel and other quality products. Today's angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of it with an attitude. Vicious headquarters is located in Pell City, AL. For more information regarding Vicious and how to become part of the Vicious family of products, email Greg at [email protected], visit GetVicious.com or call 866-645-0024.
Norris And Norris Win Bass Champs Final On Lake Tawakoni
| Father & Son Norris take the final win for 2016 at Bass Champs on Tawakoni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Water, water everywhere as Bass Champs North Region anglers hit Lake Tawakoni for the final open team event of the season June 4, 2016. It was the final push in the Anglers of the Year race as well as fishing for a portion of this 99% payback event, with over $56,000 in prize money to be won. Father and son Ronnie and Jeff Norris reeled in the only sack over 20 pounds to win over $20,000!
There were 192 teams in this final event, with trailering allowed due to the high lake levels. Other than some occasional sprinkles, the weather wasn’t the main challenge for these teams – it was finding the bass as they were on the move in the newly flooded areas. Fishing was tough, as teams bringing in just over six pounds were winning checks! 1st place winners Ronnie Norris of Mabank, TX and his son Jeff Norris of Decatur went into this event with no particular plan. “A few weeks before the tournament, we had caught a few fish in a shallow spot with flooded trees,” Jeff explained. “We started our day fishing frogs and caught a couple of keepers right off the bat. The bite just went dead on us for several hours, and we went to another spot using beaver baits. That’s when I caught our kicker (6.35 lbs). We just kept at it, and finally caught two more to make a limit. That’s all the keepers we put in the boat!” Everyone was allowed to fish until 3pm, and they weighed in by 3:20. “We watched as everyone else brought in their sacks – it was nerve racking until the scales closed!” When the scales did finally officially close, they had won the tournament by more than a six pound margin! “We’ve been fishing with Bass Champs for a really long time. We’ve won several checks, but this is our first 1st place win!” Bass Champs presented them the guaranteed 1st place $20,000 check, then they also won the Power Pole Captains Cash. “Dad and I have been fishing together since I’ve been walking. Winning this with him is really great.” Darryl Roach of Benbrook, TX and Vince Repola of Fort Worth reeled in a 2nd place win with their 15.34 lb limit. “We started in a spot we found in practice,” Darryl began. “The fish were biting right away and we had five in the livewell by 6:55am.” They were fishing a marina cove with frogs for their bite in a grassy area about 2’ deep. “Once that bite slowed down, we started flipping the grass. Between 11-2:30 we didn’t catch anything, and only caught one after that to cull up two ounces. All total we caught about 9 or 10 keepers throughout the day, and only caught 2 or 3 short fish.” Their catch was worth a 2nd place check for $4,500 plus they also received the Sportsman’s Auto Network bonus. “I’d like to thank my partner Vince. This is our second year fishing with Bass Champs. We were lucky enough to win Anglers of the Year our first year with them. Jeff, Chad and the whole Bass Champs crew are really great. I have my own bass tournament trail, and Jeff and Chad have been so helpful with advice to help me succeed. They have the BEST tournament trail and I love fishing with them!” 3rd place was won by Jerry olds of Arlington, TX and Jason May of Grand Prairie with 13.38 lbs. Bass Champs presented the team a check for $3,500. Rounding out the top five were 4th place Lee Livesay from Gladewater and Warren Sprague of Willis Point, TX with 12.18 lbs, winning $2,400 plus the Lowrance Gen3 Bonus. Steve Trimble of Dallas and Dakota Trimble took a 5th place win with 11.63 lbs for a $2,000 check. It took 6.43 lbs to be in the money in 27 places paid. Zach Parker and Heath Moody caught the last $600 check in the line-up. Fun N Sun awarded the first out-of-the-money bonus to Craig and Steve Anderson for their 6.39 lb sack. The Big Bass of the tournament weighed in at 6.38 lbs, brought in by Dale and Sean Gossett. It was their only keeper of the day, winning a $500 check plus the DELO, Abu Garcia, BioBor and UnderArmour bonuses. Now that all four North Region events are in the books and the points tallied, the Angler of the Year award goes to the team of Drew Sloan and Terry Hawkins. It was a close finish, as they had a total of 975 points, staying just ahead of Trevor Romans and Matt McMillan with 972 points. Congratulations for achieving this prestigious title for the 2016 Bass Champs North Region! The 2016 Championship will be a two day event, October 8-9, 2016. Over $200,000 in cash and prizes is guaranteed to be awarded, including a Skeeter FX 20 powered by a Yamaha 250 SHO for the 1st place winners, and a Skeeter ZX 225 powered by a Yamaha 225 SHO for the 2nd place team. The top 40 teams will receive checks, and the event will take place on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas. “All of us at Bass Champs would like to thank everyone for fishing with us this year. It has been a great season, and we really appreciate your part in making Bass Champs the biggest and the best in Texas! We’d like to wish all of the championship qualifiers good luck at the Team Championship in October!” Also mark your calendars and plan to fish these upcoming Bass Champs hosted events: “The 2nd Annual TX Shootout is coming up in just a few weeks on Sam Rayburn. With a guaranteed 1st place purse of $50,000 it is the worlds richest one day team event, and you don’t want to miss it!” - Chad Potts, Bass Champs President
Payback details, rules, and additional information is available on http://www.basschamps.com
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Mabelvale's Houchin Wins Flw Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Event
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (June 6, 2016) – Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Lake Ouachita presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Houchin took home $3,386.
Houchin said he spent his day targeting grass, wood and bushes in two areas within the mid- and upper-lake regions of Ouachita.
“I followed a fairly basic pattern for this event,” said Houchin, who logged his second BFL win of the 2016 season. “I caught my limit on three baits - a white Heddon Zara Spook, a leopard-colored Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog 65 and a perch-colored 6th Sense Lures jig.”
Houchin said the Spook was the most productive of the three and that he caught the majority of his fish before 10 a.m.
“There wasn’t any deciding factor that forced me to switch baits,” said Houchin. “I basically followed my instinct when it came to the rotation.”
The Arkansas angler said he managed to catch seven keepers over the course of the event.
“I didn’t have a kicker, but I did lose a big one,” said Houchin. “Luckily, it didn’t push me out of the lead.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 15-13, $3,386
2nd: Adam Wright, Benton, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $1,693
3rd: Kevin Brown, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $959
3rd: Cody Glaze, Bald Knob, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $959
5th: Derek Sandlin, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 11-15, $677
6th: Keith Green, Arkadelphia, Ark., five bass, 11-14, $621
7th: Dennis Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-14, $536
7th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 10-14, $536
9th: Drew Dawson, Pocahontas, Ark., five bass, 10-12, $451
10th: Jeremiah Kindy, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-11, $395
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Greg Carpenter of Royal, Arkansas, caught a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $425.
David Tierney of Fayetteville, Arkansas, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,693.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Tierney, Fayetteville, Ark., five bass, 12-2, $1,693
2nd: Bruce Thompson, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 12-1, $846
3rd: Jason Scoggins, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $564
4th: Don Billiot, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 9-8, $395
5th: Rick Cole, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 9-0, $339
6th: Michael King, Delaplaine, Ark., four bass, 8-5, $310
7th: Colton Garrett, Jonesboro, Ark., four bass, 7-15, $282
8th: Kevin Clark, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 7-13, $254
9th: Chance Stone, Nashville, Ark., five bass. 7-12, $226
10th: Johnny Crider, Fulton, Ark., four bass, 7-6, $198
Weston Beck of Searcy, Arkansas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.
Alabama Bass Trail South Finale On Lake Jordan - Top 3 Finisher Interviews
The Alabama Bass trail South Division wrapped up thier 2016 Season Saturday on Lake Jordan with Jon Canada and Bo Huunter sneaking out the win and taking the AOY points race for the South. Rex Chambers and Brent Crow gave it all they had and made Jon and Bo beat them for the win and the AOY. Mobile Delta boys Robbie Robinson and Jeston Anderson rounded out the top 3 and earned thier way into the Bassmaster Team Championship. Check it out!
Bass Emcee And Facts Of Fishing Host Joins Costa Sunglass Team
Costa Partners with Renowned Bass Fishing Icon Dave Mercer
Daytona Beach, Fla. – June 06, 2016 – Costa recently announced its new partnership with Facts of Fishing TV show host and Bassmaster Elite Series tournament emcee Dave Mercer. Mercer, who is well known and loved within the bass fishing community, is often referred to as the unofficial voice of professional bass fishing, as his addictive energy and comedic presence has garnered a cult-like following of fishing fans young and old.
In addition to hosting his own television show, Mercer is a sought-after seminar speaker, has a record-selling DVD series, and uses his active social media presence to engage and inspire anglers around the world. A native of Canada, Dave started tournament fishing at 13 years old.
“Dave has this natural ability to connect bass fishing fans everywhere, from a young person just starting out, to the most seasoned Elite Series pro angler,” said Melinda Hays, bass fishing community manager. “He’s a great ambassador not just for the Costa sunglasses brand, but for sport fishing as a whole.”
“Aside from the fact that Costa makes incredible sunglasses for fishing, I appreciate how they've truly invested and are committed to making the sport better,” said Mercer. “When you have a brand like Costa that was created by anglers, for anglers, they're in a position to uniquely understand what’s needed for top performance out on the water – and the quality of their sunglasses certainly reflects their dedication to the fishing industry.”
Follow Costa’s bass fishing community on Instagram @CostaBassFishing to see the latest with Costa’s bass pro team news and updates.
Canada & Hunter Win Abt South Division Event On Jordan Lake And Clinch South Aoy!
John Canada and Bo Hunter win Alabama Bass Trail Jordan Lake
Pair Clinches Angler of the Year Title with Second Win of the Season
Wetumpka, Ala. June 4, 2016 – There are times when anglers get on a roll and it seems like nothing can get in their way. Those times are unique, and they are very special, and the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail South Division season featured a season like that for John Canada and Bo Hunter.
The pair of anglers entered the last event of the season at Jordan Lake in the lead for the Angler of the Year title, and while many teams wilt under the pressure of finalizing that title; they seized it by winning the event and putting an exclamation point on the year.
Canada and Hunter were in a late flight, and were one of the last few boats to weigh-in. When they did, they bested the 144 boat field with a total weight of 18.37 pounds and took home the winner’s prize purse of $10,000.
The pair reported running upriver towards the Lake Mitchell Dam trying to work on fish that were reacting to the slight amount of current that Alabama Power ran through the dams. “We got within about four miles of the dam and fished topwaters, Flukes and finesse jigs,” said Hunter. “We only caught 10 or 15 fish, but we were fortunate enough to catch the right ones.”
They started their morning targeting wooden cover that topped out at the river with walking topwater baits and soft jerkbaits, then turned their attention to deeper water rocks with finesse jigs tipped with Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers. “We needed a little more subtle appearance in the clear water,” said Hunter. “I think the fish were getting too good a look at it, so we had to scale down.”
The team of Brent Crow and Rex Chambers finished the day in the runner up position in both the tournament and the Angler of the Year chase. They relied heavily on a topwater pattern and a pair of big worms on jig heads. “We had a hunch early that we could get a few on a shad patterned walking topwater bait, so we tried that and had a limit really early,” they said. “After that we turned to magnum Shaky Heads paired with Zoom Trick Worms, V&M Chopstick and 6.5-inch Strike King KVD Finesse Worms.”
Crow and Chambers earned the $5,000 prize for second place as well as the $1,000 bonus for being the highest finishers who purchased their Phoenix Boat from Freedom Marine in Albertville.
Third place went to the team of Jeston Anderson and Robbie Robertson, the former ABT South Division Anglers of the Year earned $4,000 for their finish. The $500, Mountain Dew Big Bass of the day went to the team of Tony Hogan and Vernon Ward, their 4.95-pound largemouth helped them finish in 12th place.
The top 10 in the standings are below – the complete standings can be found at:http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lj-results/
| Place | Name | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Jon Canada/Bo Hunter | 18.37 | 3.88 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Rex Chambers/Brent Crow | 18.01 | 4.62 | $5,000 |
| 3 | Jeston Anderson/Robert Robinson | 17.53 | 3.87 | $4,000 |
| 4 | Radney Atchison/Joe Wikoff | 17.38 | 4.79 | $3,000 |
| 5 | Keith Dees/Tommy Walley | 16.19 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | Victor Harper/Jeff Gilliam | 16.06 | 4.01 | $1,000 |
| 7 | Andy Leslie/Grant Bennett | 15.89 | $900 | |
| 8 | Shaye Baker/Ben Weldon | 15.58 | 4.19 | $800 |
| 9 | Chris Rutland/Coby Carden | 15.29 | $700 | |
| 10 | Ken Walters/Ernie Faulkner | 15.22 | 4.85 | $600 |
As far as the Angler of the Year title, Canada and Hunter finished the season with 1111 points, and a winning margin of 55 points over Crow and Chambers. Their year included a 13th place finish to open the season at Lake Martin, then followed with a pair of first and second place finishes for the remaining four tournaments of the year.
Hunter said that the Angler of the Year title signifies the achievement of a goal and a lot of work. “This is a field that has the best anglers in the state, and it means a lot to be here at this point,” he said. “I guess the best word I can use to describe it is proud; it was a lot of work to be able to be here, and I’m really proud to be able to say I’m the Angler of the Year of a tour this strong.”
That concludes the season for the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Southern Division. The next event for the division qualifiers will be the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Championship at Lake Eufaula October 7 – 8, 2016. For complete South Division standings, see them here – http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/south-division-standings/
The sponsors of the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail include; Bill Penney Toyota, Phoenix Bass Boats, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Wind Creek Hospitality – Wetumpka, Wind Creek Hospitality – Montgomery, Alabama Tourism Department, SCA Performance, Mt. Dew, Boat US, T-H Marine Supplies, AllState, TVA, Alabama Power, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Lew’s Fishing, Frogg Toggs, Crossed Industries, Alabama Foundation Specialist, Costa, YETI, Leer, E3 Apparel.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Hamilton Nails Down Central Open Win On The Arkansas River!
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Scott Mcgehee Of Mississippi Leads After Day 1 Of The Bass Central Open On The Arkansas River.
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Flw Renews Kellogs Partnership For 2017 Season
KELLOGG’S® RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH FLW, JOINS NATIONAL FISHING AND BOATING WEEK EXPOS
MINNEAPOLIS (June 2, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced Thursday a sponsorship agreement with the Kellogg Company to showcase the Pringles® and Rice Krispies Treats® brands. FLW and the Kellogg Company share a rich history, partnering for more than 12 seasons and showcasing numerous Kellogg brands to millions of fishing and outdoor enthusiasts.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Kellogg Company,” said Trish Blake, FLW president of marketing. “Their commitment to the outdoors and the sport of fishing is unquestionable.”
Kellogg’s will receive prominent exposure at the National Fishing and Boating Week #ReelFun Fishing events being held at more than 1,000 Walmart stores around the country, June 3-5. FLW and its partners will kick-off National Fishing and Boating Week with a two-hour expo at local Walmart stores that will be packed with games, giveaways and fishing tips to help families make the most of their time on the water. Attendees will also receive a free digital subscription to FLW Bass Fishing magazine and a free protective fishing license holder just for stopping by. A complete list of Walmart stores hosting National Fishing and Boating Week expos can be found at TakeMeFishing.org/ReelFun.
“The Kellogg Company is excited and proud to renew our partnership with Fishing League Worldwide,” said Joe Mueller, vice president, Snacks Walmart Team. “Our association with FLW over the years has generated significant exposure for many of our brands and we are confident that the partnership will continue to be mutually beneficial for both parties. We look forward to another fantastic season, on and off the water.”
More than 100 years ago, W.K. Kellogg founded the Kellogg Company through his belief in nutrition and dedication to well-being. Motivated by a passion for people, quality and innovation, he created the first-ever breakfast cereal and then shaped an entire industry. Kellogg soon became a household name; his signature, a trusted mark. Today, W.K. Kellogg’s legacy continues to inspire and enrich the world through foods and brands that matter.
Classic Champion Edwin Evers Partners With Optima Batteries For Healing Heroes In Action Tour
Classic Champion Edwin Evers Partners With OPTIMA Batteries For Healing Heroes In Action Tour
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic champion Edwin Evers is teaming up once again with OPTIMA Batteries and a new partner, B.A.S.S., with live coverage on Bassmaster.com, to give deserving Purple Heart veterans a once-in-a-lifetime fishing experience in the OPTIMA Batteries Healing Heroes in Action Tour presented by General Tire.
Now in its second year, the Healing Heroes in Action Tour supports the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to serving the nation’s combat-wounded Purple Heart veterans through outdoor sporting activities.
“After a successful inaugural year, we’re honored to again bring these incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences to veterans and fans nationwide in a way only OPTIMA Batteries can,” said Cam Douglass, director of marketing for OPTIMA Batteries. “The addition of new partners and sponsors, as well as our longstanding relationship with Edwin, only help extend the impact this program has on the lives of deserving veterans as well as the foundation.”
The tour is set to raise funds through a Facebook auction on Evers’ page, where fans can bid for a chance to fish against Evers and a Purple Heart veteran in one of four events across America. All money raised goes directly to the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation.
The 2015 tour raised more than $12,000 for the Foundation through five local events, but new partnerships with B.A.S.S. and presenting sponsor General Tire bring the tour to a national audience via livestream and extended coverage on Bassmaster.com.
“B.A.S.S. is truly honored to partner with OPTIMA Batteries and Edwin on the Healing Heroes in Action Tour,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We have been blown away by our live audience, so this is the perfect platform to make the program and its efforts more accessible to fans.”
The first event is set to kick off June 13 on Lake Texoma in Durant, Okla., after the conclusion of the GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest, and continue with three more events coinciding with Evers’ travels on the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament trail. Bidding for the first event begins Wednesday, June 1 and concludes June 8.
“A day out on the water fishing with Edwin is a one-of-a-kind experience we’re grateful to be able to offer to our veterans,” said John J. McDaniel, founder of Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation. “Through this initiative and the camaraderie Edwin brings to the events, we are not only honoring the service of these veterans, but also promoting healing and wellness.”
Evers added, “I’m honored to support veterans through this program. It’s an opportunity to give back just a little bit to the people who give so much. The B.A.S.S. audience will be able to join us on the water this year through the live coverage, and I hope the show offers some teaching components and a few laughs!”
For more information on the OPTIMA Batteries and the Healing Heroes in Action Tour, visit OPTIMABatteries.com. To place your bid to fish against Evers at the first event on June 13, visit Facebook.com/EdwinEversFishing. To find out more about the WWIA, please visit wwiaf.org.
The complete 2016 schedule is as follows:
June 13 on Lake Texoma in Durant, Okla.
June 27 on Cayuga Lake in Union Springs, N.Y.
July 26 on the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Ark. (Live coverage on Bassmaster.com)
August 15 on the Potomac River in Charles County, Md. (Live coverage on Bassmaster.com)
Stone And Ashley Take Home 9K In Fishers Of Men Sc Low Country Event. Anders Brothers Clinch Aoy.
The Fishers of Men South Carolina Low Country had their final regular season event over the weekend. Congrats to the Anders Brothers on taking home the regular season points race and Angler of the Year Title, earning them a birth in the National Championship.
The Hartwell event results are below.
Our winners took home 9000.00 with the 2K bonus from Palmetto Boat Center. They even left $ on the table with the power pole bonus they could have had as well as the First Flight money which would have put them on the over 10k mark for a local 85 boat event. Not a bad payday. The rest of our top five are below, congrats to all:
1st Ben Stone and Danny Ashley-----------19.88lbs and took home $9000.00
2nd Heath Olgesby and Cain Waller--------18.38lbs and took home $2,175.00
3rd Chad Griffin and Jason McClendon----15.86lbs and took home $1405.00
4th Tom Cloer and Michael Brewer---------15.84lbs and took home $1172.00
5th Neal Shade and Michael Miller---------15.83lbs and took home $382.00
All the results are posted now as well as some pictures. All of the pictures can be seen at our facebook page. Also guys if you want to continue to see this type of payout please buy 6 raffle tickets for the 30 days of guns at a bare minimum. If we see every team sale 60 we would be pushing a 10K guarantee for first but that all boils down to our trail owners, YOU. Do a little kingdom work it may be your family member that shows up to go fishing and meets Jesus.
Randall Tharp Talks Chatterbaits And His Set Up To Catch More Fish With This Unique Bait
Elite Series Pro Randall Tharp likes Grass, Bass and Chatterbaits. Today Randall talks about his set-up that helps him catch more and bigger fish on this unique lure. Check it out!
Cecil & Castledaine Win 2016 Texas Team Trail Lucas Oil Team Of The Year
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (May 31, 2016) - Russell Cecil, of Willis, Texas, and Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, won the Texas Team Trail Lucas Oil Team of the Year Award for a second time following a strong 2016 season. The anglers became the first ever two-time winners and will receive custom rings and paid entry fees for the 2017 TXTT season, courtesy of Lucas Oil.
The TXTT Team of the Year is awarded to the team with the most points accrued throughout the TXTT season, which includes four regular-season events and a championship event. During the 2016 season, Cecil and Castledine fished in all four regular-season events and the championship, racking up 1261 total points and winning over $10,000 over the course of the season.
"Todd and I have been fishing together since the Texas Team Trail started," said Cecil. "We fish well together and have lots of trust in one another. If something isn't working, we are not afraid to change the way we are fishing, we put egos aside to catch fish."
Although the duo did not have a win this season, they did have a third-place finish and a strong showing in the championship, which awards double points. Going into the championship, the team sat in second place in the standings. The team's 10th-place finish at the championship event pushed them past the leading team.
"The championship event on Lake Ray Roberts was huge for us," said Cecil. "With the double point structure, our top-10 finish pushed us into first and sealed the title."
The Texas Team Trail is designed for working men and women across the state Texas with budget-friendly entry fees and 100 percent payback.
"The Texas Tournament Trail is structured well and give anglers more chances to win money," said Cecil. "The payouts are good, the attendance is great, and the way the tournaments are moved around the state provides a level playing field for everybody. I really enjoy fishing the Texas Tournament Trail and am excited about next year."
For additional information, anglers are encouraged to call 210-788-4143 or check out the TXTT website at www.texasteamtrail.com. Site visitors can register for events, review the television schedule, get official Texas Team Trail gear, view results and learn more about what's in store for 2017.
Texas Team Trail events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of these well-respected brands: Cabela's, Ranger Boats, Lucas Oil, Evinrude, RAM, Mercury, Minn Kota, Triton Boats, Power-Pole, Amphibia, Arctic Ice, Stratos Boats, Lowrance, Navionics, Protect the Harvest, BoatU.S., General Tire, SuperClean, Garmin, Valley Fashions, T-H Marine, Atlas, G-Juice, Powertex Group.
Gregory And Deakins Wins 2Nd Annual Woodland Derby On Guntersville With 3 Fish For 20.92Lbs!!!!!
2016 Foodland Bass Team Tournament Results
| Place | Team | Fish* | Big Fish | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Gregory / Marshall Deakins | 3/3 | 8.00 (1st) | 20.92 |
| 2 | Justin Aaron / Terry Prior | 3/3 | 7.58 | 20.77 |
| 3 | Ryan Salzman / Phillip Hand | 3/3 | 20 | |
| 4 | Brian Shook / Randy Tolbert | 3/3 | 7.85 | 19.16 |
| 5 | Tracy Robinson / Michael Carter | 3/3 | 18.36 | |
| 6 | Lake Blasingame / Triston Crowd | 3/3 | 18.31 | |
| 7 | Allen Bass / Randy Blankensopp | 3/2 | 6.39 | 17.86 |
| 8 | Rickey Campbell / Trey Swindle | 3/3 | 17.49 | |
| 9 | Jesse Rigsby / Scott Rigsby | 3/3 | 16.96 | |
| 10 | Michael Stevens Jr. / Paul Arnold | 3/3 | 16.8 | |
| 11 | Rick Thompson / Steven Dabbs | 3/3 | 7.1 | 16.56 |
| 12 | Teresa Figg / Lee Bolt | 3/3 | 6.21 | 16.53 |
| 13 | Douglas Webster / Larry Melvin | 3/3 | 7.62 | 16.12 |
| 14 | Stanley Mccoy / Scott Kneeling | 3/3 | 15.62 | |
| 15 | Sam Long / Brent Turner | 3/3 | 15.4 | |
| 16 | Blake Hall / Hadley Coan | 3/2 | 15.24 | |
| 17 | Danny Latty / Johnny Harper | 3/3 | 14.95 | |
| 18 | Scott Jernigan / Andy Jernigan | 3/3 | 14.78 | |
| 19 | William Taylor / Nathaniel Curry | 3/3 | 14.62 | |
| 20 | Ben Waldrop / Dennis Mcgouirk | 3/3 | 6.19 | 14.6 |
| 21 | Wayne Shrader / Jason Atkins | 3/3 | 14.31 | |
| 22 | Bryon Luman / Keith Miller | 3/3 | 14.23 | |
| 23 | Lonnie Cochran / Jason Mcmillan | 3/3 | 14.19 | |
| 24 | Gene Brooks / Jeff Todd | 3/3 | 14.14 | |
| 25 | Jerry Perkins / Greg Mize | 3/3 | 14.12 | |
| 26 | Shane Moss / Westin Moss | 3/3 | 5.81 | 14.1 |
| 27 | Cody Hammontree / Keith Baker | 3/3 | 14.04 | |
| 28 | Scotty Wooden / Heath Thrash | 3/3 | 7.91 (2nd) | 13.96 |
| 29 | Bryon Franklin / Josh Butler | 3/3 | 13.92 | |
| 30 | Steve Green / Rickey Mcbride | 3/3 | 13.77 | |
| 31 | Danny Jenkins / Scott Crutcher | 3/3 | 5.8 | 13.76 |
| 32 | Jim Shavers / Mitch Smith | 3/3 | 13.1 | |
| 33 | Kenneth Chambers / Jason Grape | 3/3 | 12.87 | |
| 34 | Keith Vann / Randy Hobbs | 3/3 | 12.62 | |
| 35 | Donnie West / Brandon West | 3/3 | 4.99 | 12.51 |
| 36 | Robert Lane / Cal Lane | 3/3 | 5.56 | 12.4 |
| 37 | Cody Vaughn / Brian Franks | 3/3 | 4.31 | 12.31 |
| 38 | Gil Summerlin / Willie Staten | 3/3 | 12.22 | |
| 39 | Ronald Slawson / Shaun Slawson | 3/3 | 11.99 | |
| 40 | Randall Burnham / Jennifer Ward | 3/3 | 11.98 | |
| 41 | James Luna / Shawn Newby | 3/3 | 11.95 | |
| 42 | Bobby Joe Gregory / Joe Kersey | 3/3 | 5.52 | 11.86 |
| 43 | Jeff Horton / Allen Horton | 3/3 | 11.85 | |
| 44 | Stanley Morris / Preston Morris | 3/3 | 11.61 | |
| 45 | Brian Morris / Chad Morris | 3/3 | 11.49 | |
| 46 | David Nixon / Delano Green | 3/3 | 11.48 | |
| 47 | Tim Cornelius / Eric Phillips | 3/3 | 11.42 | |
| 48 | Jeremy Holden / Charles Fallin | 3/3 | 11.36 | |
| 49 | Rick Moody / Ed Gettys | 3/3 | 11.32 | |
| 50 | Tom Mclemore / Ray Langston | 3/3 | 11.23 | |
| T51 | Mike Bearden / Jon Paul Brown | 3/3 | 11.19 | |
| T51 | Rick Dixon / Tim Mccoy | 3/3 | 11.19 | |
| 53 | Trey Sorrells / Billy Adamson | 3/3 | 11 | |
| 54 | Josh Johnson / Jason Nelson | 3/3 | 10.98 | |
| 55 | Allen Braham / Austin Archer | 3/3 | 10.9 | |
| 56 | Kevin Stubblefield / Scott Randle | 3/3 | 10.86 | |
| 57 | Allen Venn / Carey Cranford | 3/3 | 10.53 | |
| 58 | Danny Buckner / Virginia Buckne | 3/3 | 10.45 | |
| 59 | Mark Cates / Pat Kelly | 3/3 | 10.33 | |
| 60 | Phil Fontana / Harold Wilson | 3/3 | 10.29 | |
| 61 | Jason Dabbs / Shane Dick | 3/3 | 10.19 | |
| 62 | Gene Branham / James Stoler | 3/3 | 10 | |
| 63 | Brandon Nolin / Marty Colley | 3/3 | 9.98 | |
| 64 | Danny Moss / Sean Lee | 3/3 | 9.87 | |
| 65 | William Spicer / Chris Marler | 3/3 | 9.85 | |
| 66 | William Grisham / Ricky Story | 3/3 | 9.8 | |
| 67 | Terry Lowden / Michael Lowden | 3/3 | 9.64 | |
| 68 | Stephen Estes / Nicole Marquis | 3/3 | 9.58 | |
| T69 | Shawn Fisher / Kim Striker | 3/3 | 9.48 | |
| T69 | William Lampkin / Tyler Lampkin | 3/3 | 5.37 | 9.48 |
| T69 | Hubert Wooten / Grayson Kelly | 3/3 | 9.48 | |
| 72 | Bobby Colquitt / Jeff Hilburn | 3/3 | 9.45 | |
| 73 | Randy Townson / Terry Story | 3/3 | 9.42 | |
| 74 | Rodney Allison / Van Dobbs | 3/3 | 9.26 | |
| 75 | Alan Smart / Andrew Smart | 3/3 | 9.24 | |
| 76 | Jason Cooper / Johnny Patternso | 3/3 | 9.14 | |
| 77 | Wesley Brown / James Klingbeil | 3/3 | 8.9 | |
| 78 | Rayford Bethune / Jordan Bethun | 3/3 | 8.87 | |
| 79 | David White / Hannah Peoples | 2/2 | 6.52 | 8.79 |
| 80 | Alvin Smith / Mike Wilson | 3/3 | 8.62 | |
| 81 | Betty Stahl / Raleigh Stahl | 3/3 | 8.6 | |
| 82 | Chris Cooper / Kenton Spicer | 3/3 | 8.59 | |
| 83 | Randy Waddell / Mickey Hunt | 3/3 | 8.53 | |
| 84 | Greg Coots / James Vanpelt | 3/3 | 8.49 | |
| 85 | Alan Mcroberts / Scott Allison | 3/3 | 8.28 | |
| 86 | Phillip Dukes / Bailey Dukes | 3/3 | 8.16 | |
| T87 | Robin Hulsey / James Scott | 3/3 | 8.07 | |
| T87 | Danny Long / Barry Holbert | 2/2 | 8.07 | |
| 89 | John Davenport / Jeff Gray | 3/3 | 8.04 | |
| 90 | Phillip Naramore / Ricky Raney | 3/3 | 8.02 | |
| 91 | Bronson Jones / Mark Gore | 3/3 | 7.95 | |
| 92 | Deon Smith / Todd Hathcock | 3/3 | 7.92 | |
| 93 | Scott Gibbs / Nelson Walker | 3/3 | 7.88 | |
| 94 | Tommy Bothwell / Lane Odom | 3/3 | 7.85 | |
| 95 | John Nydam / Mike Brown | 3/3 | 7.81 | |
| 96 | Bobby Gregory / Cannon Talton | 3/3 | 7.72 | |
| 97 | Michael Crank / Bob Prichert | 3/3 | 7.55 | |
| 98 | Keith Blocker / Lisa Blocker | 3/3 | 7.22 | |
| 99 | Tony Blackwell / Tony Randles | 3/3 | 7.14 | |
| 100 | Danny Self / David Bailey | 3/3 | 7.11 | |
| 101 | Jacob Gibbs / Richard Robertson | 3/3 | 7.02 | |
| 102 | Roy Brown / Franklin Markley | 3/3 | 6.91 | |
| 103 | Terry Tucker / Jeff Canon | 3/3 | 6.9 | |
| 104 | Bradley Johnson / Matt Irons | 3/3 | 6.89 | |
| 105 | Paul Mccormick / Brian Bearden | 3/3 | 6.15 | |
| 106 | Michelle Norrod / Austin Daniel | 3/3 | 5.89 | |
| T107 | Amy Cuellar / Todd Vance | 3/3 | 2.49 | 5.88 |
| T107 | David Watson / Brad Sullivan | 3/3 | 5.88 | |
| 109 | Alan Barrett / Chris Howell | 3/3 | 5.33 | |
| 110 | Kenny Hughes / James Ashley | 2/2 | 5 |
War Damn Eagle!!!!! Auburn University Wins The 2016 Boatus Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
Auburn University Schools Competition to Win the 2016 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's
Louisiana State University at Shreveport and Bethel University Take Second and Third Respectively
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Day 2 of the 2016 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's brought high winds, scattered schools of bass, and among many other things, a National Championship title for Auburn University. The Auburn University team of Cole Burdeshaw and Mitchell Jennings weighed in a Day 2 total of 22.65lbs for a two day total weight of 44.21lbs - which is almost a six pound lead over the second place team of James Kimbrough and Devine Deramus of Louisiana State University at Shreveport, and a seven pound lead over the third place team of Evan Owrey and John Garrett of Bethel University.
After spending a successful day out on the ledges of Pickwick Lake on Day 1, the Burdeshaw and Jennings kept to the same pattern on Day 2 and found even bigger bass. The two kept a deep diving crankbait in the water from wire to wire throughout this event, with the exception of one key fish.
"We threw a 10XD the whole time and it just wore us out, but it was working so we kept at it," said Burdeshaw. "[Mitchell] actually caught our only fish that wasn't on the 10XD in kind of a fluke mistake."
Jennings added that "I was actually starting to cramp up from cranking that 10XD so fast for so long so I decided to make a few casts with a wacky rig and caught our biggest fish of the day on it."
The Auburn team fished next to one of their main competitors and threats on the water, Louisiana State University at Shreveport, but unlike some may think, each team caught fish and remembered that sportsmanship can lead you a long ways.
"We fished next to LSU for probably a total of two and a half to three hours, and it was all really easy and actually really fun on everyone's part, I think," said Jennings.
"These guys were the nicest guys we have ever fished next to," said Burdeshaw. "We were both courteous to each other and gave each other space and we still all caught good fish so it just goes to show that when people are courteous on the water, good things can happen. It's crazy to think how nice they were to us and both of us were at the top of the leaderboard, so I'm just really happy that it worked out well for all of us."
Auburn University has had a very large bass club for many years now, but Jennings believes that adding a National Championship to the team's resume will only lead to bigger and better things ahead.
"Our club is really big so we have a lot of people to share this victory with. This is the biggest title in college fishing, so it is such an honor to win this Championship and something we'll be proud of forever."
Louisiana State University at Shreveport Seizes Second
Fishing close to Auburn University throughout most of Day 2, Louisiana State University at Shreveport had a similar pattern pegged on the upper end of Pickwick Lake. After taking the thirty five minute ride to their first spot, Kimbrough and Deramus picked up an assortment of baits that led them to bring in a two day total of 38.58lbs.
"We had five schools total that we fished today with a big crankbait, a flutter spoon, a jigging spoon, and a drop shot," said Kimbrough. "One of the keys to catching them off the ledges is something that we talked about with Auburn on the water, and that's if you idled over your schools of fish first to see if they were still there then you wouldn't get them to bite. You just had to pull up on your waypoint and in the first ten casts; you'd know if the fish were there or not."
Kimbrough and Deramus had mutual feelings about fishing side by side with Auburn in the fact that though you may have found a spot in practice, others most likely have found it too, and sharing spots can still lead to success.
"It was awesome to fish next to Auburn today. Those guys are really cool," said Kimbrough. "Usually when people fish ledges together, people complain about who found it first and coming to close to other boats, but today they pulled up next to us and asked if they could make a few casts near us and we said absolutely. They caught three of their keepers and we caught two of ours. We didn't argue, we didn't fight, we just helped each other out and tried to catch fish and it turns out we each had a great day."
Coming from a community of shallow water anglers back in Louisiana, Kimbrough and Deramus are happy to prove that Louisiana boys are much more versatile than some may have thought.
"I'm pretty stoked about the turnout. Everyone in the top five lives on ledge lakes like Pickwick, Eufaula, and Guntersville, and we live on the Red River which is about as far from ledge fishing as it can get, so I'm really happy with our finish."
Bethel University Climbs to Third
Making a move on Day 2 from fifth, Bethel University's Evan Owrey and John Garrett ended the 2016 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's with a total of 37.13lbs for third place. Also fishing on the north end of Pickwick Lake, even further than the top two teams, Bethel fished a pattern consistent with Auburn University and Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
"We actually ended up with one day of practice so we ran a lot of spots that we knew from past experience on this lake," said Owery. "We had a few schools that were there for us, but we had quite a few scatter throughout the tournament, but really, we had two key schools that held up for us during the tournament."
Owery and Garrett ran all the way up down to the Pickwick dam, cutting the team's fishing day down by two hours, but the team believed that what they lacked in time, they would make up for through quality.
"We were throwing a big ten inch plum colored worm and a 3/4oz football jig," said Garrett. "One of the keys we figured out was to turn all our sonar off, don't scan over the fish, and make long casts to stay away from them. These were schools that were just getting out there that really hadn't been hit by anyone else yet, and really the only reason why we ran that far is because once you pass the Tennessee state line, you can usually add a pound and a half to each keeper. That's where the bigger fish seem to live."
Garrett added that the third place finish along with his teammates' twelfth place finish will provide the team with much needed Cabela's School of the Year points.
"We're happy with how it turned out, we always go for first, but we can't complain with a third place in the national championship. It means a lot for us in the Cabela's School of the Year race too, so it will definitely move us up the ranks and we really want to make a push for the title."
To see the complete results from the 2016 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela's, click here: Complete Results
Big Month Coming Up For Bass Champs Teams And All Fisherman!
With the Weather Getting Hotter, so is the fishing and June is ripe for the picking as Bass Champs is hosting three major events this coming up month. See below for deatails and make sure you are signed up and registered!!
June is a HUGE month for Bass Champs
OVER $350,000 to be awarded in the next 30 days
Click here to enter online
June 4th - Lake Tawakoni - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
(Lake is not off-limits Monday May 30th)
June 9th-12th- Skeeter Owners Tournament on Lake Fork
Over $200,000 in Cash & Prizes - Including a Skeeter FX 20 - Yamaha SHO 250 & Viking Side X Side
New $250 Berkley Bonus every hour
June 26th- TX Shootout on Rayburn
$50,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place - $10,000 Bonus for Qualified Skeeter
Bfl All- American Makes Its Way To Lake Barkley In June
LAKE BARKLEY SET TO HOST NATION’S TOP WEEKEND ANGLERS FOR ANNUAL BFL ALL-AMERICAN
$120,000 top prize, coveted spot in 2016 Forrest Wood Cup on the line
CADIZ, Ky. (May 26, 2016) – Now in its 33rd year, the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American will visit Lake Barkley in Cadiz, Kentucky, June 9-11, and will host the nation’s top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit. Anglers will cast for cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for bass fishing’s top prize – the Forrest Wood Cup – Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
“My life goal was always to be a professional angler, and when they announced me as the All-American Champion, I knew I could do it,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Troy Morrow of Eastanollee, Georgia, who was the 2010 All-American champion. “The prize money allowed me to head straight to the FLW Tour. Winning the All-American was a life-changing moment and was the foundation of my career.
“This year, they’re really going to catch them on Barkley,” Morrow said. “There’s going to be a strong shallow bite on both the north and south end of the lake. Individual targets like shallow brush piles, isolated stumps, logs and gravel bars are going to be the name of the game. The bream, which will be bedding, may also have a strong impact on the catch.”
Morrow said that topwater baits will likely dominate the shallow bite, while a wider variety of lures will be used offshore.
“Competitors who go after the offshore bite will be on the north end of the lake where it’s deeper,” said Morrow. “They’ll be reaching for swimbaits, big crankbaits, worms, jigs – even a big spoon. Any of those baits could do some damage. It will just depend on how much the fish have seen leading up to the event.”
The Georgia pro estimated that it will take roughly 20 pounds of bass a day to win the tournament.
“A three-day total right around 61 pounds is a good bet,” said Morrow. “There are a lot of options out there to catch quality limits and the competitors will be able to fish to their strengths.”
Anglers will take off from the Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina located at 4200 State Park Road in Cadiz at 7 a.m. CDT each morning. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. on the first two days of competition. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held in conjunction with the FLW Tour weigh-in at Kentucky Dam Village State Park, located at 7792 U.S. Highway 641 N. in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The 2016 BFL All-American on Lake Barkley is hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism.
Coverage of the 2016 BFL All-American will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) October 5 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EDT. 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, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
Highlights From The 2016 Wolfson Childrens' Hospital Bass Tournament!
See the big moments and the parade of big St Johns River bass from the 2016 Wolfson Childrens' Hospital Tournament! Plus, hospital CEO Mike Aubin checks-in with . . . a couple of fish. He also tells us, specifically, how Wolfson will save young lives for years to come thanks to the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised at this year's tourney.
Texas Team Trail Announces 2017 Schedule!
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (May 23, 2016) - The Texas Team Trail (TXTT) presented by Cabela's recently unveiled the 2017 schedule, which includes stops at some of the most popular tournament bass lakes in the country.
The regular season will kick off January 28, 2017 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Last year's Sam Rayburn event set an all-time record for registered teams at a TXTT event. The following month, the TXTT will return to Toledo Bend, which produced a 35-pound winning bag at the 2016 TXTT event on the lake.
After a three-year hiatus, TXTT will return to central Texas' Belton Lake in March. The regular season will wrap up at Lake Texoma in April. The lake is a favorite among Texas and Oklahoma anglers alike.
The two-day, entry-fee championship is scheduled for June 3-4 at Lake Livingston and will once again feature higher payout and contingency prize opportunities. The TXTT Lucas Oil Team of the Year will be decided at the championship event as well. The team that has accrued the highest amount of points from the regular-season and championship events will win custom Lucas Oil rings and paid entry fees for the 2018 TXTT season.
2017 TXTT scheduled events:
January 28 - Sam Rayburn Reservoir
February 18 - Toledo Bend
March 18 - Belton Lake
April 22 - Lake Texoma
Championship
June 3-4 - Livingston Lake
Texas Team Trail events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of these well-respected brands: Cabela's, Ranger Boats, Lucas Oil, Evinrude, RAM, Mercury, Minn Kota, Triton Boats, Power-Pole, Amphibia, Arctic Ice, Stratos Boats, Lowrance, Navionics, Protect the Harvest, BoatU.S., General Tire, SuperClean, Garmin, Valley Fashions, T-H Marine, Atlas, G-Juice, Powertex Group.
Elite Series Pro Greg Hackney Talks About Practice For Events And Being Efficient On The Water.
Elite Series Pro and current BASS AOY Leader Greg Hackney spent a morning recently with Anglerschannel and touched a little on the way his mind works regarding practice and being efficient on the water. Take a look and see if this can help your chances in your next tournament.
