Colorado Mesa Team Familiar With Grand Lake, Site Of College Southern Conference Championship
The Colorado Mesa University Fishing Team is already somewhat familiar with Oklahoma's Grand Lake where the FLW College Southern Conference Championship will be fished this weekend, having won a Southern Conference qualifier there in June 2014.
“We have a little experience on this lake so we are really excited. We have some idea of what the lake looks like and we know it holds some decent amounts of fish,” said Kennedy Kinkade of Midvale, Utah.
“I love that lake. It's a beautiful lake to fish on,” added Josh Worth of Grand Junction, Colo. “There are a few areas we already have mapped out, so we will divide up the lake for pre-fishing this week and see what that produces for us.”
Colorado Mesa University is in Grand Junction, in western Colorado, so what are these guys doing fishing the FLW College Southern Conference?
Kinkade explained:
“The first school out of Colorado to fish the FLW College Division was Colorado State on the other side of the state. Since they would have had to cross the Rockies to fish the Western Conference tournaments, FLW gave them the choice.
“FLW has given us the choice to fish the Western Conference, but we are happy in the Southern Conference. We have done well there, especially on this lake, so we thought it better to stay in the Southern Conference. We kind of know our competitors and we have some idea about the lakes.”
Kinkade added that they don't get to fish a lot of lakes like the ones they do in the Southern Conference tournaments.
“It's a lot of fun to be able to go down to the Southern tournaments and fish real southern lakes with real southern bass,” he said. “We had done a little recreational fishing in lakes and rivers around here, then in June 2014 we decided to do the college fishing competition,” Worth added.
Kinkade, a senior majoring in fisheries biology, and Worth, a senior majoring in biology with plans to become a teacher, have done really well since organizing the fishing team a little over a year ago. They won their first tournament on a southern lake – Grand Lake, in June 2014. They finished 14th on Lake Texoma in February. And they weighed in three limits, including the heaviest stringer in the championship round, for better than a 3.2-pound average to place 4th in the FLW National College Championship on South Carolina's Lake Murray in April.
Until now they have been the entire fishing team at Colorado Mesa, but some other students with boats have joined the team and plan to compete when qualifying starts in 2016.
As for the Southern Conference Championship this week, Kinkade said. “We are hoping to get a top 10 and make it back to the national championship.”
With the record these Western boys have made down South don't count them out.
FLW College Fishing Southern Conference Championship
Oct 17-18, 2015
Grand Lake
Wolf Creek Park
Super focus will be key for Anders in BFL Regional on Lake Wateree
The key for Michael Anders in the BFL Regional on Lake Wateree this weekend will be to focus on what he is doing and not worry about what anybody else is doing.
Anders, the Savannah River BFL points champion, will lead his division anglers against those from the North Carolina, Shenandoah and Volunteer Divisions in the Regional Championship on Wateree Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“I've been on Wateree twice, in two separate tournaments in previous springs, and it's a lot different from springtime fishing,” said Anders who is practicing on the lake this week right up to the tournament. “The fish are already in a fall pattern and they are biting good.”
Anders said about two-thirds of the lake is muddy from the torrential rains over the past week and a half and the other third has a moderate stain.
While there is muddy water from all the rain, surprisingly the lake is not overfilling its banks, Anders said.
“It's surprising because I thought we'd be fishing a lot dirtier water,” he said. “From what I read on the Duke Power website they dropped the lake level in anticipation of the heavy rains. I think that allowed the volume of water than came in not to top the banks.”
But, while he is looking forward to competing in the regional later this week, Anders admitted he feels guilty being able to fish while people less than 30 minutes away are displaced from their homes and many have lost everything in the flooding last week.
“We did not get near the rain in Anderson that the Midlands got. I am trying to keep a positive attitude and praying for those people,” he said. “But I know we have a great state and strong people.”
Although he has come close in the past, Anders won the Savannah River Division points title for the first time this year, thanks to three top 5 finishes, a top 15 and a top 25. His worst tournament was finishing 22nd at Keowee in February, but he rebounded with a 4th at Lake Russell in March, finished 15th at Hartwell April 11, then won at Hartwell two weeks later, and finished the year with a 2nd place at Clarks Hill in September.
“I guess I made the right decisions this year, although I did not change the way I fish from any other year,” he said. “I was fortunate to get the win on Hartwell in late April. I had the bites to win the early April tournament on Hartwell, but just did not execute.”
Although he started out slow on Keowee, he said, things picked up in the next tournament on Russell and continued from that point on.
“I wish things could go that way all the time, but I'm fishing against some of the best fishermen in the state. A couple of years ago I was second in points going to Clarks Hill and had a terrible tournament. This year things came together for me and I really crushed them on Clarks hill.”
Anders said he will work with a variety of baits and try to maintain super focus during the regional this week.
“I am on a lot of fish. I have to have tunnel vision and not worry about the boat in front of me or the boat behind me. I'll just keep the trolling motor on high and keep my head down,” he said.
Walmart BFL Regional
Oct 15-17, 2015
Lake Wateree
Clearwater Cove
Jeremiah Carr Wins The Oakley Bb On Douglas Lake With A 7.20 Lb Catch
Big weekend on Douglas Lake for the Oakley Big Bass Event as 644 anglers showed up to see what kind of big boy bass they could bring to the scales over the two day event. In the end it was Jermiah Carr who brought in an impressive 7.20 Lb fish to claim the $30,000 Boat-Motor-Trailer pkg! Great tournment with lots of impressive hauls-here is a pic of the winner and full results below:
2015 Douglas Lake, TN
Leaders
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEREMIAH CARR | 7.20 |
| 2 | JOEY FRANKLIN | 6.29 |
| 3 | CASEY LEAMON | 6.24 |
| 4 | TONY MCVEY | 6.15 |
| 5 | ROGER JONES | 6.02 |
| 6 | DUSTIN TURNER | 6.00 |
| 7 | TIM CAIN | 5.85 |
| 8 | ROBERT COUGHLIN | 5.51 |
| 9 | TONY PIERSON | 5.47 |
| 9 | CODY HARRIS | 5.47 |
Saturday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CASEY LEAMON | 6.24 |
| 2 | MIKE HOBBY | 5.26 |
| 3 | JEFF HOLT | 5.18 |
| 4 | BART HARRIS | 4.78 |
| 5 | GUY TAYLOR | 3.69 |
| 6 | CHARLES HOPKINS | 3.36 |
| 7 | ROGER MCCRAY | 3.22 |
| 8 | GUNTER ODELL | 2.87 |
Saturday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HENRY MAYNOR | 5.40 |
| 2 | WILLIE BRYAN | 5.34 |
| 3 | LOGAN BOHNERT | 5.23 |
| 4 | DEREK SAMPLES | 4.71 |
| 5 | NICK HATFIELD | 4.06 |
| 6 | GREG IRESON | 4.01 |
| 7 | JIM GRIIFIN | 3.83 |
| 8 | DANNY WHALEY | 3.65 |
Saturday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROGER JONES | 6.02 |
| 2 | ALLEN SMITH | 5.18 |
| 3 | BILL COFFEE | 4.92 |
| 4 | RYAN ROGERS | 4.70 |
| 5 | KEITH ANDIES | 4.66 |
| 6 | DAVID MUNDY | 4.47 |
| 7 | NICK HATFIELD | 4.44 |
| 8 | GREG IRESON | 3.94 |
Saturday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOM HALL | 5.11 |
| 2 | SCOTT GARDNER | 4.86 |
| 3 | JEFFERY KIRK | 4.78 |
| 4 | JOSH ROARK | 4.38 |
| 5 | MARK BROWN | 4.22 |
| 6 | RONNIE DENTON | 3.82 |
| 7 | EDDIE COFFEY | 3.75 |
| 8 | JUNIOR MCGEORGE | 3.53 |
Saturday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OSCAR BAILEY | 5.20 |
| 2 | ALLEN SMITH | 4.96 |
| 3 | BUDDY RUNYON | 4.69 |
| 4 | RICK GILL | 4.62 |
| 5 | KEVIN BARBER | 4.55 |
| 6 | TONY ALLGEIER | 4.08 |
| 7 | WILLIE BRYAN | 4.07 |
| 8 | ANN SMITH | 3.84 |
Saturday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CODY HARRIS | 5.47 |
| 2 | JAKE GARDNER | 5.04 |
| 3 | HENRY MAYNOR | 4.77 |
| 4 | CHARLES RAMSEY | 4.39 |
| 5 | ROD O'BARR | 4.32 |
| 6 | JEFF HORTON | 4.20 |
| 7 | TIM KIDWELL | 3.75 |
| 8 | MARK BROWN | 3.63 |
Saturday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DARYL HOBBY | 4.94 |
| 2 | RONALD MUSGRAVE | 4.88 |
| 3 | ERIC LAINHART | 4.51 |
| 4 | RUSTY REED | 4.42 |
| 5 | SCOTT GARDNER | 3.99 |
| 6 | RYAN JOHNSON | 3.87 |
| 7 | MICHAEL SAMMONS | 3.80 |
| 8 | STEVE REDMOND | 3.69 |
Sunday 8-9
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEREMIAH CARR | 7.20 |
| 2 | JORDAN PAYNE | 5.22 |
| 3 | DANNY WHALEY | 4.89 |
| 4 | CLINT HARRISON | 4.08 |
| 5 | RONNIE KING | 3.73 |
| 6 | LARRY LAWSON | 3.67 |
| 7 | KEVIN ROBINSON | 2.95 |
| 8 | CHRIS TAYLOR | 2.74 |
Sunday 9-10
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DUSTIN TURNER | 6.00 |
| 2 | TIM CAIN | 5.85 |
| 3 | HAROLD DOTSON | 4.96 |
| 4 | BRADLEY FRANKLIN | 3.93 |
| 5 | MICHAEL SAMMONS | 3.84 |
| 6 | TONY OWNBY | 3.79 |
| 7 | TONY CRUZ | 3.78 |
| 8 | MARK MARSHALL | 3.63 |
Sunday 10-11
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JORDAN WRIGHT | 5.14 |
| 2 | BENNETT MAY | 4.04 |
| 3 | BRANDON HALL | 3.50 |
| 4 | BURTON BRYAN | 3.35 |
| 5 | MIKE GOLDEN | 3.26 |
| 6 | SHERIDAN TAYLOR | 3.24 |
| 7 | DAVID PICKELL | 3.06 |
| 8 | JEFF RUSSELL | 2.82 |
Sunday 11-12
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROBERT COUGHLIN | 5.51 |
| 2 | TONY PIERSON | 5.47 |
| 3 | JOSH ROARK | 4.80 |
| 4 | TRISTAN COLLINS | 4.11 |
| 5 | TIM WACKER | 4.07 |
| 6 | JEFF RUSSELL | 3.82 |
| 7 | CASEY FOX | 3.43 |
| 8 | KEVIN BARBER | 3.30 |
Sunday 12-1
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EDDIE COFFEY | 5.38 |
| 2 | DUSTIN TURNER | 5.03 |
| 3 | NICK KIRKLAND | 4.82 |
| 4 | CLINT HARRISON | 4.71 |
| 5 | BRIAN HOLT | 4.37 |
| 6 | KELLEY MILLSAPS | 4.24 |
| 7 | JOHN VINSON | 4.05 |
| 8 | MIKE JOHNSON | 3.99 |
Sunday 1-2
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TONY MCVEY | 6.15 |
| 2 | MICHAEL LIVESAY | 5.23 |
| 3 | STEVEN HEADY | 4.35 |
| 4 | JOSH ROARK | 3.97 |
| 5 | RANDALL PENNY | 3.85 |
| 6 | DREW PAYNE | 3.67 |
| 7 | LEE MONDAY | 3.59 |
| 8 | BRYAN FAWVER | 3.40 |
Sunday 2-3
| Rank | Angler | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOEY FRANKLIN | 6.29 |
| 2 | EVAN KEITH | 5.44 |
| 3 | JOSH ROARK | 5.28 |
| 4 | KEVIN MULLINS | 5.08 |
| 5 | LARRY ROLEN | 4.95 |
| 6 | JOSEPH BRAKEBILL | 4.58 |
| 7 | LEE HORNER | 4.30 |
| 8 | BUTCH GODDARD | 4.13 |
Powered by A Leaderboard © 2014
Alabama Bass Trail Champs: Billy Sharp And Kevin Stubblefield Crush The Field At Wheeler
Sharp and Stubblefield Win 2105 Alabama Bass Trail Championship
Guntersville Area Team Runs Away with Phoenix Prize Boat
by Dan O’Sullivan
When the staff and crew of the Alabama Bass Trail began talking about the 2015 Alabama Bass Trail at Wheeler Lake out of Decatur’s Ingalls Harbor, the consensus was that fishing was tough. With ever changing weather conditions, the Tennessee River impoundment had yet to reach its fall pattern. The thought was that the winning team would weigh a little over 30 pounds.
Billy Sharp and Kevin Stubblefield shattered that estimate.
The Albertville and Guntersville, Ala. team placed consecutive limits that eclipse the 20-pound mark on the ABT scales and walked away with a victory and a nearly nine-pound margin of victory. Their total weight of 41.41 pounds earned them the keys to a Phoenix Boats prize package complete with a Mercury 200Pro XS, Garmin electronics, Garmin Virb cameras, HydroWave and a trolling motor valued at more than $40,000.
It was their first major victory. “This is an unbelievable feeling that hasn’t sunk in at all,” said Sharp and Stubblefield. “We would never have thought that we’d have been in the position to do this; it is an absolute blessing.”
In limited practice, the pair located an area that held quality bass that struck a green pumpkin orange colored Bo’s Jig and Strike King Rage Craw combo. After catching a couple solid fish in their final practice day, they decided to count on the main river spot less than two miles from Ingalls Harbor, and went looking for more.
When they returned on tournament morning, the fish were schooling. “We tied on bone colored Super Spooks and threw those to the school,” they said. “We caught our first fish at about seven o’clock the first morning and had the limit we weighed by nine o’clock; we had our final limit today by eight.”
They reported searching for similar areas, but did not find any that produced strikes. “We really weren’t concerned because we never saw another boat come within a quarter mile of us,” they said. “We had it to ourselves, and just had to go about executing.”
They reported catching a total of 15 keepers for the two-day event, and only losing one fish that would have added to their weight; a reported six-pound smallmouth that jumped off their topwater bait.
The team of Tim Hurst and Mark McCaig started the tournament in disappointing fashion with a 11-pound limit, but they brought a 20-pound limit to the scales on day two that brought their final weight to 32.48 pounds; good enough for second place and the $5,000 runner up prize. “We didn’t expect for things to go this well today after yesterday,” they said. “We started the day out of the money and had the goal of just getting a check; this is a lot better than we could have expected.” They reported catching fish on shad colored spinnerbaits and crankbaits as well as a jig on areas with significant presence of bait in the mid lake area.
The rest of the top 10 finishers of the 2015 Alabama Bass Trail Championship are as follows:
| 3 | Jonathan Canada/Bo Hunter | 5/0 | 30.82 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4000 | |
| 4 | Adam Bain/Kris Colley | 5/0 | 28.59 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3000 | |
| 5 | Damien Willis/Mark Steward | 5/0 | 28.53 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2500 | |
| 6 | Jeff Shelton/Tim Arnold | 5/0 | 28.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2000 | |
| 7 | John Welborn/Wesley Sams | 5/1 | 27.51 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1800 | |
| 8 | Jimmy Mason/Lance Walker | 5/0 | 26.57 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1700 | |
| 9 | Greg Tucker/Dillon Tucker | 5/0 | 26.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1600 | |
| 10 | Jesse Wiggins/Jordan Wiggins | 5/0 | 26.18 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1400 |
ABT CHamps Billy Sharp and Kevin Stubblefield After thier big win!
Day One quality at the ABT CHampionship on Wheeler Lake
| 1 | Billy Sharp/Kevin Stubblefield | 5/0 | 41.41 | 0.00 | 5.76 | Phoenix Boat | |
| 2 | Tim Hurst/Mark Mccaig | 5/0 | 32.48 | 0.00 | 5.87 | 5000 | |
| 3 | Jonathan Canada/Bo Hunter | 5/0 | 30.82 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4000 | |
| 4 | Adam Bain/Kris Colley | 5/0 | 28.59 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3000 | |
| 5 | Damien Willis/Mark Steward | 5/0 | 28.53 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2500 | |
| 6 | Jeff Shelton/Tim Arnold | 5/0 | 28.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2000 | |
| 7 | John Welborn/Wesley Sams | 5/1 | 27.51 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1800 | |
| 8 | Jimmy Mason/Lance Walker | 5/0 | 26.57 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1700 | |
| 9 | Greg Tucker/Dillon Tucker | 5/0 | 26.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1600 | |
| 10 | Jesse Wiggins/Jordan Wiggins | 5/0 | 26.18 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1400 | |
| 11 | Waylon Hancock/Timothy Little | 2/0 | 26.09 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1200 | |
| 12 | Craig Daniel /Jackie Flack | 5/0 | 25.99 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1200 | |
| 13 | Blake Hall/Dustin Connell | 5/0 | 25.91 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1200 | |
| 14 | Tony Boyett/Brian Metcalf | 5/0 | 25.73 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1200 | |
| 15 | Larry Blount/Robert Blount | 5/0 | 25.34 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1200 | |
| 16 | Tullis Lanier/Joey Davidson | 5/0 | 25.16 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 17 | Nicholas Turner/Joe Lay | 5/0 | 25.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 18 | Gabe Aldridge/Wes Wiggins | 5/0 | 24.48 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 19 | Nathan Brewer/Michael Brewer | 5/0 | 24.12 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 19 | Rickie Knight/Randall Carter | 5/0 | 24.12 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 21 | Josh Bragg/Joe Hartley | 5/0 | 24.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 22 | Hadley Coan/Scott Keeling | 5/0 | 23.57 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 23 | Keith Dees/Tommy Walley | 5/0 | 23.56 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 24 | Brock Mosley/Danny Mosley | 5/0 | 23.39 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 25 | Taylor Lamar/Mac Lamar | 5/0 | 23.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1100 | |
| 26 | John Davis/Payton McGinnis | 5/0 | 22.99 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 27 | Michael Szokoly/David Shoop | 5/0 | 22.93 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 28 | Greg Griggers/Barry Landrum | 5/0 | 22.86 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 29 | Kyle Glasgow/Luke Glasgow | 5/0 | 22.80 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 30 | Tony Hogan/Keith Craft | 5/0 | 22.68 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 31 | Kevin Dees/Jim Smith | 5/0 | 22.41 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 32 | Jeremy Tomlin/Greg Tomlin | 5/0 | 22.31 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 33 | Rowdy Wade/Chad Hazel | 5/0 | 22.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 34 | Foster Bradley/Britt Lemley | 5/0 | 21.86 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 35 | George Crain/Allan Glasgow | 5/0 | 21.73 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 35 | Scott Luster/Jerry Cook | 5/0 | 21.73 | 0.00 | 5.97 | 0.00 | |
| 37 | Charlie Cummings/Greg Pugh | 5/0 | 21.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 38 | Scott Ashley/Taylor Ashley | 5/0 | 21.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 39 | Brian Morris/Brian Jett | 5/0 | 21.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 40 | Ralph Moseley/Terry Stevens | 5/0 | 20.94 | 0.00 | 4.66 | 0.00 | |
| 41 | Jeff Richey/Howard Richey | 5/0 | 20.90 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 42 | Jamie Smith/Michael Rains | 5/0 | 20.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 43 | Eddie Jewell/Bobby Simmons | 5/0 | 19.87 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 44 | Andrew Warbington /Taylor Teague | 5/0 | 19.49 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 45 | Jimmy Cook/Joey Mann | 5/0 | 19.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 46 | Lanny Guthrie/Lee Hurley | 5/0 | 19.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 47 | Craig Bellew/Jason Morgan | 5/0 | 19.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 48 | Scott Montgomery/Les Bratcher | 5/0 | 18.79 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 49 | Chris Minor/Chase Benson | 5/0 | 18.69 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 49 | Brandon Staggs/Jerry Wright | 4/0 | 18.69 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Eric Self And Tyler Beam Hold On To Win The Cbc Div Champ On Norman
148 boats with about 140 limits (Not really, but that's what it felt like!!) Great turnout on one rainy, rainy day! Congrats to Eric Self and Tyler Beam with their huge win! Payouts were strong as usual and real kudo's to all who fought thru a downpour from blast off to weigh-in!
| Place | Team Name | Team # | Fish Weighed | Net Weight | Big Fish | Points | Winnings |
| 1 | Eric Self - Tyler Beam | 127 | 5 | 17.190 | 0.000 | 310 | TZX190 |
| 2 | Nathan Webber - Dale Webber | 39 | 5 | 15.360 | 4.680 | 309 | $10,000 |
| 3 | Butch Zadlo - Bryan Lewis | 97 | 5 | 15.280 | 5.150 | 308 | $4,500 |
| 4 | Adam Waters - Dylan Fulk | 1 | 5 | 14.970 | 4.880 | 307 | $3,000 |
| 5 | Johnny Guffey - Wesley Bell | 43 | 5 | 14.760 | 0.000 | 306 | $2,000 |
| 6 | Scott Hamrick - Roger Hoover | 137 | 5 | 14.630 | 0.000 | 305 | $1,400 |
| 7 | David Winters - Russell Winters | 21 | 5 | 14.270 | 3.550 | 304 | $1,000 |
| 8 | Thomas Vickers - Brian Huskins | 2 | 5 | 14.000 | 0.000 | 303 | $800 |
| 9 | Steve Addington - Matt Stout | 29 | 5 | 13.870 | 0.000 | 302 | $750 |
| 10 | Cory Leonard - Paul Rigsbee | 63 | 5 | 13.770 | 0.000 | 301 | $700 |
| 11 | Graham Rushing - Artie Phillips | 131 | 5 | 13.450 | 0.000 | 300 | $650 |
| 12 | Jason Wilson - Kelly Logan | 75 | 5 | 13.440 | 0.000 | 299 | $535 |
| 13 | Greg Whittington - Danny Hucks | 102 | 5 | 13.380 | 4.560 | 298 | $475 |
| 14 | Doug Easton - Pete Bejte | 146 | 5 | 13.200 | 0.000 | 297 | $445 |
| 15 | Michael Smith - Roger Pope | 57 | 5 | 13.190 | 0.000 | 296 | $420 |
| 16 | Wayne Hauser - Anthony Rife | 37 | 5 | 13.090 | 0.000 | 295 | $385 |
| 17 | Ricky Byrd - Chris Graham | 42 | 5 | 12.820 | 4.850 | 294 | $360 |
| 18 | Steve Dyer - Derek Lilley | 110 | 5 | 12.810 | 0.000 | 293 | $330 |
| 19 | Russell Hoyle - Jerry Pruitt | 89 | 5 | 12.710 | 0.000 | 292 | $315 |
| 20 | Robin Collins - Ronnie White | 68 | 5 | 12.640 | 0.000 | 291 | $300 |
| 21 | Aric Dwyer - Robert Anderson | 120 | 5 | 12.590 | 0.000 | 290 | $290 |
| 22 | Robert Osborne - Bobby Osborne | 111 | 5 | 12.410 | 0.000 | 289 | $270 |
| 23 | Johnny Allen - Scott Stallings | 69 | 5 | 12.370 | 0.000 | 288 | $250 |
| 24 | Marvin Godard - Robert Adams | 70 | 5 | 12.080 | 0.000 | 287 | $225 |
| 25 | Chris Wagner - Chase Deal | 7 | 5 | 12.020 | 0.000 | 286 | $200 |
| 26 | Adam Fillmore - Matt Queen | 129 | 5 | 12.000 | 0.000 | 285 | |
| 27 | Wayne Ingram - Chris Brown | 90 | 5 | 11.950 | 0.000 | 284 | |
| 28 | Klaus Hadschin - Jerry Hadschin | 91 | 5 | 11.920 | 0.000 | 283 | |
| 29 | Bill Grier - Robby Byrum | 55 | 5 | 11.870 | 4.100 | 282 | |
| 30 | Michael Kinard - Tony Lambert | 58 | 5 | 11.870 | 4.210 | 281 | |
| 31 | Stacey Richards - Brian Triplett | 96 | 5 | 11.760 | 0.000 | 280 | |
| 32 | Tyler Hoopaugh - Chris Hoopaugh | 135 | 5 | 11.600 | 0.000 | 279 | |
| 33 | Dennis Hensley - Steve Yoder | 80 | 5 | 11.570 | 0.000 | 278 | |
| 34 | Jeff Coble - David Wright | 8 | 5 | 11.370 | 0.000 | 277 | |
| 35 | Ricky Self - Ben Stanton | 144 | 5 | 11.280 | 0.000 | 276 | |
| 36 | Mike Davis - Gerald Ritchie | 62 | 5 | 11.150 | 0.000 | 275 | |
| 37 | Thomas Richmond - Reggie Pollock | 100 | 5 | 11.120 | 0.000 | 274 | |
| 38 | Kenny Seagle - Thomas Simmerson | 17 | 5 | 11.040 | 0.000 | 273 | |
| 39 | Eddie Smith - Michael Carson | 140 | 5 | 11.040 | 0.000 | 272 | |
| 40 | Zack Jeney - Mike Smith | 107 | 5 | 11.010 | 0.000 | 271 | |
| 41 | Joshua Queen - Mike Queen | 114 | 5 | 11.000 | 0.000 | 270 | |
| 42 | Craig Chambers | 141 | 5 | 11.000 | 0.000 | 269 | |
| 43 | John parker - Scott Allison | 61 | 5 | 10.970 | 0.000 | 268 | |
| 44 | Milton Yancey - Larry Yancey | 31 | 5 | 10.930 | 0.000 | 267 | |
| 45 | Jerry Craig - Bobby Lateuch | 128 | 5 | 10.890 | 0.000 | 266 | |
| 46 | brian morgan - anthony Lutz | 123 | 5 | 10.820 | 0.000 | 265 | |
| 47 | Thomas Hardwick - Tommy Williams | 27 | 5 | 10.800 | 0.000 | 264 | |
| 48 | Dale Duncan - Donnie Woody | 119 | 5 | 10.750 | 0.000 | 263 | |
| 49 | Jeff Queen - Carroll Queen | 25 | 5 | 10.730 | 0.000 | 262 | |
| 50 | Michael Kelley - Terry Wike | 50 | 5 | 10.610 | 0.000 | 261 | |
| 51 | Paul Guthrie - Robert Church | 134 | 5 | 10.610 | 0.000 | 260 | |
| 52 | Bryan Welch - Mark Inman | 4 | 5 | 10.590 | 0.000 | 259 | |
| 53 | john drew - mitch drew | 56 | 5 | 10.560 | 0.000 | 258 | |
| 54 | Drew Stankwytch - Dave Whitehead | 72 | 5 | 10.490 | 0.000 | 257 | |
| 55 | Greg Osborne - Wyatt Blevins | 145 | 5 | 10.490 | 0.000 | 256 | |
| 56 | Adam Ridings - Chris Beaird | 19 | 5 | 10.460 | 0.000 | 255 | |
| 57 | Reginald Pickett - Larry Kirk | 139 | 5 | 10.410 | 0.000 | 254 | |
| 58 | Robert Walser - Mack Lowe | 23 | 5 | 10.390 | 0.000 | 253 | |
| 59 | Vince Parker - Mark Parker | 22 | 5 | 10.330 | 0.000 | 252 | |
| 60 | Mike Ray - Orlando Giles | 59 | 5 | 10.300 | 0.000 | 251 | |
| 61 | Allen Eaker - Kelly Homesley | 79 | 5 | 10.190 | 0.000 | 250 | |
| 62 | Brian Travis - Ashley Brotherton | 99 | 5 | 10.190 | 0.000 | 249 | |
| 63 | Dale Surrett - Lee Endicott | 44 | 5 | 10.180 | 0.000 | 248 | |
| 64 | Terry Wien | 15 | 5 | 10.140 | 0.000 | 247 | |
| 65 | David Clanton - Brent Sanders | 105 | 4 | 10.110 | 4.680 | 246 | |
| 66 | Eric Moser - Mark Beck | 92 | 5 | 10.010 | 0.000 | 245 | |
| 67 | Robert Mixon - Robert Lambert | 112 | 5 | 10.010 | 0.000 | 244 | |
| 68 | Mike Clark - Chris Anderson | 24 | 5 | 10.000 | 0.000 | 243 | |
| 69 | Rodney Bell - Tommy Jones | 148 | 5 | 9.980 | 0.000 | 242 | |
| 70 | Greg Bragg - Christopher Terry | 6 | 5 | 9.930 | 0.000 | 241 | |
| 71 | Steven Austin - Roger Wood | 26 | 5 | 9.870 | 0.000 | 240 | |
| 72 | Nick Beaver - Roger Beaver | 143 | 5 | 9.850 | 0.000 | 239 | |
| 73 | Dwight Dellinger - Doug Dellinger | 94 | 5 | 9.780 | 0.000 | 238 | |
| 74 | Jimmy Cummings - Dean Collins | 122 | 5 | 9.560 | 0.000 | 237 | |
| 75 | Jason Quinn - Tony Colacurcio | 53 | 5 | 9.530 | 0.000 | 236 | |
| 76 | Jody Jones | 41 | 5 | 9.450 | 0.000 | 235 | |
| 77 | Mark Lamb - Robert Griswold | 85 | 5 | 9.430 | 0.000 | 234 | |
| 78 | Larry LeHew - Greg Deal | 117 | 5 | 9.360 | 0.000 | 233 | |
| 79 | Rich Szczerbala - Rick Dunstan | 60 | 5 | 9.300 | 0.000 | 232 | |
| 80 | Bo Morris - Ricky Roach | 108 | 5 | 9.240 | 0.000 | 231 | |
| 81 | Danny Nifong - Matthew Nifong | 67 | 5 | 9.200 | 0.000 | 230 | |
| 82 | Robert Bauguess - Rodney Morrow | 14 | 5 | 9.140 | 0.000 | 229 | |
| 83 | Dale Luckey - John Brown | 9 | 5 | 9.120 | 0.000 | 228 | |
| 84 | Dan Funderburk - Rod Cozart | 40 | 5 | 9.090 | 0.000 | 227 | |
| 85 | Larry Denton - Chris Guest | 87 | 5 | 9.030 | 0.000 | 226 | |
| 86 | Dempsey Carter - Ted Mobley | 104 | 5 | 8.910 | 0.000 | 225 | |
| 87 | Todd Garner - Shane Hartman | 109 | 5 | 8.880 | 0.000 | 224 | |
| 88 | Larry Horton - James Marshall | 34 | 5 | 8.860 | 0.000 | 223 | |
| 89 | Bernie Davis - Bobby Snyder | 84 | 5 | 8.820 | 0.000 | 222 | |
| 90 | Israel Gibson - Brian Silvers | 49 | 5 | 8.790 | 0.000 | 221 | |
| 91 | Matthew McBee | 71 | 5 | 8.700 | 0.000 | 220 | |
| 92 | Gary Love - Ricky Todd | 11 | 5 | 8.630 | 0.000 | 219 | |
| 93 | Chris Dover - Robert Fowler | 13 | 5 | 8.540 | 0.000 | 218 | |
| 94 | Wesley Cashwell - Shane Doughtie | 45 | 5 | 8.400 | 0.000 | 217 | |
| 95 | Tanner Stirewalt - Josh Brady | 77 | 5 | 8.400 | 0.000 | 216 | |
| 96 | Jerry Cross - Bryce Owen | 113 | 5 | 8.270 | 0.000 | 215 | |
| 97 | Reggie Guffey - Tommy Chapman | 125 | 5 | 8.190 | 0.000 | 214 | |
| 98 | Mark Swink - Mike Sprouse | 138 | 5 | 8.140 | 0.000 | 213 | |
| 99 | Richard Greene - Kent Brewer's | 83 | 5 | 8.040 | 0.000 | 212 | |
| 100 | Mark Hollifield - Matt Lowe | 16 | 5 | 7.800 | 0.000 | 211 | |
| 101 | Denny Parunak - Tony Blevins | 10 | 5 | 7.480 | 0.000 | 210 | |
| 102 | Wayne Skipworth - Don Sprinkle | 30 | 4 | 7.240 | 0.000 | 209 | |
| 103 | Phil Hennessee - Lee Hoilman | 73 | 5 | 7.150 | 0.000 | 208 | |
| 104 | Jonathan Spivey - Derick Livingston | 116 | 4 | 6.350 | 0.000 | 207 | |
| 105 | Thomas Gavin - Bobby Winn | 121 | 4 | 5.920 | 0.000 | 206 | |
| 106 | Ronnie Britt - Jim Britt | 78 | 3 | 5.770 | 0.000 | 205 | |
| 107 | Mason Boyd | 124 | 3 | 5.350 | 0.000 | 204 | |
| 108 | Brendon Schneider - Kyle James | 132 | 2 | 3.550 | 0.000 | 203 | |
| 109 | Ben Parker | 3 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 202 | |
| 110 | Jerry Lineberger - Shane Lineberger | 5 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 201 | |
| 111 | Doug Punch - Rocky Franklin | 12 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 200 | |
| 112 | Todd Sumner - Robert Parrish | 18 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 199 | |
| 113 | Nick Miller - Brandon Brickweg | 20 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 198 | |
| 114 | Brent Berry - Steve Shaw | 28 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 197 | |
| 115 | Dennis Cable - Tim Harrison | 32 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 196 | |
| 116 | James Wall - Jimmy Wall | 33 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 195 | |
| 117 | Louie Hull - Chuck Montgomery | 35 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 194 | |
| 118 | Marcus Leech - Tim Chapman | 36 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 193 | |
| 119 | Chuck Morton - Kevin Sheppard | 38 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 192 | |
| 120 | Eric Jeter - Darren Jeter | 46 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 191 | |
| 121 | Kevin Toler - Rodney Lambert | 47 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 190 | |
| 122 | Tony Stafford - Joshua Stafford | 48 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 189 | |
| 123 | Hunter Hicks - Bobby Rice | 51 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 188 | |
| 124 | Shaun Simmons - Nick Greene | 52 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 187 | |
| 125 | Brian Stowe - Shannon Stowe | 54 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 186 | |
| 126 | Keith Speece - Wendell Ireland | 64 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 185 | |
| 127 | Rick Carson - Ricky Parrish | 65 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 184 | |
| 128 | Nathan Royal - David Brookshire | 66 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 183 | |
| 129 | Greg Sims - Michael Huffman | 74 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 182 | |
| 130 | Mitchell Cook - Todd Huffman | 76 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 181 | |
| 131 | Phillip Frady - Dirk Porter | 81 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 180 | |
| 132 | Douglas Fowler | 82 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 179 | |
| 133 | Marc Grigg - Tracy Schiff | 86 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 178 | |
| 134 | Dwayne Hughes - Micheal Gibson | 88 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 177 | |
| 135 | John Gutierrez - Joe Anders | 93 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 176 | |
| 136 | Michael Cribb - Roger Cribb | 95 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 175 | |
| 137 | John Martin - Christopher Allard | 98 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 174 | |
| 138 | David Blanton - William Blanton | 101 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 173 | |
| 139 | Jerry Goble - Scott Griffin | 103 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 172 | |
| 140 | Darren Sigmon - Brian Huffman | 106 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 171 | |
| 141 | Brian Hall - Doug Stallings | 115 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 170 | |
| 142 | Duke Denison - Jamie Denison | 118 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 169 | |
| 143 | Clint Benbow - Jeremi Beatty | 126 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 168 | |
| 144 | Tracy Brown | 130 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 167 | |
| 145 | Michael Webster - Guy Eaker | 133 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 166 | |
| 146 | Lester Elton - Chris Martin | 136 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 165 | |
| 147 | Parks Jones - Daniel Hill | 142 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 164 | |
| 148 | Mike Branch - Brian Branch | 147 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 163 |
Scott Martin joins LIVETARGET staff
Gary Abernethy, marketing manager of LIVETARGET commented on the selection of Scott Martin to the LIVETARGET team: “Scott brings to LIVETARGET a great blend of proven tournament fishing excellence along with one of the best media outlets via his TV show and recognized personality. We’ve talked to Scott over the years, and with his recent Angler of the Year achievement on the FLW Tour, and our ongoing growth at LIVETARGET, it was the right time to add Scott onto our team.â€
Abernethy added, “Scott will help us in promotions with the media elements, but as with all our ProStaff, we look to use Scott and his proven skills as a leading bass angler to help us with our continued lure designs. It is great that Scott is also a multi-species angler, and that works well to help us across a product line that now has over 750+ lure models. We have plans to have Scott present tips and techniques to anglers so they can become better fishermen with LIVETARGET lures.â€
Martin had his own interest in seeking a partnership with the LIVETARGET brand. “LIVETARGET is a company that has won a “Best of Show†lure award for 5 out of the past 6 years at ICAST, and man, they have some great lure designs. Not only are the designs impressive, but as a travelling tournament angler and television producer, I need a very wide spectrum of lures to use. LIVETARGET offers me the most impressive lure selections, and I really like the Match-the-Hatch® strategy of matching the lure to the local forage base. As a tournament angler, we all want a competitive edge, and the LIVETARGET brand will give me that advantage to win.â€
Anglers will be able to view the Scott Martin Challenge TV show, which will air on multiple networks beginning in January (check local and cable listings for air times), plus learn tips and tactics he shares on his Facebook page, YouTube Channel and website: http://www.scottmartinchallenge.com
In addition to Scott Martin, the current roster of LIVETARGET Pro Staff anglers includes: Dave Mercer, host of Facts of Fishing; Patrick Campeau, Canadian journalist and author; Henry Waszczuk, host of Fishing the Flats; Jason South, host of “Florida Adventure Quest†and two Bassmaster Elite Pros, Stephen Browning and David Walker. See ProStaff content online at: http://www.livetargetlures.com/livetarget-pros
Anglers Face Two Choices In Alabama Bass Trail Championship Smallmouths Or Largemouths
Anglers in the Alabama Bass Trail Championship on Wheeler Lake this weekend basically have two choices, according to veteran tournament angler Mark McCaig: run up the river and fish for smallmouth in the tailrace behind Guntersville Dam or stay down lake and fish the channel edges and shellbeds for largemouths.
“A lot of people will make the run up to Guntersville Dam and that is where a lot of fall tournaments are won,” said McCaig, who with teammate Tim Hurst, both of Oxford, Ala., is ranked 5th in points in the ABT North Division. “But there are some good largemouths in the back of Flint Creek which runs by the the ramp and I think that will be a player, too.”
Recent rains have poured a lot of water in the Tennessee River system, which creates current, and that will boost the tailrace fishing. However, this time of year Wheeler goes through an annual draw down, which has pulled the water off shoreline structure down the lake, causing the bass to move out to the channels and scatter, McCaig said.
“It's down about two feet now,” he said, “which eliminates a lot of flats areas. A lot of those fish may be drawn out and are on the shall beds. I think there will be some fish on the shell beds and up the creeks.”
The choice, McCaig said, is for anglers make the run up to the Guntersville tailrace and fish for a few bites or stay down the lake and fish for more bites.
“I am not crazy about fishing in the tailrace. It's kind of an all-in deal. You don't have to time to go anywhere else if it doesn't pan out. But if you catch five up there, some of them will be big ones. There are some really good 3-0 to 4-pound fish up there.”
Conversely, he said, if you fish down the lake you will likely get a lot more bites, but you might not have but 11 or 12 pounds. Or, you could have a lot more weight than that.
“I think it will take 17 to 17 ½ pounds a day to win it and I think I can fish down the lake and have 17 pounds a day,” he said.
Anglers will be fishing for a complete boat package for the first place prize – a Phoenix 819 Pro complete with a 200 Mercury, Garmin electronics, 2-Garmin VIRB Elite cameras, HydroWave H-2, T-H Marine Atlas Hydraulic Jack Plate and Minn Kota trolling motor.
Alabama Bass Trail Championship
Oct 9-10, 2015
Wheeler Lake
Ingalls Harbour
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
Low Water On Wylie Forces Cbc North Carolina Championship Move To Lake Norman
Ironically, while much of the rest of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina were experiencing flooding at historic levels due to the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the region, the water level on Lake Wylie is too low, so the Carolinas Bass Challenge North Carolina Division Championship this Saturday has been moved to Lake Norman.
“We had to move the championship to Lake Norman because of low water levels and ramp closures at Lake Wylie,” said tournament director Brett Collins. The championship will now be held out of Queens Landing (McCrary Creek) on Lake Norman.
“Lake Norman water levels have risen and with the recent rains the water color will be good for shallow fishing,” Collins said. “I look for 18 to 20 pounds to win it, with several good bags brought in.”
Collins said more than 180 teams are eligible to enter the championship, which has a 2016 Skeeter TZX190 with a 150 Yamaha HPDI outboard as a first prize.
“The rest of the field will be paid 100 percent of the entry fee which could total over $40,000,” Collins said, adding that the Big Fish winner will get $1,000 and there will be a three-place Skeeter bonus with $2,500 to the top finishing Skeeter team, $1,500 to the second place team and $1,000 to the third place team.
Collins said the Championship Saturday will cap another banner year for the North Carolina Division.
“Our membership increased with many new faces and the NC CBC averaged 180 teams this year.”
Jason Wilson and Kelly Logan won the points championship and the top points prize of $1,000. Thomas Hardwick and Tommy Williams were second and earned $500, while Wayne Ingram and Chris Brown finished third and won $250.
The 2015 Carolinas Bass Challenge season will conclude Oct. 23-24 with the CBC Classic on Clarks Hill Lake out of Wildwood Park, featuring teams from both the NC and SC divisions. First place in the Classic will be a Skeeter ZX200 with a Yamaha 200 SHO Engine, and the highest finishing Skeeter/Yamaha Team will win $5,000.
Collins also announced the 2016 regular season schedule for both the North Carolina and South Carolina divisions, with lakes and times to be announced later for the division championships and the 2016 CBC Classic.
The North Carolina Division schedule includes: Feb. 6, Lake Wylie; March 19, Lake Norman; April 2, High Rock Lake; and April 30, Lake Hickory. The South Carolina Division schedule includes: Feb. 20, Lake Wateree; March 5, Santee Cooper; April 23, the Waccamaw River; and May 14, Lake Murray.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - NC Div Championship
Sat, Oct 10, 2015
Lake Norman
Queens Landing
Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521
www.carolinasbasschallenge.com
$5000 Guraranteed For 1St Place At Every Fom Event In 2016!
Ok folks the raffle is finished and the SC Upstate Fishers of Men Trail will be a guaranteed $5,000 for first at every event. Only stipulation is that one of the anglers must be at the pretournament meeting. That is as good as it gets on a $150 entry fee. Thanks goes out to all of my team members that put the time and effort in on selling raffle tickets. As well, be looking at the www.fomntt.com site every day in the month of October as the guns will be given away daily. Daily winners will be posted.
Finally put black Friday on your schedule as the day after thanksgiving we will be holding the 3rd annual black Friday black bag and giving away $10,000 in cash and prize values guaranteed.
ONE FISH $5000 could be a very good day.
Along with the $5000 every tournament this year we will also have brand bonuses amd the Palmetto Boat Center buyer money at every event. God is good and thanks for those who helped and purchased tickets. Look forward to seeing you all the last Saturday of the month from January to May. Other bonuses will be announced soon as well, so stay tuned for an awesome 2016. 
Anthony Gagliardi Rolls Out New Rod Line-Full Preview Of Level Rods With Ag At The Flw Cup!
FLW Tour Pro and Sportsman's Warehouse Pro Anthony Gagliardi takes a few minutes to go over his new ROD Series with us called LEVEL RODS. With AG an engineering degree, something tells us these should be pretty good!
Anglers Choice Ranger Classic On Kerr Rescheduled For Nov 7-8, 2015
Chris Lucas had been pulling his hair out this week, eyes glued to the weather reports on television, facing the bugaboo of all fishing tournament directors: the possibility of having to postpone a year-end championship because of unsafe weather conditions.
The first of two championships for the Anglers Choice Invitational Team Trail HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED to be fished Saturday and Sunday, Nov 7-8 on Kerr Reservoir. Having consolidated the Virginia and North Carolina divisions of the Anglers Choice Trail, the series scheduled the Ranger Classic on Kerr and the Triton Classic on High Rock Lake Oct. 17-18.
But this weekend Lucas was facing an extremely muddled weather picture. A recent tropical depression moving up the East Coast has dumped tons of rain on the Carolinas and Virginia, creating dangerous flooding is some areas. To compound the situation, Hurricane Joaquin is poised to hit the North Carolina coast by early next week if it stays on its current track – and more rain and high winds could come in well ahead of the main storm.
“That could bring in a ton of rain and high winds this weekend,” Lucas said. High winds associated with major storms this time of year are another factor that could pose real danger to the anglers, Lucas said.
“There are about 12 different paths the storm could take and it could stay out in the ocean,” he said. “It could come in and bring 5 to 8 inches of rain and that would not have bothered us much, but the threat of high winds did bother us,” he said.
The Governor of Virginia, having declared a state of emergency DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND THE THREAT OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN, made the decision for Lucas and has forced him to reschedule the tournament for Nov 7-8, 2015 on Kerr.
Lucas said more than 100 boats had already pre-registered and he hopes to have 130 to 140 boats fish the Classic at Kerr in November.
David Wright and Jeff Coble repeated as points champions, he said. The 2015 points championship team will have their entry fee paid for the B.A.S.S. Toyota Team Championship. Lucas said Anglers Choice will send 12 teams to the Toyota Championship.
“We had one team finish second in the Toyota Team Championship this past year and one angler, Brandon Gray, won the individual title and went on to fish in the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell. We are hoping to repeat that success this year,” he said.
Anglers Choice Invitational Team Trail Classic
Nov 7-8, 2015
Kerr / Buggs Island Lake
Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
Central Open On Table Rock Will Probably Be A 'junk Fishing' Tournament For Browning
Fishing is tough, the weather appears poised to make it worse, and Stephen Browning has not found anything close to a solid pattern to bank on, so he plans to “just go junk fishing” when the third and final Bassmaster Central Open Tournament starts Thursday on Table Rock Lake.
“We've got a cold front about to blow through and that is not going to help the situation,” Browning said. “Table Rock is notorious for fogging in and if we get some cold in the morning and there is no wind to blow that front out of here our day may be cut pretty short.”
If that happens, Browning said, he plans to fish pretty close to the launch site and try to make the best of whatever he can come up with.
“I don't have a set game plan. I am kind of waiting to see what tomorrow morning brings,” the Little Rock, Ark., pro said. “This is one of those deals where I am getting a few keeper bites a day. It's just old junk fishing. I don't have anything to put a solid pattern together, so I am going to continue doing what I have been doing – fishing a little shallow, fishing a little deep and fishing a little in between.”
It's not like there are limited options, he said. Table Rock offers a lot of different ways to catch fish – boat docks, timber in the water, brush piles, rock piles and other structures.
“All I need to do is go out there and fish what the conditions dictate, fish to my strengths and hopefully get something going tomorrow that will continue all three days,” he said. “After all, it doesn't matter what you do in practice, it's what you do in the tournament.”
Browning would love nothing better than to win on Table Rock and get the automatic bid to fish the 2016 Bassmaster Classic on the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees at Tulsa, Okla., next March.
He placed 5th in the Central Open on Ross Barnett in March and 5th again in the second Open on Fort Gibson Lake two weeks ago, so the division final on Table Rock represent his last shot at making the 2016 Classic field.
“I was in pretty good standing in the Elite Series, but I messed around and fell out of contention the last couple of tournaments. So I am mighty hungry. If I don't win I am not going to the Classic,” Browning said.
There is one other goal in the Central Open Final this week – the points title. Browning and veteran pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., are in a virtual tie for the title going into the last Open. Biffle, who finished 3rd at Ross Barnett in March and 6th at Fort Gibson Lake in September, leads Browning by a single point.
“Tommy and I are the only two guys who have had two pretty good tournaments, so it basically means if I cash a check in this tournament and finish ahead of him I'll get the title,' Browning said. “But I sure would like to win it and go to the Classic.”
Bassmaster Central Open
Oct 1-3, 2015
Table Rock Lake
Table Rock State Park
Fishing Solo Means Eku Angler Will Have To Fish Smart In Flw College Central Conference Championship
In his college career, Ethan Snyder and his Eastern Kentucky teammates have won three FLW College Central Conference qualifiers, but he will be navigating uncharted waters in the Central Conference Championship this weekend on Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, Ill. He actually knows the lake itself, but he will be fishing it solo – an unfamiliar situation, for sure.
Shaw Owens, who teamed with Snyder to win the Central Conference tournament on Kentucky Lake last month, had some school issues that will keep him out of competition this weekend.
“We were fortunate to win at Kentucky Lake together,” said Snyder. “This will be my first college tournament where I had to go on it on my own. It will be different from the standpoint of not having someone in the boat with me to kind of help eliminate water, suggest different things. It is definitely going to be a whole lot different.”
The lake itself, he said, also presents a challenge.
“I went out to Carlyle to practice two weeks ago on Saturday and Sunday and it seemed pretty tough. The lake was a lot lower than it was when I was there three years ago. Conditions were also tough. The wind was blowing and that lake limits you when the wind blows.”
Although the lake encompasses 26,000 acres, Snyder said it only has a half dozen or so small creeks feeding it so there is not nearly as much shoreline to fish as most other lakes.
“When the wind blows it really fishes small,” he said.
Snyder plans to leave very early Thursday morning to get in two days of practice before the tournament starts on Saturday.
“I am going to try to figure something out different than what I know everybody else will be trying to do,” he said. “I'm not going to burn a lot of gas and I'm not going to fish any of the areas we were in two weeks ago. I'm going to try to keep an open mind and hopefully find something that will help in the tournament.”
Ironically, while Snyder – who teamed with Kyle Raymer to finish 3rd in the FLW College National Championship on South Carolina's Lake Murray in April – is representing Eastern Kentucky University, he actually is now a grad student at the University of Kentucky, working on a Master's Degree in plant and soil science.
“I graduated from EKU back in May with a degree in agronomy and natural resources,” he said. “This will be my 5th year of eligibility, but I probably won't have time to fish with all the time needed for study and research that goes into a Master's program.”
And, he said, when he gets that graduate degree he will be seeking a job in the agriculture industry as an agronomist or crop consultant, although the idea of fishing professionally is not completely off the table.
“Maybe, if the money is right, I'll fish the Rayovacs or B.A.S.S. Opens. Then one of these days if the opportunity presents itself and I am still able, I would definitely consider it,” he said.
Meanwhile, there is the Central Conference Championship this weekend on Carlyle Lake with the opportunity to win the $4,000 first prize and earn a berth in the FLW College Fishing National Championship.
To get there Snyder will have to do it without any help.
“Fishing solo is going to be tough to do,” he said. “But, if I keep my head straight and make the right decisions, hopefully I can put every fish that bites into the boat.”
FLW College Fishing Central Conference Championship
Oct 3-4, 2015
Carlyle Lake
Dam West Boat Ramp
Finding groups of bass in the grass will be key in FLW College Southeastern Championship on Pickwick
The FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference Championship on Pickwick Lake this weekend is going to be about one thing and one thing only – grass.
Not the kind you mow in the front yard. This is hydrilla, the most seen on Pickwick in years, and that's where the bass are, said SE Conference angler Patrick Walters of the University of South Carolina.
“They had a mild winter and now there are miles and miles of hydrilla,” said Walters, who teamed with Gettys Brannon to win the FLW College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray in April. Walters, of Summerville, S.C., is teamed with Josh Rennebaum of Chapin, S.C., for the 2015 FLW College season.
“Once you get that much hydrilla in a lake it all looks the same.”
The key, Walters said, will be to be patient and work down the grass, finding the pockets of bass hiding in the hydrilla – and fish error-free.
“It's going to be tough. You are only going to get five or six bites a day, so you have to be consistent and put those five or six fish in the boat. Just don't make any fishing mistakes.”
Walters noted that it only took 32 pounds to win the Walmart BFL Mississippi Division Super Tournament on Pickwick last weekend.
“That's a 16-pound average per day, so we figure 12 pounds a day will put us in the top 10,” he said. Forty-five college teams have qualified for this event and will be competing for a top award of $4,000 and a berth in the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We'll be working a jig in the grass, some topwater and probably a frog, that kind of stuff,” Walters said. “Somebody will have a smallmouth in the bag, but the tournament won't be won on smallmouth bass. To win you are going to have to have largemouths.”
Walters left for Pickwick Wednesday and Rennenbaum will join him Friday to practice before the tournametn begins.
“We'll be refining techniques, but mainly we'll be looking for pockets of fish,” Walters said, noting that during the summer anglers could find one school of fish and catch 30 to 40 bass out of it every day, but that is no longer the case.
“Now if you find a pocket of fish it may hold only four or five fish. We will need to find different areas holding fish. They are getting so much pressure that one or two groups of fish won't hold up over two days. We will need multiple pockets of fish.”
Rennebaum and Walters qualified for the Southeastern Conference Championship on Pickwick Lake by finishing 8th in the Southeastern Conference tournament at Guntersville May 2. They also finished 6th at the end of May on Lake Hartwell.
While they hope to finish in the top 10 and advance to the 2016 National Championship, Walters said they will be fishing to win at Pickwick.
“If you are not fishing to win you don't fish as hard as you should be fishing. You don't try to fish as hard as you can. I am not setting my goal to just come in the top 10, but if you fish to win you can be happy with a top 10 finish,” he said.
FLW College Fishing Southeastern Conference Championship
Sep 26-27, 2015
Pickwick Lake
McFarland Park
East Wind On Lake Erie Affecting Fish And Fishermen In B.a.s.s. Northern Open
The weather is always a factor for tournaments on Lake Erie and it's no different for the Bassmaster Northern Open which begins Thursday.
In fact, on the surface, the weather looks pretty nice for the tournament. Even on a normal day winds can kick up 3- to 4-foot waves and on a windy day they could be rolling 8 or 9 feet high. But the forecast for this weekend is for a mild East wind creating waves no more than 1 to 2 feet high.
The problem, said veteran Lake Erie bass angler Dave Lefebre, is not the velocity. It's the direction.
“The prevailing wind on Lake Erie is West and there is tons of current in Lake Erie, so this just throws everything off a little bit. It makes the current not work right and everything about it is just unnatural.”
Not to mention, Lefebre said, with a West wind all the places everybody fishes – on the East sides of the islands – all the community areas, are all better off.
“But this East wind throws a monkey wrench into the fishermen and the fish.”
After two days of practice, Lefebre, who is leading the Angler of the Year standings in the Bassmaster Northern Opens, said fishing is a lot different than it was three weeks ago in the FLW Fishing Northern Rayovac tournament on Lake Erie. He finished “a disappointing 3rd” in that tournament, a scant half-pound under the winner, and ended up 2nd in the Northern Rayovac AOY race.
“The fish were just starting to flirt with the fall deal in that tournament and I figured they would be in full-blown fall phase by now, but the fishing is pretty tough right now,” he said. “I still think the weights will be up there because we are fishing on Lake Erie, but if we had a West wind it would definitely be better.”
The key to winning the tournament, said Lefebre who lives on the lake at Erie, Pa., will be to catch “bigger fish.”
“There are a zillion 3-pounders in the lake and they don't do you any good at all here. The key is finding fish bigger than 3 pounds.”
Lefebre fished B.A.S.S. early on in his career, making six top 20s from 2001 to 2003. His high was 7th place twice – the 2002 Maryland Eastern Open on the Potomac River and the 2002 Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River. He also finished 22nd in the 2003 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta.
Starting in 2003 he has won 6 tournaments and has 51 top 10 finishes in FLW competitions, earning more than $1.8 million, with two Northern Rayovac Series AOY titles, one FLW Series title, seven top 15s in FLW Tour standings and five top 15s in the Forrest Wood Cup, finishing as high as 2nd place in 2008.
From 2011 to 2015 he scored four top 10s in B.A.S.S. Northern Open tournaments, including 8th on the James River in July and 6th on Oneida Lake in August, which has him leading the points going into the final this weekend on Lake Erie.
A first place finish would mean an automatic bid to the 2016 Bassmaster Classic, but Lefebre said he will not go for broke to earn that invitation.
“I am known for making really long, crazy runs and I am worried about doing that in this tournament. If I were to break down it would mess up my chances to finish in the top five in the points and qualify for the Elite Series next year,” he said.
“My mentality going into this tournament is just don't do anything stupid, catch 17 ½ pounds a day, finish in the top five in the AOY race – and go to the Elites next year.”
Bassmaster Northern Open
Sep 24-26, 2015
Lake Erie
Shelby Street Public Boat Ramp
Sandusky, OH
Best Bet For A Winning Fish In Oakley Big Bass Bash On Lake Murray Likely Will Be Shallow Topwater Bite
The majority of the fish caught in the Oakley South Carolina Big Bass Bash on Lake Murray this weekend likely will be schooling fish, but the top hourly winners and the overall Grand Prize winner will probably come on a shallow topwater bite or by flipping wood cover in the upper end of the lake, said veteran local angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria.
Wicker and his dad, Steve, finished second in the Carolina Anglers Team Trail tournament on Lake Murray Sept. 12 with a limit that weighed 15.66 pounds.
“Most of the fish we caught were schooling fish, but we caught one pretty good one on a topwater bait shallow around a dock on the bank early in the day,” Wicker said. “All the others we caught on Spooks and flukes, schooling over deep water.”
This weekend weather-wise looks to be similar to two weekends ago, he said, with overcast skies and the possibility of rain cooling things down.
“That will probably hurt the deep water schooling bite, but it will make the shallow topwater bite even better and that is where the bigger fish will be caught,” said Wicker who plans to fish the Big Bass tournament with his brother, Gary. “Probably all the hourly winners will come shallow. You will probably see a lot of 3 ½- to 4-pounders weighed in.”
More than $66,000 is on the line in prize money for the tournament, with the overall grand prize for the largest bass weighed over the two days a 2015 Nitro Z7 with a Mercury 150HP ProXS motor, valued at $30,000. Hourly paybacks will total $36,750, paid as follows: 1st $1,000, 2nd $500, 3rd $300, 4th $250, 5th $200, 6th $150, 7th $125, 8th $100. Weigh in Times both days: 8-9 a.m., 9-10 a.m., 10-11 a.m., 11 a.m.-12 p.m., 12-1 p.m., 1-2 p.m., 2-3 p.m.
Entry fee for the South Carolina Big Bass Bash on Lake Murray is $110 per day or $160 for two days per angler. Registration will be held at Dreher Island State Park from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday for any anglers who have not already registered and paid their entry fees.
The Oakley Big Bass Tour is open only to amateur anglers. Anglers who have guided for a fee of any kind on Lake Murray within the past 12 months and anglers who have competed in tournaments with entry fees of $1,000 or more in the past 12 months are not eligible.
There are also contingency programs available to anglers in the Big Bass Tour: Nitro BPS, www.tournament-rewards.com; Optima, https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/optima-true-blue; Talon Rewards, http://www.minnkotamotors.com/talonrewards/; and Toyota Bonus Bucks, www.toyotafishing.com.
Oakley Big Bass Trail
Sep 26-27, 2015
Lake Murray
Dreher Island State Park
Call Mark Jones 214-605-4600
Mack And Patrick Cook Win The Cbc Sc Championship On Santee With Record Breaking Day!
98 teams showed up on a beautiful Sat for the CBC SC Championship on Santee...........as we predicted earlier in the week, the weights were unbelievable, with 9 bags over 20 Lbs including the Champions sack of 27.73 Lbs! The lake is down over 4 feet, and being as shallow as it is, this had an impact on everyone with regards to safety and being extremely aware of stumps and newley exposed area's. With the conditions what they were, most fish were caught on frogs and spinnerbaits. Here are some pics of the winners as well as some other fantastic sacks including the 8.59 LB Bigfish! Congrats to Mack and Patrick Cook on the win, and their new $35,000 Boat-Motor-trailer package! Attached are the full results and some pics from the weigh-in at John C Land:
Bradford and Dwight Beavers hold up their 2nd place bag of 26.48 Lbs!
Greg Davis and Dennis Parks with 24.34 Lbs to start the weigh-in!
This 8.59 LB BF was a BEAST!!
CBC Santee Champions Mack and Patrick Cook talk about their massive 27.73 Lb Winning Day!
What a day on Santee for Mack and Patrick Cook! 27.73 Lbs on 5 fish let them ride home with a $35,000 Boat-Motor-Trailer package! They share their record breaking day with us right here...
Sportsman's Warehouse Santee Preview Report
Sportman's Warehouse fishing Manager Craig Baird takes us thru the HOT BAITS everyone is using down on Santee right now. Click here to see what could win $40,000 Sat!!
CBC Championship Preivew with Tournament Director Brett Collins
CBC Tournament Director Brett Collins shares with us what could be one of the best Championships in years down on Santee Sat...click here for the full story!
Extreme Low Water Presents Serious Challenges For Cbc-Sc Championship At Santee Cooper
Dangerously low water levels in the Santee Cooper Lakes will present serious challenges – both from a fishing standpoint and personal safety – to anglers fishing in the Carolinas Bass Challenge South Carolina Division Championship this Saturday.
“It's getting pretty low,” said CBC angler Bradford Beavers of Summerville. “It's about 4 ½ feet low in the upper lake and 3 ½ feet low in the lower lake.”
On normal lakes like Lake Murray, Beavers said, that drop in water levels would not present nearly as serious a problem, but he noted, “On Santee, when it gets two feet low it starts getting pretty treacherous.”
The low water levels have also left normal fishable structure high and dry and the fish have pulled off into different areas on different types of structure, he said.
“I think the low levels will concentrate some of the fish. There is just not a lot of real estate up shallow right now, not a lot of flooded vegetation. A lot of trees people normally fish don't have enough water on them to fish now. Even the local guys are having to re-learn the lake because it is not fishing like it would typically.”
Beavers, who fishes the CBC with his dad, Dwight Beavers, also of Summerville, said the swamp area in the upper lake has been where most of the tournaments have been won this year, but the low water makes it challenging to fish.
“Fishing frogs around the vegetation has been a big pattern, but finding the fish and being able to get to them with all the stumps and sandbars is going to be the challenge. It's going to be hard to get back safely to where you found them earlier.”
The key in the championship will be to find the right vegetation flooded in 2 to 3 feet of water, he said.
“The floating heart is what is flooded right now in the upper end of the upper lake, hyacinths and flooded heart. It's fishable, but it's hard to find any fishable vegetation in the lower lake right now.”
Another key is the shad migration, he added.
“I am going to be looking for areas where the fish have been moving up into, like shallow bars, places like that,” Beavers said. “A lot of shad are starting to push shallow right now so I am going to be looking for concentrations of fish, groups of fish moving up and feeding on the shad.”
While the extremely low water levels present serious challenges to the fishermen, Beavers said some anglers will still catch sizable bags of fish.
“There was a Berkeley tournament recently and two guys weighed in bags of 27 and 28; pounds. In my mind, I am think 28 pounds will win Saturday, but it would not surprise me if somebody came in with over 30 pounds.”
The winning team in Saturday's championship will trailer home a 215 Skeeter TZX190 with 150 Yamaha HPDI outboard.
All anglers who fish the S.C. Division Championship at Santee Cooper will qualify for the Carolinas Bass Challenge Classic, along with anglers from the North Carolina Division Championship, on Clarks Hill Lake Oct. 23. The Classic Champions will win a Skeeter ZX200/200SHO.
Carolinas Bass Challenge - SC Division Championship
Sat, Sep 19, 2015
Santee Cooper Lakes
John C. Land III Landing
Brett Collins 803-413-7521
Flw College Southern Conference Anglers Will Be Fighting Heavy Tournament Pressure On The Red River
Fishing is “kind of tough” and it could get even tougher Saturday in the FLW College Fising Southern Conference tournament qualifier on the Red River near Natchitoches, La., said collegiate angler Blake Alford of the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
“There is a 200-boat tournament coming out of Shreveport and another tournament with about 100 boats, so you are going to have over 300 boats on the river Saturday,” Alford said. “That's going to be a big factor, with all that boat traffic pressuring the fish.”
The heavy pressure means a lot of anglers will have to wait their turn to fish a particular spot, he said.
“You will be fighting boats to get to a place, so you will have to be patient, fish behind other people and hope you can catch them.”
The heavy boat traffic is not the only factor that the collegiate anglers will face Saturday, Alford said.
“I fished a lot of backwater areas. I figured they would be in the backwaters, but it was just not happening in the backwaters for me,” he said. “I think that has to do with all the flooding that occurred. It took away most of the vegetation in the backwaters.”
As a result, he said, most of the shad he has seen were either out on the main river or towards the mouths of the backwater areas.
“The fish are in fall transition right now and they are definitely relating to the shad,” he said. “The fish I found in practice that I think could possibly win the tournament were on the shad.”
Alford said he fished the river last Friday and had a “pretty good” day, catching nearly 20 bass with his best five weighing 13 to 14 pounds. His best fish was a 5-pounder.
“Fishing is tough, but what I figured out is that if you get some bites they are usually pretty decent fish,” he said. “I think the tournament will be won shallow. I caught my fish in 3 to 4 feet of water.”
Alford is a senior majoring in general studies from West Monroe, La., “about 10 minutes from Duck Dynasty,” he said. And, yes, he is a duck hunter, too. His teammate, Slade Daniel, is a senior nursing major from Hale, La.
They are both familiar with the Red River. Monroe, La., is just a little over 100 miles north of Natchitoches, about a two-hour drive from school.
FLW College Fishing Southern Conference
Sat, Sep 19, 2015
Red River-LA
Grand Core Recreation Area
Anglers Will Need Their 'a-Game' In Airport Marine Classic On Mystery Lake
Shades of the first few years of the granddaddy of all bass championships – the Bassmaster Classic. The year-end Classic for the Airport Marine Tournament Trail will be fished on a mystery lake Saturday.
They won't load the anglers on an airplane and fly them off to waters unknown, announcing the mystery lake when they reached their destination like B.A.S.S. did in the early years of the Bassmaster Classic. But the Airport Marine anglers won't know what lake they will be fishing – and neither will Airport Marine officials – until the name of the lake is pulled out of a hat at the mandatory angler's meeting Thursday night at the boat dealership in Alabaster, Ala.
“We'll put Coosa River lakes in a hat and draw one out,” said Clint Nail, tournament director. “It could be Guntersville, Martin, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell or Jordan. They are all great lakes.”
There could even be a 'wild card' lake in the mix, Nail said.
“We have the top 40 percent of our field qualified and these are probably some of the better fishermen in the South. The winner will need to bring their A-game.”
One thing is certain, he said. Current is a major factor in all the Coosa River lakes in the summer and early fall, so a lot will depend on how much water Alabama Power is moving on Saturday.
Top prize in the classic is $5,000 which is guaranteed for first place. And one lucky angler will also trailer home a new boat. Airport Marine will hold a drawing and present the boat at the weigh-in, Nail said. The winners of another $5,000 have already been determined, he said.
“Jon Canada and Bo Hunter ran away with the Angler of the Year race. They really dominated,” he said.
In fact, although Canada and Hunter finished 23rd in the first tournament of the year on Lay Lake in February, they roared back to win the second tournament on Lay Lake in March, then took second on Lake Logan Martin in May and wrapped up the championship by winning the final tournament on Lake Logan Martin in June.
The Airport Marine Trail averaged more than 70 boats a tournament this year, which almost doubled the participation from the year before, Nail said. And, he added, he is looking for another excellent year in 2016.
“We may change a lake or two or maybe the times when we fish a particular lake next year, but we are looking for things to be the same as they were this year – or maybe even better,” he said.
Airport Marine Tournament Trail Classic
Sat, Sep 19, 2015
Lake TBD
Clint Nail 205-482-1301
Roy Hawk Wins The Bass Us Open On Lake Mead
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Winnning will be 'anybody's ballgame' in NC BFL on Lake Norman this weekend
The way the fish are biting, the North Carolina BFL two-day final on Lake Norman this weekend could be anybody's ballgame, said veteran BFL angler Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C.
“I think there will be a lot of fish caught,” said Freeze, who is sitting in third place in the standings. “I think it will be a matter of whoever gets those 2 ¼- to 2 ½-pounders the most consistent both days will be the winner.”
Freeze predicted it will take 13 pounds a day and 26 to 27 pounds for both days to win the final, but an angler with 11 pounds on Saturday will make the cut to fish on Sunday.
“You should be able to fish a bunch of different ways. There will be some fish deep and some relatively shallow,” Freeze said. “You could catch them on a little bit of everything, jigs, topwater, a Carolina rig. There will be a lot of fish caught on a drop shot on deep brush, but generally those fish won't be the right size.”
Freeze, whose strength is fishing shallow, will fish shallow at Norman, but he noted it will not be the normal shallow bank fishing most anglers prefer.
“The lake is down a good 4 feet and Norman is fishing different because of the low water so the choices for bank cover will be docks, rocks and stumps. A lot of the piers you normally catch fish on, the places there where you normally catch fish have no water.”
Between 2006 and 2014 Freeze won the NC Division points title three times and placed 2nd two other times. In two of those years when he was on top in North Carolina he finished 1st and 2nd in the South Carolina Division, too. Last year he was ranked 10th at the end of the NC Division season.
He is sitting 3rd in the points going into this weekend's two-day final, 36 points behind John McDonald of Thomasville, who is leading, and 24 points behind Scott Hamrick of Denver who is in 2nd place.
“With the way the fish are biting I don't think any of us three at the top are going to struggle,” Freeze said. “The guy in the lead has consistently caught them all year and Scott Hamrick lives on the lake, so I don't think I'll get the championship.”
But if the top two do struggle, Freeze has proven over the years he is more than able to take charge.
“We'll be swinging at them,” he promised.
WalMart BFL North Carolina Division
Sep 12-13, 2015
Lake Norman
Pinnacle Access
Only The 'good' Grass Will Do In The Flw College Northern Division Championship On Chesapeake Bay
Aquatic grass will be a major key in deciding the FLW College Fishing Northern Conference Championship on the Chesapeake Bay this weekend, but it will have to be the right grass, said Thomas Arens of Shenandoah University who teamed with his brother, Billy, to place 8th in the tournament on the bay in 2014.
“You can find them on the grass – if you can find healthy grass,” Arens said. “The grass is not as good as it was last year. There is not as much milfoil as there used to be so a lot of fish are gravitating towards hard cover like rocks and docks. Last year the grass was a lot healthier. Now it seems like there is more eel grass and it's hard to find the milfoil patches.”
After a couple of days of practice on the bay and its arms, Arens said the bass appear to be a little confused.
“It's not like it was last summer, that's for sure,” he said. “The quantity is not there. There have always been some good ones, but it's a lot harder to find fish than it was last year. Last year you could pull up on an area and catch fish; this year you you can pull up on six areas and draw a blank.”
The Arens brothers have found some promising spots, mostly back in the creeks, not out on the flats in the bay, he said.
“It's almost like it was three or four weeks ago when the Elite Series was here and the weights were down severely. No one really fished out there. You might get one or two out on the flats in the early morning, but it was the arms that were producing the best.”
Arens said in their previous practices they found the most success with black and blue spinnerbait combos, chatter baits, a drop-shot and a paddletail swimbait in a near chartreuse shad color.
“Hopefully, we will go Friday and get in some practice fishing. We've had classes all week, so hopefully that last day of practice will help us keep things together,” said Arens who said they will spend Friday looking for backup areas.
The brothers started fishing competitively in their high school fishing club, making the Junior Bassmasters twice, but their collegiate fishing careers were on hold while they played baseball for Shenandoah – Thomas, a biology major, in the outfield, and Billy, a criminal justice major, at shortstop.
“My brother holds all the accolades,” Thomas said. “He was All Old Dominion Conference, Regional All-Academic and Division 3 All American at shortstop. Once our eligibility was up we got back into fishing.”
Forty-five college teams qualified for the Northern Division Championship, competing for a top award of $4,000 and a berth in the 2016 FLW College Fishing National championship.
TRAIL: FLW College Fishing Northern Conference Championship
Sep 12-13, 2015
Chesapeake Bay
Anchor Marina
For Carter, the best strategy will be to 'just go fishing' in the Bama BFL final on Lake Mitchell
Kip Carter had never been on four of the five lakes on the Walmart Bama BFL schedule this year – much less fished on them – but that suited him just fine.
Carter doesn't believe in over thinking a tournament or being overwhelmed by information overload; he just believes in going fishing and doing what it takes to find his spot among the leaders at the weigh-in on a consistent basis. It's a philosophy that has worked extremely well over the years.
Since 2000 Carter has finished in the top 10 in the BFL Bulldog Division standings six times, including the points championship in 2006, 2009 and 2010.
This year, while still fishing the Bulldog Division, he has competed in the Bama Division for the first time and served notice he can fish just as strong in Alabama waters as in those in Georgia, sitting in second place going into the two-day final this weekend. He finished 25th in the first tournament on Lake Eufaula in February, followed by 8th place at Lake Martin in April, 17th at Lake Logan Martin in May and 16th on Lay Lake in June.
“I made the move because the Bama Division Regional is going to be in Georgia on my home lake – Lake Sinclair,†Carter said.
The move meant fishing a line-up of lakes Carter knew very little about and he did not bother to ask around or do much research on any of them before showing up to fish.
“I just like to go and do my thing, regardless of whether I have been somewhere or not. I did not know anybody to talk to about this lake (Mitchell) and that's never been my style anyway. I do know it's a small lake with a lot of grass and it has a tailrace that will play big time in the tournament.â€
Carter said he would figure out a tournament strategy in his two days of practice Thursday and Friday.
“I'll be more or less just looking for places to fish. I just try to go fishing and try to figure out how aggressive the bite is and then let that tell me what to do. I try not to have that feeling that I know what to expect, for sure.â€
In practice, he said he will try to figure out a shallow pattern on docks, wood and in grass and whether the best areas are in the main lake or the creeks.
“I try to figure out where the fish are and then go with it. I keep an open mind and just try to let the fish talk to me,†he said.
So far that philosophy has worked on the first four lakes on the schedule and Carter will rely on it for the two-day final this weekend on Lake Mitchell.
“I've just gone fishing at every tournament this year, kept it simple and gone fishing. That is how I will treat this one and hope I can keep this run going.â€
WalMart BFL Bama Division
Sep 12-13, 2015
Lake Mitchell
Higgins Ferry Park
Noogastrong Benefit Tournament On Chickamauga To Aid Families Of Chattanooga Terror Attack Victims
When five service members were gunned down in an apparent lone wolf terrorist attack in Chattanooga July 16 Larry Brown knew the families they left behind would need help – and he knew the fishing community in and around Chattanooga would be willing to provide that help.
“I knew someone who babysits one of their kids,” Brown said. “I said we will hold a small benefit fishing tournament. These families have kids that will soon start back to school and will need school clothes, school lunch money etc.”
Brown, who founded the Hydrilla Hawgs bass club to conduct a benefit tournament for devastated families in Ringgold, Ga., where he lives, following a tornado there in April 2011, soon realized “small” was not the operative word for the NoogaStrong Memorial Bass Tournament. To hold the tournament, he had reserved Chester Frost Park which is a main launch site for tournaments on Lake Chickamauga.
“Within five days I knew I was in trouble,” he said. “Chester Frost holds 154 boat parking spaces. There was no way it could hold the tournament.”
Brown contacted Shane Frazier, president of the Chattanooga Bass Club which has held tournaments on Chickamauga for 38 years and has drawn as many as 90 boats for regular season tournaments this year, for help. The two of them approached Dennis Tumlin, director of the Fish Dayton organization and the Rhea County Economic and Tourism Council, who welcomed the tournament to the Dayton Boat Dock, a mega-event facility capable of handling major tournaments.
The Heartland Anglers Trail held a tournament out of the Dayton Dock with 386 boats. Brown said there are currently 157 boats registered for the NoogaStrong tournament, but he expects a lot more fishermen to show up for the tournament.
“We can put eight boats in at one time at the Dayton Dock,” he said. “One ramp is five lanes wide and we will launch the pre-registered boats at that ramp. The other is three lanes wide and ones registering at the tournament will launch on that ramp. We've got a bunch of golf carts donated, so as soon as they get their truck parked we'll load them up and carry them to their boats.”
Brown said he expects around 150 more boats to enter the tournament by the time of the launch on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 12, but he'd love to see even more.
“The Heartland had 386 boats. I'd love to be able to say we had 387,” he said.
The event got a huge boost when FLW Fishing stepped to the plate and arranged to bring its Rayovac weigh-in team to the event. FLW will provide the weigh-in stage and equipment, event staffing and promotional support. Brad Knight of Lancing, Tenn., who won the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas Aug. 23, plans to participate and other FLW pros have indicated they will be there as their schedules allow.
“We have a rich history with the Dayton and Chattanooga communities, so to have the opportunity to help these families is truly an honor and a privilege,” said Bill Taylor with FLW.
Entry fee for the event is $100 per boat, $75 for active duty or retired service members, or police, fire and emergency medical service members. Payback will be determined by the number of boats registered.
Brown said the goal is to raise $75,000 for the families of the slain servicemen. Part of it will be raised by entry fees and the rest from auctions and other activities the day of the tournament, he said. Moccasin Creek, a Southern country/rock band will perform following the weigh-in.
“We are going to have activities and live music there all day. We'll have a kid's zone, corn-hole games, kayak rides and other activities. Walmart has donated 2,000 hamburgers and 2,000 hot dogs and we will be cooking all day, serving plate lunches at 5 dollars. And when the anglers come in we will feed them, also.”
Anglers can learn more or register for the event at noogastrong.fish. You can also mail donations to:
Chattanooga Bass Association
Attn: NoogaStrong Benefit Tournament
PO Box: 22605
Chattanooga, TN 37422
Chattanooga Strong Memorial Benefit Tournament
Sat, Sep 12, 2015
Chickamauga Lake
Dayton Boat Dock
Drawdown Of High Water On Fort Gibson Lake Should Put Fish Deep For Central Open
Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma is abnormally high, but it's falling at an abnormal rate which should present a unique challenge to anglers fishing the Bassmaster Central Open Tournament Sept. 10-12, according to veteran B.A.S.S. pro Stephen Browning.
“I've not been on the lake, but I am going over there Saturday and do my scouting Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Browning who hails from Hot Springs, Ark., a 4 ½-hour drive from Wagoner, Okla., where the tournament will be held. “From the research I have done the lake is up, but it's on a pretty steady fall.”
Browning said the lake is about 3 feet above normal pool, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pulling the lake down at the rate of 6 to 8 inches a day.
“I expect them to try to get it down to normal pool before they quite pulling,” he said. “All indications are they will continue pulling water right through the tournament.”
That, he said, means the fish in deeper water will be more stable than those relating to shallow water areas.
“They are liable to suck the water right off the shallow water bite,” he noted. “I think if I can find some fish in deeper water, 8 to 12 feet maybe, that will be my best opportunity. The lake has a tremendous shad population so crankbaits will probably be a major key. Also, Carolina-rigging; if you can get around some brush, maybe a big worm will come into play.”
Browning said he will be “going for broke” at Fort Gibson Lake because it represents one of his last chances this year to qualify for the 2016 Bassmaster Classic which will be held on the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees at Tulsa, Okla., next March. A win in a Bassmaster Open is an automatic qualification to the Classic.
He placed 5th in the Central Open on Ross Barnett in March. Fort Gibson Lake next week and the division final on Table Rock Lake in October represent his last shots at making the 2016 Classic field.
“I was in pretty good standing in the Elite Series, but I messed around and fell out of contention the last couple of tournaments. So I am mighty hungry. I am going there with every intention of doing absolutely all I can do to win another Central Open,” Browning said.
“Fort Gibson Lake is going to fish a little tough because of the conditions, but it has a quality fish population so a guy can catch a really good stringer of bass. I am hoping to get a lead next week and never look back.”
Bassmaster Opens – Central Division
Sep 10-12, 2015
Fort Gibson Lake
Phillip Anderson Wins The Aba On Greenwood With 11.53 Lbs
ABA D-96 Tournament Results
Lake Greenwood – August 23, 2015
Division 96 2016 Season Tournament
First place, Phillip Anderson had 5 fish weighing 11.53 pounds for the win. His fish were caught flipping docks on the upper and middle parts of the lake. Phillip was the only angler in this tournament to weigh-in a limit of 5 fish. His first place finish and option pot earned him a payback of $585.
Second place was Jason Moyer with 4 fish weighing 10.19 pounds anchored by a 4.65 pound kicker. He caught his fish on the middle part of the lake flipping docks and fishing a frog. Jason earned $343 with second place and the option pot. Third place was Allen Murray 4 fish weighing 9.65 pounds. Allen took home $94 for third place. Big fish winner was Will Anderson with a 5.91 pound largemouth. He caught the fish flipping a dock on the middle part of the lake. Will took home $100 from the big fish pot and is the leader for Big Fish of the 2016 season and the ALX IKOS Series Rod.
18 anglers fished this 1-Day Division 96 qualifier on Lake Greenwood out of Greenwood Park near Ninety Six, SC. Day one started out at 74 degrees, humid with a light rain and ended with the 3 pm weigh-in with a light rain again at 90 degrees. Mostly cloudy skies and really didn’t rain that much during the day, wind out of the NE at 5 mph. Water temps ranged from the mid to low 80’s. Water was clear on the main lake and stained a little in the backs of creeks and rivers.
Here’s how we finished:
1 – Phillip Anderson, Saluda, SC - 5 fish 11.53 lbs. 198 pts. Cell # 864-554-5245
2 – Jason Moyer, Hodges, SC – 4 fish 10.19 lbs. 197 pts. Cell # 864-344-9867
3 – Allen Murray, Reidsville, Ga – 4 fish 9.65 lbs. 196 pts. Cell # 912-237-2997
4 – Will Anderson, Chapin, SC – 3 fish 8.83 BF 5.91 lbs. 195 pts. Cell # 803-518-7874
5 – Daniel Howell, Starr, SC – 4 fish 8.36 lbs. 194 pts.
6 – Evan Weaver, Lexington, SC – 3 fish 7.71 lbs. 193 pts.
7 – Matt Mollohan, Lexington, SC – 3 fish 6.02 lbs. 192 pts.
8 – Gene Parker, Asheville, NC – 2 fish 5.13 lbs. 191 pts.
9 – Carlton Price, Leesville, SC – 3 fish 3.93 lbs. 190 pts.
10 – Mark Richardson, Irmo, SC – 2 fish 3.22 lbs. 189 pts.
11 – Don Kneece, Saluda, SC – 2 fish 3.10 lbs. 188 pts.
12 – Eddie Temples, Saluda, SC - 1 fish 1.61 lbs. 187 pts.
13 – Mike Dimatteo, Spartanburg, SC – 1 fish 1.34 lbs. 186 pts.
5 anglers did not weigh in fish - 50 pts. each
Money
Phillip Anderson – 1st place plaque $500 / 1st place option $85 Total - $585
Jason Moyer – 2nd place plaque $288 / 2nd place option $55 Total - $343
Allen Murray – 3rd place plaque $94
Will Anderson – Big Fish plaque $90 / 4th place ALX Rod Hat
Daniel Howell – 5th place Gene Parker Spinnerbait
ALX Rod Big Fish Leader for 2016
Will Anderson – 5.91 lbs. Lake Greenwood, August 23, 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: [email protected] (ALX Rods are available locally at Tomahawk Fishing Shop (5 Points - Columbia, SC), The Tackle Shop (Martinez, GA), Palmetto State Armory (Mt Pleasant, SC), Wacky Riggers (Salisbury, NC), Grady’s Great Outdoors (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: (* indicates a 2016 Season tournament)
SCWBS August 29-30, 2015 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
D-94 Sept. 5-6, 2015 Savannah River Millstone Landing 2-Day
D-26 Sept. 12-13, 2015 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park 2-Day
*D-96 Sept. 20, 2015 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
*D-25 Sept. 20, 2015 Hartwell Green Pond
*D-96 Oct. 4, 2015 Murray – Dreher Island State Park
2015 Couples Championship Oct. 4-9, 2015 – Old Hickory Lake, Sanders Ferry Park, Gallatin/Hendersonville, Tn.
*D-25 Oct. 11, 2015 Russell – Hwy 72 Ramp
AFT National Championship Oct. 17-23, 2015 Hartwell – Green Pond - Anderson, SC
*D-25 Nov. 1, 2015 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
*D-96 Nov. 8, 2015 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
*D-96 Dec. 6, 2015 Russell Hwy 72 Ramp
*D-25 Dec. 13, 2015 Hartwell Green Pond
Weekend Bass Series - 2016 Ray Scott Championship – April 6-10, 2016 – Lake Hartwell, Green Pond Landing, Anderson, SC
Thanks to everyone for fishing,
Phil Morris
Martens Wakes Up Late, Still Wins Toyota Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Title Early
DETROIT — Aaron Martens slept through his alarm clock Sunday morning, got on the water 30 minutes late and still clinched the 2015 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title three weeks early.
By finishing sixth in the Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair, the 43-year-old Leeds, Ala., angler built an insurmountable 102-point lead over his next closest competitor. It sealed possibly the most dominant season in Elite Series history. And it made the Toyota Angler of the Year Championship on Lake Michigan’s Sturgeon Bay next month a foregone conclusion.
“Now I feel bad,” said Martens. “If I wouldn’t have done that, (the AOY race) officially wouldn’t have been over.”
Martens was only halfway kidding. There was very little chance anyone was going to catch him, even if it had been mathematically possible, at Sturgeon Bay next month. Now it’s impossible.
In the eight-tournament Elite Series season, Martens won twice and finished lower than 15th only once. His one hiccup came in the second tournament of the year when he was 66th at Alabama’s Lake Guntersville. His victories came at Lake Havasu and Chesapeake Bay. He finished second at the Sacramento River/California Delta, third at Sabine River, 13th at the St. Lawrence River, 15th at Kentucky Lake.
“It’s getting better every day,” Martens said of the 2015 season. “I’ve definitely been blessed this year.”
This marked Martens’ third AOY championship. He previously won in 2005 and 2013. He was fourth in 2014.
“It has been an amazing three years,” said Martens, who has won over $2.5 million in his B.A.S.S. career.
It was a sign of how diligently Martens has prepared for every tournament day this season that he slept through his alarm clock and several wakeup calls Sunday morning. From working on tackle and preparing his nutrition shakes each evening, Martens has been averaging four hours sleep per night. Exhaustion may have caught up with him before Sunday’s final day on Lake St. Clair.
“I never heard an alarm go off,” Martens said. “I’ve never done that before. When you wake up and see it’s light outside you know you’re in deep (trouble).”
Even spotting the other 11 finalists a half-hour before he got on the water, Martens still moved up in the standings Sunday, starting in 11th place and finishing in sixth. It was just the latest example of how dominant he has been all season.
The final AOY standings won’t be determined until the Sturgeon Bay event, but going into it, Dean Rojas is second with 601 points, Justin Lucas is third (598), Jacob Powroznik is fourth (565) and Edwin Evers is fifth (564). There will be 35-plus 2016 Bassmaster Classic berths decided by the final AOY standings after Sturgeon Bay.
Faircloth Wins Elite Event On St. Clair
DETROIT — A thrilling and unprecedented conclusion to the 2015 Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair brought a new level of anticipation to the professional bass-fishing world.
Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, continued to improve his daily weights of bass and clinched the championship on Lake St. Clair.
Meanwhile, Aaron Martens caught 19 pounds, 6 ounces of bass Sunday, which was good enough for a sixth-place finish and the necessary points to lay early claim to the prestigious Toyota Bassmaster Anger of the Year title.
Faircloth spent the entire tournament building on the previous day’s weight by catching large smallmouth bass from Bell’s Hump, which is located on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair.
“I wasn’t really fishing a specific spot, rather it was an expansive area that had all the right components to continue producing 20-pound bags each day,” the five-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion explained. “I felt a real freedom each day after putting about 19 pounds in the livewell. That freedom made it easy for me to explore more specific spots, and zero in on what I felt were the very best locations in my area.”
Faircloth brought 22-2 to the scales Sunday for a four-day total of 84-7, which bumped out Brandon Palaniuk, the leader on Friday and Saturday, by just over 6 pounds.
“I was fishing in 15 to 18 feet of water and I caught all my fish on a drop-shot this week,” Faircloth revealed.
The 13-time Bassmaster Classic contender said he caught the bulk of his fish on a Strike King Z Too soft jerkbait in the Arkansas Shiner pattern, which shares similarities with both gobies and perch.
The 2015 Elite season has been a tough one for Faircloth. He finished 9th-, 57th-, 84th-, 68th-, 96th-, 80th- and 17th-place before Sunday’s win on Lake St. Clair.
His career statistics will show how uncharacteristic those results are, but this victory put him back in the hunt for a berth in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. By sitting in 40th place in AOY points, he now gets to fish in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for the championship Sept. 17-20.
“To come from behind and win this tournament means a great deal to me, but to make such a big jump in the points and continue my season in Wisconsin makes it that much sweeter.”
Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, dropped almost 6 pounds from Saturday’s weight, weighing only 14-1 on Championship Sunday. His four-day total was 78-6.
“I really felt that the fish I had been catching all week were going to be ready to eat as soon as I got there,” Palaniuk said. “It didn’t take very long for me to realize the fish had moved, and I made the decision to return to St. Clair.”
Palaniuk spent the tournament fishing the St. Clair River near Lake Huron, and he explained that he learned how the wind, current and freighter traffic affected the bass in his location.
“Every time a ship would pass through the channel, it would literally suck the baitfish off the spot and create a feeding frenzy,” he said. “Today’s traffic was vey light and a factor that I think impacted my pattern.”
The 2013 Plano Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake St. Clair champion Chris Lane weighed the event’s largest limit of bass on Saturday, five fish totaling 24 pounds. His 19-2 limit today have him 77-8 and a third-place finish.
“My first day really set me back, I just didn’t capitalize on the bites,” said the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion. “To come back to St. Clair and still have a shot at winning this thing was very exciting. Now I want to come back and see if I can keep my smallmouth momentum rolling.”
Rounding out the Top 5 were Chad Pipkens in fourth place with 77-2 and Greg Vinson in fifth with 76-4.
Martens’ came to win the Lake St. Clair tournament, however, with his points spread coming into this event, he knew claiming the AOY title early was a possibility.
“I made a few slight adjustments today by switching to a swimbait and I caught my best bag of the tournament,” said the newly crowned 2015 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year. “I am pretty excited to win Angler of the Year for the third time in my career! I love Sturgeon Bay and I can’t wait to fish there in September.“
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, will host the season-ending Toyota Bassmaster AOY Championship on Sept. 17-20, where the Top 50 pros will compete for shares of the $1 million purse as well as berths in the 2016 Classic.
Bonuses and Contingency Awards:
- The $1,000 award for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader will go to Aaron Martens.
- The Power-Pole Captain’s Cash will award $1,000 to Todd Faircloth.
- The Evan Williams Bourbon Heavyweight Award of $1,000 for the angler with the heaviest five-fish limit during the tournament goes to Chris Lane for his 24-pound bag on Day 3.
- The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $500 for the angler leading on Day 2 goes to Brandon Palaniuk.
- The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award of $1,500 for the heaviest bass weighed goes to two anglers: Faircloth (Day 3) and Palaniuk (Day 1). They each caught a 6 pound, 3 ounce bass.
- The Toyota Bonus Bucks award of $3,000 for the highest placing eligible angler goes to Faircloth. The second highest placing angler, Palaniuk, is awarded $2,000.
- The A.R.E. Truck Caps Top Angler Award of $1,000 will be awarded to Palaniuk for being the highest placing angler using A.R.E. products.
- The Rigid Industries Big Fish Light Jackpot will rollover to the next event with a total of $1,500. An angler must weigh in the heaviest five-fish limit of more than 25 pounds.
- The HUK Biggest Jump Award of $1,000 for the angler who made the largest jump in standings from Day 1 was awarded to Jason Williamson.
- The Dick Cepek Tires Rolling Forward award for most placed climbed in AOY between Chesapeake Bay and Lake St. Clair will be finalized and awarded next week.
2015 Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/27-8/30
Lake St. Clair, Detroit MI.
Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 20 84-07 100 $101,750.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 21-11 Day 4: 5 22-02
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 78-06 99 $27,250.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 20-00 Day 4: 5 14-01
3. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 20 77-08 98 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 24-00 Day 4: 5 19-02
4. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 20 77-02 97 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 16-07 Day 4: 5 19-14
5. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 20 76-04 96 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 18-13 Day 4: 5 18-11
6. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 20 75-07 95 $14,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 19-04 Day 4: 5 19-06
7. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 20 75-04 94 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 21-04 Day 4: 5 19-10
8. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 75-02 93 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 18-02 Day 4: 5 17-07
9. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 20 74-02 92 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 5 16-10
10. James Elam Tulsa, OK 20 73-04 91 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 17-12 Day 4: 5 11-12
11. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 20 72-15 90 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 21-04 Day 4: 5 16-07
12. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 20 72-01 89 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 17-08 Day 4: 5 15-03
BASS PRO SHOPS BIG BASS
Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 06-03 $750.00
Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 06-03 $750.00
EVANS WILLIAMS HEAVYWEIGHT
Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 24-00 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 513 1641-01
2 95 510 1647-11
3 47 240 830-11
4 12 60 210-05
----------------------------------
251 1323 4329-12
David Matual Wins Rayovac Flw Series Tourney On Erie
David Matual shows off part of his winning bag of bass. photo courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com
Ac Video Exclusive: One On One With Ranger President Randy Hopper At The 2015 Flw Cup-Part 2
Ranger President Randy Hopper continues his coversation with us on the state of the industry and much more....click here!
Ac Video Exclusive: One On One With Ranger President Randy Hopper At The 2015 Flw Cup
Ranger President Randy Hopper joins us to talk about the companies new ownership group, growth within the industry, and the uptick in tournament fishing across the country-Part One
Palaniuk Extends Lead Into Championship Sunday at Elite Series Event on St. Clair
DETROIT — Following the first day of competition, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, claimed that paying attention to the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings was negatively affecting how he approached each day. He hasn’t checked the points in a couple of months. He’s been swinging for the fence ever since.
His fresh approach is clearly working to his advantage because he weighed 20 pounds of smallmouth bass to retain the lead going into Sunday’s championship round in the Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair. His three-day total was pushed to 64 pounds, 5 ounces, keeping exactly 2 pounds between him and the second-place angler, Todd Faircloth.
“I started my day in the same place where I managed to catch three nice fish and one that I hoped to cull out later,” said the five-time GEICO Bassmaster Classic contender. He hooked, fought and boated all four bass on Bassmaster Live, an innovative video service that lets visitors to Bassmaster.com watch the leaders fish in real time.
“I left a little earlier, based on what I learned from the past couple days. It seems that the bite is shut off by noon, and I knew there were quality fish in St. Clair that could help me wrap up a limit.”
Palaniuk believes that to seal the victory Sunday, he’ll need his hot spot near Lake Huron — a 50-minute boat ride from Lake St. Clair to produce another limit of 4-pound bass.
Coming in under the radar to take over second, Faircloth weighed five bass for 21-11 Saturday, including the Bass Pro Shops big Bass of the day, a 6-3 smallmouth. He has a three-day total of 62 pounds, 5 ounces.
“I’ve been fishing an expansive flat that is holding the best green cabbage I was able to find during practice,” said the four-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion. “I’ve been finding new areas each day, and when I am able to locate tall and green cabbage adjacent to a break in the vegetation with a hard bottom, it’s pretty much a money spot.”
An interesting perspective to keep in mind: Palaniuk’s weights have been declining daily, while Faircloth’s have been increasing each day.
James Elam has been consistently dropping 3 pounds from his daily total. He weighed 17-12 Saturday afternoon, which kept him in third place with a three-day total of 61 pounds, 8 ounces.
He plans to grind it out on a spot that he’s been sharing with Palaniuk since Thursday.
“The fishing is slow and takes a great deal of concentration on that particular spot,” Elam said. “However, the fish that I do catch there are big, and it’s time to go for broke. I’m pretty confident the tournament will be won on this particular spot. Brandon has been very cordial and willing to share the water, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”
Aaron Martens made it to Championship Sunday, climbing up to 11th with 56-1. With one day of the regular season and all of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship to go, Martens has all but sewed up what would be his third AOY title. He leads his closest challenger, Dean Rojas, by 97 points and needs to finish St. Clair 101 points ahead to guarantee the crown. To do that, Martens will have to finish seventh or higher Sunday.
If he fails to reach the magic number of 101, he will need to weigh at least one bass in the AOY Championship at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, on Sept. 17-20.
Rounding out the Top 5 after the semi-final round are Chris Lane with 58-6, and Jonathon VanDam with 57-11.
The Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race has Martens still on top with 698 points, Rojas with 601 points, Justin Lucas has 598 points, Jacob Powroznik has 565 and Edwin Evers with 564 points.
The Top 12 anglers will compete for the championship on Sunday beginning with takeoff out of Lake St. Clair Metropark at 6:20 a.m. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3:15 p.m. where the Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair champion will be crowned.
2015 Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/27-8/30
Lake St. Clair, Detroit MI.
Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 64-05 100 $500.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 20-00
2. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 15 62-05 99
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 21-11
3. James Elam Tulsa, OK 15 61-08 98
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 17-12
4. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 15 58-06 97
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 24-00
5. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 15 57-11 96
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 18-02
6. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 15 57-09 95
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 18-13
7. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 15 57-08 94
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 19-05
8. Chad Pipkens Holt, MI 15 57-04 93
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 16-07
9. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 15 56-14 92
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 17-08
10. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 15 56-08 91
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 21-04
11. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 15 56-01 90
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 19-04
12. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 55-10 89
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 21-04
13. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 15 55-06 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 22-12
14. David Smith Del City, OK 15 55-02 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 21-09 Day 3: 5 16-11
15. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 15 54-15 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 18-15
16. Nate Wellman Newaygo, MI 15 54-14 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 18-02
17. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 54-09 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 20-15
18. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 15 54-08 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 16-01
19. David Williams Maiden, NC 15 54-07 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 18-08
20. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 15 54-06 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 19-01
21. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 15 54-04 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 17-02
22. Chris Zaldain San Jose, CA 15 54-02 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 19-04
23. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 15 53-15 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 15-15
24. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 13 53-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 3 12-04
25. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 15 53-10 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 20-07
26. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 53-07 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 17-01
27. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 53-03 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 16-11
28. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 52-12 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 19-12
29. Jordan Lee Vinemont, AL 15 52-09 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 20-01
30. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 15 52-04 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 13-02
31. John Murray Phoenix, AZ 15 52-04 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 19-11
32. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 15 51-06 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 14-12
33. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 15 50-14 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 5 18-04
34. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 15 50-13 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 16-15
35. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 15 50-06 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 5 16-15
36. Casey Scanlon Lanexa, KS 15 50-05 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 09-01
37. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 50-02 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 15-04
38. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 15 50-00 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 17-04
39. Kevin Hawk Guntersville, AL 15 49-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 14-01
40. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 15 49-09 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 14-13
41. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 15 49-07 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 16-15
42. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 48-11 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 15-04
43. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 15 48-10 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 14-06
44. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 48-04 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 14-01
45. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 15 47-11 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 14-00
46. Billy McCaghren Mayflower, AR 15 46-03 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 12-11
47. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 45-08 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 10-14
48. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 15 44-07 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 11-01
49. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 12 40-03 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 2 06-05
50. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 10 33-03 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 97 513 1641-01
2 95 510 1647-11
3 47 240 830-11
----------------------------------
239 1263 4119-07
Finding right creek with shad and quality bass will be key in Music City BFL on Old Hickory
Fishing is going to be “really tough” in the Walmart BFL Music City Division Super tournament on Old Hickory Lake this weekend, said division points leader Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn.
“We had some rain the last tournament and I did real good, but I went over there Saturday and the water is getting a lot clearer,” said Wagner who finished 3rd in that July 13 tournament with nearly a 3-pound average for five fish.
“But we are starting to see them chasing shad a little bit up shallow. It's hard to catch a good one doing that. Flipping will probably be the best tactic, flipping the deeper docks and flipping wood.”
Wagner said he will probably spend most of his time working the same areas with a crankbait, a Bandit 100 or Bandit 200, and casting on points and rocks and stumps that you can't see.
“The key will be finding the right creek that has baitfish moving towards the back – and finding the quality fish in the back of the creek,” he said. “Old Hickory is not my favorite lake, but it is really a good lake. It suits my style of fishing; I love fishing shallow.”
Wagner is no stranger to the top level of the Music City Points standings. He won the title in 2013 and finished second in 2011 and 2003. He also is currently ranked 10th in the Choo Choo Division points race.
He has won more than $308,000 in FLW events with 41 top 10 finishes, including 9 wins, in 115 tournaments. He won the Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American in 2009 and placed second in 2005.
Wagner said he figures the winning weight for the two-day tournament will be around 24-26 pounds, but 9 pounds probably will be enough to make the top 10 percent who will qualify to fish the second day. The 2015 points title will be settled this weekend, too, he noted.
“I think if I catch one or two fish I will win the points again. I've got a 29-point lead. But that is not what I am fishing for. I am going to fish to win.”
Walmart BFL – Music City Division Super
August 29 - 30, 2015
Old Hickory Lake
Bulls Creek Access (Flipper’s)
High Temperatures Make Fishing Tough For Gator Division Bfl Super Tournament On Okeechobee
Fishing is tough right now in Lake Okeechobee, but there are still some good limits being caught, said Jesus Villegas as he prepared for the Walmart BFL Gator Division Super Tournament on the lake this Friday and Saturday.
“The water is pretty hot,” Villegas said. “We are getting 90-degree weather and the water temperature is 86 degrees up to even 91 degrees in some areas. For the past two weeks, at least for me, after 11 o'clock in the morning it is a grind. I can barely get anything to bite then.”
Villegas, of Virginia Gardens, Fla., practiced two days last week, boating about 17 pounds on Friday and 15 on Saturday.
“I know a lot of people who can't get past 10 pounds,” he noted.
But some do. Two weekends ago the winning string in a tournament on the Big-O weighed 27 pounds and last weekend the winner in a tournament weighed in 25 pounds, he said.
“I know one guy who got second in that tournament two weeks ago and he had 25 pounds.”
Villegas said he was told the winner of that tournament caught his fish in open water. But most anglers are catching their fish flipping the outer edges of the grass lines.
“The fish are there, but they are in little packs. If you move a hundred yards you might get into a bunch of them. Move again and you might have nothing,” he said. “A lot of bluegill beds are setting up, but there are bluegill beds all over the lake so it's a matter of finding the ones they are feeding on.”
Friday and Saturday promise to be more of the same hot summer weather, but there is an element that bears watching, Villegas said – Tropical Storm Erika which threatens to grow into a hurricane and bear down on Florida. Although high winds could pose a danger to boaters, a drop in pressure could actually spur the fish to get active, he said.
However, the National Weather Service has reported that if Erika does make landfall on Florida, it will probably be late Sunday, 24 hours after the final weigh-in of the two-day tournament.
Villegas, who led the points earlier this year, is currently ranked 9th in the Gator Division points standings, but has hopes of improving that status, perhaps even winning the title with a strong finish in the tournament this weekend.
“I've got a good feeling with what I have figured out so far,” he said. “If I come in with 17 pounds on Friday I should easily make the second day of the tournament and then it's anybody's game.”
He definitely will have a strong cheering section. Villegas grew up in New York and his first taste of bass fishing came when he was stationed in Texas in the Air Force. He's had plenty of opportunity to cast for bass since moving to Florida in 1985 and he made sure his five daughters were exposed to fishing from an early age.
“I love my girls and all my girls fish,” said the proud father.
Walmart BFL – Gator Division Super
August 29 - 30, 2015
Lake Okeechobee
C. Scott Driver Park
Forrest Wood Cup an 'unreal experience' for Brandon Cobb who finishes 3rd in first FLW Championship
Brandon Cobb was awed by the fanfare and magnitude of support by fans at the Forrest Wood Cup in Hot Springs, Ark., last week, but he definitely was not blown away by the experience. Cobb, in only his second year on the FLW Tour fished methodically and with composure as he finished third in his first appearance in the FLW Championship on Lake Ouachita.
But for a dead fish penalty, he could easily have locked up second place, and his skill and coolness under pressure gave him a legitimate shot at possibly winning the Cup.
“I've watched the Forrest Wood Cup since I was little so I knew the support the professional fishermen had and the admiration of the fan base, but I did not understand the magnitude of it all until I was there,” said the Greenwood, S.C., pro angler. “I was signing hats with Hank Parker and Larry Nixon. It was an unreal experience.”
Cobb weighed a four-day total of 47 pounds, 11 ounces, to finish a scant 2 ounces behind Ramie Colson Jr., of Cadiz, Ky., in second place. Brad Knight of Lancing, Tenn., won the title with 4 pounds, 1 ounce, more total weight than Cobb, but the Greenwood angler was in contention from the first day starting gun – sitting 3rd at the first day weigh-in, 4th on the second day and 5th the third day before climbing back into 3rd place on the final day.
To some fans Cobb may have “come out of nowhere,” but his success the first time on the big stage of pro fishing was no surprise to Andy Wicker of Prosperity, S.C, Cobb's former teammate on the Clemson University Fishing Team.
“I've always known he was good enough to compete at that level,” said Wicker, a successful tournament angler in his own right. “It was just a matter of him getting the opportunities to take advantage of it, which he finally did. Hopefully, that was a large enough platform to launch his professional career.”
Or perhaps sustain that career since he has made a pretty successful launch over his two years on the pro circuit.
“Brandon Cobb is a beast,” said Joe Opager, FLW director of public relations. “We're going to be hearing his name quite a bit in the fishing world over the next few years.”
Once he arrived at Lake Ouachita and got to practice on the lake, Cobb knew he was in for a tough tournament – “a grind” – but he welcomed the challenge.
“After practice I knew it would be difficult to catch five fish a day. I did not think a lot of people would have 20 fish in four days, so I was going to make sure I had a limit every day.”
His primary spot was a creek he was sharing with a couple of other anglers, including the eventual winner, Knight.
“The first day I caught all my fish out of that creek,” Cobb said. “There were no spectator boats and we all did well.”
But the next day the creek filled up with spectator boats. Brad Knight, the eventual winner, and Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskeegee, Ala., who finished 9th in the Cup, were in the very back of the creek, so the boats did not encroach on them. But Cobb was fishing about halfway back in the creek and the constant traffic ruined fishing there for him.
“The creek definitely had the potential to win the Cup because Brad won it there, but the place I had did not have the potential,” Cobb said. “I knew I had to go look for something new.”
He targeted grassy areas in main lake pockets and also targeted schooling fish and continued to weigh in solid limits the next three days.
Cobb caught his fish off wood targets on shallow flats on a Knight’s Custom Lures buzzbait with a white or green pumpkin Zoom Horny Toad as a trailer.
“If the water had any chop on it, I went with the buzzbait and toad combination,” he says. “But when it got dead-slick, I’d go to just a Horny Toad to keep it more subtle.”
Cobb also ran up in the rivers each day with a Lucky Craft Gunfish, which helped put a few better fish on the scales.
If there was any part of his game that he would like to improve on it would be hooking proficiency, he said.
“The first two days I fished perfectly clean, never lost a single fish, but the last two days did not go so well. I had 12 bites the third day and only boated six of them. I could have done a lot better the third day.”
That run of bad luck carried over to the fourth day. On the final day he lost the first three fish he hooked. But that probably did not cost him the title, he said.
“Even if I had fished perfectly clean all week I may not have won – but it would have been so close. I definitely could have had second place. I weighed two dead fish the first day and one on the third day. That three-fourths of a pound (penalty) cost me second place.”
But he will never forget the experience of fishing at the highest level, he said.
“That was the first time I ever had spectator boats following me in a tournament. It was pretty cool to know people were following me and actually cared if I caught a fish.”
There was an added bonus to the spectator following, he added.
“On the last day my girlfriend was in a friend's boat and she saw me catch a good 2 ½-pound fish. That was really cool.”
His former teammate at Clemson, Andy Wicker, said he hopes to join Cobb at the high level of tournament fishing someday – and maybe have a chance to beat him there.
“Until then, I'll be rooting him on to the top,” Wicker said.
FLW Cup Wrap Up with AC Insider Vance McCullough
AC Insider Vance McCullough joins us to re-cap what was a fantastic FLW Cup this past week....a Top 10 final day leaderboard to remember as well as a great new Champion in Brad Knight. Click here for big Vance-
Brad Knight Wins 2015 Forrest Wood Cup!
“This is unbelievable and it still has not sunk in yet,” said Knight, a seven-year veteran of the Walmart FLW Tour who earned the first victory of his career in this championship event. “It is so humbling to add my name to the list of great champions that have won this Cup before. I may never catch another bass again as long as I live, but no matter what happens from here on out, I’ll still be a Forrest Wood Cup champion. To be a part of that club, that is something that nobody can ever take away from me.
“I had such a tough practice,” Knight continued. “We get three days to figure out the lake, and on the second and third day of practice I did not have a single keeper bite. I found an area in the back of Blakely Creek that was the only place that I was confident that I could even get a single bite and that spot turned out to be gold.”
Knight said that the back of the creek had a lot of standing timber and laydowns that he would target each morning with a 6-inch straight-tail worm on a drop-shot rig. As the day progressed, Knight would move out into the main creek and target a deeper creek channel mud flat with a buzzbait. Weather conditions changed on Sunday and Knight said that he made a key adjustment, finding success using a homemade balsa squarebill-crankbait.
“The drop-shot rig was the most consistent each day,” said Knight. “The buzzbait was a big player for me on the first day. Then, today, the wind changed directions and was blowing directly into the creek. It dirtied the water up and the fish got up shallow and were active. I pulled out an old squarebill plug that I hadn’t caught a fish on in five years and that turned out to be my key bait today.”
“When you win a Tour-level tournament, that is a career-changer and a great feather in your cap,” Knight said. “But, when you win the Forrest Wood Cup, that is a life-changer. I’ve got a 3-year-old girl who now has college paid for. I can write a check and pay off my house when I get home. The thoughts that are running through my head right now are how I can best provide for my family. This is just a humbling, humbling experience.”
The top 10 pros finished the tournament in:
1st: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 20 bass, 51-12, $500,000
2nd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 18 bass, 47-13, $60,000
3rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 20 bass, 47-11, $50,000
4th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 18 bass, 45-13, $37,500
5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 18 bass, 45-4, $30,000
6th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 45-0, $24,000
7th: Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 18 bass, 44-10, $23,000
8th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 20 bass, 43-11, $22,000
9th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 19 bass, 37-12, $21,000
10th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 16 bass, 37-9, $20,000
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 42 bass weighing 94 pounds, 15 ounces caught by pros Sunday. Five of the final 10 anglers weighed in five-bass limits.
Sunny Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah, won the co-angler division and $50,000 Friday with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Bryan New of Belmont, North Carolina, in second place with nine bass weighing 16-6 worth $10,000.
The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita presented by Walmart was hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
FLW and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Saturday that Huntsville, Alabama, will be hosting the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, Aug. 4-7, 2016, on Wheeler Lake. This event marks the first time that the Forrest Wood Cup, the sport’s richest prize, has visited Wheeler Lake.
Coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) when “FLW” airs December 6 from 7 - 8 p.m. ET. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For 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.
FLW Cup Champion Brad Knight Press Conf
FLW CUP Champion Brad Knight sits down with the media and takes us thru each day on his way to the Championship.....
3 Carolina Anglers make the Top 10 and Final Day at the FLW Cup at Lake Ouachita
Another tough day for many anglers (Todd Auten and Matt Arey) but a good to very good day for some others. Bryan Thrift had the biggest bag of the day with 14-3 and is sitting in 4th place. Rounding out the Top 6 is Brandon Cobb of Greenwood and then Chris Baumgardner in 6th with 33-11 after 3 days. Jacob Wheeler is sitting at the top with 41-1 and if he holds on would be the first repeat champion ever at the FLW Cup. Lots of clouds and rain today which may not change much for tomorrow. Here is your top 10 and we wish all the remaining anglers good luck on one of the biggest days and opportunities of their career!1. Jacob Wheeler 41-12. Brad Knight 40-53.Ranue Colson 37-94.Bryan Thrift 35-135.Brandon Cobb 34-136.Chris Baumgardner 33-117.Scott Martin 32-128.Larry Nixon 32-109.Mard Daniels 32-110.Zack Birge 31-5There are some serious sticks in this top 10 with multiple anglers that have already won the cup (Wheeler and Martin). Day 4 should be fantastic and we look fwd to covering it for you all.
Ramey Colson's big bag of Day 2 propels him into Lead at FLW CUP-Lots of Carolina Flavor in top 20 Anglers that made the cut!
We earlier reported that Day 2 of the FLW CUP here on Lake Ouachita was extremely tough for most anglers. When Lake Wylie Pro Todd Auten weighed in 15 + we thought that would be the bag of the day.....well, Ramie Colson of Cadiz, KY came in not too far after and weighed in an impressive 17-14 with an more impressive 5+ LB big fish! His 31-1 gives him almost a 3 LB lead going into Day 3 over Brad Knight of Lancing, TN. The really interesting aspect of this Cup is the strong Carolina contingency of Anglers that made the cut...Check out this list:4th Brandon Cobb 25-125th Chris Baumgardner 25-106th Todd Auten 24-1310th Bryan Thrift 21-1015th Matt Airey 20-1 Thats 3 in the top 6....not bad! We don't expect these weights to change much over the next two days. There just aren't enough schooling fish to find the quality these guys like to get, however, thats what makes it interesting at the same time. Best of Luck to all the anglers the next two days as we will welcome our own Vance McCullough to the tournament weigh-in tomorrow with his always superb coverage and insight.
Tough Tough Day 2 on Lake Ouachita at FLW Cup
Well folks-sitting here at the weigh-in for Day 2 of the 2015 FLW Cup on Lake Ouachita and there is one common theme---not many fish!!! Word is there were hardly any schooling fish which many anglers did find yesterday. Another interesting tidbit is that some anglers think there are actually too many brush piles in the lake! Larry Nixon just weighed in with just over 12 LBS today-and took over 1st place for now. Look for 18 lbs or so being the cutoff for the weekend. Thrift now on stage and he says he caught 80 fish in two days that all weighed between 1.4 and 2 LBS......yikes! He got 10 Lbs and took the lead with 21 lbs.....wait, Todd Auten just brought in 15---not bad! I think that's the bag of the day. We will re-cap everything in a few hours.
Confident Montgomery Ready For Elite Tournament Challenge On Lake St. Clair
Starting with the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell in February, the first half of the Bassmaster Elite Series was not kind to Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. He finished 43rd out of 55 anglers in the classic and then his best finish through the next four Elite tournaments was 66th on Lake Havasu in May.
“This year started out really bad. I lost some key fish that would have made a huge difference in my whole year. The Elite guys are so good that if you lose one or two key fish it really kills you,” Montgomery said.
By the end of the Havasu tournament Montgomery's year on the Elite trail appeared to be a washout. Making next year's Bassmaster Classic had become a distant dream.
But he is heading in the eighth tournament of the year next week on Lake St. Clair brimming with confidence – and in good position to make the 2016 Classic.
So, what happened?
Montgomery has experienced a complete turnaround in the last three Elite Series tournaments, finishing 11th at Kentucky Lake in June, 20th on the St. Lawrence River at the end of July into early August, and 12th a week ago on the Chesapeake Bay.
The turnaround, he said, was the result of regaining his confidence.
“My confidence on landing fish was really shaken. I started changing hooks, trying all kinds of different things. I finally settled on a few things that seemed to be working hookwise and it really made a big difference.”
Montgomery said he went through “a multitude of hooks” before finally settling on a VMC hook from Rapala. VMC hooks feature a wide gap, resin closed eye and 3-degree offset point to help make better hook sets.
“I've had a lot of confidence since I started using the VMC hook,” Montgomery said. “I don't know if it is the hook, but I got the confidence that I was going to catch the fish. Earlier this year when I would set the hook I just knew the fish was going to come off.”
With renewed confidence Montgomery is looking forward to the challenge of Lake St. Clair and, hopefully, another high finish.
“The last three tournaments have been really, really good for me. This is a momentum sport. It has ups and downs and you have to ride the waves,” he said.
If the season ended before the next tournament, Montgomery would be qualified for the 2016 Classic.
“I'm sitting 33rd – and that's a long way from three tournament ago,” he said.
He needs to finish in the top 40 at St. Clair to hold his position in the points, he said.
“We've got one more regular season tournament and then the Angler of the Year Championship. I am blessed that I have put myself into position to make the Classic again,” he said.
Bassmaster Elite Series
Aug 27-30, 2015
Lake St Clair
Lake St. Clair Metropark
Gainey looking forward to Lake Erie smallmouth in Rayovac Northern Division final
Nick Gainey has only been on Lake Erie one time before in his life and it was a disaster because of nasty weather, so he has no idea of what the fishing will be like in the third FLW Northern Rayovac Series tournament on the Great Lake next Thursday through Saturday.
Based on that one experience, however, he knows Lake Erie can be a dangerous place if the weather kicks up.
“We went out of Cleveland that time and there were 8- to 10 foot waves,” he said. “I don't know anything about it, except from what I have heard from a couple of guys I've talked to. Guys tell me you have to go to Canada to win, from Sandusky Bay to Pelee Island.”
That could be a hairy experience in bad weather, Gainey knows. “It's a dangerous place.”
With that in mind, Gainey said his mindset going into the tournament is to try to catch a small limit of smallmouth bass each day and earn enough points to go to the Rayovac Championship. Forty anglers from each of the five Rayovac divisions will qualify for the championship on the Ohio River at Paducah, Ky., the last week of October.
Somewhat ironically, Gainey, who hails from Charleston, down on the South Carolina coast, is ranked 12th in the Rayovac Northern Division points standings with just one tournament left to fish – on Lake Erie. It's ironic because he has not fared nearly as well in the Rayovac Southeastern Division, finishing 59th due to a disastrous first tournament outing on Lake Okeechobee in January. In fact, he fairly consistently finishes higher in the Northern Division than the Southeastern Division.
That very likely is due to the fact that Gainey, who lives in the heart of largemouth bass country, dearly loves to fish for smallmouths.
“I've been up north, particularly on Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain, a number of times and once you figure out how to catch those smallies on a drop shot it is just a fun, fun thing. I went to Lake Champlain three weeks ago, fishing with 8-pound line and catching 3- to 3 ½-pound smallies,” he said.
“I'd rather catch a smallish than a largemouth. Besides, in June, July and August you don't want to fish in the south anyway.”
Rainy will be on Lake Erie this weekend and practice right up to the tournament in hopes of finding some good smallmouth spots.
“I'll go out and throw a drop shot and drag a tube and try to find some rock piles. If the wind is blowing 15 to 20 miles per hour, I will hang around the shore and try to catch a couple of largemouths.”
The goal will be to finish high enough to stay in the top 40 and make it to the Rayovac Championship. He followed that pathway to the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray in 2008, finishing in the top 10 as the top angler in the Northern Division in the Rayovac Championship on the Mobile Bay.
“If I don't just bomb out completely at Lake Erie I've got a good shot at making the top 40 in the Northern Division,” he said.
FLW Northern Rayovac Series
Aug 27-29, 2015
Lake Erie
Shelby Street Public Boat Ramp
Only One Big Fish Keeps Competition Tight In Kissimmee Bass Series
When Charlie Wynperle launched the Kissimmee Bass Series out of Camp Mack's River Resort back in January he told anglers they would have to sacrifice weighing in a lot of big fish, which is traditional in tournaments on the Kissimmee Chain, but he promised they would have fun.
They gave up those big weights, they had fun and tournament entries have held well above the minimum level Wynperle felt was needed for success.
Under the Kissimmee Bass Series format anglers can weigh in only one fish over 22 inches. The rest of their limit must be made up of fish less than 22 inches. Traditionally, winning tournament weights on Kissimmee have sometimes exceeded 40 pounds, but that level is unreachable under the new format.
“I saw stringers last year of 30 up to 40 pounds, but our biggest weight this year was 27 pounds,” Wynperle said. “With just one fish over 22 inches you are not going to see those monster stringers which means we won't kill as many fish and hopefully we are helping the sport by not killing more fish.”
That is particularly true in the hot summertime, he noted, when it is very hard to keep several big bass alive through a weigh-in. Now an angler only has to keep one big bass alive and with just one he has a much better chance of releasing that fish in good shape.
And, Wynperle noted, it has added a different degree of competition to the tournaments.
“My favorite comment was a few tournaments ago: 'I caught a 7-pounder, then I caught an 8-pounder and had to take that 7-pounder out of the live well.' That same tournament 24 pounds won it and 23 pounds was fifth. We had four 23-pound stringers separated by ounces,” he said. “Everybody is playing now and nobody is dominating.”
It may be hard to reach that level in Sunday's tournament, he said, because fishing “has been kind of tough the last two or three weeks.”
“I was at a weigh-in the other day and it took 20 pounds to win, but only 14 pounds for second place. That is kind of unheard of on the Kissimmee Chain in the summertime.”
The culprit he said has been fast-rising water levels due to rainfall.
“The water came up really fast and the fish are so scattered now you can't hardly pattern them. Normally this time of year you are either flipping the outside grass with a big worm or a one-ounce jig or you get offshore and fish brush piles, but this summer the brush piles are not producing. With the water coming up so fast the fish did not move offshore.”
The remaining schedule includes Aug 23 and Sept 27, with the Kissimmee Bass Series CLASSIC Oct 24-25; all out of Camp Mack's River Resort on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Anglers will pay a one-time registration fee, then $50 per boat for each tournament with an optional $20 Big Bass Pot for a 100 percent payback.
“I told everybody we are going to put the fun back into fishing,” Wynperle said, “and as long as the guys are having fun I am going to keep doing it.”
Success breed success and Wynperle now has a one-man and a two-man series out of Camp Mack's – and in November he will launch a Seniors Trail on Fridays for anglers 55 and older using the same format.
“I put on the application: Walkers are welcome,” Wynperle said.
Kissimmee Bass Series
Sun, Aug 23, 2015
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes
Camp Mack's River Resort
Charlie Wynperle, 813-382-2187
Wheeler Leads Tight Leaderboard After 1St Round Of 2015 Forrest Wood Cup
Jacob Wheeler was all smiles today as the Forrest Wood Cup kicked off on Lake Ouachita. photo courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com
Jacob Wheeler leads after Day 1 of the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup. He caught a 5-fish limit that weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces.
Ish Monroe is in 2nd with 15 pounds-even.
Brandon Cobb (14-10), Scott Martin (14-6) and Brad Knight (14-4) round out the Top 5.
It is the Cup. It is August. This will be a tough test of the best with a tight leaderboard and a chance for some come-from-behind heroics. Of course, Wheeler would like to see none of that as he aims to become the first angler to win 2 Forrest Wood Cups.
If this year’s Cup holds true to typical form, there are fish different depth zones and an angler needs to fish the way that best suits his style. One term we’ve already heard is ‘sight-fishing’ which would indicate there are some bass up shallow around bream beds.
Stay tuned as we peel this tournament back layer-by-layer to find out how it will be won.
Top 10 Pros
1. Jacob Wheeler – 16-02 (5)
2. Ishama Monroe – 15-00 (5)
3. Brandon Cobb – 14-10 (5)
4. Scott Martin – 14-06 (5)
5. Brad Knight – 14-04 (5)
6. Chris Baumgardner – 13-08 (5)
7. Ramie Colson Jr. – 13-03 (5)
8. Luke Clausen – 13-01 (5)
9. Mark Daniels Jr. – 12-15 (5)
10. John Cox – 12-00 (4)
Boat Bling Contest Winner To Compete Against Cody Meyer For New Ranger Boat
Boat Bling anglers have been challenging their fans to enter the 2015 Boat Bling Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge all season long. Over the past two weeks, all but one Boat Bling pro has announced via social media that they will not be competing against the winning amateur challenger. Boat Bling is pleased to announce that Walmart FLW Tour pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California, will be competing against the winning amateur challenger Ryan Isaacks of Prairieville, Louisiana.
A closely held secret throughout the 2015 season, nobody outside a small group of Boat Bling and FLW staff were aware of which Boat Bling pro would be fishing in the Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge – a Pro-vs Joe-style tournament in which an amateur angler is paired against a Boat Bling pro following the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita.
“It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. It still has not sunk in that I won out of everybody that entered,†Ryan Isaacks said.
An avid angler chosen out of thousands of entries, Ryan and his guest will be treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to the Forrest Wood Cup courtesy of Boat Bling and will be provided with behind-the-ropes, VIP access throughout the weekend. On Monday, August 24, while the winner of the Forrest Wood Cup cashes his check for $500,000, Isaacks will face off against Meyer in the Boat Bling sponsored shootout for a cash prize and the chance to win a new Ranger boat.
“Ryan Isaacks is the real star of the Boat Bling Challenge,†said Zack Bale, Director of Operations for Boat Bling Inc. “How often does an everyday fisherman get a chance to challenge a professional to see how they stack up? Ryan will come away from this with an amazing story to pass along to friends and family, and with a little luck, he will tow home a new Ranger boat.â€
“The partnership that FLW and Boat Bling have shared for the past two years is the key to bringing such a great contest and brand awareness into reality,†said Patrick Jones, President and CEO of Boat Bling Inc. “On the heels of the biggest fishing event in the world, the Forrest Wood Cup, the energy and momentum could not be higher. We are very proud of our inaugural Boat Bling Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge and look forward to seeing Ryan compete against Cody Meyer.â€
Both Isaacks and Meyer will fish out of the same boat in the 6-hour shootout. After a 7 a.m. takeoff and boat inspection by FLW tournament staff, each angler will fish for 3 hours from the front and back of the boat, rotating mid day. At 1 p.m., both anglers will weigh in with a certified scale on the FLW stage, and the winner will be announced.
“Ryan Isaacks is in for a real challenge fishing one on one against Cody Meyer,†said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “That is the fun of this promotion. It is a great example of how brands build meaningful connections with FLW fans. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Ryan won’t soon forget.â€
For further tournament details visit boatbling.net/challenge and follow live updates throughout the tournament on facebook.com/boatbling. Stay tuned to Boat Bling and FLW social media for announcements on what is in store for the 2016 season.
2015 FLW CUP Preview on Lake Ouachita with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh
AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh has fished Lake Ouachita before, and has a pretty good idea what these guys are going to have to do to SURVIVE a tournament of that magnitude in late August-click here for more!
