David Deal Wins The Big Bass Tour On Lake Norman This Weekend With A 6.06 Fish That Won Him A 35K Boat-Motor-Trailer Pkg!
David Deal held on in a tight finish to win the BBT Lake Norman event with 6.06 Lbs.....windy conditions kept everyone at bay with lots of 3's and 4's and 5's but not many 6's. Congrats to David and onto Chickamauga for the next event!
David Deal and his 30k winning fish!
2016 Lake Norman, NC
Leaders
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAVID DEAL | 6.06 |
| 2 | ROBERT STILTNER | 6.06 |
| 3 | GARY BAILEY | 5.81 |
| 4 | ALAN SANFORD | 5.80 |
| 5 | CHRIS WAGNER | 5.37 |
| 6 | ROGER ADAMS | 5.33 |
| 7 | ROGER POPE | 5.29 |
| 8 | RON WILLIS | 5.27 |
| 9 | SAMUEL GLADDEN | 5.01 |
| 10 | BRENT WHITE | 4.87 |
Saturday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GARY BAILEY | 5.81 |
| 2 | ZAC BLALOCK | 4.49 |
| 3 | KENNY BEARD | 3.48 |
| 4 | REGGIE BARTELL | 3.47 |
| 5 | MARK PARKER | 3.38 |
| 6 | KEN WOOD | 3.30 |
| 7 | CLAY MCPHERSON | 3.17 |
| 8 | MICHAEL SMITH | 3.16 |
| 9 | JAMES SWAIM | 3.12 |
| 10 | RON WILLIS | 3.04 |
Saturday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALAN SANFORD | 5.80 |
| 2 | KEVIN HOLLIDAY | 4.67 |
| 3 | BRIAN ANDERSON | 4.20 |
| 4 | BRIAN C ANDERSON | 3.58 |
| 5 | RICHARD DARNELL | 3.20 |
| 6 | JAMES CARUSO | 3.16 |
| 6 | MARK KONZER | 3.16 |
| 8 | PERRY WYCUFF | 2.93 |
| 9 | SAMUEL GLADDEN | 2.90 |
| 10 | JACOB HOYLE | 2.83 |
Saturday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROGER POPE | 5.29 |
| 2 | JOHN JACKSON | 3.80 |
| 3 | BRIAN C ANDERSON | 3.58 |
| 4 | ROBERT KERR | 3.53 |
| 5 | DAVID COOKE | 3.37 |
| 6 | JIM JORDAN | 3.31 |
| 7 | TONY PIERSON | 3.20 |
| 8 | DANNY SPURRIER | 3.19 |
| 9 | JOSHUA QUEEN | 3.16 |
| 10 | TROY ARMSTRONG | 3.13 |
Saturday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAMUEL GLADDEN | 5.01 |
| 2 | BRON HEMPHILL | 4.72 |
| 3 | MATT STOUT | 4.59 |
| 4 | TIM CHAPMAN | 3.92 |
| 5 | WESLEY TROTTER | 3.63 |
| 6 | TREVOR GANN | 3.24 |
| 7 | JOHN L MCKENZIE | 3.20 |
| 8 | WALT GULLEDGE | 3.15 |
| 8 | JEFF GREEN | 3.15 |
| 10 | BRIAN MORGAN | 3.14 |
Saturday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROBERT MARTIN | 4.85 |
| 2 | JOHN PARKER | 3.91 |
| 3 | ROBBIE MILLS | 3.86 |
| 4 | DARRYL BROWN | 3.55 |
| 5 | ROY WINKLER | 3.53 |
| 6 | TOM ELLIOTT | 3.52 |
| 7 | BUCKY HELMS | 3.44 |
| 7 | BRANDON CHILDRESS | 3.44 |
| 9 | MATT STOUT | 3.16 |
| 10 | DENNIS PETHEL | 3.11 |
Saturday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MICHAEL ECKARD | 3.73 |
| 2 | BUTCH ZADLO | 3.71 |
| 3 | JOHN PARKER | 3.46 |
| 4 | JOHN MARTIN | 3.33 |
| 5 | CLINT MCCORKLE | 3.31 |
| 6 | BRAYDEN RAKES | 3.27 |
| 7 | JEREMY JOYNER | 3.26 |
| 8 | DON SPRINKLE | 3.04 |
| 9 | JEFF JENNINGS | 3.03 |
| 10 | JEFF JOHNSON | 2.99 |
Saturday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JACK CALDWELL | 4.31 |
| 2 | MELINDA HAMILTON | 3.77 |
| 3 | ANDY HENSLEY | 3.73 |
| 4 | DENNY HAMES | 3.63 |
| 5 | DAVE STEVENS | 3.37 |
| 6 | JOHN ALLEN | 3.27 |
| 7 | KELLY LOGAN | 3.19 |
| 8 | MIKE WHITE | 3.08 |
| 9 | ANDREW LONG | 3.01 |
| 10 | ALAN SANFORD | 2.99 |
Sunday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAVID DEAL | 6.06 |
| 2 | STEVEN RUMMAGE JR | 4.70 |
| 3 | KONNER WEST | 4.64 |
| 4 | RICHARD WINGATE | 4.13 |
| 5 | MARSHALL PARKER | 3.70 |
| 6 | KELLY LOGAN | 3.59 |
| 7 | BRANDON BRANCH | 3.52 |
| 8 | DANNY BULLMAN | 3.33 |
| 9 | MARVIN SLATER | 3.20 |
| 10 | RUSSELL HOYLE | 3.18 |
Sunday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROBERT STILTNER | 6.06 |
| 2 | DON SPRINKLE | 3.74 |
| 3 | MARK HUFFAKER | 3.66 |
| 4 | MICAHEL SMITH | 3.44 |
| 5 | ALAN SANFORD | 3.33 |
| 6 | JAMES CARUSO | 3.24 |
| 7 | CHAD MIDKIFF | 3.16 |
| 8 | WALT GULLEDGE | 3.00 |
| 9 | STEVE RUMMAGE SR | 2.91 |
| 10 | JOHN GARRISON | 2.88 |
Sunday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRIS WAGNER | 5.37 |
| 2 | RON WILLIS | 5.27 |
| 3 | JAKE FRYE | 3.69 |
| 4 | LOUIE HULL | 3.41 |
| 5 | ORLANDO GILES | 3.37 |
| 6 | RALPH HOLLIFIELD JR | 3.30 |
| 6 | CHRIS CURTIS | 3.30 |
| 8 | RICKY WRIGHT | 3.29 |
| 9 | EARL PROCTOR | 3.10 |
| 10 | DAVID FORTENBERRY | 2.94 |
Sunday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROGER ADAMS | 5.33 |
| 2 | BARRY BOST | 4.71 |
| 3 | MILTON YANCEY | 4.13 |
| 4 | COLE BLYTHE | 4.03 |
| 5 | BOBBY OSBORNE | 4.00 |
| 6 | JOHN JACKSON | 3.58 |
| 7 | KENNETH KANIPE | 3.19 |
| 8 | CURTIS BROWN | 3.10 |
| 9 | STEVE RUMMAGE SR | 3.07 |
| 10 | DANIEL CALHOUN | 2.91 |
Sunday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRENT WHITE | 4.87 |
| 2 | MARSHALL PARKER | 4.21 |
| 3 | KELLY OWENS-SPEAR | 4.04 |
| 4 | MARK LEECH | 3.94 |
| 5 | JOHN JACKSON | 3.46 |
| 6 | DYLAN HARTMAN | 3.30 |
| 7 | JAMES LOCKLEAR | 3.14 |
| 8 | TREVOR WOOD | 3.00 |
| 9 | MATT BENGE | 2.93 |
| 10 | TIM CHAPMAN | 2.89 |
Sunday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KEVIN TOLER | 3.84 |
| 2 | ROGER POPE | 3.70 |
| 3 | BRANDON BRANCH | 3.55 |
| 4 | TYLER BEAM | 3.51 |
| 5 | SAM WEISENSEL | 3.46 |
| 6 | GRADY CHEEK | 3.40 |
| 7 | LEN SWAIM | 3.39 |
| 8 | ROBBIE MILLS | 3.32 |
| 9 | LARRY SILVERS | 3.27 |
| 10 | MARK BROWN | 3.26 |
Sunday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TANNER INGLE | 3.85 |
| 2 | MARK BOND | 3.63 |
| 3 | GRADY CHEEK | 3.45 |
| 4 | MARK CARPENTER | 3.44 |
| 5 | SAM NOEL | 3.35 |
| 6 | ROB MIDDLETON | 3.28 |
| 7 | MARK WINGATE | 3.23 |
| 8 | JAKE FRYE | 3.19 |
| 9 | PAUL KISER | 3.17 |
| 10 | JASON WILSON | 3.07 |
Johnny Mayer And Chris Epting Win The Cbc On Murray With 23 Lbs And Take Home 8K!!
Samuel Freeman & Scott Farmer took 2nd with a limit weighing 20.54 lbs and received $2,500.00. They also collected the 1st SKEETER Bonus worth another $4,000.00. They took home a total of $6,500.00.
Kevin Fulmer & Tim Sox weighed up a limit at 16.99 lbs good enough for 5th and 2nd SKEETER Bonus worth a total of $3,750.00.
Brad Smith & Joey Spradley finished 7th with 16.07 lbs and took home the 3rd SKEETER Bonus. They earned $2,450.00!
Derrick & Dustin Compton took 9th with 5 bass weighing 15.53 lbs and collected the 4th SKEETER Bonus good for $1,325.00. Derrick & Dustin also won the SC Points and will receive another $1,000.00 at the CBC Classic on Lake Norman in October.
Happy Anglers Mayor and Epting with their 8k winning stringer!
| Place | Team Name | Team# | # Fish | Net Weight | BF | Points | Winnings | Skeeter Bonus | Total Winnings |
| 1 | Chris Epting - Johnny Mayer | 4 | 5 | 23.00 | 5.74 | 620 | $8,000.00 | $8,000.00 | |
| 2 | Samuel Freeman - Scott Farmer | 10 | 5 | 20.54 | 4.35 | 618 | $2,500.00 | $4,000.00 | $6,500.00 |
| 3 | Thomas Vickers - Brian Huskins | 50 | 5 | 20.45 | 6.93 | 616 | $1,500.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 4 | Sean Anderson - George Berry | 32 | 5 | 17.99 | 0 | 614 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 5 | Kevin Fulmer - Tim Sox | 19 | 5 | 16.99 | 0 | 612 | $750.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,750.00 |
| 6 | Greg Davis - Dennis Parks | 14 | 5 | 16.30 | 6.39 | 610 | $625.00 | $625.00 | |
| 7 | Brad Smith - Joey Spradley | 8 | 5 | 16.07 | 0 | 608 | $450.00 | $2,000.00 | $2,450.00 |
| 8 | Wendell Causey - Josh Gardner | 18 | 5 | 15.86 | 0 | 606 | $400.00 | $400.00 | |
| 9 | Derrick Compton - Dustin Compton | 74 | 5 | 15.53 | 0 | 604 | $325.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,325.00 |
| 10 | Daniel Cook - Carl Smith | 6 | 5 | 14.27 | 0 | 602 | $300.00 | $300.00 | |
| 11 | Kenny Drew - Robert. ( Mitch) Drew | 75 | 5 | 13.97 | 0 | 600 | $275.00 | $275.00 | |
| 12 | Brian McDonald - billy bledsoe | 56 | 5 | 13.81 | 5.59 | 598 | $250.00 | $250.00 | |
| 13 | Clay Riddle - Dave Franklin | 42 | 5 | 13.74 | 0 | 596 | $225.00 | $225.00 | |
| 14 | Kevin Rake - Terry Morris | 60 | 5 | 13.19 | 0 | 594 | $200.00 | $200.00 | |
| 15 | Mack Cook - Patrick Cook | 72 | 5 | 13.08 | 0 | 592 | |||
| 16 | Johnathan Crossland - David Crossland | 59 | 5 | 12.75 | 0 | 590 | |||
| 17 | Tommy Floyd - Randy Welch | 43 | 5 | 12.65 | 5.06 | 588 | |||
| 18 | Evan Weaver | 46 | 5 | 12.56 | 0 | 586 | |||
| 19 | Audie Brantley - Hunter Ciccio | 70 | 5 | 12.43 | 0 | 584 | |||
| 20 | Wayne Marlow - Scott Peavy | 7 | 5 | 12.34 | 0 | 582 | |||
| 21 | Daryl Watson - Ken McFarland | 48 | 5 | 12.31 | 0 | 580 | |||
| 22 | Sandy Oliver - William Gainey | 53 | 5 | 12.16 | 0 | 578 | |||
| 23 | Matthew Arms - Zach Blair | 35 | 4 | 12.00 | 4.76 | 576 | |||
| 24 | Dennis Reedy - Jeffrey Thomas | 61 | 5 | 11.88 | 0 | 574 | |||
| 25 | Joel Watts - Les Westberry | 55 | 5 | 11.67 | 5.23 | 572 | |||
| 26 | Michael McCaslin - Wade Amick | 83 | 5 | 11.62 | 0 | 570 | |||
| 27 | White Knoll HS - Hite/Jadin | 89 | 5 | 11.59 | 2.75 | ||||
| 28 | John Sturkie - Blake Strickland | 84 | 5 | 11.55 | 0 | 568 | |||
| 29 | Terry Thomas - David Kneece | 81 | 4 | 11.34 | 0 | 566 | |||
| 30 | Chad Sinclair - Caleb Conner | 25 | 5 | 11.33 | 0 | 564 | |||
| 31 | Stan Gunter - Bradley Gunter | 1 | 5 | 11.06 | 0 | 562 | |||
| 32 | Chad Gainey - Mack Kitchens | 5 | 5 | 10.70 | 0 | 560 | |||
| 33 | Toby Keisler - TJ Keisler | 23 | 5 | 10.23 | 2.59 | 558 | |||
| 34 | Ross Burns - Jeremiah Jensen | 15 | 5 | 10.08 | 0 | 556 | |||
| 35 | Larry Moss - Michelle McLain | 9 | 5 | 9.97 | 0 | 554 | |||
| 36 | Alan Richardson - Timmy Squires | 62 | 5 | 9.82 | 0 | 552 | |||
| 37 | Southside HS- Brault/Locklair | 90 | 5 | 9.74 | 2.16 | ||||
| 38 | Kenny Hawk - William Bostic | 77 | 5 | 9.52 | 0 | 550 | |||
| 39 | Matthew Goheen - Hunter Spivey | 45 | 4 | 9.51 | 0 | 548 | |||
| 40 | Will Smith - Bill Holmes | 73 | 4 | 9.35 | 0 | 546 | |||
| 41 | Troy Lytle | 30 | 5 | 9.34 | 0 | 544 | |||
| 42 | Josh Wilson - Sam Lambert | 41 | 4 | 9.19 | 0 | 542 | |||
| 43 | Sammie Grier - David Strickland | 17 | 4 | 8.09 | 0 | 540 | |||
| 44 | Tommy Williams - Thomas Hardwick | 26 | 5 | 8.04 | 0 | 538 | |||
| 45 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 66 | 2 | 7.49 | 0 | 536 | |||
| 46 | Ron Brown - Bobby Brown | 52 | 4 | 7.07 | 0 | 534 | |||
| 47 | South Florence HS - Drummond/Lynch | 91 | 3 | 7.05 | 3.21 | ||||
| 48 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 39 | 4 | 6.4 | 0 | 532 | |||
| 49 | Chad Cook - tony cook | 71 | 2 | 5.87 | 0 | 530 | |||
| 50 | Union HS - Vaughn/Franklin | 92 | 3 | 5.83 | 0 | ||||
| 51 | Union HS - Davis/Lawson | 86 | 2 | 5.73 | 2.96 | ||||
| 52 | Jamie Ethridge - kevin driggers | 63 | 3 | 5.33 | 0 | 528 | |||
| 53 | Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird | 13 | 2 | 4.01 | 0 | 526 | |||
| 54 | Gregg Kessler - Gregg Kessler II | 40 | 2 | 3.08 | 0 | 524 | |||
| 55 | South Florence HS - Floyd/Gibbons | 88 | 1 | 2.00 | 0 | ||||
| 56 | Harold Turner - Justin Cromer | 12 | 1 | 1.51 | 1.51 | 522 | |||
| 57 | Winkey Watford - scotty mixon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Thomas King - Clayton King | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Matt Mollohan - Jerry Mills | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | britt long - Daniel Howell | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | MICHAEL HALL - MIKE HALL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Bill Clowney - Matthew Hook | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Travis Parrish - Justin Hallman | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | John Haas | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Roger Farr - Clyde Livingston | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Wendell Ireland - Jeff Glover | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Ricky Bellamy - Karen Bellamy | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Nathan Burgess - Brent Riley | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | terry goheen | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Brad Petway - Jeff Douglas | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Ronnie McCoy - Jason McCoy | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Jason Burroughs - Keith Ashley | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Kiel Kelly - Chuck Whittaker | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Johnny Houser - Ben Lee | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Scott Martin - Cole Winn | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Robert Ross - Lee Morris | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Wayne King - Jason Morse | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Greg Hendrick - Ted Urquhart | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Scott Kessler - Josh Alford | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Jeff Bush - Dan Parris | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Ed Matthews | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | grady allen - Calvin Hewitt | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Alan Roberts - Davey Thomas | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Glenn Altman - Larry Parker | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Mike Edge - Casey Warren | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Carlton Thompkins - Joel Barfield | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Rusty Bullard - Eric Martin | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 | |||
| 57 | Tony Postell - Frank Sabo | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 520 |
Campbell & Robinson Claim Texas Team Trail Championship With Over 42 Pounds!!!
"It feels good to make the right adjustments, especially being in the same situation," Cecil added. "Last year we just got beat by two big bags. It was nice to not leave it in anyone else's hands t
Van Dam Closes Strong To Win 21St Bassmaster Title In Elite Series Tourney On Toledo Bend
"This was the most challenging tournament I’ve ever won,” said VanDam.
It's been a few years since he's hoisted a Bassmaster trophy, but maybe now we can put to rest some of the crazy questions about whether the insanely talented and hard-working angler has still got it. After all, this is his 21st career Bassmaster win. Name a guy who has equalled that number. Go ahead. I'll wait.
Lane was crazy good on Toledo Bend too. Van Dam just 'blew the curve' for everybody.
Lane tallied 88-07 and was over 5 pounds ahead of Ish Monroe who placed 3rd. Only in today's final round did Lane fail to sack 20 pounds - and he only missed that mark by ounces. He did it all the fun way too, with topwater lures.
The wildest part is the guys all say the lake was off this week.
I need to take a trip to Toledo Bend.
Here's the official story from B.A.S.S.:
MANY, La. — Superstar professional angler Kevin VanDam often deals with a different set of circumstances than the average angler on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
With such a sparkling resume, many fans’ expectations for VanDam are much higher. With such a recognizable name and face, the number of people who want to catch a glimpse of him doing his thing on the water is sometimes off the charts.
Because of all that, many people have wondered aloud these past five years if VanDam would ever win another major tournament. But he was never one of them — and now, he’s silenced all of his doubters.
VanDam slammed the door on a wire-to-wire victory at the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend with 21 pounds, 6 ounces of bass on Championship Sunday. The big bag gave him a four-day total of 96-2 and his record 21st victory in a B.A.S.S. event.
“This was the most challenging tournament I’ve ever won,” said VanDam, who raised his career earnings with B.A.S.S. to just over $5.9 million with Sunday’s $100,000 payday. “The first two days were pretty good, but the last two days were really, really tough.
“It’s normally not hard fishing here. But with the pressure out there this week, trying to be there at the right time when the conditions were right, it was tough.”
VanDam caught 29-5 Thursday and 20-11 Friday to lead the field into Saturday’s semifinal round with 50-0. But with the weekend, the lake became more crowded — and at times, VanDam had as many 50 boats following him from spot to spot.
He got only five bites Saturday. But they were the right five, and his bag of 24-12 gave him a lead of more than 5 pounds going into Sunday. During the final round, he slowly put together another big limit of 21-6 and put himself beyond the reach of Alabama angler Chris Lane, who finished second with 88-7.
KVD’s go-to baits for the week were big, deep-diving crankbaits from Strike King — the 6XD, 8XD and 10XD.
“If you want to be successful out here, you have to be really confident in your lures and techniques,” VanDam said. “I didn’t stop and fish a worm or a Carolina rig or a jig. I knew to catch big fish I just needed to grind it out.
“They love the 10XD on this lake.”
VanDam said the big bass on Toledo Bend prefer the larger profile of the 10XD, and he tried to present the bait in colors that matched the lake’s forage base.
He used the sexy blueback herring color pattern quite a bit, but it was the bar fish pattern that often worked best. He said that pattern matched the lake’s forage base perfectly, because many big largemouth at Toledo Bend feed heavily on bar fish, which are also known as yellow bass.
Many anglers shy away from using a crankbait as large as the 10XD because it requires special equipment and can be quite a workout in hot, muggy conditions. But VanDam had all of the right tools for the job.
“I designed a rod with the guys at Quantum,” VanDam said. “It’s a 7-11 composite rod — a Tour KVD cranking rod, heavy action. I had it matched with an Exo 200 reel, which has a really wide spool and a 5.3:1 gear ratio. I was throwing it with 17-pound Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon.
“Having that big reel with that line, I made some 80-yard casts this week.”
The setup allowed VanDam to target bass that were often holding on or near the bottom in more than 20 feet of water. The size of the lure provided a unique presentation in crowded waters.
“I didn’t see any locals out there fishing the 10XD at all,” he said. “They were all dragging worms or something like that. These fish eat bigger food, and you’ve got to throw something that matches that.”
Lane caught his fish all week long, using two topwater baits — a Zara Spook and a Whopper Plopper — around flooded grass and cypress trees. Lane finished just ahead of Ish Monroe (83-4), Keith Combs (82-11) and Paul Mueller (81-12).
“I went out knowing I probably needed to catch 30 pounds today, and I just didn’t get those kinds of bites,” Lane said. “But it was a great week for me. I had a blast on Toledo Bend.”
The win was VanDam’s first since the 2011 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta. Prior to this week, he had never finished higher than 19th in a B.A.S.S. event on Toledo Bend.
When he missed the Classic in 2015, some believed his career might have peaked. But he said he knew all along he just needed to keep casting.
“I didn’t need any kind of career rejuvenation personally, but I think a lot of people have been wondering ‘What’s wrong with KVD?’ for a while,” VanDam said. “In my mind, there was nothing wrong. It just cycles. If you’re going to have bad luck, it’s also going to cycle back around to where you have good luck.
“That’s what happened to me this week. I made good decisions, and everything worked out.”
Greg Hackney was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.
Lane 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.
VanDam earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for leading on the second day.
Keith Combs won the Toyota Bonus Bucks of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Hank Cherry, received $2,000.
The Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award of $1,500 was presented to Stephen Browning for weighing in the overall biggest bass of the event — a 9-5 bass caught on Friday.
Lane 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.
2016 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend 5/12-5/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 96-02 110 $100,500.00
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 24-12 Day 4: 5 21-06
2. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 20 88-07 109 $27,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 23-15 Day 3: 5 21-03 Day 4: 5 19-07
3. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 20 83-04 108 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 24-10 Day 3: 5 22-04 Day 4: 5 17-07
4. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 20 82-11 107 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 20-07 Day 4: 5 24-13
5. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 20 81-12 106 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 22-12 Day 3: 5 19-01 Day 4: 5 22-02
6. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 20 81-02 105 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 18-12 Day 4: 5 18-00
7. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 20 79-14 104 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 17-04 Day 4: 5 25-07
8. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 20 78-11 103 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 23-04 Day 3: 5 16-09 Day 4: 5 21-03
9. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 20 75-09 102 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 18-02 Day 4: 5 17-15
10. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 20 71-01 101 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 17-12 Day 4: 5 14-05
11. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 20 67-14 100 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 14-01 Day 4: 5 10-13
12. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 20 65-13 99 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 16-13 Day 4: 5 10-00
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 09-05 $1,500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 517 1556-06
2 96 511 1513-01
3 45 238 731-13
4 12 60 222-14
----------------------------------
252 1326 4024-02
Van Dam Maintains Blistering Pace; Leads Pros Into Final Day Of Elite Series Tourney On Toled Bend
Kevin Van Dam nearly matched his 25-pounds-per-day average that he established over the first 2 days of the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir. With 24 pounds, 12 ounces today he has a 3-day total weight of 74-12.
There are some great anglers behind him and they will have to perform great tomorrow if they hope to catch the man often referred to as 'The Greatest Angler of All Time'.
Again today Van Dam rode a giant bass into the lead. He had big bass honors the first day with an 8-plus-pounder. Yesterday he had a 7-7 that wasn't close to be being the biggest of the day, but it boosted his weight significantly. He caught the biggest bass today at 8-11.
How is Van Dam catching the big ones? The Strike King 10XD crankbait is involved.
So dominating is Van Dam's performance that he has a 20-pound, 5-ounce cushion over Brett Hite who is in 12th place - the last man in the cut to fish on Sunday.
Chris Lane is charging hard but he needs to make up 5 pounds, 12 ounces on the leader while holding off 10 other talented anglers.
He's doing most of his damage with a topwater plug (see pictures below).
In his excellent photo blog on Bassmaster.com Ronnie Moore shows us how Chris Lane is hanging on for a white knuckle ride as he chases Kevin Van Dam on Toledo Bend . . .
and how he's doing in the process.
Ish Monroe is little more than 3 pounds behind Lane. They don't call Ish 'The Big Bass Specialist' for nothing. He'll swing hard tomorrow and hope the leaders stumble.
Here's the press release from B.A.S.S.:
MANY, La. — Kevin VanDam continued his charge toward a possible wire-to-wire victory in the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend with a Saturday catch of 24 pounds, 12 ounces that pushed his four-day total to 74-12.
But he said to make no mistake: The fishing has definitely gotten tougher.
“It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the water — absolutely brutal,” said VanDam, who is vying for his record 21st career B.A.S.S. victory. “I only caught five fish all day, and the last one came very late.”
As other anglers in the Top 5 started fast, VanDam only had one fish that weighed just under 5 pounds by 10:30 a.m. But then he worked the same deep-diving crankbait magic he worked the first two days, landing a giant largemouth that tipped the scales at 8-11.
It was 2 p.m. before he landed his third and fourth keepers — one that weighed 2-plus pounds and one that weighed just over 3. Then just when he seemed destined to come in one shy of a five-bass limit, he caught a 5-pounder on his final stop with only minutes remaining.
The superstar pro from Kalamazoo, Mich., said he wasn’t really sure what made the fishing so much slower than it was on Thursday and Friday.
“I don’t know if it was pressure or if it was because there was no current and no wind,” he said. “There were a lot of people fishing, and I saw a lot of them out there who watched me yesterday.”
The fans have been out in force for this week’s tournament, which is taking place on a fishery that was ranked No. 1 on the most recent list of America’s Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster magazine. While he appreciates the fanfare, VanDam said it can make things tougher sometimes.
“It’s pretty hard to duplicate water when I have as many people around me as I do,” he said. “Somebody told me I had 40 boats following me at one time. So it’s pretty noisy out there.”
“I know I’m fishing the way I need to fish to catch a really big sack. So we’ll see what the weather does and just see what happens.”
VanDam almost doubled his lead over second-place angler Chris Lane, but Lane seems to be on a solid big-fish pattern as well.
The veteran Alabama pro, who has won seven career B.A.S.S. events, caught a good limit early Saturday and slowly upgraded throughout the day to bring in 21-3. He used a couple of different topwater baits from start to finish.
“I had a pretty bag early, but I knew I still had three fish that I needed to cull out,” Lane said. “I ran some new water today, fishing some stuff that I was just checking. There was some stuff I wanted to fish on one side of the lake before I ran to the other side.”
Lane caught his early limit on a walking bait and then switched to a buzzing lure later in the day. He said he stuck with the second bait because it usually gets better as the day goes along.
“The bite for that bait really doesn’t start until around 10:30,” Lane said. “To me, when you’re topwater fishing, the biggest ones you’ll catch will usually be around 1 o’clock when the sun gets as high as it will get.
“I’m fishing topwater all day long.”
With a gap of 5-12 to make up, Lane said he’ll need to catch 6-pounders Sunday instead of the 4-pounders that have been so common for him this week.
“The mountain just got a little higher because of what Kevin caught today,” he said. “I’m just going to put the hammer down and try to bust a giant bag and make him earn it.”
California pro Ish Monroe (65-13) moved into third place, while North Carolina pro Hank Cherry, Jr. (63-2) dropped one place into fourth.
The other anglers who made the Top 12 cut to fish on Championship Sunday were as follows: Paul Mueller (59-10), Keith Combs (57-14), Tommy Biffle (57-10), Andy Montgomery (57-8), Stephen Browning (57-1), Edwin Evers (56-12), Morizo Shimizu (55-13) and Brett Hite (54-7).
The tournament will conclude Sunday, with take-off scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT from Cypress Bend Park. The weigh-in will begin back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with the winning angler earning $100,000.
2016 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend 5/12-5/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 74-12 110 $500.00
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 24-12
2. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 69-00 109
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 23-15 Day 3: 5 21-03
3. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 15 65-13 108
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 24-10 Day 3: 5 22-04
4. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 15 63-02 107
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 18-12
5. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 59-10 106
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 22-12 Day 3: 5 19-01
6. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 57-14 105
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 20-07
7. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 15 57-10 104
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 18-02
8. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 15 57-08 103
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 23-04 Day 3: 5 16-09
9. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 15 57-01 102
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 14-01
10. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 56-12 101
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 17-12
11. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 15 55-13 100
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 16-13
12. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 54-07 99
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 17-04
13. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 15 53-10 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 15-12
14. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 52-11 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 18-02
15. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 15 51-12 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 23-00 Day 3: 5 14-14
16. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 51-06 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 11-02
17. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 15 51-03 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 17-07
18. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 15 50-09 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 13-13
19. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 15 50-05 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 14-09
20. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 50-03 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 18-02
21. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 50-00 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 13-08
22. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 15 49-13 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 12-06
23. John Murray Spring City, TN 15 49-04 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 15-10
24. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 49-03 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 12-12
25. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 49-02 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 15-03
26. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 48-12 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 16-10
27. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 46-14 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 15-12
28. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 46-11 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 15-11
29. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 46-11 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 13-11
30. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 46-09 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 5 17-06
31. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 46-01 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 15-10
32. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 15 45-15 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 5 11-00
33. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 45-13 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 17-03
34. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 45-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 16-05
35. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 45-09 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 13-15
36. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 45-01 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 11-10
37. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 15 44-15 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 13-07
38. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 15 44-10 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 12-03
39. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 14 44-06 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 15-13
40. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 43-12 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 11-05
41. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 15 43-07 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 12-14
42. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 15 43-03 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 11-00
43. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 42-12 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 10-11
44. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 15 42-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 13-08
45. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 14 42-01 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 4 10-02
46. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 15 42-00 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 12-00
47. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 13 39-13 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 3 10-07
48. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 14 38-11 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 4 09-02
49. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 12 33-11 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 2 04-04
50. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 6 29-07 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 1 04-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 517 1556-06
2 96 511 1513-01
3 45 238 731-13
----------------------------------
240 1266 3801-04
Van Dam Slams 50 Pounds Of Toledo Bend Bass In 2 Days To Lead Bassmaster Elite Series Tourney
The Bassmaster Elite Series event on Toledo Bend Reservoir is halfway done and Kevin Van Dam is halfway to the Century Mark. With more than 20 pounds again today he ran his total weight to an even 50 pounds.
He's making it look easy. It's not.
KVD caught a 7-pound, 7-ounce specimen on a Strike King 10XD crankbait. He took a treble hook in the hand to catch her. Van Dam hints that he may be running out of fish. "That 7-pounder saved my day." The wind switched out of the north and "I couldn't get a bite for the first two hours."
You can fish any way you like on T-bend and the anglers are doing just that - catching them shallow and deep. There was some debate as to whether the shallow bite was starting to die, but today was tougher for most everybody regardless of where they fished. Blame it on a front that brought north winds on the heels of a calm Thursday and two days of gusty south winds during practice.
Local Pro Todd Faircloth stumbled and fell out of the cut. He admited, "I think I should have spent more of my time fishing shallow." Guys are always more honest when they are done fishing than when they are still competng, therfore, I put a lot of stock in Faircloth's assesment of the shallow bite.
As they say about sled dog teams, the scenery only changes for the lead dogs. For the rest, it can be quite ugly. So for guys not in the lead, how ugly was it today? "It looked like Hillary Clinton wearing flip flops up in the Piggly Wiggly," said Tour funny man Gerald Swindle. Brian Snowden had it even worse. "The best part of my day was standing in line with Gerald Swindle."
"If you'd have told me I could go shallow and not catch a limit, you'd have had my truck and boat cause I'd have made that bet" said Rick Clunn.
Clunn came to the stage with 1 fish today.
He caught them yesterday on topwaters and said all of his spots are good for one or two fish, seldom any more than that. He did catch a 7-pounder, a 6 and a 4 off one spot yesterday and said that was unusual, though welcome.
Clunn did make the cut, due to his 24-pound, 10-ounce Day 1 sack, but he'll only fish until 2 o'clock tomorrow at which time Tournament Director Tripp Weldon will weigh Clunn's fish so he can hop a flight home to attend his son's graduation.
Elite Series Rookie Brock Mosely caught a bunch of big fish while practicing a month ago out deep. He commited to the deep approach this week. It was good for all the 2-pounders he could stand to catch. That failed to get him into the cut. He never even practiced up shallow and now he looks at that decision as a mistake.
I'm starting to think the shallow bite is the way to go.
Here's the official word from B.A.S.S.:
MANY, La. — The biggest thing Kevin VanDam has caught so far this week has been himself.
But there could be far bigger catches ahead of him if he remains on his current path at the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend.
VanDam had to have a treble hook removed from his hand during Friday’s second round after landing his biggest fish of the day. But it didn’t stop him from catching five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces and helped him hold onto the tournament lead with a two-day total of 50-0.
“The fish had just one hook in its mouth, and those Mustad treble hooks are really sharp,” VanDam said. “The fish kind of shook as I was trying to take the hook out, and it jerked one of those trebles right in my hand. I had a crankbait with one hook connected to my hand and the other connected to a big bass.”
Freelance photographer and experienced saltwater angler Garrick Dixon was nearby, and he performed a quick hook removal for VanDam. Once the angler was free of his own bait, he turned his attention back to a day that was rapidly improving.
After a slow start, he quickly put together a limit that weighed better than 18 pounds. Then he managed a couple of culls to get to 20-11 — and he did it all despite a strong wind that gave him fits much of the day.
“I knew it was just a matter of running enough places,” VanDam said. “If you fish long enough here, you’re going to get them.
“I really only had the one big bite today, but it was a good one.”
VanDam will begin the semifinal round with a solid chance at securing his 21st career victory and the $100,000 check that goes with it.
He is followed closely by Alabamian Chris Lane (47-13), North Carolina pro Hank Cherry, Jr. (44-6), Californian Ish Monroe (43-9) and Arkansas pro Stephen Browning (43-0).
Lane, who has struggled at times this year, said he had hoped to catch a good limit early by targeting schooling fish. But when those fish wouldn’t cooperate, he made a long run and put together a catch of 23-15 doing something different.
Earlier this season, Lane complained that his “loonies,” were off, meaning he wasn’t making the best decisions on the water. But now he’s within striking distance of his first Elite Series win since the 2015 season-opening event on the Sabine River — another Louisiana fishery.
“I’m having a blast, and I’ve got a full head of confidence,” Lane said. “My loonies are starting to come back now.
“Feeling confident helps you make those early adjustments, and it helps you to grind it right to the end. I caught a good fish late (Thursday), and I caught a 4 1/2-pounder late today.”
Cherry began Friday’s round in third place and held onto that spot with a catch of 19-15 that gave him a two-day total of 44-6. He said he’s been fishing for bass that are still spawning, even as the weather in central Louisiana has turned hot.
“It was still slow this morning, just like it was the first morning,” Cherry said. “But once I got to where I thought the fish would be, they were there.
“I think all of the fish I’m catching are spawning. If you miss one, you can just about count on going back to that spot and getting bit again.”
Monroe had the heaviest bag Friday with 24-10 — and he didn’t hesitate to detail how he caught his fish.
“It’s no secret what I do,” Monroe said. “I love to frog and flip. This week, I’m throwing a River2Sea Tommy Biffle Jig that has a really big, wide-gap hook. I’m backing that up with a Missile Baits D Bomb Destroyer, and it gives the bait a big profile that these big fish down here love.”
Toledo Bend Reservoir is noted for producing big largemouth bass — so much that it topped the most recent list of America’s Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster Magazine.
The biggest bass of the week so far was caught Friday by Arkansas angler Stephen Browning. At 9-5, the fish took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass and will earn Browning $1,500 if no one tops the mark the rest of the way.
VanDam also earned the Livingston Lures Leader award of $500 for leading the second day of the event.
The tournament will resume Saturday with the Top 50 remaining pros leaving Cypress Bend Park at 6:15 a.m. CT. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with only the Top 12 pros advancing to Championship Sunday.
2016 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend 5/12-5/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 50-00 110
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 20-11
2. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 47-13 109
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 23-15
3. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 10 44-06 108
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 19-15
4. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 10 43-09 107
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 24-10
5. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 43-00 106
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 22-06
6. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 40-15 105
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 23-04
7. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 40-09 104
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 22-12
8. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 40-04 103
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 22-02
9. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 39-08 102
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-01
10. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 39-00 101
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 16-05
11. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 10 39-00 100
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-07
12. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 37-14 99
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 18-03
13. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 37-07 98
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 14-14
14. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 37-07 97
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 16-04
15. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 37-03 96
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 18-03
16. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 10 36-14 95
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 23-00
17. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 36-12 94
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 21-15
18. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 36-08 93
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 21-08
19. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 36-07 92
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 17-07
20. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 35-12 91
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-15
21. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 34-15 90
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 13-01
22. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 34-09 89
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-15
23. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 10 33-15 88
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 21-07
24. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 10 33-12 87
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 16-12
25. John Murray Spring City, TN 10 33-10 86
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-04
26. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 33-07 85
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 13-14
27. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 33-00 84
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 17-12
28. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 32-07 83
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 11-04
29. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 32-07 82
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 18-05
30. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 10 32-03 81
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 12-01
31. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 32-02 80
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-05
32. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 32-01 79
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
33. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 32-01 78
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 17-06
34. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 31-15 77
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 14-10
35. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 31-10 76
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 21-02
36. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 31-08 75
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 15-13
37. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 31-02 74
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 16-08
38. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 31-00 73
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 12-08
39. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 30-09 72
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 15-13
40. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 30-07 71
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 15-12
41. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 30-00 70
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-14
42. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 10 29-09 69
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-02
43. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 6 29-07 68
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 1 04-13
44. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 29-07 67
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 18-00
45. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 10 29-07 66
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-00
46. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 10 29-06 65
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 12-04
47. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 29-03 64
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 12-09
48. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 10 29-00 63
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 12-06
49. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 10 28-10 62
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 11-12
50. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 9 28-09 61
Day 1: 4 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-07
51. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 28-06 60
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 16-08
52. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 28-04 59
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 15-01
53. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 10 28-04 58
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-11
54. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 27-08 57
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 10-06
55. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 10 27-08 56
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 11-04
56. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 27-07 55
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 13-14
57. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 27-04 54
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 13-11
58. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 10 27-02 53
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 08-15
59. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 8 27-00 52
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 5 15-12
60. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 10 26-14 51
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-01
61. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 10 26-14 50
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 12-06
62. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 26-12 49
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 09-11
63. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 26-12 48
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-02
64. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 10 26-11 47
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 14-04
65. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 26-09 46
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 12-06
66. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 10 26-08 45
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 10-09
67. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 10 26-05 44
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-15
68. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 26-03 43
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-03
69. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 10 25-12 42
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 08-09
70. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 8 25-10 41
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 5 20-10
71. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 10 25-09 40
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 15-07
72. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 10 25-09 39
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 10-10
73. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 10 25-09 38
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-05
74. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 25-08 37
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-02
75. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 8 25-00 36
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 3 08-07
76. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 10 24-13 35
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 13-07
77. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 10 24-05 34
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-12
78. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 9 24-02 33
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 4 10-09
79. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 10 24-01 32
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-12
80. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 10 24-00 31
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 09-15
81. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 8 23-11 30
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 5 18-04
82. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 10 23-09 29
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 12-01
83. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 10 22-12 28
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 13-09
84. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 8 22-11 27
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 3 13-06
85. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 10 22-08 26
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 12-02
86. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 22-08 25
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 10-10
87. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 10 22-06 24
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 13-11
88. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 10 21-15 23
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 09-07
89. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 10 21-11 22
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 09-12
90. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 9 21-10 21
Day 1: 4 08-13 Day 2: 5 12-13
91. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 10 21-08 20
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 07-13
92. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 21-08 19
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-00
93. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 21-07 18
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 10-03
94. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 10 21-02 17
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 11-15
95. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 7 20-14 16
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 17-08
96. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 10 20-06 15
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 10-06
97. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 10 19-07 14
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 10-05
98. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 8 19-05 13
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 3 05-10
99. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 19-02 12
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 09-02
100. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 18-13 11
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 08-05
101. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 8 18-05 10
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 3 05-12
102. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 7 18-02 9
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 2 05-06
103. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 10 17-11 8
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 09-13
104. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 8 16-13 7
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 3 06-10
105. David Williams Newton, NC 7 16-02 6
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 2 07-05
106. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 4 13-15 5
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 12-00
107. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 5 07-14 4
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 4 06-08
108. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 1 02-01 3
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 517 1556-06
2 96 511 1513-01
----------------------------------
195 1028 3069-07
As The Weather Warms Up So Does The Water And Fish Care Becomes More And More Important!
As the weather warms up so does the water, and fish care becomes more and more important! Jimmy Mason with TH Marine talks about thier product called G-Juice and why you should never leave the ramp without it! Check ou the video and make sure you have some before you head out this weekend! Click here to buy!
Van Dam Dominates Day 1, Clunn And Cherry Close Behind At Bassmaster Elite Series On Toledo Bend
Of course, given the numbers of big bass swimming along the Texas/Louisiana border, a guy could get well in a hurry tomorrow and jump up from the middle of the pack. Kevin Van Dam rode an 8-pound, 5-ounce fish to the top of the board today.
Then again, with his 29-pound, 5-ounce haul today Van Dam could have left the 8-5 in the lake and he'd still be in the Top 10 - even without a 5th fish!
And look who's trailing him - Rick Clunn. Clunn is back at it after his win to open the 2016 Elite Series season on Florida's St Johns River. Today he sacked 24-10.
Hank Cherry is also north of 24 pounds and is in 3rd.
Van Dam and Clunn both have their sights set on the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. They have won 4 Classic titles each which has them tied for the lead in that category. Combined, they have won about 18% of all Classics - that's almost 1 in 5. And Clunn began his guiding career on Lake Conroe, the sight of the upcoming Classic.
But Toledo Bend is where Clunn fished his first-ever bass tournament. And that's where we are this week.
And it's going to be one heck of a show!
Following is the official word and standings from B.A.S.S.:
MANY, La. — Kevin VanDam wanted badly to fish offshore during the three-day practice period for the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend.
But a steady 20-mph wind just wouldn’t allow it.
The winds died Thursday as the tournament began, and fishing fans in central Louisiana got to see why VanDam was so anxious to move away from the banks.
The pro fishing superstar from Kalamazoo, Mich., brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 29 pounds, 5 ounces to top the leaderboard on a day when 12 anglers caught at least 20 pounds. He leads a star-studded Top 5 that includes 69-year-old Missouri legend Rick Clunn (24-10), North Carolina pro Hank Cherry, Jr. (24- 7), 2012 GEICO Bassmaster Classic winner Chris Lane (23-14) and reigning Classic champion Edwin Evers (22-11).
“I started on the shallow pattern and caught a good limit early, and that gave me the confidence to go and fish deep,” said VanDam, who has four Classic titles on his resume. “I didn’t get to fish deep in practice the way I like to because of all the wind. So I fished a lot of places today that I hadn’t fished at all this week.
“You just can’t physically fish out there when it’s blowing 20 — if you want to fish off the bank.”
VanDam, who also had the big bass of the day with an 8-5 largemouth, said he was keying on areas that had big numbers of white bass and yellow bass. Both, he said, are good signs that hungry largemouth will be nearby.
“There are a lot of yellow bass — they call them ‘bar fish’ here — and a lot of the big largemouth eat those,” VanDam said. “Those yellow bass and the white bass are all following shad just like the largemouth.
“I caught a lot of white bass — and when you’re doing that, you know there will always be largemouth in the area.”
Clunn, who also has four Classic wins, already wowed the pro fishing community back in March when he won the season-opening Elite Series event on the St. Johns River in Florida. That win made him the oldest angler to ever win a B.A.S.S. event.
On Thursday, he moved into position to equal that feat with a bag of 24-10 that was bolstered by one magic area.
“I have one spot that’s always been good for me,” Clunn said. “It’s only good for one to three fish a day, but they’re always big fish. You can fish there all day long, and that’s all you’re going to get.”
The spot produced three big fish Thursday — a 7-pounder, a 6-pounder and a 4-pounder. When asked how long the spot has been good for him, Clunn responded, “How old is the lake?”
“I think I’ve been fishing that spot since 1974,” he said. “A lot of people won’t fish it because it’s only good for one or two. They pull up there, and if they don’t get a bite pretty soon, they’re moving on.”
Clunn is just 3 ounces ahead of Cherry, who brought in 24-7 despite some bad luck early.
“I weighed in one 3-pound fish, and I hated to do that,” Cherry said. “I lost a 4 1/2-pounder and a 7-pounder this morning. So I could have weighed in close to 30 pounds.”
Cherry said his unfortunate near misses might have been the result of him being “too wired up” because he knew he was on good fish.
“I knew I was going to get a lot of bites,” he said. “I didn’t know how big they were going to be, but I knew I was around a lot of fish.
“The fish are still there, because I know I left some.”
In all, 99 of the 108 Elite Series anglers weighed in five-bass limits today, validating Toledo Bend’s ranking as the No. 1 bass fishery in the country, according to Bassmaster Magazine’s current 100 Best Bass Lakes list.
If no one catches a bass as heavy as VanDam’s 8-5 largemouth through the end of the event Sunday, he will win the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award, worth $1,500.
The tournament will resume Friday, with take-off scheduled for 6:15 a.m. CT at Cypress Bend Park. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with the field being trimmed to the Top 50 for Saturday’s semifinal round.
2016 A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend 5/12-5/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 29-05 110
Day 1: 5 29-05
2. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 24-10 109
Day 1: 5 24-10
3. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 5 24-07 108
Day 1: 5 24-07
4. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 5 23-14 107
Day 1: 5 23-14
5. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 5 22-11 106
Day 1: 5 22-11
6. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 22-09 105
Day 1: 5 22-09
7. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 21-14 104
Day 1: 5 21-14
8. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 21-03 103
Day 1: 5 21-03
8. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 21-03 103
Day 1: 5 21-03
10. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 20-10 101
Day 1: 5 20-10
11. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 5 20-02 100
Day 1: 5 20-02
12. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 20-00 99
Day 1: 5 20-00
13. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 19-11 98
Day 1: 5 19-11
14. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 19-09 97
Day 1: 5 19-09
15. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 19-00 96
Day 1: 5 19-00
15. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 19-00 96
Day 1: 5 19-00
17. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 18-15 94
Day 1: 5 18-15
18. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 18-13 93
Day 1: 5 18-13
19. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 18-09 92
Day 1: 5 18-09
20. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 18-08 91
Day 1: 5 18-08
21. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 5 18-07 90
Day 1: 5 18-07
22. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 18-03 89
Day 1: 5 18-03
23. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 18-02 88
Day 1: 5 18-02
24. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 17-13 87
Day 1: 5 17-13
25. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 17-11 86
Day 1: 5 17-11
26. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 17-10 85
Day 1: 5 17-10
27. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 17-05 84
Day 1: 5 17-05
28. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 17-03 83
Day 1: 5 17-03
29. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 17-02 82
Day 1: 5 17-02
29. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 17-02 82
Day 1: 5 17-02
31. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 17-01 80
Day 1: 5 17-01
32. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 5 17-00 79
Day 1: 5 17-00
33. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 16-14 78
Day 1: 5 16-14
34. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 16-13 77
Day 1: 5 16-13
35. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 16-10 76
Day 1: 5 16-10
35. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 16-10 76
Day 1: 5 16-10
37. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 5 16-09 74
Day 1: 5 16-09
38. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 16-07 73
Day 1: 5 16-07
39. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 16-06 72
Day 1: 5 16-06
40. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 16-04 71
Day 1: 5 16-04
41. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 15-15 70
Day 1: 5 15-15
42. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 15-11 69
Day 1: 5 15-11
43. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 15-04 68
Day 1: 5 15-04
44. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 15-02 67
Day 1: 5 15-02
45. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 15-00 66
Day 1: 5 15-00
46. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 5 14-15 65
Day 1: 5 14-15
47. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 14-13 64
Day 1: 5 14-13
48. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 14-13 63
Day 1: 5 14-13
49. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 14-12 62
Day 1: 5 14-12
50. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 14-11 61
Day 1: 5 14-11
50. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 14-11 61
Day 1: 5 14-11
52. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 14-10 59
Day 1: 5 14-10
53. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 5 14-08 58
Day 1: 5 14-08
54. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 14-04 57
Day 1: 5 14-04
55. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 14-03 56
Day 1: 5 14-03
56. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 14-02 55
Day 1: 5 14-02
57. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 5 14-01 54
Day 1: 5 14-01
58. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 13-14 53
Day 1: 5 13-14
59. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 13-11 52
Day 1: 5 13-11
59. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 13-11 52
Day 1: 5 13-11
61. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 13-10 50
Day 1: 5 13-10
62. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 13-09 49
Day 1: 5 13-09
62. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 13-09 49
Day 1: 5 13-09
62. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 13-09 49
Day 1: 5 13-09
62. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 13-09 49
Day 1: 5 13-09
66. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 13-09 45
Day 1: 5 13-09
67. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 13-03 44
Day 1: 5 13-03
68. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 4 13-02 43
Day 1: 4 13-02
69. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 13-00 42
Day 1: 5 13-00
70. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 12-12 41
Day 1: 5 12-12
71. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 12-09 40
Day 1: 5 12-09
72. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 12-08 39
Day 1: 5 12-08
72. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 12-08 39
Day 1: 5 12-08
74. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 12-07 37
Day 1: 5 12-07
75. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 12-06 36
Day 1: 5 12-06
75. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 5 12-06 36
Day 1: 5 12-06
77. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 11-15 34
Day 1: 5 11-15
78. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 11-14 33
Day 1: 5 11-14
78. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 11-14 33
Day 1: 5 11-14
80. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 11-08 31
Day 1: 5 11-08
81. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 11-07 30
Day 1: 5 11-07
82. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 11-07 29
Day 1: 5 11-07
83. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 5 11-06 28
Day 1: 5 11-06
84. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 11-05 27
Day 1: 5 11-05
85. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 11-04 26
Day 1: 5 11-04
86. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 3 11-04 25
Day 1: 3 11-04
87. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 10-08 24
Day 1: 5 10-08
87. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 10-08 24
Day 1: 5 10-08
87. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 10-08 24
Day 1: 5 10-08
90. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 5 10-06 21
Day 1: 5 10-06
91. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 10-03 20
Day 1: 5 10-03
92. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 10-02 19
Day 1: 5 10-02
93. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 10-00 18
Day 1: 5 10-00
93. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 5 10-00 18
Day 1: 5 10-00
95. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 09-05 16
Day 1: 5 09-05
96. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 09-03 15
Day 1: 5 09-03
96. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 09-03 15
Day 1: 5 09-03
98. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 09-02 13
Day 1: 5 09-02
99. David Williams Newton, NC 5 08-13 12
Day 1: 5 08-13
100. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 4 08-13 11
Day 1: 4 08-13
101. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 5 08-11 10
Day 1: 5 08-11
102. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 07-14 9
Day 1: 5 07-14
103. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 3 05-07 8
Day 1: 3 05-07
104. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 3 05-00 7
Day 1: 3 05-00
105. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 2 03-06 6
Day 1: 2 03-06
106. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 1 02-01 5
Day 1: 1 02-01
107. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 1 01-15 4
Day 1: 1 01-15
108. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 1 01-06 3
Day 1: 1 01-06
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 99 517 1556-06
----------------------------------
99 517 1556-06
Looking Forward To Hammer Fest As Elites Take To T-Bend!
We've had an eventful season so far on the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Now we turn our attention to what should be a down-South hammer fest on Toledo Bend. 108 Elite Series pros will spread out over the 185,000 acre monster that straddles a good portion of the Texas/Louisiana border.
There’s abundant grass and herds of post-spawn bass that have holed-up along its edges. They are said to be in water as deep as 32 feet but the magic zone should be 8-to-10. Topwater bites can produce those big fish that will put a guy in contention but most believe that bite will die soon after sunrise. Swimbaits and big old Texas-rigged worms should play a huge role this week.
Toledo Bend was ranked by Bassmaster Magazine as the Number 1 fishery in America this year. But there’s a fly in the ointment this week: high, muddy water due to recent flooding in the region.
Some locals say the bass have had ample time to adjust to these conditions and the pros should be able to catch them just fine.
Some folks who should know said they would set the over/under for 4-day winning weight at 90 pounds.
Stay with us at AnglersChannel.com as the story unfolds this week during the Bassmaster Elite Series on Toledo Bend Reservoir!
Ray Roberts Ready For Texas Team Trail Championship!
considered small by tournament standards. However, it's chock-full of bass - particularly big bucketmouths. Last spring, a recreational angler landed a largemouth that weighed 15.18 pounds, a new lake record. Catching a five-bass limit isn't always easy, but the abundance of kickers is impressive. Typically, tournaments can get crowded as anglers jockey for the best bank cover or the prime offshore structure.
Zoom Brings Back An Original With An Awesome New Twist!
ZOOM BRINGS BACK AN ORIGINAL, WITH A TWIST
Zoom Bait Company announces the reintroduction of the Original Zoom Worm, a finesse worm that dates back 40 years. Except now, it will come in hand-poured triple laminate patterns instead of the conventional injection colors that originally comprised its lineup.
This release comes a year after Zoom brought out the “Z-3” triple laminates in the Swamp Crawler product, another finesse-oriented worm. Anglers across the country have clamored for additional products to be released in this lineup, and the subtle 6-inch Original - with its flat tail, slight egg sack and lightly-ribbed body - seemed a likely choice to fulfill the needs of dropshotters. Like its predecessor, it combines the best attributes of hand-poured worms with affordability and Zoom’s legendary quality control.
The new version will be just as tantalizing as the original, but the build process will be more like that of traditional “garage pours,” a labor-intensive, multi-step effort that produces a softer body and a wider range of color options. Up until now, this has been difficult to replicate in a mass production setting. Nevertheless, its shape will remain true to the original upon which the Zoom brand was built.
The Z-3 Original Zoom Worm will initially be available in three colors – Prizm Shad, Sexy Shad and Morning Dawn – to match your local forage and water color. It will soon be available at leading tackle stores and online retailers.
For more information about Zoom Bait Company, go to www.zoombait.com
Should Professional 'misunderstanings' Be Aired On 'net; Tv?
That’s not to say that they don’t enjoy the competition, strategy and an exciting finish, but the tension and drama that comes along with high speed, high stakes racing certainly helps to sell the sport.
Think of a passionate baseball player busting a bat across his knee after striking out. Good sportsmanship? No. But . . .
What about a football player spiking a ball in the end zone. That’s fierce passion and people relate to that.
Tournament bass fishing features independent American (and International) sportsmen who zip across the water at 70-to-80-miles-per-hour attempting to beat competitors to their fish. There’s big money at stake. And pride. Lots of pride.
So why do some in the tournament industry insist on portraying tournament competition in the same light as a Sunday afternoon church picnic? Do they think anybody is going to watch just because there is going to not be drama?
I consider good sports-reporting to be a form of story-telling. It’s literature. And conflict, as they say, is the essence of literature.
With that in mind, what do we make of the rather public flap between Randall Tharp and Matt Herren during the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Norfork Lake last week?
With up-to-the-minute blog posts and Bass Live and other photo and video content, on-water happenings have become hard to hide. Again, why would anyone want to hide the good, the bad, or the ugly? It’s all real. These men are independent contractors and are, as such, responsible for their own actions. Show the action. Make no apologies. We, the fans, want to see and hear it.
If there had been video of Ish Monroe and Keith Poche fighting outside the lock on Lake Toho last year would that not have gone viral way beyond our usual bass tournament audience? “Oh bother, I’m not watching that video because there is too much action,” said no sports fan ever!
Am I wrong?
By the way, if you have not seen the video on Bassmaster.com of Tharp and Herren, check it out. Spoiler alert: they worked out their differences afterward as true professionals do.
Th Marine Acquires Tonka Customs Llc Electronics Mounts.
Huntsville, AL – May 7, 2016 — T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., of Huntsville, Alabama, announces the acquisition of the assets of Tonka Customs, LLC of Mound, Minnesota. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tonka Customs was founded by Josh Douglas and Andy Young. It manufactured the WAVE TAMER bow sonar mounts.
T-H Marine’s president, Jeff Huntley, stated “We are excited about our acquisition of the assets of Tonka Customs to grow our presence in boat electronic mounts. Over the past couple years, several of our pro-staff told us about a bow sonar mount that they considered “awesome”. It was extremely strong, mounted to the deck in sturdy manner, and was available in a variety of colors. After hearing about it over and over, we checked it out and they were right. The Tonka Customs WAVE TAMER is one of the original “Bridge”-type bow mounts. It is built with a heavy duty aluminum construction and is the only bridge mount available in a variety of color options. We are proud to have acquired this original bridge mount design and glad to have this high quality product in our offering.”
Huntley also said, “We are excited to announce that Josh and Andy will continue to promote the WAVE TAMER, and all of our TH Marine products, as members of the TH Marine pro-staff. Both of these guys are incredible anglers. Josh fishes all three divisions of the BASS Opens and is one of the top smallmouth guides in Minnesota. In addition, Andy is a FLW Tour angler, BASS Open winner and a former BASS Classic qualifier. Their extensive on-the-water experience lead them to develop one of the original “Bridge”-type mounts. We are excited that they will be a part of the TH Marine Team.”
Josh Douglas, co-founder of Tonka Customs stated, “The fact we’re able to turn our mount over to a industry powerhouse like TH Marine and still get the opportunity to promote our product as well as all the other great boating accessories in the TH Marine lineup, is an opportunity we couldn’t allow to slide by. Andy and I worked very hard to earn the reputation that our bridge mount has built and are excited to pass it off to such a reputable company who’ll surely take it to the next level. I fish a lot of big water while tournament fishing and guiding and know first hand how efficiently the Wave Tamer protects my Lowrance units in the harshest conditions imaginable and allows me to be able to simply concentrate on that next bite.”
Andy Young, co-founder of Tonka Customs stated, “I’m excited to see a project we worked so hard developing take the next step with a company like TH Marine. I built this mount with my own two hands, I know personally what this mount can do. We designed and built it to hold up to the worst elements and am more than excited to continue to promote the Wave Tamer, as well as all their other great products while pulling my Ranger boat all across the country competing on the FLW Tour.”
T-H Marine’s Huntley also stated, “T-H Marine continues to seek quality brands and products to add to our portfolio. This is our fourth company acquisition in the past three years along with many product license acquisitions. We have awesome momentum in bringing exciting and innovative products to market for the boating and fishing consumer. We are not letting that slow down. The acquisition of the Tonka Customs assets, along with our KVD Kong Extreme Electronics Mount, makes TH Marine a leader in marine electronic mounting technology.”
T-H Marine is celebrating its 40th Anniversary of business and has grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of boating and fishing accessories in the U.S. T-H Marine provides parts to every boat manufacturer in the country and distributes them thru virtually every major distributor and retailer of boating and fishing products. To learn more about T-H Marine, please visit www.thmarine.com .
Gross Leads Wire-To-Wire, Wins Flw Pickwick Stop By Just Over 3 Pounds!
GROSS LEADS WIRE-TO-WIRE, WINS WALMART FLW TOUR ON PICKWICK LAKE PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
Georgia rookie wins by 3-pound, 1-ounce margin, Wins $100,000
FLORENCE, Ala. (May 8, 2016) – Just six months ago pro Buddy Gross of Ringgold, Georgia, was an accomplished Costa FLW Series angler that daydreamed of competing against the best anglers in the world on the Walmart FLW Tour.
After a great season at the AAA-level, Gross qualified for priority entry into the 2016 FLW Tour. After the incredible week that Gross has had at the Walmart FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake presented by Quaker State, it’s safe to say that Gross has proven that he can compete with the best.
With a four-day total of 17 bass weighing 74 pounds, 5 ounces, Gross won by a 3-pound, 1-ounce margin, despite starting Sunday with a near 15-pound lead. Gross weighed just two bass totaling 4-14, but it was still enough to best 162 of the best bass-fishing anglers in the world and earn him $100,000.
“Today has been the biggest roller coaster of my life,” said Gross. “It was a long ride back to weigh in today – I really thought I was coming back for a second-place finish. Michael (Neal) is a true competitor and is the best fisherman that I know, and I knew that I had to catch at least 10 pounds to feel safe. Thank the Lord that I caught two, and it worked out like it did.”
Gross said that he caught the majority of his fish during the first three days of competition on a 200-yard bar running off of the bottom of an island. He found the fish keying in on eelgrass, and was catching them in 8 to 10 feet of water.
“I found the eelgrass on my Lowrance unit and I could see the fish setting up on it on my graph. I caught all of my fish there this week, except for the two today. There was no wind and no current today and that hurt, but I think I just ran out of fish. I had to scramble to catch the two that I did.”
Gross’ key bait throughout the week was a 1-ounce white Hog Farmer hair jig, but he also mentioned a Fringe Tackle Swimbait, a spinnerbait and a Tennessee River Tackle Tremor scrounger with a Zoom Magnum Fluke as baits that produced for him.
“The hair jig was by far the best bait for me in this event,” Gross said.
“Last year after I qualified through the Costa Series I really questioned whether I should take the risk, and if I could compete on the FLW Tour,” Gross went on to say. “It took every last dime that I had to come out here and compete this year, but my wife was behind me 100-percent and she said go. This win gives my family and I security and that is truly what means the most to me.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament:
1st: Buddy Gross, Ringgold, Ga., 17 bass, 74-5, $100,000
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 71-4, $30,000
3rd: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 19 bass, 65-1, $25,000
4th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 19 bass, 64-14, $20,000
5th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 19 bass, 63-11, $19,000
6th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 20 bass, 57-13, $18,000
7th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 20 bass, 56-2, $17,000
8th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 17 bass, 56-0, $16,000
9th: Stephen Patek, Dallas, Texas, 18 bass, 50-3, $15,000
10th: Lew’s pro Peter Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 18 bass, 49-7, $14,000
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 41 bass weighing 124 pounds, 7 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Five of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Keith Diffey of Elk Grove, California, won the co-angler division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Tyler Meredith of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, who finished in second place with nine bass, also weighing 25-7, worth $7,500. Diffey won via tiebreaker – the heaviest one-day catch between the two anglers – with his 13-2 limit weighed on Friday.
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 Pickwick Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) September 21 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 was presented by Quaker State and hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism. The next event for FLW Tour anglers will be the Walmart FLW Tour at Kentucky Lake presented by Mercury.
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.
Gross Pads Lead Heading Into Championship Sunday On Pickwick Lake
GROSS PADS LEAD ON DAY THREE OF WALMART FLW TOUR ON PICKWICK LAKE PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
Georgia Rookie to start Final Day with 14-pound, 11-ounce Advantage
FLORENCE, Ala. (May 7, 2016) – Georgia pro Buddy Gross, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to extend his lead to more than 14 pounds after day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake presented by Quaker State. Gross’ three-day total of 69-7 make him the No. 1 seed on championship Sunday as the field is now cut to 10 in the four-day tournament that features 163 of the world’s best anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
In second place is Gross’ travel partner on Tour, Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, who weighed in five bass totaling 16-14 Saturday for a three-day cumulative weight of 15 bass worth 54-12.
“For years I’ve watched many of the anglers in this field catch fish on television, so to be heading into day four with the lead is a dream come true. The lord has truly blessed me at this event,” said Gross, who has one previous career victory in FLW competition – a 2010 Bass Fishing League (BFL) win on Lake Guntersville.
Gross said he started off his day at the same 200-yard stretch he’s been working all week – a mid-lake ridge littered with shells beds and grass clumps where shad are spawning. Similar to his first two days on the water, he said he was able to catch two bass fairly quickly Saturday.
“I got two in the boat with a hair jig before the FLW camera boats even found me,” said Gross. “Within 30 minutes I caught another two, including a 5- or 6-pounder. All of my big fish have been coming from sitting on the outside of the bar and throwing over it into the ditch.
“Around 10:30 a.m. I went offshore a little bit and threw a Tennessee River Tackle Tremor with a Zoom Magnum Fluke and caught three more. I was able to cull twice and was feeling pretty good.”
Gross said he stopped fishing within five minutes of his last catch on the Tremor and spent the remainder of his day looking for new structure to fish on the final day of competition.
“I roamed around and looked for new stuff, and I feel good about tomorrow,” Gross went on to say. “I think I’ll go to the ledges earlier, especially if I can get two good ones at the ridge. It’ll depend on the wind. It’s picked up the last few afternoons and kept me in, but if it dies down tomorrow I think I can finally finish on the ledges.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Pickwick Lake are:
1st: Buddy Gross, Ringgold, Ga., 15 bass, 69-7
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 54-12
3rd: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 15 bass, 51-5
4th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 14 bass, 47-1
5th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 44-9
6th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 14 bass, 43-12
7th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-12
8th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 14 bass, 43-11
9th: Lew’s pro Peter Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 43-1
10th: Stephen Patek, Dallas, Texas, 14 bass, 42-15
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-15, $12,000
12th: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 15 bass, 42-13, $12,000
13th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 13 bass, 42-12, $12,000
14th: Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 15 bass, 41-1, $12,000
15th: Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 13 bass, 40-11, $12,000
16th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 15 bass, 40-6, $12,000
17th: Jay Kendrick, Grant, Ala., 13 bass, 37-15, $12,000
18th: Rick Cotten, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 35-4, $12,000
19th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 12 bass, $12,000
20th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-9, $12,000
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 81 bass weighing 226 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 19 pros Saturday. The catch included 12 five-bass limits.
Pro Randy Haynes of Counce, Tennessee, who started the day in 9th place, had his day three weight disqualified for violation of FLW Tour rule No. 13 regarding methods of returning to check-in. After mechanical failure Haynes received a ride to check-in from an ineligible boat. FLW Tour rules state that anglers who have equipment failure can only receive a tow in, or a ride in from another tournament competitor. Haynes finished in 20th place with 10 bass weighing 31-9, good for $12,000.
Keith Diffey of Elk Grove, California, won the co-angler division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Tyler Meredith of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, who finished in second place with nine bass, also weighing 25-7, worth $7,500. Diffey won via tiebreaker – the heaviest one-day catch between the two anglers – with his 13-2 limit weighed on Friday.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying 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 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Anglers will take off from McFarland Park located at 200 Jim Spain Drive in Florence at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, the final day of competition. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at McFarland Park beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at McFarland Park prior to the final weigh-in. 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 Pickwick Lake tournament will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) September 21 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 is presented by Quaker State and is hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism.
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
Gross Still Leads On Pickwick, Opens Up The Gap Heading Into Day 3
GROSS EXTENDS LEAD AT WALMART FLW TOUR ON PICKWICK LAKE PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
California’s Diffey Wins Co-angler Title, $20,000
FLORENCE, Ala. (May 6, 2016) – Georgia pro Buddy Gross, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds, 3 ounces Friday to extend his lead after day two of the Walmart FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake presented by Quaker State. Gross now brings an 8-pound, 13-ounce lead into day three of the four-day tournament that features 163 of the world’s best anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
In second place is Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, who weighed in five bass totaling 14-14 Friday for a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass worth 37-14. The field is now trimmed to the top 20 on Saturday, with only the top 10 anglers fishing on the final day Sunday.
“I’m running a half-mile stretch at the end of a huge mid-lake flat where bass are heading out from the spawn towards the main river,” said Gross, who is fishing in just his fourth event as a professional on the FLW Tour. “Just about every bass I’ve caught in this event has been postspawn.”
Gross said his fish are congregating on shell beds and in isolated, clumpy grass.
“There’s a shad spawn going on in the morning and I think I’m catching the tail-end of it when I get to my area,” said Gross. “Yesterday, I caught four shortly after I arrived, but today I only was able to get two and had to grind out the other three. I lost a big one midday today which definitely would’ve helped me out. Hopefully there will be five more there tomorrow.
“I’m just worried about running out, that’s my problem right now,” continued Gross. “All seven of my bites today happened before 10:30 a.m. There isn’t much action after 11. I’ve wasted an afternoon for two days now, so tomorrow I’m going to have to go find something else to fish.”
Gross said he’s used one lure to catch the majority of his bass.
“One of my sponsors makes the bait I’m throwing and it’s doing well,” said Gross. “It’s a single-hook bait and I’m not losing many fish.”
The Georgia rookie said he plans on dissecting the same stretch on day three before hitting ledges in the afternoon.
“I’ll be out there looking for another school,” said Gross. “I’m going to head towards the river and just throw anything that will produce a good fish.”
The top 20 pros that made the Buck Knives Cut and will fish Saturday on Pickwick Lake are:
1st: Buddy Gross, Ringgold, Ga., 10 bass, 46-11
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-14
3rd: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., nine bass, 36-7
4th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 10 bass, 34-8
5th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-2
6th: Rick Cotten, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 33-7
7th: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 32-15
8th: Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 10 bass, 31-15
9th: Randy Haynes, Counce, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-9
10th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 10 bass, 31-8
11th: Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., 10 bass, 30-10
12th: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 10 bass, 30-9
13th: Lew’s pro Peter Thliveros, Saint Augustine, Fla., 10 bass, 30-3
14th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 10 bass, 29-14
15th: Stephen Patek, Dallas, Texas, 10 bass, 29-12
16th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 29-11
17th: Jay Kendrick, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 29-7
18th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-6
19th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-15
20th: Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., eight bass, 28-11
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Monsoor earned the Big Bass Award on the pro side Friday, weighing a 9-pound, 13-ounce largemouth to win the $500 prize.
Overall there were 617 bass weighing 1,591 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 157 pros Friday. The catch included 84 five-bass limits.
Keith Diffey of Elk Grove, California, won the co-angler division and $20,000 Friday with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, followed by Tyler Meredith of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, who finished in second place with nine bass, also weighing 25-7, worth $7,500. Diffey won via tiebreaker – the heaviest one-day catch between the two anglers – with his 13-2 limit weighed on Friday.
“I spent the week fishing shallow grass and ledges,” said Diffey, who was fishing in his first ever event as a co-angler on the FLW Tour. “I caught my biggest fish on day one with a Margarita Mutilator-colored Roboworm rigged on a drop-shot, and with a shaky-head jig with a split-tailed creature bait on day two. I rotated in Keitech Swimbaits as well.”
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Keith Diffey, Elk Grove, Calif., seven bass, 25-7 $20,000
2nd: Tyler Meredith, Oliver Springs, Tenn., nine bass, 25-7, $7,500
3rd: David Redington, Sulphur Springs, Texas, seven bass, 23-15 $5,000
4th: Tim Beale, Hernando, Miss., eight bass, 23-2 $4,000
5th: Chad Parks, Bartlett, Tenn., nine bass, 23-0, $3,000
6th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, eight bass, 20-4 $2,500
7th: Troy O'Rourke, Natchitoches, La., five bass, 19-6, $2,500
8th: Billy Hines, Vacaville, Calif., seven bass, 19-2, $1,800
9th: Butch Whiteaker, Alpharetta, Ga., seven bass, 19-1, $1,700
10th: John Tutor, Saltillo, Miss., six bass, 18-12, $1,600
O’Rourke earned the Big Bass Award on the co-angler side Friday with a fish weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces to win the $250 prize.
Overall there were 283 bass weighing 703 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 118 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying 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 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Anglers will take off from McFarland Park located at 200 Jim Spain Drive in Florence at 6:30 a.m. each day of competition. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at McFarland Park beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at McFarland Park prior to 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 McFarland Park on Saturday 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 15 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.
Elite Series Rookie Luke Clausen's Lake Wheeler Disqualification Upheld By Bass Appeals Panel
Clausen Disqualification From Lake Wheeler Tournament Upheld
The disqualification of Luke Clausen of Otis Orchards, Wash., from the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Wheeler Lake, Alabama, last week, has been upheld by an appeals panel.
Clausen was disqualified from the event on the third day of competition for violating Elite Series Rule C3, which outlines a number of restrictions on practicing and obtaining information during off-limits periods, among others. At the time, he was in seventh place and had qualified to compete on Championship Sunday.
Clausen quickly appealed the disqualification decision when it was announced.
Under a new rule for this year, Clausen was allowed to continue competing while the decision was being appealed. According to the rule (C23), the 13th-place angler, Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., was permitted to compete on Sunday, as well, with the understanding that, should Clausen win the appeal, Crochet’s catch, ranking and winnings would revert to his Day 3 totals.
A three-member panel consisting of two tournament anglers not competing in the Elite Series and a B.A.S.S. employee not associated with the tournament department heard the appeal Friday afternoon and upheld the disqualification.
With the appeals panel’s ruling, Clausen’s total catch of 59-9, initially good enough for eighth place, is erased, dropping him to 108th in the tournament. Crochet, who finished seventh with 59-10, will remain in that position, and each angler below seventh will move up one position.
Official, updated standings, points and payouts will be posted on Bassmaster.com on Saturday.
Rookie Grosse Leads Day 1 Of Flw Event On Pickwick Lake By 2-1/2 Pounds!
GEORGIA ROOKIE GROSS LEADS DAY ONE OF WALMART FLW TOUR ON PICKWICK LAKE PRESENTED BY QUAKER STATE
Mississippi’s Beale Leads Co-Anglers
Link to photo of pro leader Buddy Gross
FLORENCE, Ala. (May 5, 2016) – Rookie pro Buddy Gross of Ringgold, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 8 ounces, to take the early lead after day one of the Walmart FLW Tour at Pickwick Lake presented by Quaker State. He will hold a 2½-pound advantage over second place pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, (23-0) to start day two in the four-day event that features 163 of the world’s best bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $125,000.
“My home lakes are Chickamauga and Guntersville and it’s the same kind of deal here as it is at home,” said Gross, who rooms with Neal while traveling on Tour. “I’m catching them at their first stop as they’re coming off the spawn. I had six keeper bites today.
“They’re pretty close to the grass,” Gross continued. “I’m catching them in 8 to 15 feet. The grass is growing in 8 foot. I pull up on the grass, and then back out. I’ve got two good places that I fished in the same general area today, but the wind got bad and I know that they got dirtied so I’m not sure what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Gross wasn’t ready to mention his specific baits or technique just yet but said that he thinks he has keyed in on something different that he is doing different from his competitors.
“I can’t talk about it just yet, but there is a key thing that I’m doing,” Gross said. “I did find a few other areas that looked good, but I couldn’t get close to them today because of the wind. These fish have moved a long ways since practice; I’m hoping I can connect with them again tomorrow.”
Twenty-four anglers had their day one weights disqualified and four were penalized for violating FLW Tour Rule No. 15 regarding late check-ins. The anglers had locked up into Lake Wilson to fish, which is legal, but were unable to get back through the lock on time after an issue with a barge that was locking through. Rule No. 15 states that contestants who are not at the check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized 1 pound per minute, deducted from the total weight. Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will lose credit for that day’s weight.
The top 10 pros after day one on Pickwick Lake are:
1st: Buddy Gross, Ringgold, Ga., five bass, 25-8
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 23-0
3rd: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., five bass, 21-10
4th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 21-5
5th: Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., five bass, 20-12
6th: Rick Cotten, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 18-14
7th: Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., five bass, 18-9
8th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., five bass, 18-3
9th: Keith Amerson, Selmer, Tenn., five bass, 17-11
10th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., five bass, 17-7
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Cotten weighed in an 8-pound, 14 ounce largemouth to win the Big Bass Award on the pro side Thursday and the $500 prize.
Overall there were 560 bass weighing 1,392 pounds, 4 ounces caught by 136 pros Thursday. The catch included 81 five-bass limits.
Tim Beale of Hernando, Mississippi, leads the co-angler division with four bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Mike Comeau of Jericho, Vt., in second place with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Pickwick Lake are:
1st: Tim Beale, Hernando, Miss., four bass, 15-4
2nd: Mike Comeau, Jericho, Vt., five bass, 14-2
3rd: Tyler Meredith, Oliver Springs, Tenn., five bass, 12-13
4th: Keith Diffey, Elk Grove, Calif., four bass, 12-5
5th: David Redington, Sulphur Springs, Texas, four bass, 12-1
6th: Chad Randles, Elkhorn, Neb., five bass, 11-15
7th: Johnny Douglas, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 11-5
8th: Benjie Allen, Scottsboro, Ala., three bass, 10-15
9th: Anthony Goggins, Auburn, Ala., four bass, 10-13
10th: Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 10-4
Troy O’Rourke of Natchitoches, Louisiana, earned the Big Bass Award on the co-angler side Thursday with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces to win the $250 prize.
Overall there were 241 bass weighing 531 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 106 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included six 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 McFarland Park located at 200 Jim Spain Drive in Florence at 6:30 a.m. each day of competition Friday’s weigh-in will be held at McFarland Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will also be held at McFarland Park, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Omori's Strategy Carries Him Past Lefebre - A Look Inside 2 Elite Brains At Work
The talk had centered on how Wheeler wasn’t fishing so well and how important it would be to save enough fish to last 4 days.
Lefebre had a big, productive area to himself. It included secondary points and spawning pockets. He expected lots of company but – to his disbelief - nobody else showed up. He had found the type of place where a guy could hunker down and win an Elite Series tourney.
He set a pace of 3 pounds-per-bass, thinking that would be enough to carry him the distance without culling through a bunch of fish he thought would become valuable during late rounds of the tournament. As each day rolled by, more and bigger fish kept coming to him on their way to the beds. When 20-pound sacks showed up at the scale Lefebre quickly adjusted his estimate to 4-pounds-per-fish. He led the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
Had he pounded-out that type of weight before resting his area the first day, he would have maintained his lead until the very end.
As it turned out Takahiro Omori hoisted the blue trophy.
Tak had post-spawn fish piling up on his spot and he just hammered them with a swimbait. He weighed the heaviest daily bag on 3, out of the 4, competition days. According to bass fishing stats guru Ken Duke, that has only happened twice before in Elite Series history – when Ish Monroe and Brandon Palaniuk did it in back-to-back events in 2012.
Takahiro never let off.
Considering the strength of competition at our sport’s highest level, pros seldom have the advantage of ‘laying-up’ or saving fish anymore. That used to be a big part of the strategy. Now I’m not sure if it is more important than ever, or if it has simply become irrelevant in an era when there’s always somebody stomping on the gas from start to finish.
Randall Tharp And Costa Sunglasses, The One Thing, Or Three Things He Has To Have In His Boat.
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Randall Tharp relies on his Costa Sunglasses day in and day out to protect his eyes and to get the most out of his day fishing. Watch as Randall Explains why the benefits of three different lenses helps him be a better angler. Check out Costa Sunglasses and pick up a pair or three here!
Sigmon And Huffman Win The Cbc On Hickory With 18.17 Lbs-Take Home $14,000 Cash! Full Results Here!
Eric Self and Tyler Beam finished in 3rd place with 17.15lbs and were the 2nd highest finishing Skeeter/Yamaha which boosted their total winnings to $6,500!
Chris Dover and Robert Fowler finished 6th with 16.45lbs, but they had a 7.47lb monster in their Skeeter livewell that earned them the $1,000 Big Fish prize, and with the 3rd place Skeeter Bonus, they pushed their payday to a whopping $4,250!!
Mitch Cook and Todd Huffman finished in 10th place for an $800 check, but thankfully, they were in Mitch's Skeeter which gave them the 4th Place Skeeter Bonus and $1,800 in total winnings!
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | SKEETER BONUS | Total Winnings |
| 1 | Darren Sigmon - Brian Huffman | 156 | 5 | 18.17 | 310 | $4,000 | $14,000 | |
| 2 | Derek Cummings - Victor Lynch | 9 | 5 | 17.84 | 4.74 | 309 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | Eric Self - Tyler Beam | 169 | 5 | 17.15 | 308 | $3,000 | $6,500 | |
| 4 | Alfred Keisling, Sr - Chad Poteat | 125 | 5 | 16.88 | 307 | $2,500 | ||
| 5 | Robert Mixon - Robert Lambert | 64 | 5 | 16.67 | 306 | $2,000 | ||
| 6 | Chris Dover - Robert Fowler | 10 | 5 | 16.45 | 7.47 | 305 | $2,000 +$1,000 BF | $4,250 |
| 7 | Nick Beaver - Roger Beaver | 118 | 4 | 16.30 | 304 | $1,100 | ||
| 8 | Jerry Craig - Bobby Latuch | 7 | 5 | 16.29 | 303 | $1,000 | ||
| 9 | Jeremi Beatty - Clint Benbow | 137 | 5 | 16.15 | 302 | $900 | ||
| 10 | Mitchell Cook - Todd Huffman | 95 | 5 | 15.86 | 301 | $1,000 | $1,800 | |
| 11 | Brett McLean - Mac McLean | 119 | 5 | 15.73 | 300 | $625 | ||
| 12 | Vince Parker - Mark Parker | 92 | 5 | 15.72 | 299 | $575 | ||
| 13 | Dustin Compton - Jonathan strickland | 58 | 5 | 15.51 | 298 | $550 | ||
| 14 | Larry Denton - Chris Guest | 4 | 5 | 15.46 | 297 | $525 | ||
| 15 | Charles Sipe - Kelly Johnson | 49 | 5 | 15.25 | 296 | $475 | ||
| 16 | Scott Henley - Neil McDonald | 99 | 5 | 15.24 | 295 | $450 | ||
| 17 | byron brush - Byron Brush Sr. | 94 | 5 | 15.11 | 294 | $400 | ||
| 18 | Marcus Leech - Tim Chapman | 62 | 5 | 15.05 | 293 | $350 | ||
| 19 | David Winters - Russell Winters | 84 | 5 | 14.99 | 292 | $325 | ||
| 20 | Matt Queen - Robin Cairco | 76 | 5 | 14.89 | 291 | $300 | ||
| 21 | CJ Johnston - Matt Stanley | 108 | 5 | 14.84 | 290 | $290 | ||
| 22 | Mike Seawright - John parker | 155 | 5 | 14.48 | 289 | $275 | ||
| 23 | todd sosebee - steve postell | 115 | 5 | 14.26 | 288 | $260 | ||
| 24 | Doug Easton - Pete Bejte | 77 | 5 | 14.24 | 287 | $250 | ||
| 25 | Klaus Hadschin - Jerry Hadschin | 150 | 5 | 14.18 | 286 | $240 | ||
| 26 | Travis Young - Neil Sheehan | 114 | 5 | 14.11 | 285 | $230 | ||
| 27 | Kyle McElveen - Cleve Yarborough | 32 | 5 | 14.09 | 284 | $220 | ||
| 28 | Scott Sellers - Randy Childers | 82 | 5 | 13.50 | 283 | $210 | ||
| 29 | Tom McCombs - curtis lail | 34 | 4 | 13.49 | 282 | |||
| 30 | Reggie Guffey - Tommy Chapman | 127 | 5 | 13.21 | 281 | |||
| 31 | David Wright - Jeff Coble | 166 | 5 | 13.19 | 280 | |||
| 32 | Tim Gaines - Mike Bryant | 87 | 5 | 13.18 | 279 | |||
| 33 | Darrell Parks - Thomas Johnson | 136 | 5 | 13.13 | 278 | |||
| 34 | Steve Addington - Matt Stout | 50 | 5 | 13.11 | 277 | |||
| 34 | Mike Stephens - cody young | 97 | 5 | 13.11 | 277 | |||
| 36 | Daniel Ruppe - Jacob Reome | 54 | 5 | 12.86 | 275 | |||
| 37 | Dan Funderburk - Rod Cozart | 52 | 5 | 12.85 | 274 | |||
| 38 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 151 | 5 | 12.75 | 273 | |||
| 39 | David Fortenberry - Jessie Towery | 40 | 5 | 12.59 | 272 | |||
| 40 | Chris Martin - Mike Greene | 165 | 5 | 12.55 | 271 | |||
| 41 | Carl Williams - Eddie Williams | 39 | 5 | 12.47 | 270 | |||
| 42 | Nathan Royal - David Brookshire | 93 | 4 | 12.42 | 269 | |||
| 43 | Derick Livingston - Jonathan Spivey | 83 | 5 | 12.34 | 268 | |||
| 44 | Doug Punch - Rocky Franklin | 113 | 5 | 12.18 | 267 | |||
| 45 | Kelly Ruff - Travis Ruff | 11 | 5 | 12.04 | 266 | |||
| 46 | Nathan White - Glen Eaves | 134 | 5 | 11.96 | 265 | |||
| 47 | Jason Eaker - Allen Eaker | 20 | 5 | 11.94 | 264 | |||
| 48 | William Harris - Stanton Harris | 29 | 4 | 11.88 | 5.35 | 263 | ||
| 49 | Jarrad Poarch - Keith Berry | 28 | 5 | 11.86 | 2.98 | 262 | ||
| 50 | Wayne Ingram - Chris Brown | 48 | 5 | 11.83 | 261 | |||
| 51 | Jordan Wright - Chris Casey | 69 | 5 | 11.61 | 260 | |||
| 52 | Mark Swink - austin petty | 26 | 5 | 11.48 | 259 | |||
| 53 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 51 | 5 | 11.47 | 258 | |||
| 54 | Chris Graham - Ricky Byrd | 157 | 5 | 11.40 | 257 | |||
| 55 | Stephen Griggs - Rodney Sorrell | 122 | 5 | 11.35 | 256 | |||
| 56 | Joshua Queen - Mike Queen | 103 | 4 | 11.27 | 255 | |||
| 56 | Robin Collins - Ronnie White | 152 | 5 | 11.27 | 255 | |||
| 58 | Terry Herman - thomas wike | 173 | 5 | 11.12 | 253 | |||
| 59 | Nathan Webber - Hunter Harwell | 3 | 5 | 11.04 | 252 | |||
| 60 | Rodney Bell - Tommy Jones | 66 | 5 | 10.86 | 251 | |||
| 61 | Robert Bauguess - Rodney Morrow | 27 | 5 | 10.83 | 250 | |||
| 62 | Phil Hennessee - Jon Digh | 98 | 5 | 10.81 | 249 | |||
| 63 | william patterson - Chris Tinsley | 23 | 5 | 10.68 | 248 | |||
| 64 | Eddie Smith - Michael Carson | 46 | 5 | 10.53 | 247 | |||
| 64 | Keith Porter - Tony Price | 104 | 5 | 10.53 | 247 | |||
| 66 | John Elliott - Scott Tate | 71 | 5 | 10.48 | 245 | |||
| 67 | Jason Wilson - Kelly Logan | 132 | 5 | 10.44 | 244 | |||
| 68 | Aric Dwyer - Robert Anderson | 53 | 5 | 10.40 | 243 | |||
| 69 | Dennis Hensley - Steve Yoder | 33 | 5 | 10.28 | 242 | |||
| 70 | Phillip Hedrick - Jack Vanderford | 59 | 5 | 10.20 | 241 | |||
| 71 | Bryan Welch - Mark Inman | 22 | 5 | 9.99 | 240 | |||
| 72 | Don Sprinkle - Wayne Skipworth | 18 | 5 | 9.94 | 239 | |||
| 73 | Dale Surrett - Lee Endicott | 56 | 5 | 9.87 | 238 | |||
| 73 | Johnny Guffey - Wesley Bell | 167 | 5 | 9.87 | 238 | |||
| 75 | Mitch Burgin - Larry Houser | 91 | 4 | 9.71 | 236 | |||
| 76 | James Carriker - Brad Smith | 161 | 4 | 9.64 | 235 | |||
| 77 | Kevin Chandler - Bradley Chandler | 63 | 4 | 9.61 | 234 | |||
| 78 | James Wall - Jimmy Wall | 148 | 5 | 9.59 | 233 | |||
| 79 | Steve Sink - Tony Foster | 24 | 5 | 9.44 | 232 | |||
| 80 | Adam Ridings - Michael Ridings | 79 | 3 | 9.43 | 231 | |||
| 80 | Nolan Eller - Josh Huffman | 105 | 5 | 9.43 | 231 | |||
| 82 | Roger Adams - Josh Adams | 45 | 3 | 9.21 | 229 | |||
| 82 | Paul Guthrie - Robert Church | 117 | 5 | 9.21 | 229 | |||
| 84 | Thomas Gavin - Mike Sprouse | 153 | 5 | 9.16 | 227 | |||
| 85 | Thomas Simmerson - Doug Young | 6 | 3 | 9.12 | 5.7 | 226 | ||
| 86 | Patrick Tierney - Moe Freeze | 89 | 5 | 8.92 | 225 | |||
| 87 | Thomas Ludwick - Thomas File | 138 | 5 | 8.90 | 224 | |||
| 88 | Chris Wagner - Chase Deal | 80 | 5 | 8.83 | 223 | |||
| 89 | Tim Hollar - Bob Killian | 44 | 5 | 8.68 | 222 | |||
| 89 | Travus Lovell - James Roten | 55 | 5 | 8.68 | 222 | |||
| 91 | greg berst - Ryan Bentley | 168 | 5 | 8.48 | 220 | |||
| 92 | Steve Dyer - Derek Lilley | 37 | 3 | 8.47 | 219 | |||
| 93 | Israel Gibson - Grant McPeters | 106 | 4 | 8.45 | 218 | |||
| 94 | Anthony Monaco - Justin McBrayer | 72 | 5 | 8.06 | 217 | |||
| 95 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 70 | 4 | 8.05 | 216 | |||
| 96 | Keith Speece - Wendell Ireland | 17 | 3 | 7.92 | 215 | |||
| 97 | Randall Wallace - Andrew Wallace | 170 | 4 | 7.55 | 214 | |||
| 98 | Chris Ellis - Mathew Frazier | 61 | 3 | 7.53 | 213 | |||
| 99 | Sheldon Hipps - Wayne Hauser | 60 | 4 | 7.44 | 212 | |||
| 100 | Allen Robbins - Jerry Robbins | 25 | 2 | 7.23 | 5.94 | 211 | ||
| 101 | Shawn Crosby - robert brooks | 163 | 4 | 7.02 | 210 | |||
| 102 | Billy Scoggins - Eddie Parker | 14 | 4 | 6.85 | 209 | |||
| 103 | bobby snyder - Bernie Davis | 100 | 2 | 6.64 | 5.27 | 208 | ||
| 104 | Larry LeHew - Greg Deal | 36 | 4 | 6.63 | 207 | |||
| 105 | Dale Duncan - Donnie Woody | 129 | 3 | 6.08 | 206 | |||
| 106 | Jason Lowman - Cody Lail | 88 | 2 | 5.57 | 205 | |||
| 107 | Fred Kauffman - Sam Gladden | 73 | 3 | 5.41 | 204 | |||
| 108 | Justin Stoltzfus - david schuette | 65 | 3 | 5.01 | 203 | |||
| 109 | Dan English - David Gibson | 143 | 1 | 3.59 | 202 | |||
| 110 | Larry Horton - Ricky Shrewsbury | 13 | 2 | 3.42 | 201 | |||
| 111 | John Robeson - Jimmy Tatum | 110 | 1 | 3.28 | 200 | |||
| 112 | Mike Clark - Chris Anderson | 47 | 1 | 1.97 | 1.97 | 199 | ||
| 113 | Thomas Hardwick - Tommy Williams | 90 | 1 | 1.95 | 198 | |||
| 114 | William Blanton - David Blanton | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 115 | James Martin - Cliff Kirby | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 116 | Nick Miller - Brandon Brickweg | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 117 | Butch Zadlo - Bryan Lewis | 8 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 118 | Jeff Hager - darrel hager | 12 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 119 | Donald Poteat - JOHN ALLEN | 15 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 120 | Brent Berry - Steve Shaw | 16 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 121 | Adam Waters - Dylan Fulk | 19 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 122 | Jeff Queen - Carroll Queen | 21 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 123 | Greg Bragg - Christopher Terry | 30 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 124 | Dennis Cable - Tim Harrison | 31 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 125 | Todd Garner - Shane Hartman | 35 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 126 | Richard Robinson lll - Robert Chavis | 38 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 127 | joe floyd - Phil Brown | 41 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 128 | GEORGE HIRAPETIAN - ARAM HIRAPETIAN | 42 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 129 | Brian King | 43 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 130 | Mason Boyd - TIMOTHY SISK | 57 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 131 | Chris Corriher - Randy Christy | 67 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 132 | Milton Yancey - Larry Yancey | 68 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 133 | Ricky Self - Ben Stanton | 74 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 134 | Kevin Toler - Rodney Lambert | 75 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 135 | Bron Hemphill - Nathan Dellinger | 78 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 136 | Dwight Dellinger - Doug Dellinger | 81 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 137 | Greg Whittington - Danny Hucks | 85 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 138 | Michael Smith - Roger Pope | 86 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 139 | Tyler Hoopaugh - Chris Hoopaugh | 96 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 140 | MICHAEL HALL - MIKE HALL | 101 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 141 | Brendon Schneider - Kyle James | 102 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 142 | Chuck Morton - Michael Riggs | 107 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 143 | Tyler Dover - Billy Dover | 109 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 144 | Darrell Fisher - William Gregory | 111 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 145 | Mike Scott - Chris Johnson | 112 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 146 | Mikey Bowlby | 116 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 147 | Cody Shuffler - Bryce Owen | 120 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 148 | Dusty Taylor - Keaton Hawks | 121 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 149 | Robert Walser - Mack Lowe | 123 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 150 | Jason Quinn - Tony Colacurcio | 124 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 151 | Justin Reid - Derrick Compton | 126 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 152 | Louie Hull - Chuck Montgomery | 128 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 153 | Jacob Moore - Thomas Moore | 130 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 154 | Greg Sims - Michael Huffman | 131 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 155 | Brandon Sykes - Jeff McQuaige | 133 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 156 | Duke Denison - Jamie Denison | 135 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 157 | Paul Brittain - Robert Kendrick | 139 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 158 | Phillip Frady - Dirk Porter | 140 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 159 | Bob Bolick - Rick Hedrick | 141 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 160 | Tony Davis - Tim Bowman | 142 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 161 | Dale Luckey - John Brown | 144 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 162 | Terry Trivet - Derek Tolley | 145 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 163 | Michael Cribb - Roger Cribb | 146 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 164 | Brandon Williams - Christian Shoda | 147 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 165 | Brian Travis - Ashley Brotherton | 149 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 166 | Mike Ray - Orlando Giles | 154 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 167 | Timothy Stewart - chris stewart | 158 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 168 | Kyle Whisnant - James Ball | 159 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 169 | Roger Hoover - Scott Hamrick | 160 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 170 | Alton Rockett - Randy Huffman | 162 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 171 | Brock Taylor - Brent Long | 164 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 172 | Tim Hawley - Joe Hamilton | 171 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 | |||
| 173 | Adam Greer - Shae jones | 172 | 0 | 0.00 | 197 |
David Griswold Captures The Win In The Aft Division 96 Event On Lake Greenwood!
Group picture from left to right; 1st place David Griswold of Woodruff, SC / 2nd place and Big Fish Winner Don Kneece of Saluda, SC. / 3rd place Jerry Allen of Waterloo, SC / 4th place Daniel Howell of Star, SC / 5th place Jay Treon of Greenwood, SC. (Also a photo of Don Kneece with the tournament big fish.)
First place, David Griswold of Woodruff, SC, was fishing the middle part of the lake and caught his fish on docks with jerkbaits and flipping soft plastics. David’s 5 fish weighing 17.67 pounds with a kicker fish of 5.29 pounds won first place and first place option for a total of $637.
Don Kneece of Saluda, SC was second with 5 fish weighing 13.68 pounds fishing the upper part of the lake. He caught his fish on jerkbaits and top water. Don caught all his fish early from schooling fish. His big fish (tournament big fish) weighing 5.64 pounds was caught on the jerkbait. For second place, second place in the option pot and big fish Don won $478.
Jerry Allen of Waterloo, SC finished in third place with 5 fish weighing 12.04 pounds. Jerry took home $101 for third place.
Only 9 anglers out of the 19 fishing weighed in fish today. Anglers reported catching a lot of short fish and fishing docks seemed to be the pattern fished by many.
Our day started out raining with passing thunderstorms. The rain kept coming and going until about 10:30am. From that point it was cloudy to mostly cloudy for the remainder of the day. Wind was out of the SW at 10 to 15mph. We started at 66 degrees and were at 84 degrees for the 3pm weigh-in. Water temps were in the mid 70’s. The lake was clear but stained in the creeks and almost at full pool.
Here’s how we finished:
1 – David Griswold, Woodruff, SC – 5 fish 17.67 lbs. 199 pts.
2 – Don Kneece, Saluda, SC - 5 fish 13.68 lbs. BF 5.64 lbs. 198 pts.
3 – Jerry Allen, Waterloo, SC – 5 fish 12.04 lbs. 197 pts.
4 – Daniel Howell, Star, SC – 5 fish 10.28 lbs. 196 pts.
5 – Jay Treon, Greenwood, SC – 5 fish 17.10 lbs. 195 pts.
6 – Matt Mollohan, Lexington, SC – 5 fish 8.90 lbs. 194 pts.
7 – Stanley Harkins, Fletcher, NC – 2 fish 3.96 lbs. 193 pts.
8 – Cody Conner, Saluda, SC – 2 fish 3.70 lbs. 192 pts.
9 – Ed Matthews, Columbia, SC – 1 fish 3.37 lbs. 191 pts.
10 anglers did not weigh in fish - 50 pts.
Money
David Griswold – 1st place plaque $522 / 1st place option $115 Total - $637
Don Kneece – 2nd place plaque $308 / 2nd place option $75 / BF plaque $95 Total - $478
Jerry Allen – 3rd place plaque - $101
Daniel Howell – 4th place – Parker Spinnerbait
Jay Treon – 5th place – ALX Rods Hat
ALX Rod Big Fish Leader for 2016
John Stevenson – 7.65 lbs. Lake Murray, February 28, 2015
ALX Rods Big Fish Award for the 2015 Season (New ALX IKOS Series Rod for Season Big Fish Winner www.alxrods.com )
Local Sponsors:
Our local sponsors will be providing products or money for products for the anglers fishing Division 96 tournaments. Please give them your support by looking to them first when considering your purchases. They are supporting you!
Kneece Investigations, LLC Saluda, SC www.kneeceinvestigations.com (864-445-3713) (one stop for both your Investigative and Surveillance Equipment needs)
ALX Rods Aiken, SC www.alxrods.com (803-645-5392) Email: contact@alxrods.com (ALX Rods are available locally at The Tackle Shop (Martinez, GA), Palmetto State Armory (Fernandina Road in Columbia, SC & also store in Mt. Pleasant, SC), Wacky Riggers (Salisbury, NC), Calyx Outdoors (Piedmont, SC) Grady’s Great Outdoors (Anderson, SC), Lake Hartwell Outdoor Center (Anderson, SC) and direct at www.alxrods.com )
Gene Parker’s Spinnerbaits Asheville, NC - the baits that Gene Parker used to win the 2011 ABA National Championship on Lake Murray, SC www.parkerbaittechnology.com (828-691-2277)
Results and news on www.aba-sc.com and see your photos on ‘facebook’ at D-96 American Fishing Tour
Upcoming ABA Tournaments:
D-25 May 14-15, 2016 Hartwell Green Pond 2-Day
SC Couples May 21, 2016 Russell Russell State Park
D-96 May 21-22, 2016 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility 2-Day
D-96 May 28, 2016 Bring A Youth Greenwood Greenwood State Park
D-26 May 29, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
SC Couples June 4, 2016 Greenwood One Stop Marina
Ram Open Series June 11, 2016 Hartwell Green Pond
D-26 June 26, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
D-96 July 10, 2016 Murray Dreher Island State Park (1st of 2017 Season)
D-26 Aug. 14, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
D-96 Aug. 21, 2016 Greenwood Greenwood State Park (2017)
D-26 Sept. 10-11, 2016 Clarks Hill Wildwood State Park (Div. 2-Day)
D-96 Sept. 18, 2016 Murray Dreher Island State Park (2017)
D-96 Oct. 2, 2016 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility (2017)
D-96 Nov. 6, 2016 Greenwood Greenwood State Park (2017)
D-96 Dec. 4, 2016 Russell Hwy 72 Ramp
AFT 2016 National Championship October 16-21, 2016 Lake Eufaula out of Lake Point Resort State Park, Eufaula, Al
Tim Mann, Troy Ray Win Big Nefar Tourney On St Johns River With 24.59 Pounds
Mann and Ray weighed-in 24.59 pounds of bass.
The NEFAR tourney indicates that fishing is good on the river right now. It also hints that we'll see big numbers of boats and bass at the Wolfson tourney in mid-May.
More details to come.
Rare Baker's Dozen Fish Final Day Of Elite Series On Wheeler
It's interesting that Dave Lefebre is sponsored by '13 Fishing' because he leads the Elites into a final round that features 13, not the standard 12, anglers.
At the close of Day 3, Saturday, Luke Clausen was disqualified under Bassmaster Elite Series Rule C3 which pertains to 'practice and competition' and has 5 subrules attached to it.
Citing his rights under Rule C23, Clausen appealed his disqualification and was thus allowed to fish today with the understanding that his efforts will be null and void if the DQ is upheld.
Similarly, Cliff Crochet, in 13th place yesterday, was also permitted to fish today with the understanding that if Clausen wins his case, Crochet's day will have just amounted to fun fishing and nothing more - except additional exposure for himself and his sponsors which is certainly a big benefit.
A decision is supposed to be handed-down at the conclusion of today's activities.
Either way, Crochet is having blast throwing topwater frogs as he has all week.
Weigh in should be interesting, if a bit awkward.
Team 13 Fishing & Rapala Angler Dave Lefebre Maintains Lead In Wheeler Lake Elite Series Event!!
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Lefebre Jumps Out To A Commanding Lead After Day 2 Of The Elite Series Event On Lake Wheeler
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Elite Series Day 1 Interviews
Some are happy and some are sad. More sad than happy right now as the guys who caught them caught them and the guys who didnt are left scratching their heads. Hear a little of both in the Day 1 Elite Series Wrap up with Justin Lucas, Brandon Palaniuk and Brandon Lester from Wheeler Lake.
The Crews Missile Jumps Out To The Early Lead In The 4Th Elite Series Stop Of The Bass Season
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Elite Series Day 1 Morning Interviews
Words like "Worst Ever", "Dead Sea", "Terrible" and some we can't mention were used to describe the status of the fishing on lake Wheeler this week. Listen as 4 Elite Series hammers tell us how they feel about day 1 then head over to Bassmaster.com and check the blog to see how they are really doing!
Anglers Channel On The Water With Flw Cup Champ Brad Knight
FLW Cup Champ Brad Knight likes to simplify things in the spring to help you get more bites. Hit Play and see how he keeps it simple and light to catch more and bigger fish in the spring.
Ferguson And Stewart Win The White Pine Marine Tt On Douglas-Results And Pic Here!
The second tournament for White Pine Marine Trail was Saturday April 23rd on Douglas Lake. We had another good turnout with 100 boats. The day was a sunny day with temps reaching near 80 degrees. The fishing was as good as the weather with fish in all stages of the spawn they were caught shallow and deep. The team of Bobby Ferguson and Marty Stewart brought to the scales 23.48 pounds to win and they also had big largemouth for tourney of 6.95lb. This veteran team was quoted that they fished post spawn deep fish. The win, big fish, and highest Lowrance money netted them $3800.00 dollars. We look forward to our next event which is on Cherokee lake at the Dam May 21st blast off will be 6:30 am. You may sign up at White Pine Marine that entire week and parking will be tight at the ramp. Thanks to all our great sponsors like Nitro/tracker Marine, Mercury, Jefferson county and Morristown chambers for all their support. Please see website for list of all sponsors.
Thanks Director Richard McMaster
Benton, Avena And A Talented Cast Of Young Pros Vie For Bassmaster Roy Title
I watched Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan (yes, THAT Michael Jordan when he tried his hand at hardball) play against our Suns. Neither could hit a curve ball at the time. Bo figured it out.
Observing the sport of angling from the front lines, I have had the privilege of watching young anglers learn to hit tournament curveballs - weather changes, disappearing schools, depleted shallow water areas and boat pressure.
A couple of years ago I fished the co-angler division at an FLW Tour tourney on Okeechobee. Now, in no way do I mean to compare the FLW Tour to minor league ball. The Tour represents a most professional sports league. The comparison lies in the fact that it afforded me a front row seat to watch some strong young talent that is now showing up as front runners in the Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year race. Heck, a couple of the young guys are making noise in the Angler of the Year race.
At that one tournament I met Adrian Avena in a grocery store parking lot and fished with Drew Benton on 2nd day of the first FLW Tour event of his rookie season on that trail. Benton won the tournament. What I remember most though is that he dug in his tackle bag and handed me a lure like the one he was catching them on. Before he had finished out his limit. It was a homemade bladed jig. He also figured out why I wasn’t catching them like he was. He explained exactly how the fish were positioned and why.
Drew Benton was dialed-in.
I enjoyed the show and developed an admiration for the way this young man went about his business. And the way he treated me.
While Avena is a Jersey Boy and Benton hails from Panama City, Florida, they share some outstanding character traits. Traits that make it easy to understand the considerable success they have achieved so early in their careers.
Benton currently 9th in AOY points and leads the ROY race with 258 points. Avena is 28th with 217. We’re 3 tournaments into the 2016 season, and a lot can still happen; will happen, but Benton and Avena have separated from a talented pack of rookies. The race should be tight and guys like Brock Mosely and John Hunter will give chase.
And I believe that years from now we will look back on this Rookie of the Year race as the start of some big Bassmaster tournament angling careers.
Countdown To Blastoff With Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh-High Stakes All Over This Coming Weekend!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh joins us again to preview what looks to be a fantastic weekend on the water! Final CBC NC Qualifier on Hickory as well as numberous others throughout the region! Patterns are changing now, and we dive into what that means for that first cast..
Weekend Wrap Up With Ac Pro Staffer Rob Digh-Local Angler Wins The Big Bass On Smith Mtn!
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh helps us re-cap what was a great weekend on the water! Thousands of $$ won accross the region and we cover it all! Bass Pro's Big Bass on Smith Mtn, the Elites on Bull Shoals, CBC on Winyah Bay, and much, much more!!
Jennings And Patterson Win The Collins Bass For Cash Youth Series On Gaston With An Impressive 16.04 Lbs-Full Results And Pics!
Jennings & Patterson Take Lake Gaston Youth Educational Series Win
Fifteen youth teams made their way to Lake Gaston for event number two on the Youth Educational Series schedule. After coming off a second place finish at Jordan Lake last month in the season opener, Logan Jennings and Alden Patterson came out swinging and secured the top spot with 16.04 lbs. The two anglers were each rewarded with matching trophies, Outdoor Accessories Unlimited prize packages (tackle storage containers, spinner baits, crankbaits, and bullet weights), Z-Man Elaztech soft plastics, and Penetration Hooks.
In only their first season as an established high school team, the duo of Dylan Valousky & Timothy Estep boosted their schools momentum with a second place finish after bringing 15.31 lbs of Lake Gaston bass to the scales, including the event lunker at 6.42 lbs. For their runner up finish, the two anglers were each rewarded with matching trophies, Outdoor Accessories Unlimited prize packages (tackle storage containers, crankbaits, and bullet weights), Z-Man Elaztech soft plastics, and Penetration Hooks. The lunker awards consisted of a dedicated lunker trophy, a Z-Man hoodie, and a $50 Ranger Wear gift card.
After winning the season opener, Tyler Dunn & Mathew Shrewsbury settled for the third position in this event with their catch of 12.75 lbs. For their efforts, the two anglers were awarded with Outdoor Accessories Unlimited prize packages (tackle storage containers, crankbaits, and bullet weights), Z-Man Elaztech soft plastics, and Penetration Hooks.
Christian and Seth Bonar filled the fourth position with their five fish limit weighing in at 11.59 lbs which earned the duo Outdoor Accessories Unlimited prize packages (tackle storage containers and bullet weights), Z-Man Elaztech soft plastics, and Penetration Hooks.
Rounding out the top five was the team of Landon and Camden Inscoe with their catch of 6.88 lbs. Each were awarded Z-Man Elaztech soft plastics, and Penetration Hooks.
Door prizes such as Solar Bat Sunglasses, Ranger Boats gift cards, Z-Man soft plastics and apparel, and Penetration Hooks were provided during the afternoon weigh-in.
Thanks to the help of Stevens Sausage, food items were provided during the afternoon weigh-in for all of the youth anglers and their boat captains.
We were excited to partner with the Virginia Student Angler Federation for this event. The Virginia SAF program used this tournament as a regular season points event for their state series. Additional great trophy awards were presented to the top three teams by the Virginia TBF/SAF youth director, Jerry Wright. A special thanks goes out to Jerry for his assistance in this event.
Wilbur Westbrook & Mike Lanier Win The Collins Bass For Cash Series On Gaston With 22.87-Full Results And Pics Here!
Westbrook & Lanier Win Bass For Cash Series Event On Gaston
Sixty teams converged onto Lake Gaston for event number two of the Collins Inc. – Bass For Cash Series. Wilbur Westbrook & Mike Lanier took the top spot with a five fish limit weighing in at 22.87 lbs, granting the duo a $1282.00 pay day. As a registered member of the Ranger Cup program, Westbrook earns another $500 from Ranger Boats. Also, by meeting the Collins Cup program guidelines, Westbrook & Lanier have earned a pre-paid entry into a future BFCS event of their choice. The pair only had six total bites for the entire day, but it was obviously the quality bites that they were looking for.
Randy Broughman & Bobby Kinsey secured the second position with their five fish limit that weighed 21.76 lbs and handed the tandem a $765.00 pay check.
Raymond Jones and Braxton Chase filled the third position with their catch of 18.67 lbs, earning the duo $608.00 for their efforts. Jones also netted another $300.00 check and a $100 Outdoor Accessories Unlimited Gift Card for landing the event lunker weighing in at 6.73 lbs.
Coming home in the fourth position was the team of Buster Seabolt and Scott Mooneyham with a catch of 16.86 lbs, earning the tandem $495.00 for the day.
Filling the fifth position was pairing of Joey Dawson & Bo Grosvenor with their catch of 16.60 lbs worth $427.00.
Ron and Ronnie Clark settled in the sixth position with 15.35 lbs and gained $315.00 while Danny Moss earned $248.00 for his catch of 15.24 lbs, landing him in the seventh spot.
Rounding out the final two check earning positions for the day was the eighth place team of Gene Griffin and Mike Whitehurst with their catch of 15.09 lbs worth $225.00 and the ninth place team of Chuck Murray & Randy Groves with 15.07 lbs, giving the duo $135.00 for the day.
Walker & Mason Win Alabama Bass Trail Event With 22.27Lbs - Hear How The Top 3 Caught Their Fish.
Alabama Bass Trail had their 3rd Northern Event on Pickwick Lake this past weekend. Watch and see how the top 3 teams caught their fish!
Flw Bfl Recap - Northeast, Buckeye, Gator, Savannah River, Music City Events From April 23, 2016
PITTSBURGH’S STASIAK WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTHEAST DIVISION OPENER ON POTOMAC RIVER
Maurer wins co-angler title
MARBURY, Md. (April 25, 2016) – Matt Stasiak of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the first FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament of 2016 on the Potomac River. For his victory, Stasiak took home $7,498.
Stasiak said he spent his day focusing on a spawning area in Piscataway Creek. He said the bass were actively feeding on perch, which ended up being a crucial part of his pattern.
“I started out throwing a green-pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog,†said Stasiak, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “I was fan casting and dragging it. In tidal waters, sometimes you can’t see the beds, so dragging is the best option.â€
Around midday, Stasiak said he switched to using a green-pumpkin and orange-colored Z-Man ChatterBait.
“When the tide was moving, the bass were active and really wanted the ChatterBait,†said Stasiak. “At high-tide, I ran it slow over the top of grass. If it got caught, I’d pop it, let it fall, then keep reeling. At low tide, I kept my rod tip up as there was only about a foot of water where I was throwing.â€
Stasiak went on to say that he was able to catch 15 keepers throughout the event.
“A lot of people were throwing white Chatterbaits out there, but I don’t think they were dialed in on the shad,†said Stasiak. “I had a lot of perch bites up near my boat which made me choose the green-pumpkin and orange. That’s what got me the better bites.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Matt Stasiak, Pittsburgh, Pa., five bass, 19-13, $5,498 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Al Fiorille, Mount Airy, Md., five bass, 19-6, $2,249
3rd: Ryan Ingalls, Fairfax, Va., five bass, 18-7, $1,498
4th: Michael Durbak, Woodbourne, N.Y., five bass, 18-0, $975
4th: Ernie Freeman, Broad Run, Va., five bass, 18-0, $975
6th: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 17-15, $825
7th: Joseph Thompson, Coatesville, Pa., five bass, 17-14, $750
8th: Mark Schafer, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 17-11, $675
9th: Bruce Ring, Front Royal, Va., five bass, 17-10, $600
10th: Anthony Ebel, Davidsonville, Md., five bass, 17-7, $525
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Brian Christy of Media, Pennsylvania, caught a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $645.
Ken Maurer of Herndon, Pennsylvania, weighed in five bass totaling 19 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,249.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Ken Maurer, Herndon, Pa., five bass, 19-7, $2,249
2nd: Griffen Hurt, Bound Brook, N.J., five bass, 18-1, $1,125
3rd: Kenneth Henderson, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 17-11, $752
4th: Robert Parmer Jr., Linden, Pa., five bass, 17-9, $525
5th: Dennis Jones, La Plata, Md., five bass, 16-13, $450
6th: Brandon Esterly, Fleetwood, Pa., five bass, 16-11, $412
7th: Richard Pace, Frederick, Md., five bass, 16-3, $375
8th: Bill Naron, Beaverdam, Va., five bass, 15-13, $318
8th: Wyatt Morris, Little Falls, N.Y., five bass, 15-13, $318
10th: Damon Reid, Bowie, Md., five bass, 15-7, $262
Ron Terlop of Cleveland, Ohio, 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 $322.
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.
MAPLEWOOD’S GINTER WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE BUCKEYE DIVISION OPENER ON GRAND LAKE
Knapmeyer wins co-angler title
CELINA, Ohio (April 25, 2016) – Gary Ginter of Maplewood, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the first FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament of 2016 on Grand Lake. For his victory, Ginter took home $5,905.
“I started out my day on the south side of the lake fishing canals that I had marked in practice,†said Ginter, who earned his third win in FLW competition. “I had to adjust my pattern a bit due to boat traffic and ended up at my backup spot targeting wood and caught a few fish fairly quick.â€
Ginter said he flipped the wood using a custom black soft-plastic creature bait.
“I moved it slow with short hops,†said Ginter. “It resembles a Zoom Brush Hog and it got me through the seven areas I hit throughout my day.â€
At 12:30 p.m., Ginter said he had four fish in the boat and decided to finish the event running his bait along rocks.
“After the sun came out, I filled my limit and culled when I could,†said Ginter. “I ended up with nine keepers. Basically I paid attention to what others were doing and did the opposite.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Gary Ginter, Maplewood, Ohio, five bass, 13-1, $5,905
2nd: Todd Hahn, Heath, Ohio, five bass, 12-0, $2,453
3rd: Scott Tangeman, Chickasaw, Ohio, five bass, 11-4, $2,375
4th: Kenneth Pincombe, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 10-15, $1,063
4th: Dan Moran, London, Ohio, five bass, 10-15, $1,063
6th: Brad Baldwin, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 10-14, $899
7th: Miles Johnson, Kettering, Ohio, five bass, 10-4, $1,118
8th: Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 10-3, $695
8th: Ray Philhower, Milford, Ohio, four bass, 10-3, $695
10th: Bob Abrams, Williamsburg, Ohio, four bass, 10-0, $572
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Tangeman caught a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $740.
Brandon Knapmeyer of Union, Kentucky, weighed in four bass totaling 8 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,436.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Brandon Knapmeyer, Union, Ky., four bass, 8-2, $2,436
2nd: John Long, New Bremen, Ohio, four bass, 8-1, $1,016
2nd: Dennis Sepeck, Bethel, Ohio, three bass, 8-1, $1,016
4th: Brett Warrick, Westerville, Ohio, five bass, 7-9, $568
5th: Mark Henderson, Martinsville, Ohio, four bass, 7-3, $487
6th: Jacob Bierman, Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 6-15, $447
7th: Owen Warner, Fairborn, Ohio, three bass, 6-9, $406
8th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 5-12, $345
8th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, three bass, 5-12, $345
10th: William Miller, Perry, Ohio, one bass, 5-11, $651
Miller caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $367.
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.
SARASOTA’S MIZELL WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE GATOR DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE PRESENTED BY MINN KOTA
Mut wins co-angler title
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (April 25, 2016) – Jessie Mizell of Sarasota, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee presented by Minn Kota. For his victory, Mizell took home $5,336.
Mizell said he targeted bass that were feeding on bluegill in a lagoon along a 100-yard stretch near Harney Pond.
“When I heard the bluegill popping, I would head into the pads,†said Mizell, who earned the win in his first-ever event with FLW. “The water was clean on the outside of the hydrilla line, but that morning there was a southwest wind that blew in some dirty water so I decided to focus on the back side of the pads.
“I used a green-pumpkin Z-Man ChatterBait rigged with a Gambler Little EZ to catch my limit for the day,†Mizell continued. “I rolled it as slow as I could and just kept pecking at them. It was a grind, but I knew the fish were in there.â€
Mizell said he made a midday adjustment which helped him catch nearly 12 keepers.
“In the morning, I lost a lot of fish,†said Mizell. “I was pulling the bait aside when they swiped at it and it scared them off. But after a while, I figured them out. I noticed they would eat it after I stopped cranking to let it drop, so that’s what I did throughout the rest of the day and it worked.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jessie Mizell, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 25-11, $5,336
2nd: Kail Stevens, Boynton Beach, Fla., five bass, 24-5, $2,668
3rd: Raymond Trudeau, Saint Cloud, Fla., five bass, 23-7, $1,780
4th: Jared Dial, Winter Haven, Fla., five bass, 23-6, $1,245
5th: Steve Yeatts, Palm Springs, Fla., five bass, 22-10, $1,487
6th: Richard Held, Lake Worth, Fla., five bass, 19-14, $978
7th: Mike Keyso Jr., North Port, Fla., five bass, 19-11, $889
8th: Victor Knight, Lehigh Acres, Fla., five bass, 19-9, $800
9th: Gary Milicevic, Labelle, Fla., five bass, 19-6, $712
10th: Roger Crafton, Boca Grande, Fla., five bass, 19-4, $623
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Yoan Alvarez of Miami, Florida, caught an 8-pound, 5-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $420.
Alex Mut of Miami, Florida, weighed in five bass totaling 22 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,668.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Alex Mut, Miami, Fla., five bass, 22-11, $2,668
2nd: Walter Sargent, Boynton Beach, Fla., five bass, 19-2, $1,334
3rd: Christopher Kelley, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., five bass, 17-1, $888
4th: Michael Chadwick, La Belle, Fla., five bass, 14-9, $623
5th: Terry Chapman, Brooksville, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $534
6th: Robert Turcotte, Naples, Fla., five bass, 13-7, $489
7th: Matthew Wolfe Jr., Casstown, Ohio, five bass, 13-6, $445
8th: David Bozeman, Ocala, Fla., five bass, 13-5, $400
9th: General Johnson, Fort Myers, Fla., four bass, 13-3, $356
10th: Greg Smith, Naples, Fla., five bass, 13-1, $311
William Brown of Davie, Florida, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $420.
EASTANOLLEE’S MORROW WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE HARTWELL PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Rogers wins co-angler title
ANDERSON, S.C. (April 25, 2016) – Pro angler Troy Morrow of Eastanollee, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament on Lake Hartwell presented by Navionics. For his victory, Morrow took home $7,684.
“My original intention was to head up the river and look for bedding fish, but when I arrived at my area they were gone,†said Morrow, a four-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “I had to adjust on the fly.â€
“I flipped a tree laydown using a plum-apple-colored Zoom Lizard and had some success,†said Morrow. “I found that there was also a flipping bite near smaller bushes. There were a bunch of bucks in them. At some larger willow bushes, I caught one that I eventually weighed in.â€
Around 1 p.m., Morrow said he ran south to a pocket where he ended up catching the heaviest bass of the tournament.
“I saw a big female in there and threw the Lizard, but she wasn’t biting,†said Morrow. “I left her alone for awhile, then went back, pitched in a green-pumpkin Lizard, and she bit.â€
Morrow said his final two limit fish came on a Zoom swimbait off of docks on a nearby main-lake flat.
“Even though I wasn’t able to go with my original pattern, I was still able to patch things up,†said Morrow. “It was an interesting day out there.â€
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 17-11, $5,684 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Derek Champion, Tryon, N.C., five bass, 17-5, $2,059
3rd: Matthew Roesch, Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 16-10, $1,374
4th: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 15-9, $961
5th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 15-1, $824
6th: Mike Bouknight, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 14-12, $755
7th: Eddie Whiten Jr., Pickens, S.C., five bass, 14-3, $652
8th: Chris Baxter, Winder, Ga., five bass, 14-3, $952
9th: David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 14-2, $514
9th: Michael Brehm, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 14-2, $514
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Morrow also caught a 7-pound, 6-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $565.
Jody Rogers Sr. of Clarkesville, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,059.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jody Rogers Sr., Clarkesville, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $2,059
2nd: Christopher Chavis, Rincon, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $1,030
3rd: Barry Myers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 11-13, $687
4th: Bill Hawkins, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 11-3, $480
5th: Bobby Smith, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 10-10, $412
6th: Lesley Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-9, $378
7th: Stewart Uldrick, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-5, $326
7th: Tony Holbrooks, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 10-5, $326
9th: Keith Lewis, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 10-2, $275
10th: Stephen Burress, Mills River, N.C., five bass, 9-14, $240
Ethan Monk of Long Creek, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $282.
MOUNT JULIET’S MERRICK WINS FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE MUSIC CITY DIVISION EVENT ON PERCY PRIEST PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Foutz wins co-angler title
SMYRNA, Tenn. (April 25, 2016) – William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division tournament on Percy Priest presented by Navionics. For his victory, Merrick took home $3,648.
“I spent my day on the south end of the lake throwing a large swimbait,†said Merrick, who earned his second win in FLW competition. “I slow-rolled it out deep for both pre- and postspawn bass in about 20 different spots. I preferred spawning banks that had a specific mix of rock and gravel.â€
Merrick said he used a 7-inch, trout-colored Osprey Swimbait and caught nearly 13 keepers on a fairly consistent basis.
“It’s a lot larger than most swimbaits used in this part of the country,†said Merrick. “It was definitely something the fish weren’t accustomed to seeing.â€
Merrick said his limit consisted of three postspawn smallmouth and two prespawn largemouth bass.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: William Merrick, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 18-4, $3,648
2nd: Chris Fondren, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-9, $1,324
3rd: Jeff Lokken, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $882
4th: Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $903
5th: Billy Hinson, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $530
6th: Jeremy Ethridge, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 12-14, $463
7th: Charlie Crisp Jr., Catlettsburg, Ky., five bass, 12-14, $463
8th: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 12-5, $397
9th: Adam Militana, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 12-3, $353
10th: Brandon Maynard , Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-2, $309
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Edel caught a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $285.
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tennessee, weighed in five bass totaling 11 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,324.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jacob Foutz, Charleston, Tenn., five bass, 11-10, $1,324
2nd: Jim Fontaine, Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 10-12, $804
3rd: Jason McCanless, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 10-10, $440
4th: Michael Birdwell, Granville, Tenn., five bass, 10-4, $309
5th: Greg Whittaker, Monterey, Tenn. five bass, 10-2, $265
6th: Brandon Russell, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 8-14, $243
7th: Larry Anderson, Hillsboro, Ohio, three bass, 8-5, $221
8th: Jake Short, Lebanon, Tenn., four bass, 8-3, $199
9th: Alex Hester, Crossville, Tenn., four bass, 7-11, $177
10th: Brennon Binkley, Franklin, Tenn., three bass, 7-10, $154
Fontaine caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $142.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
5.99-Pound Bass Wins Jeff Johnson A New Fully Rigged 30K Boat-Motor-Trailer Pkg!!
Leaders
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEFF JOHNSON | 5.99 |
| 2 | DREW CARTER | 5.87 |
| 3 | DANIEL JENKINS | 5.75 |
| 4 | BRYAN LEWIS | 5.43 |
| 5 | REGGIE DELLINGER | 5.38 |
| 6 | DWAIN BEVER | 5.35 |
| 7 | GRANVIL GRIFFIN | 5.29 |
| 8 | BURT LANE | 5.22 |
| 9 | TIMMY HOLLAND | 5.21 |
| 10 | RICH FERRIS | 5.13 |
Saturday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | REGGIE DELLINGER | 5.38 |
| 2 | GRANVIL GRIFFIN | 5.29 |
| 3 | RONNIE DAUGHTRY | 4.95 |
| 4 | PERRY GORDON | 4.48 |
| 5 | ROBERT HOYT | 4.40 |
| 6 | MATT HALL | 4.35 |
| 7 | DAMIEN MACMAHON | 3.89 |
| 8 | JESSE CATES | 3.61 |
| 9 | WAYNE MYERS | 3.58 |
| 10 | STEPHEN JONES | 3.38 |
Saturday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DREW CARTER | 5.87 |
| 2 | RICH FERRIS | 5.13 |
| 3 | ED PERDUE | 4.70 |
| 4 | CHRIS MARTIN | 4.37 |
| 5 | MATT HALL | 4.20 |
| 6 | TIM GOFF | 3.78 |
| 7 | KEVIN LANKFORD | 3.76 |
| 8 | DENNIS HOLLAND | 3.75 |
| 9 | KENNETH WALTHER | 3.72 |
| 10 | TYLER DUKE | 3.60 |
Saturday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRYAN LEWIS | 5.43 |
| 2 | DWAIN BEVER | 5.35 |
| 3 | JACOB PERKINS | 5.04 |
| 4 | JASON JENNINGS | 4.88 |
| 5 | ZACH MABRY | 4.75 |
| 6 | SABIAN STARGARDT | 4.64 |
| 7 | RICK TILLEY JR | 4.11 |
| 8 | LONNIE GIVENS | 3.92 |
| 9 | BRADLEY STARR | 3.79 |
| 9 | SHAWN HAMMACK | 3.79 |
Saturday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEFF JOHNSON | 5.99 |
| 2 | ROBERT HOYT | 4.91 |
| 3 | DWAIN BEVER | 4.83 |
| 4 | JOSH AKERS | 4.54 |
| 5 | MATT HALL | 4.49 |
| 6 | WILL BOWLING | 4.26 |
| 7 | BILLY ORR | 4.02 |
| 8 | JOEL SCHOTT | 3.79 |
| 9 | NATHAN WARD | 3.74 |
| 10 | LUKE NICHOLS | 3.69 |
Saturday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOSH ALBERT | 4.79 |
| 2 | JOHN WARNER | 4.54 |
| 3 | JASON OBRYANT | 3.98 |
| 4 | RICK LASWSON | 3.97 |
| 5 | BEN REYNOLDS | 3.93 |
| 6 | LANDON SIGGERS | 3.91 |
| 7 | SCOTT GIFFORD | 3.89 |
| 8 | BRAYDEN RAKES | 3.82 |
| 9 | GREG REED | 3.81 |
| 10 | KEITH JENKINS | 3.64 |
Saturday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MATT HEPLER | 4.77 |
| 2 | WESLEY BENNETT | 4.49 |
| 3 | ZACH MABRY | 4.33 |
| 4 | JIMMY LANKFORD | 4.23 |
| 5 | JUSTIN WITTEN | 4.11 |
| 6 | EDWARD FOUST | 4.07 |
| 7 | GREGG BASHAM | 3.96 |
| 8 | JAMES KEENEY | 3.93 |
| 9 | LUKE NICHOLS | 3.66 |
| 10 | MARK CLINGENPEEL | 3.63 |
Saturday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BURT LANE | 5.22 |
| 2 | LANDON SIGGERS | 4.20 |
| 3 | GREGG BASHAM | 3.99 |
| 4 | JAMES PENLEY | 3.81 |
| 4 | MATT STOUT | 3.81 |
| 6 | TIMMY JACKSON | 3.77 |
| 7 | TONY LESTER | 3.67 |
| 8 | CRAIG BLANKENSHIP | 3.66 |
| 9 | RONNIE DAUGHTRY | 3.62 |
| 10 | JOE FRAME | 3.59 |
Sunday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DANIEL JENKINS | 5.75 |
| 2 | TIMMY HOLLAND | 5.21 |
| 3 | CHRIS HENDRICK | 4.46 |
| 4 | RYAN PARNELL | 4.45 |
| 5 | KELLY JOHNSON | 4.33 |
| 6 | JACOB BUMGARNER | 4.13 |
| 7 | MARK EDWARDS | 3.78 |
| 8 | RONNIE ROSE | 3.75 |
| 9 | BURT LANE | 3.61 |
| 10 | DONNY THOMPSON | 3.58 |
Sunday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DONNIE SHEEFEY JR | 4.54 |
| 2 | TIM LOVE | 4.51 |
| 3 | JOE YOUNG | 4.11 |
| 4 | JERRY ALDHIZER | 3.72 |
| 5 | SHAWN HOLLAND | 3.57 |
| 6 | RYAN MEYERS | 3.54 |
| 7 | TIM BOOTHE | 3.39 |
| 8 | THEO HAGERMAN | 3.13 |
| 8 | TRAVIS SNYDER | 3.13 |
| 10 | CHRIS HENDRICK | 3.04 |
Sunday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEN REYNOLDS | 4.64 |
| 2 | DELBERT CRUM | 3.98 |
| 3 | DONALD SHEFFEY JR | 3.57 |
| 4 | ERIC GOSS | 3.39 |
| 4 | MICHAEL PIKE | 3.39 |
| 6 | JAMES LAWSON | 3.35 |
| 7 | TOM RUSSELL | 3.29 |
| 8 | DAVID BELEW | 3.21 |
| 9 | REGGIE DELLINGER | 3.19 |
| 10 | BRIAN PEAK | 3.09 |
Sunday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRIS ADDISON | 4.65 |
| 2 | BEN REYNOLDS | 4.47 |
| 3 | JAMES BUGG | 4.39 |
| 4 | BARRY WYATT | 4.06 |
| 5 | BARRY WRIGHT | 3.91 |
| 6 | JOEL SCHOTT | 3.75 |
| 7 | PAUL MAYHEW | 3.62 |
| 8 | TRAVIS SNYDER | 3.60 |
| 9 | COURTNEY HALL | 3.19 |
| 10 | ROBERT SHEETS | 3.17 |
Sunday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEFF JOHNSON | 4.41 |
| 2 | TRAVIS KIRK | 4.26 |
| 3 | PAUL MAJORS | 4.19 |
| 3 | TYLER BOOTHE | 4.19 |
| 5 | BEN REYNOLDS | 4.01 |
| 6 | RAY KEATTS | 3.96 |
| 7 | LARRY WITT | 3.78 |
| 8 | RANDY ANDERSON | 3.58 |
| 8 | BOBBY RAKES | 3.58 |
| 10 | MICHAEL EAVEY | 3.52 |
Sunday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MARK ERRICO | 4.47 |
| 2 | TIM SHANK | 4.08 |
| 3 | AARON RYGAS | 4.05 |
| 4 | CORY WEST | 4.01 |
| 5 | AARON LUCAS | 3.95 |
| 6 | BEN REYNOLDS | 3.93 |
| 7 | JAMES MYERS | 3.76 |
| 8 | MARK EDWARDS | 3.73 |
| 9 | JEFF JOHNSON | 3.69 |
| 9 | JAMES PENLEY | 3.69 |
Sunday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHARLES WHITMAN | 4.23 |
| 2 | DAMIEN MACMAHON | 4.15 |
| 3 | DONALD SHEFFEY JR | 4.08 |
| 4 | MICHAEL EPPERLEY | 4.04 |
| 5 | BROCK ANDERSON | 3.96 |
| 6 | JEFF JOHNSON | 3.93 |
| 7 | MARK CLINGENPEEL | 3.78 |
| 8 | JODY THOMPSON | 3.70 |
| 9 | LUKE NICHOLS | 3.64 |
| 10 | TOM WHITMORE | 3.54 |
Team Of Ramirez And Ramirez Win The Lake Falcon Basschamps Event With Over 31 Pounds!!!!
| By: Patty Lenderman |
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Oh, what a phenomenal day of fishing on Falcon for 142 teams vying for a portion of nearly $42,000 in payback at Skeeter Bass Champs! The father & son team Albert Ramirez Sr & Jr from Laredo, TX championed them all weighing in over 30 pounds of bass taking home $20,000 in winnings.
April 23rd was the third event for the South Region, and the fishing was incredible, seeing 32 sacks at the scales breaching the twenty pound mark. The morning started out overcast and calm, with increasing winds later in the morning. Falcon was pumping out the big ones, and the race for Big Bass was intense as ten brutes in the eight pound range were registered. It took a double digit sow to win as the largest bass in the tournament, tipping the scales at 10.67 pounds brought in by David Meyer and Rusty Reedy. Winners Albert Ramirez Sr & Jr are not new to the tournament scene, but are enjoying their first season with Bass Champs. According to Albert Sr, “I have been fishing tournaments for many years, from club tournaments to a few circuits. I am from Texas, but have been living in Arizona for several years and have been looking forward to getting back to Texas and being able to fish in these Bass Champs tournaments!” The duo has fished Falcon many times, and very familiar with the lake. “We have been having luck working shallow rock humps, so decided to keep with that pattern for the tournament.” They had ten spots picked out and chose shallow running square billed crank baits to go after them. “It was one of those days where we just couldn’t do anything wrong! We caught lots of fish, probably around 80, but Jr caught most of them.” These rocky humps were all in the middle of the lake, away from the shoreline. “Two of our spots had better fish on them.” Albert Jr anchored their stringer with one just under eight pounds to give them a final weight of 31.97 pounds to win the tournament. Bass Champs presented the team with the guaranteed 1st place check for $20,000 for their win. “Bass Champs tournaments are very well run. Very smooth and professional. We’re glad we finally get to fish with them!” Nearly breaching the 30 pound mark were the 2nd place winners Mike Fleming of New Braunfels, TX and Brian Fleming Jr of San Antonio. They chose two spots, both main lake rock ledges around 10’ deep for their creel. “We caught a small limit pretty quick at our first area, then moved to our second spot and started catching better fish.” Using Xcite baits and Reflex jigs on Dobyns rods, the bite was on hot and heavy. “We had all the fish we weighed in by 9:45,” Brian continued. “One of our fish ended up dying, and we didn’t want to lose any more so we went ahead and weighed in around 1:00.” The team had a sack of solid fish that tipped the scales to 29.48 pounds. This team has been fishing Bass Champs since the South Region was formed, and has enjoyed several top five finishes and cashed in many times for their efforts. This round they won 2nd place and a check for $2,500! The top weights were tight, but another father and son team reeled in a 3rd place win with 29.17 pounds. Arlen Hauschild of Seguin, TX and his son Christopher of Canyon Lake decided to concentrate their efforts in Pierce Cove and Big Tigers for their success. “We started out in Pierce Cove, using an Ol’ Monster worm in watermelon candy.” They positioned their boat in shallow water, throwing out to depths of 17’-18’. “The morning started out overcast, and fish were biting good for us. We had to fight the wind a little later in the morning, but caught most of our fish between 9 – 11:00.” Their biggest catch tipped the scales to 8.86 pounds, anchoring their 3rd place win and a check for $1,750. “We’ve been fishing with Bass Champs for about 10 years now, and have won second place twice and now third place twice. We are very blessed!” The team would like to thank Seguin Insurance Agency and their wives for their support. “And the Good Lord Jesus Christ for blessing us!” Rounding out the top five were 4th place finishers Kevin Clifford and Jared Gonzales of Laredo, TX with 26.49 pounds winning $1,200 and 5th place Mark Pena of Zapata, TX with Ronald Lewis of Gonzales with 24.98 taking home $1,050 plus the Lowrance Gen 3 Bonus. Of all the big bass caught, David Meyer of Jourdanton, TX and Rusty Reedy of Spring Branch caught the biggest weighing 10.67 lbs, taking home $500 for that catch and anchoring their 10th place finish for another $1,000. They won even more with the Delo bonus, Abu Garcia Revo and Under Armor bonuses. Travis McGuire and Tyler Holmes added to their winnings with the Skeeter Cash bonus being the highest finishing team in a qualified Skeeter boat. There is only one event to go for the South Region teams, and the race for Anglers of the Year. The team with the most accumulated points after all four events will win this prestigious title, and their entry fees will be waived for that region in the 2017 season. The top five teams with one to go are: The final South Region tournament will be on Amistad May 21st. All Bass Champs events are open to anyone who would like to fish for a chance to win big! The remaining 2016 opportunities are: Also mark your calendars and plan to fish these upcoming Bass Champs hosted events: For more information, visit www.BassChamps.com or call 817-439-3274 Complete Results Here:
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Mason And Walker Win The Alabama Bass Trail On Pickwick-Full Story And Results Here!
Florence, Ala. April 23, 2016 – When the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series was launched three seasons ago, one of the teams that many people across the country would have bet on to be atop that standings was that of Jimmy Mason and Lance Walker.
It took a little while, but those names are atop the leaderboard following the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail event at Pickwick Lake.
Mason, who is a successful guide on the Tennessee and Coosa River systems, has competed nationally, and his partner Walker, who is known for his ability throughout the area, etched their name on the ABT trophy on Pickwick Lake in surprising fashion. The pair caught a 22.27-pound limit of postspawn bass, and made the strategic decision to come in early to save additional stress on the fish and avoid penalty for deceased fish. Surprisingly, that weight held up through the entire weigh-in; and the pair earned their first ABT victory.
“I’m a little surprised that this weight held up for the win,” said Mason. “I really didn’t think that it would, but I am really happy that it did. Lance and I have wanted to win one of these since it was announced; it really is a great feeling.”
The pair used a strategy that revolved around an early shad spawn, then moved deeper. “We caught a 15-pound-limit of smallmouth early on a Tin Foil colored YUM Pulse swimbait,” Walker said. “Then, we looked out on sand bars for bigger largemouth with paddletail swimbaits and crankbaits. We came across a school that had just made their move out; it really was a blessed day.”
Mason said that they used a two swimbait, two crankbait approach with Walker throwing his on his Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifer gear, and Mason choosing to throw his swimbaits on his 7’3” Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Football Jig rod and BB1 Pro Series reel, while his chartreuse and blue Fat Free Shad crankbaits were thrown on a 7’6” Lew’s David Fritts Ultimate cranking rod with a 5.1:1 BB1 reel; all spooled with Vicious Fluorocarbon.
The pair earned $10,000 for their victory, along with the $1,000 Freedom Marine bonus, a T-H Marine Atlas bonus as well the Phoenix Boats First Flight bonus that will likely bring their total earnings to over $20,000 for the day.
The father / son team of Kenneth and Preston Grover finished the day in second place with 20.80 pounds. They had planned on fishing soft plastics until the younger Grover noticed shad following his swim jig, so they turned to fishing shad imitating lures. When Preston caught a 7.66-pound largemouth, they knew they were on the way. “I was really excited to catch that fish, and have a good day,” said the 15-year-old Grover. “I had a lot of fun fishing with my dad today;” it was really exciting.”
For the elder Grover, it meant event more. “I was really proud of my son, because he put the big fish and two others in our bag today,” he said. “I know we finished second, but I really feel like I am the real winner to get to do this with him.” The pair earned $5,000 for their efforts.
The team of Brandon Staggs and Jerry Wright finished third with 19.77 pounds, earning $4,000 and Packie Lawrence and Rickey Campbell caught the Mountain Dew Big Bass of the tournament, an 8.47-pound largemouth that earned them the $500 bonus; they finished the event in 31st place.
The top 10 in the standings are below – the complete standings can be found at: http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/pl-results/
| Place | Name | Weight | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Jimmy Mason/Lance Walker | 22.27 | 4.56 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Kenneth Grover/Preston Grover | 20.80 | 7.66 | $5,000 |
| 3 | Brandon Staggs/Jerry Wright | 19.77 | 5.31 | $4,000 |
| 4 | Danny Shell/Anthony Land | 19.36 | 6.45 | $3,000 |
| 5 | Hadley Coan/Scott Keeling | 18.66 | $2,000 | |
| 6 | Gary Fuller/Jack Gumbert | 18.26 | $1,000 | |
| 7 | Sam Moody/Ray Battles | 17.82 | $900 | |
| 8 | Michael Stevens jr/Paul Arnold | 17.72 | $800 | |
| 9 | Josh Bragg/Joe Hartley | 17.33 | $700 | |
| 10 | Brent Crow/James Morgan | 16.86 | $600 |
Next on the slate for the Southern Division is Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala. on May 21, 2016.
Michael Murphy & Kevin Sanders Take 1St At Cbc On Winyah Bay With 16.04 Lbs Worth $8,000.00!
Michael Murphy & Kevin Sanders take 1st at Winyah Bay with 16.04 lbs worth $8,000.00!
John Proctor & Lee Cannon finished 3rd and earned 1st Skeeter Bonus! Total winnings $5,250.00!
Chris McDuffie & Greg Creech claimed 5th with 13.42 lbs and received 2nd Skeeter Bonus. They took home $3,400.00!
Reid McDowell & Jess White claimed 6th and 3rd Skeeter Bonus with 12.37 lbs totaling up to $2,300.00!
Ed Owens & Chris Jones finished 23rd with 9.89 lbs and took home 4th Skeeter Bonus worth $1,000.00!
This was a grind it out event that needed every minute from start to finish. Here is a pic of the champs with full results below that:
Happy Anglers Murphy and Sanders with their $8000 stringer!
| Place | Team | Team # | # Fish | Weight | BF | Points | Winnings | Bonus | Winnings |
| 1 | Michael Murphy - Kevin Sanders | 41 | 5 | 16.04 | 0 | 310 | $8,000.00 | $8,000.00 | |
| 2 | Scott McClellan - Kenneth Mathews | 47 | 5 | 15.17 | 0 | 309 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 | |
| 3 | John Proctor - Lee Cannon | 17 | 5 | 14.97 | 0 | 308 | $1,250.00 | $4,000.00 | $5,250.00 |
| 4 | Ross Burns - Jeremiah Jensen | 62 | 5 | 13.65 | 0 | 306 | $500.00 | $500.00 | |
| 5 | Chris McDuffie - Greg Creech | 54 | 5 | 13.42 | 0 | 305 | $400.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| 6 | Reid McDowell - JESS WHITE | 44 | 5 | 12.37 | 0 | 304 | $300.00 | $2,000.00 | $2,300.00 |
| 7 | Harold Turner - Griffin Craine | 10 | 5 | 12.23 | 4.54 | 303 | $275.00 | $275.00 | |
| 8 | Ricky Bellamy - Trevor Gore | 20 | 5 | 11.82 | 6.71 | 302 | $250.00 | $250.00 | |
| 9 | Nick Gant - Timmy Williamson | 48 | 5 | 11.72 | 0 | 301 | $225.00 | $225.00 | |
| 10 | Alan Richardson - Timmy Squires | 11 | 5 | 11.7 | 0 | 300 | $200.00 | $200.00 | |
| 11 | Mark Abbott - Jimmy Wilder | 56 | 5 | 11.69 | 0 | 299 | |||
| 12 | Will Duncan - Danny Allen | 63 | 4 | 11.41 | 7.01 | 298 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 13 | Will Stephenson - Justin Salis | 50 | 5 | 11.37 | 0 | 297 | |||
| 14 | Juddie Revels - David Oxendine | 59 | 5 | 11.13 | 5.61 | 296 | |||
| 15 | Matthew Goheen - Hunter Spivey | 3 | 5 | 11.05 | 0 | 295 | |||
| 16 | Wayne Marlow - Scott Peavy | 71 | 5 | 10.56 | 0 | 294 | |||
| 17 | Jason Goude - tim gamble | 28 | 5 | 10.54 | 0 | 293 | |||
| 18 | Mark Gallup - Jonathan Gowdy | 5 | 5 | 10.51 | 0 | 292 | |||
| 19 | Ronald Terwilliger - Mac Cooper | 32 | 5 | 10.21 | 0 | 291 | |||
| 19 | Nathan Burgess - Brent Riley | 60 | 5 | 10.21 | 0 | 291 | |||
| 21 | JASON JOHNSON - Ron Cannon | 42 | 5 | 10.03 | 0 | 289 | |||
| 22 | Brian Howard - Bill Lawshe | 36 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 288 | |||
| 23 | Ed Owens - Chris Jones | 21 | 5 | 9.89 | 0 | 287 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | |
| 24 | Sammie Grier - David Strickland | 49 | 5 | 9.84 | 0 | 286 | |||
| 25 | Mack Cook - Patrick Cook | 53 | 5 | 9.75 | 0 | 285 | |||
| 26 | Ryan Thompson - Sheldon Banks | 70 | 5 | 9.62 | 0 | 284 | |||
| 27 | levon matthews - william fredrick | 27 | 5 | 9.3 | 0 | 283 | |||
| 28 | Geoffrey Payne - Noah Payne | 12 | 5 | 9.24 | 2.14 | 282 | |||
| 29 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 18 | 5 | 9.19 | 0 | 281 | |||
| 30 | Coy Watts - David Hutcherson | 34 | 5 | 9.14 | 0 | 280 | |||
| 31 | Tommy Williams - Thomas Hardwick | 29 | 5 | 9.12 | 0 | 279 | |||
| 32 | Donald McLaud - Ray Inman | 51 | 5 | 9.06 | 0 | 278 | |||
| 33 | Gary Pope - Kevin Alford | 25 | 5 | 8.91 | 0 | 277 | |||
| 34 | Bradley Gunter - Stan Gunter | 1 | 5 | 8.72 | 2.28 | 276 | |||
| 34 | Greg Hendrick - Ted Urquhart | 4 | 5 | 8.72 | 0 | 276 | |||
| 34 | Bradford Beavers - Dwight Beavers | 67 | 5 | 8.72 | 0 | 276 | |||
| 37 | Wayne King - Bo Chappell | 23 | 5 | 8.7 | 0 | 273 | |||
| 38 | Ronnie Britt - Jim Britt | 38 | 5 | 8.66 | 0 | 272 | |||
| 39 | Alex Cribb - Winston Martin | 57 | 5 | 8.52 | 0 | 271 | |||
| 40 | Todd Walters - Patrick Walters | 64 | 4 | 8.3 | 0 | 270 | |||
| 41 | Anthony Lee - Jason Owens | 24 | 5 | 8.08 | 0 | 269 | |||
| 42 | James Robison - Carluss King | 69 | 5 | 8.05 | 0 | 268 | |||
| 43 | Derrick Compton - Dustin Compton | 66 | 5 | 8.03 | 0 | 267 | |||
| 44 | Jamie Ethridge - kevin driggers | 61 | 5 | 7.88 | 0 | 266 | |||
| 45 | randall miller - Mack Altman | 2 | 5 | 7.84 | 5.84 | 307 | |||
| 46 | Kenny Hawk - William Bostic | 8 | 5 | 7.68 | 0 | 265 | |||
| 47 | Jason Farrand - Dason Lasek | 46 | 5 | 7.65 | 0 | 264 | |||
| 48 | Russ Padgett - Meredith Havird | 35 | 3 | 7.38 | 5.11 | 263 | |||
| 49 | Chris Shumate - Chris Platts | 19 | 5 | 6.41 | 1.68 | 262 | |||
| 50 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 58 | 3 | 5.98 | 0 | 261 | |||
| 51 | Gregg Kessler - Gregg Kessler II | 22 | 5 | 5.83 | 0 | 260 | |||
| 52 | Winkey Watford - scotty mixon | 6 | 3 | 5.76 | 0 | 259 | |||
| 53 | Jonathan Brindel - David Grooms | 31 | 2 | 4.71 | 0 | 258 | |||
| 54 | Mike Phipps - Robert Clarke | 7 | 2 | 4.2 | 2.43 | 257 | |||
| 55 | Ron Brown - Bobby Brown | 40 | 2 | 3.97 | 0 | 256 | |||
| 56 | Gary Atkinson - Troy Buffington | 26 | 3 | 3.63 | 1.24 | 255 | |||
| 57 | Brian McDonald - billy bledsoe | 30 | 2 | 3.35 | 0 | 254 | |||
| 58 | terry goheen | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | grady allen - Calvin Hewitt | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Jonathan Singletary - Anthony Amerson | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Josh Wilson - Sam Lambert | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Clint Proudfoot - Eric Bozeman | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Chad Cook - tony cook | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Van Turbeville - Jonathan Hammond | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Robert Wood - John Lundeen | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Kevin Powell - Jimmy McCants | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Carlton Thompkins - Joel Barfield | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Josh Alford - Will Prosser | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Chris Labuz - James Labuz | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Nicholas Turner - Trevor West | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 | |||
| 58 | Brian Tyler - Frederick Clements | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 253 |
Tharp Takes First Elite Series Title Amid 'complex' Tournament Format On Bull Shoals And Norfork Lake
The former Forrest Wood Cup Champion said he wanted to test himself against the best competition the Elite Series had to offer. Tharp has passed the test.
He did so today by overtaking a pair of Californians, one who has also mounted the highest summits of our sport - Skeet Reese, along with an aspiring young pro who has shown flashes of things to come - Chris Zaldain.
Reese and Zaldain nodded to their Western roots by trying to make the swimbait bite work. At times it did. When fish just followed the swimmers, Zaldain said he relied on a drop shot to put bass in the box.
It was a solid game plan that almost panned-out for the Golden State anglers.
But in the waning seconds of the 4-day tournament held on two different fisheries, Tharp snatched a big bass, and victory, from Norfork Lake.
"I had 15 seconds before I needed to head in," said Tharp, "I made one last cast to a bluff bank. My line started moving off. That was the biggest bass that I just held up (as he crossed the weigh in stage) and I caught her on the last cast."
The kicker pushed Tharp's final weight to 16-2 (biggest bag of the day) and ran his total to 61-10 for the week. He won by a margin of 2 pounds, 2 ounces. That last fished weighed more than that and was, therefore, the key to his win.
It was classic Tharp. The guy just has a knack for finding those oversized bass that take a sack of fish from being 'good' to being of the 'winning' class. Lure choice may be part of the reason for his ability to boat the big girls - he fishes a jig. A lot.
And so he did this week. "I designed the jig I used," said Tharp of the 4x4 Jig that he pitched on his signature series Halo rod.
Tharp said he focussed on 3 creeks in each lake. He concetrated his efforts on bluff banks along channel swings. Some of the fish may have been spawning and others were simply eating but Tharp caught them all in less than 5 feet of water. "The biggest ones came from less than 1 foot," added the shallow water master. He covered "tons of water" with jigs weighing 5/8 or 1/2 oz.
Tharp said he'll miss the first day of practice on Monday for the coming Elite Series tourney on Wheeler Lake which begins this Thursday, but the man - who gets his mail in Florida these days - has spent decades living and fishing in Alabama so he should be able to catch up quickly. Tonight he and his wife are hanging out and resting up. "I'm gonna enjoy this trophy. I'm gonna enjoy this town. I'm gonna enjoy you guys," said Tharp to a happy audience.
Tharp concentrated his efforts on bluff banks. photo courtesy B.A.S.S.
What follows is the official word from B.A.S.S.:
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — The tournament format was complicated.
It was one event on two lakes over the course of four days.
But through all of the shifting and changing, Florida pro Randall Tharp decided to keep things simple — and that stay-the-course approach ultimately led to a victory in the Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork.
Tharp used a 4x4 Jig — the Randall Tharp Signature series that he designed for the company — in the golden craw color pattern with a green pumpkin Zoom Big Salty Chunk to catch his fish all four days.
His final total of 61 pounds, 10 ounces was more than 2 pounds better than that of second-place finisher Skeet Reese (59-8). Chris Zaldain (58-12), Matt Herren (58-10) and Bill Lowen (58- 5) made up the rest of the Top 5.
“When I got here, I wanted to find one pattern that would work on both lakes,” Tharp said. “Both of these lakes are Ozark Lakes, and they’re very, very similar. That’s the game plan I wanted to have. It just took me three days of practice to figure it out.”
Tharp said he discovered the key to winning on the third day of practice and really dialed it on the fourth and final practice day, which he spent at Norfork.
On the first day of the tournament, he caught 15-8 on Norfork to put himself in fifth place. He didn’t fare quite as well on the second day of the event at Bull Shoals, catching only 13-12. But he made a slight adjustment the next day on Bull Shoals — and that may have been the key to his winning the tournament.
“I used a 1/2-ounce and a 5/8-ounce version of the jig this week, but the majority of the fish I weighed in came on the bigger one,” Tharp said. “I had one fish in the boat Saturday, and I just kept thinking they wanted something quicker. That’s why I went to the bigger jig.”
Tharp’s Saturday catch of 16-4 pushed him into the lead going into Sunday’s finale on Norfork. He landed 16-2 Sunday to stay ahead of a Top 12 that was separated by only 4 pounds coming into the day.
“Just about everything I caught all week came from 5 feet of water of less,” he said. “The whole stringer that I weighed in today probably came from 2 feet or less.”
Though bass were spawning on both lakes, Tharp said he wasn’t sight fishing for bedding fish.
“I was just looking for crevices in rocks — shady places,” he said. “I was looking for isolated stuff that was different, whether it was a stump or a laydown or whatever.
“If there was a whole bunch of cover, it usually wasn’t all that good. I just keyed on little turns or isolated boulders — stuff that stood out.”
Tharp was already a three-time winner on the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens circuit, but Sunday marked his first time to raise the coveted blue trophy awarded to winners on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The $103,000 he received for first place pushed his career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $493,457.
Last year’s Elite Series season was one of the toughest of Tharp’s professional career. He earned checks in only two of the eight regular-season events and failed to qualify for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship or the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
But so far this season, he’s made up for all that went wrong.
Tharp finished 11th in the 2016 Elite Series opener on the St. Johns River in his home state of Florida and 16th in the second tournament of the season earlier this month on South Carolina’s Winyah Bay. His victory Sunday vaulted him into first place in the Angler of the Year standings.
“Before last year, two bad tournaments in a row was the longest bad stretch I’d ever had,” Tharp said. “For some reason, I just couldn’t put two good days together.
“Maybe I got all of my bad days out of the way, because I have yet to have one this year.”
Tharp was awarded $1,000 for the leading the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race at the end of the event.
Tharp 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.
Lowen and Zaldain earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for both leading on the second day.
Tharp won the Toyota Bonus Bucks of $3,000 for being the highest-placing eligible entrant in the program. The second-highest-placing eligible entrant, Powroznik, received $2,000.
The Big Bass Award of $1,500 was presented to Herren for weighing in the overall biggest bass of the event — a 6-1 largemouth bass.
Tharp 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.
2016 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Norfork - Bull Shoals 4/21-4/24
Lake Norfork/Bull Shoals, Mountain Home AR.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 20 61-10 110 $103,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 16-04 Day 4: 5 16-02
2. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 20 59-08 109 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 19-02 Day 4: 5 14-11
3. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 20 58-12 108 $20,250.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 14-04 Day 4: 5 13-10
4. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 20 58-10 107 $15,750.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 15-05 Day 4: 5 14-15
5. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 58-05 106 $14,250.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 12-12 Day 4: 5 14-11
6. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 20 56-10 105 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 16-04 Day 4: 5 12-05
7. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 20 55-09 104 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 14-12 Day 4: 5 13-08
8. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 20 53-09 103 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 11-15 Day 4: 5 11-11
9. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 20 53-01 102 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 14-08 Day 4: 5 10-14
10. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 20 52-07 101 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 16-01 Day 4: 5 09-08
11. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 19 51-13 100 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 15-10 Day 4: 4 08-10
12. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 20 51-05 99 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 16-07 Day 4: 5 08-09
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 06-01 $750.00
Matt Herren Ashville, AL 06-01 $750.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 500 1125-13
2 94 506 1327-05
3 40 229 624-10
4 11 59 149-02
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233 1294 3226-14
Tharp Grabs Lead As Bassmaster Elite Series Event Shifts Back To Norfork Lake
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Randall Tharp suffered through one of the toughest seasons of his professional career in 2015, but it seems to have given him some extra motivation for this year’s campaign.
Tharp opened the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series season with back-to-back Top 20 finishes — and now, he has caught enough fish at this week’s Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork to move himself into position to claim his first Elite Series win.
He brought in five bass Saturday from Bull Shoals Lake that weighed 16 pounds, 4 ounces and moved from fifth place to the top of the standings with a three-day total of 45-8. The tournament, which began Thursday on Norfork Lake and moved to Bull Shoals Friday and Saturday, will shift back to Norfork for Sunday’s championship round with Tharp leading the remaining Top 12 anglers.
“I started in the same place today where I lost a big one (Friday), and I never had a bite,†said Tharp, who has three Bassmaster Open victories but none on the Elite Series. “Where I pulled my trolling motor up (Friday), I just decided to keep on going. I kept the trolling motor down until 11 o’clock, and that’s how I caught most of what I had.
“It was new water — a lot shallower than what I had been fishing — and I just fished everything in front of me.â€
Tharp said he was struggling early, but a slight change in technique helped.
“I had one fish in the boat, and I just felt like they wanted something quicker,†Tharp said. “So I tied a heavier jig on, and that’s when it just started clicking.
“I had a really good day. I don’t know how many 2 1/2-pounders I culled.â€
Tharp seemed excited about moving back to Norfork after starting the event on that fishery with 15-8 Thursday.
“I’ve already respooled and done everything I need to do,†he said. “I’ll get a couple of spare jigs in case I break one off in the rocks. But other than that, I’m ready to go fishing.â€
Tharp’s total is only 6 ounces better than that of second-place angler Chris Zaldain. The California pro turned in a third-straight solid catch Saturday, weighing in 14-4 and pushing his three-day total to 45-2.
Zaldain used a drop shot rig to target spawning bass that were protecting beds.
“I was flipping a drop shot with a 6-inch hand-poured worm all day long,†Zaldain said. “The beauty of it is that it represents a bluegill. On the full moon in April, you know bass hate bluegill being around their beds.
“With it being on a drop shot, it’s suspended right there in front of their face.â€
Around midday Saturday, Zaldain had five fish that weighed only about 8 pounds. But he made an adjustment that helped him almost double that weight.
“The key moment today was realizing the water had dropped a couple of more inches, and the back area that had been productive for me just wasn’t working anymore,†he said. “Around 10:30, I started working out more toward the main river where the bushes got deeper.
“The further out I went, the bigger the fish got.â€
After a big opening-round catch of 16-2 on Norfork that he said could have been even bigger, Zaldain focused these last two days at Bull Shoals on simply surviving. Now that he knows he’s headed back to Norfork, he believes it could be a special day.
“I just wanted to put the clutch in and hang tight on Bull Shoals,†he said. “Catches of 14 and 14 are respectable, so mission accomplished.
“I downshifted a little bit on Bull Shoals, but we’ll be pedal-to-the-metal tomorrow.â€
The remainder of the Top 12 is as follows: Skeet Reese (44-13), Jacob Powroznik (44-5), Matt Herren (43-11), Bill Lowen (43-10), Brandon Palaniuk (43-3), Brian Snowden (42-15), Koby Kreiger (42-12), Mike McClelland (42-3), Steve Kennedy (42-1) and Adrian Avena (41-14).
The tournament will conclude Sunday, with takeoff scheduled for 6:15 a.m. from Lake Norfork Marina. The weigh-in will begin at 3:45 p.m. on the campus of Arkansas State University in Mountain Home.
The winning angler will receive $100,000.
2016 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Norfork - Bull Shoals 4/21-4/24
Lake Norfork/Bull Shoals, Mountain Home AR.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 15 45-08 110
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 16-04
2. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 15 45-02 109 $250.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 14-04
3. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 44-13 108
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 19-02
4. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 15 44-05 107
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 16-04
5. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 43-11 106
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 15-05
6. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 43-10 105 $250.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 12-12
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 43-03 104
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 15-10
8. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 42-15 103
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 16-01
9. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 15 42-12 102
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 16-07
10. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 15 42-03 101
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 14-08
11. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 42-01 100
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 14-12
12. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 15 41-14 99
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 11-15
13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 41-13 98 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 14-01
14. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 40-08 97 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 16-07
15. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 40-06 96 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 14-01
16. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 15 40-05 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 15-10
17. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 15 40-02 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 14-05
18. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 15 40-02 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 14-00
19. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 39-15 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 14-06
20. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 15 39-13 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 14-08
21. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 39-11 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 13-01
22. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 39-08 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 14-00
23. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 14 39-07 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 13-00
24. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 15 39-07 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 14-09
25. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 39-07 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 14-07
26. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 15 39-07 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 13-11
27. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 39-06 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 14-14
28. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 15 39-04 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 14-12
29. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 15 38-10 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 13-04
30. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 15 38-09 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 12-03
31. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 38-07 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 09-12
32. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 15 38-07 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 12-12
33. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 15 37-07 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 14-03 Day 3: 5 11-05
34. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 37-03 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 13-06
35. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 14 37-03 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 4 13-01
36. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 15 37-02 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 11-14
37. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 15 37-02 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 11-12
38. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 36-15 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-12
39. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 15 36-13 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 11-15
40. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 14 36-05 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 4 09-13
41. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 35-12 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 11-10
42. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 14 35-08 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 4 10-13
43. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 33-15 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 09-10
44. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 14 33-05 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 4 09-00
45. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 12 32-03 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 2 04-14
46. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 12 32-00 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 2 03-07
47. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 14 31-13 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 4 07-13
48. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 30-10 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
49. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 13 29-15 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 3 05-09
50. James Elam Tulsa, OK 12 29-03 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 2 05-01
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 500 1125-13
2 94 506 1327-05
3 40 229 624-10
----------------------------------
222 1235 3077-12
Lowen, Zaldain Tied For Lead After Two Rounds On Bull Shoals/norfork In Third Elite Stop
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Herren Leads Day 1 Of Unique Elite Series Tourney On Bull Shoals And Norfork Lakes
Mark Menendez, Greg Hackney and Drew Benton are fishing well again this week. Well, at least so far. Let's see how the back-and-forth between the two lakes affects them starting tomorrow.
Following is the official word from B.A.S.S.:
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Matt Herren came into this week’s Bassmaster Elite at Bull Shoals/Norfork, with a free-wheeling attitude.
“My motto for the week is just to fly by the seat of my pants,” Herren said. “Since we’re fishing two different lakes, I figure that’s all you can really do.”
So far, the strategy has worked very well.
Herren caught five bass Thursday on Norfork Lake that weighed 17 pounds and took the lead in the first-of-its-kind, two-lake Elite Series event. His catch was bolstered by a 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth that bit during the final minutes.
In an unusual format, the 108 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will divide their time between two nearby Ozarks lakes near Mountain Home. After competing today on Norfork, the full field moves to Bull Shoals for Friday’s round, after which the field is cut to 50 anglers, who will again compete on Bull Shoals. The Top 12 anglers after Saturday will return to Norfork for the final round.
Herren feels confident now as the tournament shifts to Bull Shoals Lake for the next two rounds before coming back for Championship Sunday on Norfork.
“I just had a really fortunate day,” Herren said. “I got on something early and had a good limit of fish. But with about 15 minutes left in my day, I caught a 6-1. It was kind of an out-of-the-blue fish, but I’ll take it.”
Herren was already off to a good start, with five bass that he estimated would have weighed about 14 pounds. But with the day winding down — and the next two rounds scheduled for a different lake 20 miles away — he desperately wanted to add a kicker fish.
So he decided to make a quick stop on the only place he’d seen a big bass in practice.
“I listened to that little voice that said, ‘Go do it,’” Herren joked. “I pulled in there, and it happened ‘bam’ — just that fast.”
The big fish helped Herren separate slightly from a Top 5 that includes Kentucky pro Mark Menendez with 16-12, Californian Chris Zaldain with 16-2, Alabamian Keith Poche with 15-13 and Florida pro Randall Tharp with 15-8.
Menendez said it was an early 4-pounder that sparked his good first round.
“I got a good bite this morning, and it slowed me down,” he said. “I just got really thorough in an area and managed to get three of those better-quality bites during the day.
“I caught a 4 1/4-pounder late in the day that culled a 2-pounder, and that helped a whole bunch.”
Although he said he’s all for fishing new venues, Menendez made it clear that he’s not a fan of the split format. He believes there will be an element of luck involved for whoever lands in the winner’s spot Sunday.
“I could find the winners on Norfork, not catch them at Bull Shoals, and fall completely out,” he said. “That’s an element we’ve never had to deal with.
“I’m looking at this as four separate tournaments. Each day is a one-day event, and I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth.”
On the flip side, Zaldain said the format really suits the “run-and-gun” style of fishing he prefers. He had no fear of pressuring the fish hard at Norfork on Day 1, knowing his best spots will have two days to rest before he returns.
“I fished all new water today and established a pattern with a bait I have a lot of confidence in,” Zaldain said. “It’s a winding-type bait, and I literally had a look at over 20 pounds today. I had a lot of big ones come up and push it out of the way.
“I’m really, really looking forward to getting back out there on Day 4 — hopefully.”
The tournament will continue Friday and Saturday, with take-offs at 6:15 a.m. CT from Bull Shoals Boat Dock. Sunday’s take-off will be at 6:15 a.m. from Lake Norfork Marina.
Daily weigh-ins will be held at 3:45 p.m. on the campus of Arkansas State University in Mountain Home.
2016 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Norfork - Bull Shoals 4/21-4/24
Lake Norfork/Bull Shoals, Mountain Home AR.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 17-00 110
Day 1: 5 17-00
2. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 16-12 109
Day 1: 5 16-12
3. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 5 16-02 108
Day 1: 5 16-02
4. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 15-13 107
Day 1: 5 15-13
5. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 15-08 106
Day 1: 5 15-08
6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 14-14 105
Day 1: 5 14-14
7. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 14-12 104
Day 1: 5 14-12
8. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 5 14-00 103
Day 1: 5 14-00
9. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 5 13-13 102
Day 1: 5 13-13
10. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 13-12 101
Day 1: 5 13-12
11. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-10 100
Day 1: 5 13-10
12. David Walker Sevierville, TN 5 13-07 99
Day 1: 5 13-07
13. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 5 13-05 98
Day 1: 5 13-05
14. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 5 13-04 97
Day 1: 5 13-04
15. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 12-14 96
Day 1: 5 12-14
16. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 12-13 95
Day 1: 5 12-13
16. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 5 12-13 95
Day 1: 5 12-13
18. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 12-10 93
Day 1: 5 12-10
18. Gerald Swindle Warrior, AL 5 12-10 93
Day 1: 5 12-10
20. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 5 12-09 91
Day 1: 5 12-09
21. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 5 12-08 90
Day 1: 5 12-08
22. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 5 12-07 89
Day 1: 5 12-07
23. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 12-06 88
Day 1: 5 12-06
24. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 5 12-02 87
Day 1: 5 12-02
25. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 12-00 86
Day 1: 5 12-00
26. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 5 11-15 85
Day 1: 5 11-15
26. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 5 11-15 85
Day 1: 5 11-15
26. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 5 11-15 85
Day 1: 5 11-15
26. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 5 11-15 85
Day 1: 5 11-15
26. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 5 11-15 85
Day 1: 5 11-15
31. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 11-13 80
Day 1: 5 11-13
31. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 5 11-13 80
Day 1: 5 11-13
33. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 5 11-12 78
Day 1: 5 11-12
33. James Elam Tulsa, OK 5 11-12 78
Day 1: 5 11-12
33. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 11-12 78
Day 1: 5 11-12
36. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 5 11-11 75
Day 1: 5 11-11
37. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 5 11-10 74
Day 1: 5 11-10
38. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 5 11-09 73
Day 1: 5 11-09
38. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 11-09 73
Day 1: 5 11-09
40. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 5 11-08 71
Day 1: 5 11-08
41. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 5 11-06 70
Day 1: 5 11-06
41. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 5 11-06 70
Day 1: 5 11-06
43. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 11-05 68
Day 1: 5 11-05
43. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 5 11-05 68
Day 1: 5 11-05
43. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 11-05 68
Day 1: 5 11-05
43. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 11-05 68
Day 1: 5 11-05
47. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 11-05 64
Day 1: 5 11-05
48. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 11-04 63
Day 1: 5 11-04
49. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 5 11-01 62
Day 1: 5 11-01
49. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 11-01 62
Day 1: 5 11-01
49. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 11-01 62
Day 1: 5 11-01
52. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 11-00 59
Day 1: 5 11-00
53. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 5 10-13 58
Day 1: 5 10-13
54. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 5 10-12 57
Day 1: 5 10-12
54. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 5 10-12 57
Day 1: 5 10-12
54. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 5 10-12 57
Day 1: 5 10-12
57. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 10-11 54
Day 1: 5 10-11
58. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 10-09 53
Day 1: 5 10-09
58. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 10-09 53
Day 1: 5 10-09
60. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 10-08 51
Day 1: 5 10-08
60. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 10-08 51
Day 1: 5 10-08
62. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 5 10-07 49
Day 1: 5 10-07
62. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 10-07 49
Day 1: 5 10-07
64. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 10-06 47
Day 1: 5 10-06
65. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 5 10-05 46
Day 1: 5 10-05
65. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 10-05 46
Day 1: 5 10-05
67. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 10-04 44
Day 1: 5 10-04
68. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 5 10-03 43
Day 1: 5 10-03
69. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 5 10-02 42
Day 1: 5 10-02
70. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 5 09-15 41
Day 1: 5 09-15
70. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 5 09-15 41
Day 1: 5 09-15
72. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 09-14 39
Day 1: 5 09-14
72. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 09-14 39
Day 1: 5 09-14
74. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 5 09-13 37
Day 1: 5 09-13
74. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 09-13 37
Day 1: 5 09-13
76. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 5 09-12 35
Day 1: 5 09-12
77. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 5 09-11 34
Day 1: 5 09-11
78. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 5 09-10 33
Day 1: 5 09-10
79. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 09-09 32
Day 1: 5 09-09
80. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 09-06 31
Day 1: 5 09-06
81. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 5 09-00 30
Day 1: 5 09-00
82. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 08-15 29
Day 1: 5 08-15
83. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 08-13 28
Day 1: 5 08-13
84. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 08-13 27
Day 1: 5 08-13
85. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 5 08-11 26
Day 1: 5 08-11
86. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 4 08-08 25
Day 1: 4 08-08
87. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 08-02 24
Day 1: 5 08-02
88. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 4 08-02 23
Day 1: 4 08-02
89. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 4 08-00 22
Day 1: 4 08-00
90. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 4 07-15 21
Day 1: 4 07-15
91. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 07-05 20
Day 1: 5 07-05
92. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 4 07-03 19
Day 1: 4 07-03
93. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 5 07-00 18
Day 1: 5 07-00
94. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 4 07-00 17
Day 1: 4 07-00
95. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 3 06-12 16
Day 1: 3 06-12
96. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 4 06-11 15
Day 1: 4 06-11
97. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 3 06-09 14
Day 1: 3 06-09
98. David Williams Newton, NC 4 06-04 13
Day 1: 4 06-04
99. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 3 06-04 12
Day 1: 3 06-04
100. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 3 06-01 11
Day 1: 3 06-01
101. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 3 05-06 10
Day 1: 3 05-06
102. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 3 05-04 9
Day 1: 3 05-04
103. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 2 05-04 8
Day 1: 2 05-04
104. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 2 04-15 7
Day 1: 2 04-15
105. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 2 04-05 6
Day 1: 2 04-05
106. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 2 03-15 5
Day 1: 2 03-15
107. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 1 02-04 4
Day 1: 1 02-04
108. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 1 01-15 3
Day 1: 1 01-15
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 500 1125-13
----------------------------------
88 500 1125-13
Sportsmans Warehouse Product Spotlight - Strike King Swinging Sugar Buzz
This Weeks Sportsmans Warehouse Product Spotlight features the Strike King Lure Company Swinging Sugar Buzz. The Sugar Buzz is a unique head clacking, hook swinging bait that will attract big fish and keep them buttoned up all the way back to the boat. Check it out here!
Bradley Roy And Mud Hole Custom Tackle Partner Up To Help High School Anglers
Mud Hole Custom Tackle and its premium brand of rod blanks, MHX, are sponsoring the seven-year Bassmaster Elite Series veteran and becoming the presenting sponsor of the annual Bradley Roy High School Open.
Over the past two years Roy had fished some night tournaments with MHX rods lent to him by a local rod builder. He liked them so much he was planning to purchase some for the 2016 season. He had also seen fellow Elite Series competitor Brandon Lester using the rods over the past two seasons. Like many, he was curious about what exactly a “MB 904 from Mud Hole Custom Tackle” really was.
Roy got more than he bargained for when Lester invited him to a small rod building class in Tennessee this past January. “I was intrigued as we fitted the first reel seat and then hooked after we sat down and put the first guides on,” said Roy. “Brandon made it look so easy and I picked it up quickly in that very first rod building session I’ve been building them back at the house ever since and am up over 20 rods built now.”
Roy’s fishing has already benefited from this new skill set (he’s 5th in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings after two events) but the real winners in this partnership may end up being high school students and coaches. For years Roy has been personally involved with high school teams in Kentucky, spending time teaching them techniques and fishing strategy. He has spoken at the B.A.S.S. High School National Championship multiple times and in 2016 will host the fourth annual Bradley Roy High School Open in Kentucky (October 1st).
Thanks to Mud Hole’s commitment to education Roy will be passing along the skill of rod building to the next generation. He is offering classes to high school coaches and students beginning early this summer in central Kentucky.
“The response to the classes has been solid,” said Bradley. “Teams see this as a way to get a new fishing rod, learn a new skill, and then down the road as a way to raise money selling custom rods.“
Mud Hole has long been known for educating fishermen on the many benefits of custom rod building. The company holds up to 48 rod building classes annually across the country. And this collaboration with Roy is not their first foray into high schools either. Hundreds of classes are taught as part of 4H programs annually as numerous school districts have rod building as part of the school’s curriculum, thanks to Mud Hole’s resources and efforts.
Mud Hole President Tom McNamara was impressed when he learned about Roy’s track record of working with high schoolers. “We love how Bradley is doing his part to give back to high school anglers. We want to help provide the tools those anglers and schools need for education and fund-raising. Learning this new skill will teach them about entrepreneurship, persistence, camaraderie, teamwork, and on and on.”
Mud Hole has created the Bradley Roy Student Rod Building Kits and made them available exclusively by contacting Roy. For more information on the kits or to learn more about scheduling classes high school coaches can reach out to Bradley through his website at www.BradleyRoy.com.
About Mud Hole Custom Tackle
Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Inc. (www.MudHole.com) is the world’s largest supplier of tackle crafting goods – rod building, fly tying and lure building. It has become the “go-to” and trusted supplier of hobbyists, small manufacturers and large OEM’s worldwide by offering superior shopping experience, rapid delivery and stellar customer service.
With more than 45,000 SKU’s representing $15 million of inventory fully stocked onsite in Mud Hole’s 15,000 square-foot office & distribution center, Mud Hole earns the loyalty of fishing enthusiasts and novice rod builders, fly tyers and lure builders alike.
About Bradley Roy
Most widely-known for being the youngest angler to ever qualify for the B.A.S.S.’s highest level (age 18 in 2009) the now 25 year-old Roy has fished the Bassmaster Elite Series for seven years. His annual high school tournament is open to Kentucky anglers and he will again be speaking at the B.A.S.S. High School National Championship held August 1-6 on Kentucky’s Green River. For more information on rod building classes and discounted rod building kits for students and instructors visit www.BradleyRoy.com and click High School Fishing.
Gray & Perkins Win Anglers Choice Team Tournament On Kerr Lake With 18.70Lbs - 4.17.16
Brandon Gray and robert Perkins win Sundays Anglers Choice team tournament by just over a pound with 18.47 pound limit!
Congrats Guys!!
Richey And Bost Win Anglers Choice Team Event On Kerr Lake With Over 21 Pounds!!!
Chris Richey and George Bost take the first place trophies and checks in Saturdays Anglers Choice Marine event on Kerr Lake. Winning by over 2 pounds with 21.97lbs in a 5 fish limit. Congrats guys!
Complete Results below:
